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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 4, 2013 16:20:25 GMT -9
I'd like to get a thread started where we can all share bookmark lists.
Think of lists such as: -My "don't miss" list of favorites -A list of all of the caches along a perticular bike/hike/ski trail -Geocache series (Seward Highway Cache Tour, e.g.) -Caches of note within striking distance of a port/rail station, etc.
I'm putting some things together and will share. I'd love to see what you've got saved and would like to share with the rest of us!
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Post by ladybugkids on Nov 4, 2013 17:21:31 GMT -9
Some of the bookmark lists on the GeocacheAlaska! website need updating, but they are a good start for many of the older, more classic Alaskan caches. Port coordinates are provided here..
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 4, 2013 17:42:08 GMT -9
I figured the forums would be an easy place to share lists without having to update the code of a webpage.
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 4, 2013 18:28:44 GMT -9
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Post by ladybugkids on Nov 4, 2013 18:40:25 GMT -9
I understand your point, but the list of lists was developed and is maintained on the website because an internet search on "Alaska Geocaches" turns up in order, geocaching.com, geocachealaska.org, geocachealaska.org/alaskacacheinformation, and alaskageocachers.org. Geocachealaska.proboards.com doesn't appear until the second page of search results, which is the kiss of death for most internet searches. One can also find bookmark lists by visiting local cachers' profiles and clicking on the "Lists" tab. Unfortunately, not many people create Bookmark lists. I haven't updated my lists in a while because the last time any of them were rated was back in 2006-2008. I figure if people aren't using them, why create and maintain them? So that's where the geocaching.com Favorites come into play today. The caches a cacher awarded a Favorite point to also appear on the "Lists" tab.
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 4, 2013 18:47:03 GMT -9
I understand. Completely. If it is a search by outsiders, I can see the basis for keeping it there. I'm not trying to take away from that list. What I'm trying to do is start a conversation about bookmark lists as mentioned in the OP. I'd love to hear about the bookmark lists which aren't on the website. (Mostly because the lists are of favorites, and not of something like a series or trail. I can cache along a route, but that doesn't help me if I want to ride the bike path that goes along the Seward highway, for example.) I have searched some of the profiles out there, and have even delved into the lists posted publicly on cache listings. I'm trying to have a good time here in the forums looking over what people want to share. All it takes is posting a copy/paste of your bookmarks and a story behind them. Favorites are another great way to look for caches, but I'm hoping to find ones that other Alaska folks have found to be their absolute favorites--ones that they wish they could give more than 1 point to. C'mon, Mike...don't you have a list to share here in this thread?
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 4, 2013 18:54:46 GMT -9
Also, wouldn't it be nice to have an updated list of bookmark lists which could be used to find a handful to update the content of the website?
Most traveling cachers know about caches along a route queries, etc. I think bookmarks are great for us to share with each other, and are a great thing to have on our website so that others who aren't familiar have something to look over to help filter out caches they find on a route or other query.
Favorites are another great way to search, but I'm still not convinced that caches which don't net many favorites are necessarily going to make it on some folks' radar when they really should. For example, caches around here in Homer don't net very many favorite points. Does that mean they aren't worth your time? No. There are a couple that I can think of off of the top of my head, but there are certainly other caches worth noting which don't get as many visits, and therefore not many (if any) favorites.
I'm not trying to shake up the website or cause any headaches. I'm just trying to have fun on the forums and learn what lists people might have that would be neat to look over.
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 4, 2013 19:10:57 GMT -9
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 4, 2013 19:21:25 GMT -9
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Post by ladybugkids on Nov 4, 2013 21:29:37 GMT -9
I understand. Completely. If it is a search by outsiders, I can see the basis for keeping it there. I'm not trying to take away from that list. I understand. But, call me "lazy." I'm not keen on linking from two different locations because I have a hard enough time keeping up with data in one spot, much less, two. By linking to my profile five posts ago, I linked to thirteen lists, twelve of which are relevant to Alaska. Each list has an explanation about the content of the list and almost every cache has a sentence or two commentary about it. People can also see the 600+ caches I have awarded a Favorite point to. That Favorite list is relevant to Alaska, the US, and Europe. I don't filter much at all when running down the Sterling or Seward Highway or anywhere else in Alaska, nor did I filter when I went to Homer two summers ago. In two full days of caching, my family and I found all but a couple in the area, including the cache in Halibut Cove. The filtering techniques I've mentioned in other threads are applied when I go to an extremely cache dense area or am covering a lot of miles in a short amount of time to help me make certain that I'm seeking quality caches if I only have time for a few in an area. If others have lists they would like to share, they may link to them in this thread and Webmaster SSO JOAT may add them to the website.
