Team Markwell's GPS Adventures
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February 2002

A fellow cacher with the user name of Blackjak proposed an idea in this thread on the forums. Basically, we would start a cache that indicated the coordinates of something we would like a photo of. A local Geocachers would scope it out and photograph it, and post it as a find. The biggest problem I foresaw was that with only one cache, it might take forever for that cache to move, and even when it did, the likelihood of it moving to an area where you are would be slim to none. With that in mind, I offered to host versions six through ten of a ten part series, which just means I keep the cache pages up to date with the new coordinates. I've incorporated the caches into my database so that much of the work is automated. So I just sit back and watch the photos roll in. There was a follow up thread asking for ideas, and some were incorporated. This turned out to be a fun cache idea, and the implementation is pretty cool.

Largest Muskie in the World in Wisconsin from Photographer’s Cache	Craters of the Moon, Idaho from Photographer’s II
Bloemendaal Train Station in the Netherlands from Photographer’s III	Sidney Australia Opera House from Photographer’s IV
Whiterock Pier in British Columbia, Canada from Photographer’s V	Western Terminus of the Pony Express, Folsom, California from Photographer’s VI
The Olympic Cauldron, Salt Lake City from Photographer’s VII	Gemini Giant Statue, Wilmington, IL from Photographer’s VIII
Coolidge Park Carousel, Chattanooga from Photographer’s IX	World's Largest Teapot, Boston, MA from Photographer’s X

Ms. Weigand’s Better Half by bspeng N 41° 43.379 W 088° 07.881 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/16/2002 Hunter: Kelly, Sherry, Drew and Sam Neocachers: Kelly, Gwen and Maggie

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

I love it when I can get someone hooked. My wife had been "talking up" Geocaching to a friend at work, and we had mulled around a few dates for when we might all go out together. Then this great cache pops up its head on 2/12, only a couple of miles from the Soon-To-Be-Neocachers' house. A good, sunny Saturday, and we're out on the trail, after a wonderful lunch at Geno's East about ½ mile north. In addition to my wife's work-commrade, the Neocachers had another male Kelly (one of two that I've met in person) and their 7 mo old. We made the same mistake that evidently bspeng wants everyone to make, and eventually ended up on the right path. Funniest part is that I let the other Kelly hold the GPS, and he was almost running down the path. From the wrong approach that we initially made, I could see the intended area of the cache and even told Mr. Neocacher, “See that spot over there? That's where I'd hide it. Bet we find it there.” Sure enough, it was the exact location that the force had told me to look.

	Our crew starting off (getting ready to make the typical mistake for this cache).	Gwen and Maggie. The newest Geocachers on the block.
	Sammy on my shoulders and the other male Kelly holding the GPS. That's Drew's hand sticking out of my hip.	The crew after the find - Neocachers to the left, Mrs. and Drew with the box on the right.

Click on Dash Icon to see the Map GD8-03931 Terra Server Picture from LostOutdoors.com Coordinates: N 41.9731° W 088.4725° Date Found: 2/17/2002 Hunters: Kelly, Sam, Drew and Rachi - the vent sniffing Corgi (pronounced "Rocky") Farm Community Due West-Northwest of Chicago 26.09 miles from home

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is dashpoint.

Dashpoint Title: Farm for Sale Well, another farm, this time just north of the sprawling community of Lily Lake, Illinois. The bigger town just to the south is Elburn, Illinois, with Route 64 intersecting with Route 47. Don't blink. Nothing terribly exciting, except that the farm the dashpoint is on is for sale. I'm working with a realtor friend to get more details. But that's about it. Successful hunt, but only got to about 97 meters, as there didn't seem much point in walking 100 meters into a muddy field. First excursion taking our Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Rachi. She sniffed the air vents of the car the whole trip, trying to simulate the olfactory rush of having her head out the window. After checking with my sister's roommate (a realtor), the farm has an asking price of $389,000 and sits on 3 acres.

Team Markwell’s Cabin Fever Frenzy
Monday, February 18, 2002

Team Markwell’s Cabin Fever Frenzy

Passage to India by Eagle Son N 41° 40.245 W 088° 03.464 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Episode I: Alternative Beginnings 09:05 With a later than anticipated start in my February 2002 Frenzy, I ended up using this cache as an alternative starting location for my Frenzy. This find was pretty easy, much easier than intended. When I got to the area, I went down what looked like the right path, skirting just east of the cache. It turns out that it was the entrance to the Vulcan Gravel Pit, but the road itself left me only 40 feet from the cache. While I wasn't sure of leaving my car there, I decided to try it anyway. I skirted up the side of the hill and found the cache - returning to my car in less than 5 minutes. I know this wasn't the intended route for the cache, but I was in a hurry, and this made things quite a bit easier. It was only when I pulled out and headed west on Joliet Road that I spotted the entrance to Veteran's Park - obviously the intended parking for the cache.

