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Post by SSO JOAT on Oct 10, 2013 7:07:02 GMT -9
With 2013 winding down under a rapidly advancing termination dust line, it is time to lay groundwork on our 2014 events. Looking over the calendar, I have to choose between the last two weekends of July for the picnic. Options are for Saturday or Sunday, and July 19, 20, 26, or 27. Soldotna Progress Days is the weekend of July 26-27, so Soldotna Creek Park will not be available. Kenai Municipal should be available either weekend. Or, a whole new park site can be tried out. There are a couple other options along the Kenai River, and we could go as far up stream as Sterling (Bing's Landing) before hauling all the gear and setting up the daycache game becomes too challenging for the host.
The salmon trackable tag had some interest at the 5th annual event, though it wasn't quite as high as I thought it would be. Do we want to make a custom trackable tag for this year's event? Minimum order is 50 units, so there must be enough interest that we are going to sell at least 40 units (leaving some for door prize donations).
Thoughts?
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Post by akgh519 on Oct 10, 2013 8:07:33 GMT -9
Re the tag Are you wanting a completely new design or a mod of the 13 version?
Location of the event for me is not important because if it is one of those weekends I will not likely attend.
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Post by ladybugkids on Oct 10, 2013 8:36:04 GMT -9
Bings Landing would be nice, but I don't know that we could get in there in July. Can reservations be made?
I think running the custom trackable is desireable, either with different colors of the 2013 design or complete remake. It is interesting that trackables just aren't big sellers to Peninsula residents relative to Anchorage and Interior. I sold nothing during the Hobo CITO, though Joel placed a small online order.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Oct 10, 2013 9:24:43 GMT -9
I was thinking a rerun of the salmon tag. Perhaps a different color, but the same salmon with different wording on back to match with the event.
I'm stuck with those 2 weekends in July and I'd really like to keep the event in July. From a personal perspective, the July 26-27 weekend would be preferred as it gives me more time to finish setup. I'd be rushed to get it on the prior weekend. The only downside is dropping the picnic on Soldotna Progress Days, though that could have a positive impact if it were worked correctly through the City.
Yeah, the headache with going to a state park site (especially in July) is getting the space. This is a picnic, not a camping trip, so we really only need a picnic pavillion or similar type of shelter to run it. The game needs several acres of woods we can use for daycaches. I'll have to double check what the facilities at Bing's Landing currently has, but I don't think there is any kind of pavilion structure out there. Given the RV camping and fishing focus of the site, it may be a poor choice for a July weekend picnic site due to overcrowding.
As we come back to town, there is a really nice picnic pavillion at Scout Lake. And a lot of wilderness in the area for the caching game. In fact, I could really get into doing the daycache game at that site with accessible land wrapping halfway around the lake. Would have to get with State Parks to find out about the pavillion rental for that site. A lake site could provide some additional interest with the ability to do canoes/kayaks/rafts for another rec activity. Something to think about anyway.
In Soldotna, there is also Centennial parks. Centennial has a couple picnic pavilions. There is a private lot owned by a friend of mine off Big Eddy with Kenai Riverfront that could also be considered, though I'd have to work out the arrangments. It may not be available due to tourists in RV already renting out the spaces (it's setup like a campground and has a boat launch).
Can't really come up with other places in Kenai that have land plus a picnic pavilion. Will keep pondering the potential for other sites.
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Post by akgh519 on Oct 10, 2013 18:59:01 GMT -9
Scout Lake sounds intriguing
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Post by NeverSummer on Oct 23, 2013 11:15:43 GMT -9
Scott, keep me posted if you need any help with set-up, etc. I'm actually working as we speak with Kenai NWR folks on some GPS-to-geocaching activity tie-ins.
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Post by NeverSummer on Oct 23, 2013 11:17:27 GMT -9
But I like the Scout Lake idea.
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Post by SSO JOAT on Nov 15, 2013 21:23:19 GMT -9
I'd also like to hear about preferences between Saturday and Sunday. I've done Saturday more often as there are many who take Sunday as a 'day of rest'. And I've also done it on a Sunday so that Fuzzy can attend.
My personal order of date preference first goes to Saturday, July 26. That gives me enough prep time on the front and enough clean up time on the back in between my work rotations. It is on Soldotna Progress Days, which I am going to try to leverage through the City to perhaps get some official linking in or at least honorable mention. Heck, maybe we should look at entering a geocaching float in the progress days parade? (giant ammo can on a trailer... hmmm, we could really have some fun with that idea!) Have to confirm the date/time of the parade though. Wouldn't want it to be during the picnic.
