NWOG's Summer Featured Cacher is Wandering_Man. Caching since 2007, but only really getting serious about it a year and a bit ago. Since he joined up with NWOG, Wandering_Man has wandered into our hearts, and that's why he's our Summer Featured Cacher. (July 2010)

1. How did you get your geocaching alias?

   The legend of the Wandering Man dates back to 2000 and my first year of university. At the time ICQ was the online chat program of choice and people were just discovering online gaming. As a result people were developing their online persona and creating names in the virtual world. While I could have gone with something more typical like “SuperAwesomeCoolStud2000” or any other of the ridiculous names folks were coming up with, I decided that I wanted to take a more philosophical approach when labeling myself. Wandering Man seemed to make sense because it combined my love of the outdoors with the sense that I was at a crossroads of my life and in fact I was searching for purpose.

   Since the name fit so well I just continued to use it. I like to think the name is as fitting for me today was it was when I created it. Frankly as far as my virtual-self goes, the Wandering Man is much better known then Mark Maranzan will ever be.

   And here you thought it was going to be something simple.

2. What do you do when you're not geocaching?

   I guess I should talk about the work side of my life first. I’m a professional data monkey at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. More specifically I’m the Wait Times Coordinate in the Decision Support department at the hospital. What that means is if you have a surgery or diagnostic procedure (MRI or CT), here in town, I will know about it and can tell how long it took you to get it done. For those of you looking into surgical options I can provide you with information on expected timelines to receive the procedure. Aside from that I tend to do a lot of data reporting on just about anything the hospital requires, including projects in Diagnostic Imaging and the Oncology portfolios.

   Outside of work my life can be summed up depending on the season. Spring to fall I can most likely be found on the trails of Centennial Park and Shuniah Mines riding my mountain bike. I’m an avid racer with the Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club, where I enjoy little to moderate success (if you are looking for my results online, I tend to be at the bottom of the standings). As well as riding, I take any and all opportunities to get outside and enjoy all that nature has to offer. I play soccer, fish, camp, hunt… well you get the picture. In the winter I cross country ski and can be found most nights at Kamview Nordic Centre.

   If you are looking for more about a personal life here, well that makes two of us. I’m currently single, well employed; enjoy long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners…. Oh wait; this is the wrong profile… Nevermind.

3. When and how did you get started geocaching?

   Well I’m sure shroomAzoom is looking for the shout out on this one, but really I would have to give credit to two individuals for getting me started. First was an old roommate of mine in university. Back in 2003 he managed to get a cheap GPS unit on eBay and with it we managed to find our first few caches. It wasn’t much, but it did the trick and we had loads of fun with it.

   I ended up getting my first GPS unit in 2007 just before moving back to Thunder Bay. This was the point at with I finally signed up for geocaching.com and went looking for a few caches on my own. I found one or two while hiking around Thunder Bay and didn’t really do a whole lot of caching until the spring of 2009.

   This was the point when influence #2 came into play. I would personally like to thank Jenn Foulds for getting me hooked on geocaching. Or maybe its little D.N.F I should thank since it was his arrival that forced Jenn to take to the sidelines leaving Darren in search of another partner to hunt with. Alright fine I’ll just give credit to the whole Foulds family since everyone of them seems to have played a part in this. If you haven’t heard already they are good peoples.

4. What do you like most about geocaching?

   I like the hunt, the adventure, the thrill of the find! It’s like I’m a pirate searching for buried treasure! Every guy wants to be a pirate, no? Actually it’s mostly the chance to get out into the world around me and see new and exciting places. People who know me well would agree that I live to be in the outdoors so anything that gives me chance to explore amazing new natural places is always a bonus. So yeah, it’s all about nature and being a pirate. YAR!

5. Do you have any geocaching pet-peeves?

   One word.

   jleecollins.

   (I’m sorry Jim I couldn’t resist!)

   Actually Jim’s great and has produced some of my favourite caches like ‘Scout Tree’s for Canada.’ When it comes to caches all I care is that at the end of the day the hide makes sense. I’m all for a challenging hide, but I want to be sure that I will eventually find it and when I do all the bells in my head go off and I understand the method behind the hide. If I can learn from the find and use that knowledge for the next one then it will all be worth while.

