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Post by caprahircus on Sept 5, 2010 17:05:34 GMT -9
Okay, I need all the cheerleaders I can get (and maybe others to join me in this "quest") Shortly after coming to Alaska, I thought it would be really neat to totally cover the Anchorage Bowl with 100% smilies. I knew it would be tough and a somewhat moving target considering new postings. So here's the premise to sweep the area (which I can modify given other more logical guidance): - North Boundary - everything south and west of Ft Richardson
- West Boundary - east of the Cook Inlet centerline
- East Boundary - Everything west of the Crow's Creek Trail (farthest cache east would be Spirit of the Chugach)
- South Bounday - From Williwa south down Indian Valley to the Turnagain Arm
My open list as of September 5: - 22 Mystery
- 01 Whereigo
- 03 Multi
- 01 Virtual
- 80 Traditional
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Post by nccachegeek on Sept 5, 2010 17:25:03 GMT -9
Do you have a GPX file of the target area? I would love to take a look and see what caches are involved.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Sept 5, 2010 18:28:50 GMT -9
Ah, now I understand the reason for your last email. Only 22 mysteries? You know, I really need to make an effort to break into the Anchorage caching market. Big city urban micros have never been much of a draw for me. When I download my new PQ's and update GSAK, I always export my filtered results to a gpx file and then open it with Garmin's Mapsource where I can select the block of Anchorage and hit the delete button before manually loading the remaining caches to my GPS.
At any rate, I need to start working over at least all the unknown caches and actually stop and find/log the several that I've already solved but never finished the hunt.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 6, 2010 4:28:51 GMT -9
I'm a greenhorn with GSAK, but I think I can set that up. It would be static of course. Part of the challenge is keeping the new postings cleared as soon as possible so that the number of targets doesn't climb on me!
Mystery caches have always been a bit of a bane for me ... at least certain types. I'm okay with the research ones of those that just require caculations. But those logic-type! Oh my!
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Post by nccachegeek on Sept 6, 2010 6:53:57 GMT -9
Agreed! I wanted to see what puzzles I can solve now. If you can't work with GSAK you can always setup a Bookmark List within GC.com and share the list.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 6, 2010 18:07:56 GMT -9
Woohoo! With LBK towing me uphill, I knocked three terrain 4s off of the list today! That's exciting for me!
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Post by nccachegeek on Sept 6, 2010 18:57:47 GMT -9
Woohoo! With LBK towing me uphill, I knocked three terrain 4s off of the list today! That's exciting for me! Congrats!
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Post by tomanoble on Sept 7, 2010 22:38:53 GMT -9
Yeah, if you have a gpx file, bp and I would like it too. She could probably help you with many of the puzzles as well or at least maybe help plan a puzzle solving night for people interested in getting together to solve local puzzles. I'll volunteer her for that.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 8, 2010 7:20:11 GMT -9
I'll try and work on this when I get a breather. What do you all think about the same sort of thing for MatSU, ER-Chugiak, and Kenai? Pick a fairly clean boundary and draw a polygon around the target for clean sweep. I don't think we can do it as a challenge cache (due to the dynamics), but maybe there's another way that we can make it a fun objective.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Sept 8, 2010 8:35:49 GMT -9
Sonai is easy and has well established boundaries. The end of the road at Cpt Cook park is the northern boundary. The West is the Cook inlet shoreline. The East is the wildlife refuge boundary. The south can be set in various ways, but since caches are sparse, I use Clam Gulch as the southern point by drawing a line from the westernmost point of Tustumena lake due west to the inlet. It will pass just south of Clam Gulch. GPX of this area attached. Only 176 caches which includes 6 multi's and 45 puzzles. The remaining 125 are traditionals. There are no grandfathered cache types or Earthcaches in this area (though I'm working on changing the Earthcache part). About my GPX files; the cache names might look a little funny, but this is how I have GSAK output my files for loading to a GPS. The "GC" is dropped and replaced with "M" for multi, "T" for traditional, or "U" for unknown cache type. The second character is the container size (Micro, Small, Regular, Large, or Unknown). The rest is the cache ID without the "GC" part. If you look at the description text you'll find the cache name is preceded by the D/T rating. Makes is very easy to size up a cache on the GPS screen while traveling. As for a Challenge, I believe there is a way you can work with the dynamics of cache creation and destruction by using "snap shots" in time. You have the boundary and you must find all the caches in it. As caches are archived, they no longer count. If you found them, so be it. If you didn't, they no longer matter. As you get down to hunting the last cache, it would be the PQ snapshot of the day you find that last cache that matters. If a new cache is published the next day, it doesn't matter. If a new cache was published the morning of the day you hunt down the last cache on your list, you're not done yet and have to go get that new cache to "tap out". Attachments:
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Post by ladybugkids on Sept 8, 2010 9:41:26 GMT -9
Fun ideas! Follow this link to Groundspeak's Knowledge Book entry about Challenge Caches to see what they will and will not support.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 9, 2010 7:43:46 GMT -9
Arrgh! Monday I dropped three caches off of my list and by Tuesday afternoon, I had to add four more! That will be the nature of the game. At least it was a trade of 3 rather remote caches for 4 urban/suburban ones!