I have a bunch of new stuff to put into the picnic this year. These are ideas that have been brewing for nearly 2 years, but I wasn't able to get them incorporated in the last picnic. They will be in the next one and these are sure to be crowd pleasers as the daycache game adds the elements of a TV Game Show to the list of fun!
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Post by fuzzybelly on Nov 16, 2013 8:18:04 GMT -9
Thank you so much for the accommodation at your event scheduling two past JOAT. I had a great time running around snapping photos of the craziness that was going on.
Wow a float in the parade would be cool.
If the picnic where announced in Progress days advertising, your picnic event could get quite the draw from non cachers too. With all the fun games, it would be a great way to get new folks interested in the game.
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 17, 2013 21:06:55 GMT -9
I really like the idea of linking it up to the events in town. Makes for an easier sell to come and play on the Kenai!
(And, if it's later in the month, there's a good chance I'd be back from the Pribs...)
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Post by NorthWes on Dec 9, 2013 14:44:50 GMT -9
A geocaching float - glad you're thinking giant ammocan instead of a mega-nano...
I'm in favor of whatever day & site works best for the host. This event takes a lot out of the guy setting it up! So, accommodate yourself first, is my input.
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Post by akgh519 on Dec 9, 2013 14:50:46 GMT -9
Agree with NorthWes
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 9, 2013 16:34:17 GMT -9
Since I'm likely out in the Pribilofs for July, I'll vote to have it where you want, when you want! If I'm around , I'll happily help to set up, do stuff at it, and take stuff down.
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Post by akgh519 on Dec 9, 2013 18:34:47 GMT -9
Oh so we are traveling in July....
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Post by NeverSummer on Dec 9, 2013 18:41:06 GMT -9
Oh so we are traveling in July.... Joining me in the Pribs?
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Post by akgh519 on Dec 9, 2013 19:05:58 GMT -9
Perhaps....if you need an assistant!
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Post by SSO JOAT on Mar 17, 2014 8:59:32 GMT -9
Back to Picnic Talk... July 26th will be the date (97.3% certainty) Soldotna is out due to Progress Days. Kenai Muni is still possible. And then we have Scout Lake SRS that is in Sterling. Picnic Pavilion. Dense aspen forest. Lots and lots of land with lake frontage access. Will be a lot more secluded than the . Would have to apply for a special use permit to state parks to get this site. The base price is $25 or $1 per person (whichever is greater). With a turnout that typically breaks 60 head, that can make for an expensive site use fee. However, State Parks has a fee waiver available for non-profit organizations based on comensurate services. Thus, if we hold a formal CITO for SP, then we may get the fees either reduced or waived. Open to thoughts and opinions! Linky... dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/kenai/scoutlksrs.htm
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Post by ladybugkids on Mar 17, 2014 10:05:01 GMT -9
And then we have Scout Lake SRS that is in Sterling. Picnic Pavilion. Dense aspen forest. Lots and lots of land with lake frontage access. Will be a lot more secluded than the . Would have to apply for a special use permit to state parks to get this site. The base price is $25 or $1 per person (whichever is greater). With a turnout that typically breaks 60 head, that can make for an expensive site use fee. However, State Parks has a fee waiver available for non-profit organizations based on comensurate services. Thus, if we hold a formal CITO for SP, then we may get the fees either reduced or waived. Open to thoughts and opinions! The think Scout Lake is a good choice. Given the typical turnout, I would anticipate the total bill for user fee and food to be under $250, which I think is a reasonable expenditure, depending on what's in the 2014 Budget Worksheet. Wes and I CITOed out some stuff when finding a cache two years ago, so Scout Lake or other State Park locations in the area (Bing's Landing) would be worthy CITO sites. Any chance of a piece of custom trackable bling (ducks as guy with a lot on his plate takes a swing). Not suggesting that Scott S. necessarily produces the bling, but that someone could. There is a written procedure for the process that could use a test run.
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Post by ladybugkids on Mar 17, 2014 10:08:58 GMT -9
Oh so we are traveling in July.... Joining me in the Pribs? What would it take? Are "Friends of Alaska Wildlife Refuges" involved with a service project?