   I’m not a huge fan of micros/nanos, especially when they are hidden in places where a larger container could be used. I like to see hides where placing the cache was just as challenging as finding it. If both parties have to think long and hard about the cache, then you can be assured that plenty of hard work has gone into producing a quality cache. Personally I don’t think I will ever place a micro/nano, but hey, that’s just me.

   As for a preference on caches, I will always enjoy rural caches to urban caches. I’m not a huge fan of sneaking around public places where I feel people are watching me. Rural caches usually take me to new and exciting places as well so I tend to find that more interesting.

6. What do you take with you when you go caching?

   A wise man once said, “As long as you’ve got pants, then that’s all you need.” So keeping that in mind I tend to keep things fairly simple. Most caching trips I only bring my GPS, and a pen. For major events I will go a little further. Extra batteries, water, cache notes and crib sheets, camera, flashlight, rubber boots, extra shoes/socks, and of course a swim suit and towel (just in case!). Basically anything I think of that might give me an advantage over those pesky Junglebus folk!

7. Have you introduced anyone to geocaching?

   I’ve taken a few friends on the hunt before, but none of them have really been hooked. And here I thought I was a better salesman then that. Most people that come along haven’t wanted to invest the money in the equipment yet.

8. Which other geocacher has influenced/stands out to you the most?

   The two biggest influences I have in caching would be shroomAzoom and ChrisDom. Both work tirelessly to increase the exposure of geocaching, promote the expansion of our recreational activity, and push the envelope on quality of hides. I hope to one day be half the cacher either of these gentlemen are. On the same token I look up to just about everyone who is part of NWOG.com. (yes Jim, even you!) This is a great group of cachers to be part of. I very much enjoy all the caches in the area, the events that are run and the general conversation on NWOG.com. Being connected with a group like NWOG makes me want to work harder to both promote caching and to be a good steward of the activity.

9. What is the most interesting place geocaching has taken you?

   99 percent of my caching so far has been in the Thunder Bay area. While this may seem a little boring, I have managed to visit some truly amazing places in our own backyard. It amazes me to find simple wonders like a small waterfall on a road side (By the Falls – shroomAzoom), an old railway tunnel (Grand Trunk – ChrisDom), or even a dam and small set of rapids at the end of a lake I’ve visited many times (Hazelweird Dam – Hunter-Killer). I tend to be a sucker for a good scenic view.

   This winter I did managed to make my first few international finds. While on a cruise I visited three virtual caches, two in the Caymen Islands and one is Mexico. While the purpose of the trip wasn’t to obtain these caches, it was still amazing to be halfway around the world and log some caches.

   As of right now I do have plans to log a number of finds in BC this summer, which will be the second province I’ve logged caches in. Hopefully there too I will managed to find some truly amazing places thanks to caching.

10. What has been you most memorable geocaching find (or DNF?)

    One that is still at the top of my mind is ‘A Bridge too Far’ by Ragbag. I feel like it should be a simple find, but somehow it continues to allude me. I’ve been there three times already on the hunt and countless time simply riding over it. It’s one of the few remainings caches I need to find in the Centennial Park/Boulevard Lake area. One of these days maybe I will find it.

    As for memorable finds, all three virtuals in the Caribbean will hold a special place in my heart. The caches themselves are nothing special, but they will hold good memories of travelling with my family. Local caches that have been memorable are the Grand Trunk series for its connection with the first event I’ve held (Coffee & Cacher’s I), ‘To Conserve and Protect,’ for being my first logged find on GC.com, and McKellar Lagoon Island for being one of the craziest things I’ve ever done in the name of a FTF. Speaking of which, where’s the video clip on that one Shrooms?

11. Which of your hides are you the most pleased with?

    The hide(s) that I’m probably most proud of are my Shuniah Mines series. These 7 caches has received raved reviews from folk as it has prompted people to visit an area of Thunder Bay so close to town, but where most have never ventured. Really it’s such a simple series of caches to complete, but it’s a most enjoyable hike or bike (for the more adventurous type) and it promotes one of my favourite places in Thunder Bay. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if a few more caches popped up in the area (hint, hint!).

