Planning: Eco Friendly Cache Challenge

[Get_Off_The_Paved]

So the other day I headed out to find some caches... but by bike, not only cuz it's cheep but my truck was having a moment.  That got me thinking about a cache challenage that would be Eco friendly, my thought would be a event with a 15km limit and you can only walk, bike, or take the bus... no personal cars.  Same idea as the SSC, just small area and maybe some different locations that are easy by mounatin bike but can be quite the walk. 

Just an idea I thought that i toss out there and see what you poeple think.

[jleecollins]

Sounds interesting.

During my vacation I just got back from, I used my bike to get to several cache.  It was quicker then wlaking the 0.75 to 1.0 kilometers to the cache

Jim

[ragbag]

That sounds like a great idea.  My first question is, where to hold it?  Most of the areas that might be considered (Boulevard, Cascades, Mills Block, Trowbridge) already have several caches each, and there might be a problem with cache concentrations.
My second question is, anyone have an extra bike?  My old 10-speed racer needs some work, and probably wouldn't be suitable for such an excursion, and I'm too cheap to go out and buy one just for this event.

My $0.02.

Ragbag

[shroomAzoom]

I think you were thinking some place "off the paved," but we could do it in Westfort. No seriously. There is a total lack of caches in Westfort. I don't know if this was the kind of area size you had in mind, but what say:

South of Arthur St; West of Syndicate Ave; North of Gore St; East of Hwy 61? I'll attach a map.

Westfort has it all, parks, recreation trails, urban, historic, even a bit of bush in the corner.

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[Get_Off_The_Paved]

     You know after looking at the map of the Westfort area it looks like a good area, with many spots.  I never really thought about the lack of caches in the area even though I live in this area.  Plus the area that shroomAzoom had marked out seemed to be easy enough that even those traveling by foot could cover many caches with planning of course.  One other question that I was thinking about was what time frame should we hold on this event, I don't think that a full 24hrs should be allowed.  Maybe something like everyone meets for coffee at 9am and meets again at 5-6 for the windup.  Makes for a nice afternoon to get out before the winter hits and talk about some of the finds that we've made during the summer.

[shroomAzoom]

Jenn and I were talking and thought that this would be perfect for an afternoon event, depending on the number of caches out there. Even if we met around noon and then got together for supper, five or six hours should do. (Again, depending on the number of caches.)

Then again if we get a tonne hidden, it just means that we have to prioritize for the event and then get the bonus of having more caches to hunt afterwards!

I'm excited for this event. Are we going to do it while the autumn afternoons are still pleasant?

[JungleBus]

I like the idea of a shorter event, it's easier for us to be able to find someone to watch our kids.  I think sooner would probably be better, it's nice if it's somewhat warm out!  I guess we need time to hide some caches though... We should probably pick a date ASAP so we can start hiding caches.   

[Get_Off_The_Paved]

     Well sitting here looking at the calender, I would have to say that if we want to have some "nice" weather it would have to happen October 4th, or the 18th, didn't want to do it on the long weekend as some of use may want to get away.  So thats either two weeks or four weeks away.

Now since I just came up with the idea, I have no idea on what it takes to get the listings together on the site and the event page.   Thats all stuff that shroomAzoom might just have to give me a little help on.   

And for the 12 O'clock start might not be a bad idea, Westfort ain't that big and if theres that many hidden then it will make for a little more of a challenge. 

One finale thought... are we going to base points on the hides same way as the SCC.... it could make for some more interesting hides in the area, I just hope that jleecollins is out of micro cache containers.

[shroomAzoom]

Better give us until the 18th to get our caches ready and out there. 

I've set up an account on geocaching.com for the NWOG group. (I'll email you the u/n and password.) You can set the listing up and I can give you a hand with setting up the tabel of caches and stuff.

For what it's worth, I think I made things too complicated this spring with the SCC. Last year it was pretty simple, 1 pt for hiding a cache, 1 pt for finding a cache, 1/2 pt for FTF. Maybe we could make the EcoCC somewhere in between?

Anyway, great idea GOTP, I'm really looking forward to it! So, let's get the listing up this weekend, and we can get caching one month from tomorrow!