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Post by li1gray on Sept 9, 2010 13:40:01 GMT -9
Capra, I would love to get the bowl done as well. I am looking at the map and the ones I have to clear a couple new ones in town, I will have to come up with a list of caches I need but would love to tackle a few more on the front range. I have very few of these done. Slowly working back in there. was thinking mountain biking on Friday up powerline to grab a few new ones but was also looking at Kepler Bradley. will depend on how bad the trails are as to where I go I guess. Give me a holler at work tonight.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 12, 2010 19:05:18 GMT -9
The south boundary wasn't quite right. LBK educated me on the trails north out of Indian, particularly on the route to get to Spirit of the Chugach. So I am tentatively expanding the south boundary to Indian. For me that adds 22 additional traditional caches. (Obviously I do not consider event caches.) Unfortunately, that expanded area includes both caches that require rappelling!!!
So, my open list as of September 12 is:
* 22 Mystery * 01 Whereigo * 02 Multi * 01 Virtual * 74 Traditional
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Post by FrostG1anT on Sept 12, 2010 20:06:39 GMT -9
Over The Top requires climbing, not rappelling, (well, you could rappel down with a top rope after you grab the cache) but if you want to get Cacheraphobia let me know, MTboy and I can hook you up. I haven't jumped off the cliff in McHugh this summer so it is about time, I think a sunset trip would be the best for that one, I was looking at it tonight on my way back to town and thinking how cool it would be to grab it at sunset.
Can we strap a mountain bike to your back and get get some AR footage while we are at it?
Over The Top will be the tricky one as we need to arrange time for someone who is skilled at climbing lead to join us and then we can set up a top rope and grab it safely. I lack the needed skills to climb lead at this point.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 13, 2010 4:16:47 GMT -9
That might be fun to try and set up as you did with the Castle Mountain run that was so enjoyable! I'm still such an amateur with GSAK! I am tray to find a way to frame the Bowl with a polygon to save the caches contained in a GPX file. Ah well! It's not urgent for me. I don't think there's any possibility of completing my quest this year. And Scott's got me stoked on Soldotna as a follow-on!
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 13, 2010 5:35:04 GMT -9
Sonai is easy and has well established boundaries. The end of the road at Cpt Cook park is the northern boundary. The West is the Cook inlet shoreline. The East is the wildlife refuge boundary. The south can be set in various ways, but since caches are sparse, I use Clam Gulch as the southern point by drawing a line from the westernmost point of Tustumena lake due west to the inlet. It will pass just south of Clam Gulch. GPX of this area attached. Only 176 caches which includes 6 multi's and 45 puzzles. The remaining 125 are traditionals. There are no grandfathered cache types or Earthcaches in this area (though I'm working on changing the Earthcache part). About my GPX files; the cache names might look a little funny, but this is how I have GSAK output my files for loading to a GPS. The "GC" is dropped and replaced with "M" for multi, "T" for traditional, or "U" for unknown cache type. The second character is the container size (Micro, Small, Regular, Large, or Unknown). The rest is the cache ID without the "GC" part. If you look at the description text you'll find the cache name is preceded by the D/T rating. Makes is very easy to size up a cache on the GPS screen while traveling. As for a Challenge, I believe there is a way you can work with the dynamics of cache creation and destruction by using "snap shots" in time. You have the boundary and you must find all the caches in it. As caches are archived, they no longer count. If you found them, so be it. If you didn't, they no longer matter. As you get down to hunting the last cache, it would be the PQ snapshot of the day you find that last cache that matters. If a new cache is published the next day, it doesn't matter. If a new cache was published the morning of the day you hunt down the last cache on your list, you're not done yet and have to go get that new cache to "tap out". It looks like you could even broaden it a little to include Homer OR make Homer its own little sweep. This has all the makings of setting up Alaskan challenges around the state, challenges that are all quite doable! For the less energetic (and snowbirds), maybe even break out the traditionals as a "first leg" in any of the challenges!