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Post by NeverSummer on Mar 17, 2014 10:16:25 GMT -9
Joining me in the Pribs? What would it take? Are "Friends of Alaska Wildlife Refuges" involved with a service project? It doesn't look like there will be a "Friends" presence on my trip. However, there is a "Education Camp" that happens every summer out there, and we'll have some Youth Conservation Corps members, and possibly our Education Specialist involved in conducting it. In the past we have used GPS/"geocaching" to do a stations-based "biology field camp" demonstration. Each group of people goes to different stations and has to undertake a field research biology-based task and finish a worksheet. It's been a hit each time it has been used. But, I don't know that it is or will be a Friends-funded thing. The only way to really get something like this on the Friends' radar is to join and suggest it as an idea for how to help the Refuge with their mission. And, worth noting, the Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges is an organization that holds meetings remotely each month. One can attend/join from anywhere and get involved at many of the Refuges.
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Post by akgh519 on Mar 17, 2014 14:04:41 GMT -9
The more remote scout lake venue sounds great. I think we should proceed with that idea. Some may not show because they suffer from bearanoia but statistics show we will not have to worry with the usual amount of attendees.
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Post by akgh519 on Mar 17, 2014 14:12:29 GMT -9
Do you think not having caches to find nearby would affect attendance?
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Post by ladybugkids on Mar 17, 2014 14:49:25 GMT -9
It's only about fifteen minutes to the Puzzle Capital of Alaska from Scout Lake...
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Post by akgh519 on Mar 17, 2014 14:52:34 GMT -9
Oops!! Had Scout lake confused for another on the other side of Sterling...
Still think it should be pursued
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Post by SSO JOAT on Mar 17, 2014 16:10:24 GMT -9
Do you think not having caches to find nearby would affect attendance? The two sites are less than 10 miles apart. Shouldn't make any difference. Here are cache maps of the two sites. Really isn't much difference... People come to my picnic for the food, socializing, and playing the daycache game. At Soldotna Creek, the site is maxed out with about 20 daycaches. Kenai Muni is better, but still maxed out at about 25 daycaches. Both of those parks have vast open spaces and trails that keep placements along fairly obvious lines. Scout Lake SRS has several times more land than either of the city parks. There is a main trail that links the picnic shelter with an access point (light boat launch for canoes and such) at the opposite end of the lake. There is very little open space and the possibilities for much higher quality daycaches are everywhere. Just a mind's eye estimate says that I could fit 50 daycaches out there if I wanted to. I wouldn't go that high, but it certainly lets me spread them out quite a bit more than we have previously done. That would allow the game playing time to be extended a bit and other challenges can be built into the game. Every time I start talking about Scout lake, I convince myself that this is the spot to go this year. So, I guess it's time to just send my reservation request to State Parks along with a request for rate reduction based on our non-profit status and promise of a CITO. I wonder what folks would think if we had a formal CITO event at the park after the picnic event. By holding two separate event types at separate times, I think it would be allowable to list them separately. It wouldn't be too unlike having a camping social backed up to a CITO event during our HOBO series. That might be the carrot that I offer to Parks for a waiver of the shelter fees. Oh, and bears are pretty much a non-issue at this site. It's dead center in residential Sterling. Quite a bit from the Kenai River and it has residential housing on all sides for miles. Wouldn't worry about that one for a second.
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Post by TheFirefly on Mar 17, 2014 18:42:43 GMT -9
Scout Lake sounds great! I like the idea of the daycaches being a little more spread apart. I don't think an official CITO would be a problem, either as part of the event or as a separate event. My girls would love another geocaching trash pickup.
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Post by akgh519 on Mar 17, 2014 20:05:50 GMT -9
Go for it Scott Sounds like a great place. After looking up the area, I can't ever remember having gone there Sorry for my oops post earlier. I was thinking of lakes 'opposite' skilak loop in the refuge! I would be up for a camp out the night before and CITO after the event
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Post by SSO JOAT on Mar 17, 2014 20:57:38 GMT -9
Unfortunately, this site is day use only. However, there are several other campgrounds within just a couple miles.
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Post by akgh519 on Mar 17, 2014 21:38:03 GMT -9
That's what I found too...was hoping I missed something! Thanks
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Post by polgera on Mar 18, 2014 8:34:47 GMT -9
This is really looking like fun
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