[jleecollins]

I have a never ending source of micro cache containers.

The trouble will be to get to Thunder Bay area to set up caches.  I will be in the Thunder Bay area next weekend for a scout/cub camp at Grey Wolf Camp.  Time to set up caches may be limited.  At this camp I am working on an activity for the scout/cubs/beavers on GPS and Geocaching.

Jim

[shroomAzoom]

 That's not necessarily a good thing Jim.

I think having it in Westfort will require some really creative ideas. Jenn and I were just down there for our volleyball tournament and were scouting out some possible areas.

One idea that we came up with was instead of giving extra points for different types of hides (which encouraged hiding caches that were super difficult for others to find,) we could have categories and say that you only get your 1 pt for hiding for one hide in each category. This might encourage a variety of hides without overly rewarding super difficult hides.

[Get_Off_The_Paved]

      O.K. ShroomAzoom I tried to set up the page on the geocaching web site under what you had started and now there telling me that you can't hold a event for the purpose of drawing fellow geocachers together.  I thought thats what you had events for?, if you don't mind taking a look at the listing and se how we can get this event up and running. 

And for the log in you have to drop the (.com)

[shroomAzoom]

Yay GOTP! Here's the listing, you'll read it hear first!

The frist Eco Cache Challenge for Thunder Bay, limited to the Westfort area. No cars allowed, you can walk, run, bike, or use city busses. October 18 stating at 12noon and ending 6 with dinner.

With the rising cost of fuel and the effects on the enviroment this is a chance to get out and do some caching with out making a impact. Get out and leave the car at home, which it's not allowed anyways. You may drive to a pre slected starting area from there your under your own power. You may walk, run, skate, ride, or take the city bus, and no you can't car pool.

The boarders of the EcoCC will be as follows, South of Arthur st., West of Syndicate Ave., North of Gore St., and East of Hwy 61. Check the map attached in the gallery.

We're going to keep things simple for the hides, 1 point for each hide, and bouns point for a Multi cache or a Puzzle cache that is related to learning or history of the Westfort area. 1 point for the finds and 1/2 point for the FTF.

We hope you'll get out there and get those caches hidden as i'am sure that many spots will have more then one person looking to make a hide.

Please be sure to make note to the reviewer that the cache is hiden in part of the EcoCC 2008, and not to be released until October 16, 2008.

E-mail get_off_the_paved with the GC number, name, and if its for a bonus point so that it can be add to this page.

One thing I'm wondering, where and when are we meeting? We might need to have that in the listing before it get's published. They're pretty much sticklers for events being about the get-together. Ill check it out this afternoon.

[shroomAzoom]

Okay, so I rewrote the cache description and left a note for CacheDrone. I think it conforms more to the GC.com guidelines of what an event cache is supposed to be. Apparently, they're not supposed to be to organize hunts for other caches. So, I've emphasized the get-together part of the event and directed folks to our NWOG site for details on the challenge.

Maybe we can hash out the last few details here and then we'll start a new topic that has the rules, etc.

So, Red Rickshaw for supper?
We start at noon, end at 5pm
We've got the Westfort "boundaries" set out, right?
Walking, biking, public transportation, rollerblades, rickshaws allowed / Internal combustion engines (other than buses?) disallowed?
1 point for a hide
1 point for a find
1/2 point for a FTF
1 bonus point for a Multi or Puzzle cache related to learning or history of Westfort area. (I like encouraging the history aspect a lot! (don't know about encouraging multi-caches though.))

Can we say you can only get hiding points once for each type of the following caches:

• puzzle cache
• multi cache
• micro cache
• regular cache

(So max of 6 points for hides? Discuss?)

[Get_Off_The_Paved]

Well I think that everything looks to be in order, the one thought that I was still thinking about was the starting area so that everyone starts and finshes in the same place without question.  Or should we just go with park at your first cache and have to return to that site at the end of the day?   The Red Rickshaw could work for supper, I can't remember the last time that ate there... yet I don't think that the place has changed much.   Point system works with me, at least everyone has a chance for the max points.... like to keep things  a little closer heading into the event.