Geocaching Maine Newsletter
August 2008
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Volume II Issue 8
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I. Remember to Vote: 2008 Geocaching Maine Geocoin
----Side Bar: What about the Volunteer Geocoin drawing?
II. Creative Caching, Challenge Caches
III. Upcoming Events
IV. Maine Geocaching Media Coverage
V. Hot Topics of the Past Month
VI. Photos of the Past Month
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I. Remember to Vote: 2008 Geocaching Maine Geocoin
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Vote for geocoin design
--A 2008 geocoing has long been discussed. There is a poll now for choosing a design for the next Maine geocoin. Choose from a winter scene, which depicts a snow-covered cabin and snowshoer; a Maine-shaped coin with four aspects of Maine overlaying geocaching colors; a unique-shaped coin with snowshoes on one side and lobster on the other; a cut-out coin resembling a compass with a state shape inside; and a Maine-shaped coin depicting the state bird, the mosquito! Thank you to everyone who helped brainstorm ideas, put together designs, and helped digitize them!
----Side Bar: What about the Volunteer Geocoin drawing?
------Congratulations to Lexmano for winning the Volunteer Geocoin! The name was drawn at the Slipping into Summer 2008 event.
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II. Creative Caching, Challenge Caches
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It’s not just one find, these caches will take time
--Geocaching is fun in its simplest form. It also allows for a lot of creativity. The creativity has generated challenge caches: geocaches that require a certain set of actions (hides and/or finds) to achieve the find. Challenge caches can dominate conversations at events, so you may have heard of these, and there are more out there!
-- Maine’s Delorme Challenge GCW8N6 by Team Teebow: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...b-1d7f61d1ddb7
gets a lot of attention from cachers. If you’re going camping or to a geocaching event, it may just be on a new map page! The challenge is completed by getting at least one geocache on each map page of the Maine Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer, except for the exemptions listed on the cache page.
--This is a challenge that you work on over time, Firefighterjake says in his good humor, “I suspect that few folks set out to just do the Delorme Challenge; rather most have done a bunch of the maps and then at some point figure they might as well do a few more to wrap up this Challenge and be one of the proud, the few, the Marines--I mean--the Geocachers!” Read more discussion: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3304
--Four Maine geocachers got together for a special find and named themselves the Rescue Rangers. While that’s a story for another time, they’ve created the challenge cache called Maine Natural and Unique Delorme College Associates Degree GC13H9D: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...0-c7d4033be95e
--TAT, a member of the Rescue Rangers, explains that the goal is to find caches at the Natural and Unique Areas in Delorme's Maine Atlas and Gazetteer. At least 20 are required for the Associates Degree. “In the future, I hope to publish a Bachelor's degree (40 places) and a Master's degree (60 places).” When TAT got his first Atlas, it became his goal to go to all of the Natural and Unique Areas. The greatest aspect of this challenge, TAT says, “is seeing some of the most spectacular places in Maine.
--Another popular challenge cache in Maine is Cache Like It’s 2001 GC146JV by Sudonim: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...spx?wp=GC146JV
--In 2003 when Sudonim started caching, he noticed that there were some older caches on his list, and by 2007 they had nagged him until he set the goal to find all the 2001 caches. Maine’s oldest cache was placed in 2001. After he found them all, he says, “I thought it would make a good challenge cache to get others to do as well.” Because of this challenge, Sudonim says, “I did some hard caches, far from my normal caching area that were fun to do, if hard to get to.” Currently only three cachers have completed the challenge, and many cachers are getting close. There’s discussion about this challenge: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3297
--TAT offers this advice to cachers interested in creating a challenge cache, “Carefully review all of the guidelines and get your reviewer involved early in the process.” A reviewer is the volunteer for Geocaching.com who reviews and publishes cache pages. Sudonim adds, “I think challenge caches are so varied that there are no pre-set rules; just think them out well before publishing, because they sure are a lot of work for the people trying to complete them.”
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III. Upcoming Events
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Thank you to DeLorme for the donated door prizes, which were won at the Slipping into Summer 2008 event in July!
08/08/08 8/8/08 From 8:00-8:08am: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...3-0ea606146082
08/09/08 Trail Work Day and Picnic: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...b-b403bf68bbf8
08/16/08 Cachin’ and Scrapin’ Event: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...3-0ded8e4d736a
08/23/08 Warren Island Campout: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...4-5a877ce60ffe
Discussion: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3274
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IV. Maine Geocaching Media Coverage
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Don’t forget about the Maine PodCache: http://goddess.libsyn.com/
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V. Hot Topics of the Past Month
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ON THE TRAIL:
All the caches: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3309
ATV trail tracks: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3289
Cache Containers: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3256
Caches on the AT: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3257
Eustis Cache Challenge: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3320
Five Star Rating: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3302
Good Hikes in S. ME: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3255
IntotheWoods adoptions: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3321
H.P.Lovecraft cache: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3264
Loon Echo Hike N Bike: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3244
Maintenance or Archive: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3317
Newbie advise: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3314
Newbie questions: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3305
NE Mega Event?: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ad.php?p=43712
Rails to Trails: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3267
Require warnings?: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3291
TECHNOLOGY:
eTrexH and Mac: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3300
Garmin GPSmap 60CSx: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3315
Improve Colorado: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3290
Mapsource and Vista: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3269
PDA Suggestions: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum...ead.php?t=3282
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VI. Photos of the Past Month
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“Tacoma Lakes Area” Ospreys after SSS 2008 Event By EMSDanel: http://www.geocachingmaine.org/galle...534/cat/last14
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~~~Next Month’s Feature: Popular Geocache Characteristics~~~
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--Brought to you by GeocachingMaine.org; editor Medawisla; distributor Attroll; reviewers Geocaching Maine Advisory Board. Questions/Comments welcome.
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