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Post by nccachegeek on Sept 13, 2010 16:33:41 GMT -9
That might be fun to try and set up as you did with the Castle Mountain run that was so enjoyable! I'm still such an amateur with GSAK! I am tray to find a way to frame the Bowl with a polygon to save the caches contained in a GPX file. Ah well! It's not urgent for me. I don't think there's any possibility of completing my quest this year. And Scott's got me stoked on Soldotna as a follow-on! I would be more than happy to give you a hand with GSAK. I think I use GSAK more than I use my GPS. lol
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 14, 2010 4:43:04 GMT -9
I'll probably take you up on that help with GSAK!
I tried to chip away at a few caches yesterday and knocked three more off of the list .... only to have Frostg1ant through three new challenges out there with T=4.5!! This will definitely be a quest!
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mtboy
Silver Cacher
Posts: 139
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Post by mtboy on Sept 15, 2010 9:35:10 GMT -9
If somebody is interested in over the top, let me know. I checked on it in May and it is in good shape.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 15, 2010 15:31:13 GMT -9
Oh! I'm interested! It's just getting the time on the schedule that matches others on the quest. (I also have to figure out Spirit of the Chugach on foot in a single day!)
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on Sept 15, 2010 20:46:46 GMT -9
Wow! Over The Top Cache is still there. I remember when we set that cache with the FRA Outdoor Adventure Club. I also remember some of the not so nice remarks about it.
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Post by FrostG1anT on Sept 16, 2010 21:07:23 GMT -9
If somebody is interested in over the top, let me know. I checked on it in May and it is in good shape. I want to get Over The Top, I have been 137' from it without proper gear and would love to make the climb
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 17, 2010 5:10:45 GMT -9
There's two of us!
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 19, 2010 7:55:04 GMT -9
Woohoo! Great day yesterday! Knocked off L'il O'Malley, Cloud Catcher, MTboy Needs Something to Do After Work, O'Malley Summit, Box Seat, and Touchdown. A couple of those have long been on my to-do list.
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Post by li1gray on Sept 19, 2010 9:03:54 GMT -9
Woohoo! Great day yesterday! Knocked off L'il O'Malley, Cloud Catcher, MTboy Needs Something to Do After Work, O'Malley Summit, Box Seat, and Touchdown. A couple of those have long been on my to-do list. I didn't get the call and we seen you and LBK vehicles there at the parking area. We were up on the hidden lake trail and knocked those 3 off. what a great day to be out on Omalley, eh?! I would love to tag along on a couple of these outtings!
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 19, 2010 18:50:38 GMT -9
Shoot! We must have been looking down at the top of your head. I still have more climbs I have to attempt to squeeze in before the snow flies. I still have Fear of Flying, All of Anchorage, Yankee, and the three along Mahogany Ridge.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 24, 2010 19:28:01 GMT -9
Chipping away at it! Moça Cabrinha and I managed to scratch off 3 Mystery caches and three traditionals this evening.
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 27, 2010 5:01:03 GMT -9
Whew! This was a difficult weekend for progress. Lots of backward steps with the new postings. But I managed to chip away at the Mystery caches on my list. Status:
17 - Mystery 01 - Whereigo 02 - Multi 01 - Virtual 69 - Traditional (excluding 2 that will probably never be enabled again)
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Post by caprahircus on Sept 30, 2010 7:41:17 GMT -9
Arrgh! I'm backing up here! Now there's a new night cache on the agenda! (Actually, that'll be fun!) With Lilgray and Cavy re-energizing Frosty's urban archives, it is keeping me hopping a bit.
So I've added another Mystery and two more Traditionals as of this AM. I guess I'd better think about doing something this evening.
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