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Post by fuzzybelly on Nov 6, 2013 8:47:02 GMT -9
I've enjoyed following along on this topic. Thank you summer.
People use different avenues to find list of caches to hunt for while in a different area. I see now there are many ways to go about it. I don't use GSAK and probably never will, just to much STUFF for me. I'll still work with the mid-evil techniques such as favorite points, and past logs from other cachers, or I'll just go caching in a new area and find what ever caches present themselves. Then enjoy the area.
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Post by akgh519 on Nov 6, 2013 11:22:58 GMT -9
Go get em fuzzy!
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 6, 2013 12:36:30 GMT -9
Personally, I find bookmark lists to be very helpful for tracking down all caches in a series, or caches along a path versus a "route".
For example, I'm hoping to find caches along the bike and hiking trails in the Turnagain Arm, and I don't want to have to "filter" them from the caches queried with the route Anchorage>>Girdwood that include all of the caches along the highway too.
I'm also not sure which caches are actually on the trails by looking at them on the Geocaching.com map, and would love to find out from others which ones they are.
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Post by ladybugkids on Nov 6, 2013 12:52:43 GMT -9
I don't know if others have compiled such lists. Easiest way to tell is to look at a cache or two that's definitely on the trail system and see if a list shows up in the right hand margin in the box labeled "Bookmark Lists." You can see an example of that with today's "Geocaching in Space" Events and "cizzors'" list. That will provide the public lists for which the List Owner selected "Make this list public (show on bookmarked listings)" AND "I want to share this list with others."
Alternatively, one has to look at cachers' profiles for an appropriate list. Those lists were marked "I want to share this list with others" by the List Owner.
If one can find the desired list by one of the two above methods, the list either doesn't exit or the List Owner didn't mark the list to be shared.
Seems like a good topic for a newsletter article with a link to this thread encouraging folks to share their lists.
Another way to ascertain whether caches are along a trail system is to import the unzipped GPX file from the pocket query into Garmin Mapsource or BaseCamp and then select the Northwest Trails mapset view.
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Post by akgh519 on Nov 6, 2013 13:24:11 GMT -9
I had considered bookmarking the caches along the Turnagain arm trail since I have so many down there. Not sure it is worth the time as the majority of my caches down there had zero visits this summer. Joel, I do have a bookmark of a great cache series...check out the geoart in the middle of the Turnagain arm to find it! ?
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 6, 2013 14:01:32 GMT -9
Right on. I'm familiar with how to use others' lists via cache listings. What I haven't seen are helpful lists for things like I have described above. I'll start picking away at the TArm and see what I can come up with. I've found that using the map you can just click a cache and hit "Bookmark Cache" right from the little window that pops up. Very handy. But, again, I don't know what caches are actually on a trail versus off...and not just for the bike/hike trails in the Arm. And, 519, I'd visit more of them if I can see a bookmark list! Perhaps others would, too? Especially if listing them here on the forums (and possibly adding them to the list on the website) makes it easier for visitors and locals alike to search for a "series". I wouldn't have ever known there was a bike/hike trail along the Arm if it weren't for happening on a cache description mentioning it. Aside from that, I'd just think that there are just a lot of caches up on the hill/mountainside from the highway which aren't "easy" to get to. Turns out, if you know where the trailheads are and what caches are along that route, it would be much easier to plan a hike n bike trip to grab a ton of caches in a very, very pretty and highly visited part of our fair state.
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 6, 2013 14:04:04 GMT -9
Ah! And I didn't even think about the NWTrails overlay! it would take some work (and preferably a double screen setup) to get it done, but I can give it a look. That is, unless someone with knowledge of the area could start to pick at a bookmark list of their own? Now, where did I put my Mapsource CD...
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Post by akgh519 on Nov 6, 2013 15:24:36 GMT -9
I will work on the TA Trail bookmarks... Will do it in fourths ie potters to McHugh, McHugh to sunshine, sunshine to rainbow and rainbow to windy....
