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3rd Annual Vancouver Island Hide-&-Go Cache

February 10, 2007

Back by popular demand, the 3rd Annual Vancouver Island Hide-&-Go Cache!

In 2005, 22 Vancouver Island cachers hid 49 caches.
In 2006, 40 Vancouver Island cachers hid 106 caches.

Will we be able to top that with the 3rd Annual Vancouver Island Hide-&-Go Cache?

There are 3 steps to this event. The Hide, The Go-Cache, The Event.

The Hide

The hide date this year is Saturday February 24th.

Last year, we had a 1 micro rule, this year we are going to expand on that a bit.

As with last year, micros are allowed as part of this event only if they are ingeniously disguised in high traffic urban areas, and, each cacher can count only one micro in their total hides. We are also including a rule regarding small caches this year – each cacher may count a maximum of three small caches in their total hides. How do you determine if your cache is small or regular? Geocaching.com describes a small container as “Decon container, sandwich-sized Tupperware-style container or similar, holds trade items as well as a logbook”. If after squeezing 2 slices of wonderbread and a slice of meat into the container there is no room for additional trade items, then it’s a small. And remember, food items are not allowed in caches, so remove the sandwich before hiding your cache.

We would like to see the same type of caches hidden that you like to find – mind-bending puzzles, ingeniously camouflaged urban micros, Lock&Locks in the woods, caches large enough for your trade items, etc.

There is a trophy for the cacher with the most hides. D-Tour was awarded the trophy for most hides after placing 6 caches for the 1st event. Last year, sole seeker took home the trophy with 13 hides, just one more than his closest rival, spud502.

Your caches must be hidden on Saturday February 24th.

You must abide by the cache placement rules when hiding your cache. Read the geocaching.com guidelines, and remember that your cache must be at least 161 meters from another cache. When submitting a multi or puzzle cache, include the intermediate steps in a note to the approver to speed up the approval process. Be nice to mtn-man!

After submitting your caches, please post a note in the vigps.com forums to indicate the name of the cache. On the cache page, please state that this cache was hidden as part of the 3rd Annual Vancouver Island Hide-&-Go Cache.

The Go-Cache

As the caches start to appear, go out and find them.

To qualify for the Most FTF’s, you must hide at least one cache. Last year, we had quite a few cases where a group wanted to be listed as FTF. To avoid confusion and squabbles, only one recognized cacher will be listed as the First finder.

Curious George took home the unique and beautiful Most FTF trophy for the 1st event after nabbing 5 First to Finds. Last year, squirrellydeath sought out 14 FTF for the opportunity to take home the trophy.

But it’s not all about FTF’s – just think about all the fresh air and exercise you will be getting by going out and finding all these new caches!

The Event

An event, which will be announced soon, will be held so we can get together to hand out prizes and chat about our hides and finds. You can attend the event even if you haven’t hidden any caches.

But wait – there’s more!

This year, we will be including Waymarking! There are far too few Waymarks listed on Vancouver Island – lets try to change that! There will be an award for the most Waymarks posted, and the most FTL (First to Log). To qualify for this event, you must include a photo of the Waymarked object when you post the Waymark, and when you log, even if photos are not a requirement for that category. We are including this rule so you cannot simply go through the phonebook and post all the McDonalds locations on the Island. We hope this new feature of the Vancouver Island Hide-&-Go Cache encourages all Island cachers to discover the exciting new world of Waymarking!

Questions?

We’ll be chatting in the forums. Join us!

Other Important Notes

This event is intended to be FUN! Please be considerate of your fellow cachers.

The B.C./Stateside Contest

December 26, 2006

Here’s ANOTHER NEW CONTEST by The Team
THE B.C. / STATESIDE CONTEST
WGS 84

(Including pages 453095 & 453096)
(These #’s are for The Team’s reference only)

Start at 10U 478117 E and 5364934 N (Declination 11 ½ deg. E)

From this position (your sighting position):

A) Sight at 205 deg. T to a piling in the water near Todd Island. What is the distance in meters? __________

B) Sight at 174.90 deg. T to a channel marker on a concrete base. What is the distance to it in meters? __________

C) Sight at 194 deg. T to a green glass window on a house high up on a hill (house is 40 meters above sighting position). What is the distance in meters? __________

D) Sight to the top of an antenna on a high building at 244 ½ deg. T (the antenna is 120 meters higher than your sighting position). How far is it to the top of the antenna? __________

E) Sight at 236 deg. T to a sign on the blue teahouse at Willows Beach. How many meters away is the sign? __________ (center of sign)

F) Sight at 161 deg. T to a channel marker. How many meters distant is it? ________

G) Sight at 229.25 deg. True to the furthest left chimney of a large white house with a dirty orange colored roof. (The chimney top is 37 meters higher than your sighting position).

How many meters distant is the chimney top? __________

H) How many meters is it to a large white channel marker (with a railing around its base)? __________The channel marker bearing from your sighting position is 134 deg. T.

Now total up all of these measurements. Call them meters = ___________

Let’s hope you’ve done this right!

Now go to 12S 616060.579 E and 4259770.058 N

From here follow a compass course of 060deg. 12 min. 16.0573 sec. deg. T for the total distance (in meters) determined above. If you got your numbers right (above), you should be standing on top of a GPS tag. The tag is glued to a rock surface; we’ve put an additional small rock on top of the tag to hide it from ‘external’ prying eyes. What is this tag #? __________

From here (the tag), you must locate a plastic bottle hidden in large rocks. Further instructions will be found in this bottle.