12. What is your closest un-found cache?

    I have too many to list of at this point. Last I looked I had over 150 within about 50km of Thunder Bay. The good news there is I will have lots to find all summer. I believe my closest unfound cache is either Port Arthur Courthouse Earthcache, or Geomonopoly: McVicar creek. I keep saying I’m going to go and knock both off, but I never seem to get around to it. I can be quite the lazy cacher sometimes.

13. What caches do you have in your sights right now?

    I can’t say that I really have a list of must-do caches. I still have plenty of great caches to visit in town and the surrounding area. If I had to choose I think I would like to do the Loch Lomond series, the two at the top of Mount McKay and all the caches in the Wolf Lake region. I guess you could say I’m a sucker of a good hike, and a great view from the top. Unfortunately all three areas will take a considerable amount of time to complete so I don’t think I will be getting to any of them till after I return from the west coast. Maybe this means we will see the return of Coffee & Cacher’s in August so I can find some people crazy enough to join me for the Loch Lomond death march. I’m sure I can sucker a few people in with a free event find.

14. shroomAzoom: You're somewhat of a zen master (or a reclusive bush-man,) what's your philosophy of geocaching?

    Zen Master? Can’t say I’ve ever heard that one before. It must have something to do with all the sage wisdom I impart on those around me. Reclusive bush-man? Yeah that sounds better. Is it a crime for a person to want nothing more in life then a small shack way off in the bush where he can be left alone with nature? Why is it people always find this concept so crazy?

    I actually have two philosophies when it comes to caching, well maybe one philosophy and one motto.

    The first is “Caching to promote a healthy and active life-style,” and for those of you who have completed my ‘Benny’s Drop’ or ‘High over North Current’ caches I think you will understand. As a former Toronto desk-jockey I know how hard it can be to stay active and live healthy. As a result of my previously sedimentary lifestyle I now look for every opportunity to promote active living. When I create a cache, I like to look for a placement that will cause a person to work physically for the find, so that in the end they are not only rewarded with a small plastic container, but a great view or a chance to explore a wonderful natural area. So that being said, be on the lookout for my next set of caches that will test you physically, but I do promise the work will be worth it.

    The second saying that always seems to crop up is, “Caching with incompetence.” Yes folks I’m the first to admit that when it comes to caching (and life!) I don’t always make the brightest moves, but at the end of the day it’s all in good fun! Whether it’s crashing through a thicket of raspberry bushes in shorts only to find an easy access from the other side, to swimming for a cache at 11:30 at night in the pitch black (seriously I’m sure the video is coming!), I always seem to find the less intelligent way to hunt for a find. “Caching with incompetence” is more then a saying, It’s a lifestyle.

15. Hunters-5: Considering the amount of reading and interaction involved in geocaching one thing I tend to notice and find interesting is the tag or signature lines that geocachers list either in their posts or profiles. What is your own favourite line (past or present) and someone elses line that stands out in your mind and why that is?

    Hmm, now that’s an interesting question. I can’t really say that I’ve paid all that much attention to the tag lines people use. And even if I did things tend to go in one ear and out the other with me. As for myself, I do occasionally use a tag line here and there. Mostly I use them on the forms. You may notice that my current title is ‘Under new Management’. While some might things there is some deep dark meaning for this, really it’s just me being bored and coming up with funny ways to label myself.

    Before I was ‘Under new Management’ someone else was having fun with my title. On a whim I had applied the label of ‘Eggs over Easy with Bacon’. I’m not sure where that one came from, but I assure you I had a good reason for it. Well at least I would like to think I had a good reason for it. But anyway, somewhere along the lines it became ‘I’m like eggs over easy with bacon’. Funny how those sorts of things happen? It was especially funny because I didn’t make the change. But it made me laugh so I stuck with it.

    So really when it comes down to my signature lines there is no rhyme or reason to what I do. It’s just Mark being Mark.

Well I think that just about sums me up. I’m sure at this point I’ve shattered a few illusions about my character. Aren’t you all glad that you made me the summer feature cacher? I sure enjoyed filling out the profile!