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Post by ladybugkids on Nov 6, 2013 16:32:11 GMT -9
Ah! And I didn't even think about the NWTrails overlay! it would take some work (and preferably a double screen setup) to get it done, but I can give it a look. Don't need a double screen set up unless you are thinking about looking at Mapsource on one screen and bookmarking on another on geocaching.com (multiple tabs in the same browser would serve the same purpose). The cache icons import directly into Mapsource via the GPX file. I'll post a screen shot when I get home tonight (hoping I remember). Also, I believe (can't remember for certain now that I've transitioned to BaseCamp) that you can open the cache page my clicking on the icon in MapSource (or perhaps right-clicking on it) and then bookmark the cache as to whether it is hiking trail, bike trail, or road accessible. I believe I understand what you are getting at...a bookmark list named something like "Turnagain Arm/Johnson Trail Caches" with all the caches between Potter and Windy (the eastern end?) trailheads and commentary about which end or intermediate trailhead (Potter, McHugh, Sunrise, Rainbow, Windy, etc.) provides best access. Additional lists could be Portage Blue Ice Trail, Bird to Gird bike trail, Beaver Pond Trail, McHugh Creek Trail, Powerline Pass, Tour of Anchorage (Hillside, Chester Creek and Coastal Trail 50K mountain bike, walk, ski), etc. I can't volunteer to help with the effort until after December 1.
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Post by akgh519 on Nov 6, 2013 17:09:59 GMT -9
I have created the first quarter ie potter's to McHugh....take a look and let me know what you rhink
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Post by fuzzybelly on Nov 6, 2013 17:36:18 GMT -9
519's list would be a great start.
I tell ya, the way I do it is very primitive. I just look up each cache on the map in an area I want to go, and start plugging them all in my GPS. Then, when I get there, if I can't get there, I don't go there. then I delete them back off again when I'm not going to be in that area again.
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Post by akgh519 on Nov 6, 2013 18:19:40 GMT -9
All done...while sitting around a campfire under the stars...
52 caches total...
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Post by ladybugkids on Nov 7, 2013 11:02:52 GMT -9
All done...while sitting around a campfire under the stars... 52 caches total... Looks great Ray! I like how you broke them into sets based on trail segment. The only possible information I would add are trailhead coordinates. Some of the cache pages have them so they will import into the GPS as child waypoints, but many cache pages don't have parking/trailhead coordinates.
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Post by ladybugkids on Nov 7, 2013 11:04:54 GMT -9
Joel, I do have a bookmark of a great cache series...check out the geoart in the middle of the Turnagain arm to find it! ?
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Post by akgh519 on Nov 7, 2013 13:18:02 GMT -9
I was thinking the same Mike ie adding trailhead coords to the bookmark pages. I noted where one could find the Sunshine trailhead parking coordinates. That is the one I think people will not know. I will post them all sometime soon...might not have potters but can pick it off google earth.
There was an article in the newsletter about the Turnagain Arm trail some time back....does it need to be refreshed and published again?
I am thinking a bookmark for caches above the trail at McHugh is a good idea. I will work on it soon. I will not include the caches on coyote ridge in it. I think the 'loop' from bear valley up to McHugh peak and then over and down to Hugh should be on their own...
Gee whiz NS...look what you started!
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 7, 2013 15:56:19 GMT -9
If we build it, they will come?
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 7, 2013 15:59:15 GMT -9
All done...while sitting around a campfire under the stars... 52 caches total... Looks great Ray! I like how you broke them into sets based on trail segment. The only possible information I would add are trailhead coordinates. Some of the cache pages have them so they will import into the GPS as child waypoints, but many cache pages don't have parking/trailhead coordinates. Holy awesome! Thanks, Ray! I'm slowly working on some more bookmarking of some other trails with caches. Hope, Chugach NF, etc. I'll post 'em as soon as I get it done!
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Post by akgh519 on Nov 7, 2013 16:56:30 GMT -9
I might have to bookmark all the 'ET' hides....make it easier for people to find them.....lol
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Post by NeverSummer on Nov 7, 2013 16:58:37 GMT -9
I might have to bookmark all the 'ET' hides....make it easier for people to find them.....lol Do you think it would help?
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Post by fuzzybelly on Nov 7, 2013 18:34:36 GMT -9
Or avoid them
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