(Eventually you’ll be required to supply The Team the tag number on a buried steel bar.)

Oh yes, to get to the buried container (above) go to 12S 595679 E & 4315648 N PLUS add to both Easting and Northing numbers, the GPS tag # that you found. This will give you the correct WGS 84 UTM. (Follow a True compass course of 329 deg. 26 min. 16.2523 sec.)

What is the tag # on the buried steel bar? ________

(The note in the bottle gives you all the details you’ll need.)

We’ll pay the winning team/individual $2,000.00 Cdn for this contest. There will be only one winner.

You are responsible for your own safety and well being. Photos required on vigps.com for all these locations. Your x-citing story must appear on the site as well.

Hiking boots recommended and a 4X4 vehicle strongly advised. Metal or pin detector

mandatory.

You may use any operatives you want. The winner of this contest is solely responsible for the payout to these operatives, having negotiated a ‘fee’ beforehand.

This contest has a March 15^th, 2007, 6:00PM expiry date. We can’t extend beyond this date.

Be advised that The Team could be unavailable from time to time.

Good luck!

The Team

New contest by The Team

November 24, 2006

Here’s our latest release – “Bonus Contest #1”
BONUS CONTEST #1
(By The Team)
November 24th, 2004

While we are awaiting arrival of a much needed piece of equipment, we give you a ‘bonus’ contest. This contest must be won by a British Columbia individual or team. You may however, use American operatives if you so desire – your choice. You will be responsible for any financial arrangements with your U.S. counterparts. There will only be one winner, be it team or individual.

Here’s the drill!

A) (Reference #453051 and 453052)(all in WGS 84). These reference numbers are page numbers in a buried container at 12S 511072/4229223, hidden by a large rock. Follow the instructions in this two page note.

You will specifically need two numbers:

1) A GPS number ____________

2) The date ____________ (year only required)

The note in the container will explain all of this.

B) (Reference # 453054 and 453055) (WGS 84)

Look for a canister at 12S 623840/4295658. It is hidden (buried in sand with a small rock on top of it) under the left rear wheelwell of an old 1930’s bus! Your required information is in this canister.

You will be required to:

1) Determine a distance ____________

2) Take many photos

Now total the three numbers required (call them meters) ____________

Add this number to 31617 ____________ (call it meters)

Canadians will require this total information to get to an exact intersection of two streets. To avoid “guessing”, your U.S. counterparts must come up with the correct information, which The Team will also require.

Here’s the question for the Canadian teams:

Starting at 10U 488366.292 East and 5404151.945 North, what are the names of the two streets which intersect when you use as a distance measurement (round world), the total numbers required from your American counterparts, when you travel on a compass course of 269deg. 23mins. 19.0171secs. true?

This contest ends January 15^th, 2007 at 6:00PM, PST.

The winner (team or individual) will receive $2,000.00 Cdn. Email your answer to TheTeam@shaw.ca on or before the above date.

You are responsible for your own safety and well being.

This easy contest will pump you up a bit for FUTURE EXCITEMENT!!!

Good luck to all!

Dangers of Geocaching in and around Electrical Equipment (2006)

August 31, 2006

Written by Johnnygeo

I’ve been geocaching for about a year now. I have found many creative types of geocaches. This is what makes it fun and challenging. Lately I’ve been concerned about the amount of geocaches that are hidden in and around electrical equipment.

I am a Safety Coordinator for a Power Utility here in Alberta. It is my job to look out for the men and women who work on our electrical lines and equipment. It’s also my job to look out for the general public. One of my job tasks that I really enjoy is teaching kids at schools electrical safety smarts. I’ll go to elementary schools throughout the year to present a safety cartoon and explain in detail the indoor and outdoor electrical hazards that exist. I explain real life examples of people getting hurt really bad and death due to electricity. I show them what dangerous wires, boxes and other equipment looks like. I teach them to stay away from all electrical lines and equipment and not to play on guard rails that sometimes protect the high voltage electrical equipment.

I am asking all parents and kids not to geocache around any electrical equipment. This is power poles, electrical boxes that are in your yard or power boxes in some other location.

Please let me explain my concerns.

I want you to remember two very important characteristics of electricity.

1. Electricity always wants to go back to the ground.

2. Electricity is lazy. It will take shortcuts to get to the ground. That could be a ladder touching a overhead power line or a geocacher touching the side of a damaged electrical box.
Cars hit these types of boxes all the time and sometimes there are no visible signs of damage. Inside there may be wires loose that come undone due to impact and cause the area to be energized. (Step Potential/Ground being electrified) Also, the cabinet may become energized and when you touch the cabinet the electricity will pass through you to get to the ground.(Touch Potential) In North America we have had fatalities due to Step & Touch Potential. There is no second chance.

Sometimes equipment just fails. The insulating factors that protect the public may fail due to age and possibly energize the box.

The City of Edmonton transformers have a voltage of 13,800. That’s over 100 times the voltage in your wall that you may use when you plug in a toaster. Imagine that going through you. Just don’t take the chance.

I am asking in behalf as a Safety Professional and Geocacher please not to hide caches on or around electrical equipment and not to even look for a cache that may be on or around any electrical equipment. If you believe that it is in a hazardous zone please contact the person who placed the geocache. If that is not a successful route please contact the person who approved it. Most of the time the approver of a geocache is not aware that it is in a dangerous zone. Let’s look out for each other.

Thank you for listening to my concerns and play safe,

Johnnygeo