Click on Dash Icon to see the Map GD8-03949 Terra Server Picture from LostOutdoors.com Coordinates: N 41.3920° W 088.2366° Date Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly Right Near McKinley Forest Preserve in Channahon 17.32 miles from home

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is dashpoint.

Dashpoint Title: Episode II: Into the Woods and Out of the Woods 09:50 What a perfect spot for a Geodash...almost. Actually, the Mission 12: Blind Canal POTA Geocache I placed is located not a mile away in the McKinley Forest Preserve. The Mapblast map still shows the dashpoint on Forest Preserve property, but the satellite and arial photos left me skeptical. I parked near the forest preserve entrance and hoofed it through the woods, just skirting the landowner's property to the north, only to have the GPS dump me out into farm land. It appears this area is not actually in the forest preserve proper and was a field for hay/straw, etc. Composit of the four pictures is up and posted. Meanwhile, I did get a chance to see a frozen pond in the middle of the forest. Made for a mildly interesting picture.

For Mud

The N/S/E/W views of the Zero Point
A great shot of a frozen pond nearby in the Forest Preserve itself.

Click on Dash Icon to see the Map GD8-03981 Terra Server Picture from LostOutdoors.com Coordinates: N 41.5095° W 087.8906° Date Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly Wolf Road, Just north of the Old Plank Road, Mokena, IL 19.70 miles from home

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is dashpoint.

Dashpoint Title: Episode III: Of Metal Studs and Fire Hydrants 10:46 This dashpoint is nestled squarly in between two Geocaches on my 8 cache/2 dash hunt. While it was a definite drive-by, it offered a little more excitement than the usual drive-by. As I parked my car along side of the road, squarely on the zero mark (see photo with the GPS reading less than 10 meters while on my knee in the car), I noticed some construction going on about 250 yards to the east. It was going to be a small building, but oddly enough, all of the studs were metal instead of the regular wood that would be used in a standard house. I'm sure it was some type of industrial building going up, but it was rather small for something of that nature.

A Bridge Too Far by TourEZ N 41° 30.793 W 087° 54.243 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Episode IV: The Stubborn Lid 11:20 Found this one with only a little trouble: my GPS readings were considerably off on this one. I usually won't say anything about it, but since my GPS said it was a full 60 feet away from the cache when it was sitting right on it, I'd just like to warn future hunters to widen their regular search area. Good cache, pretty bridge. However, the lid to the container was stuck on completely tight. I tried for a full 15 minutes of whacking, twisting, scrunching, and pleading before I finally gave up in a fury. Below is the proof that I've been there: a snapshot of the cache container; but this one was TN/LN/Couldn't Sign the Book.

The Bridge that Isn't Too Far

The Container with the Stuck Lid

Splish Splash by TourEZ N 41° 30.308 W 087° 53.265 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Episode V: The Cache was Great, but Will It Get Plundered? 12:00 Nice little muddy walk on the wild side of the park. The cache container was in great condition and the coordinates were right on, but due to the lack of foliage (of which I'm sure there was an abundance in the warmer months), this cache was sitting right out in the open. I placed it about four feet from where I found it, hopefully hiding it from prying eyes. TN/LN/SL. Found this cache at noon - starting to get hungry!

Odd Juxtaposition as I was Leaving the Park

IN the Rough by TourEZ N 41° 29.995 W 087° 48.172 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Episode VI: Musical Trading (Finally!) 12:15 I had a little difficulty with the parking coordinates. First, TourEZ entered them on the page so they look like decimal coordinates. Having those in the system, I'd have to park 20 miles away. Second, my GPS showed those particular coordinates in the middle of the forest. I found the best parking I could. Once I parked it was a quick stroll through the woods. This was the only cache of the day that was large enough for me to leave a copy of my Classical Geocaching CD. I had four to leave, but only left this one.

The Odd House in the Neighborhood by the Cache

Fox's Lair by Bob Wilson N 41° 29.938 W 087° 48.931 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Episode VII: Where the %#&*@& Do I Park?!? 13:15 I spent a whole hour driving around the neighborhoods trying to find a place to park that seemed legal. The best solution was finally found, but there was a distinctly bad feeling about it given the warning sign the Forest Preserve District put out (see attached photo). Found the cache in short order. TN/LN/SL. Good container, and the best view of the Old Plank Road I think I would have gotten.

The Old Plank Road

The Warning Sign Where I Parked

Double Diamond by Clan Ferguson N 41° 35.485 W 087° 47.967 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Episode VIII: Unnecessary Stroll 14:00 What a dork I am. I needless parked about a quarter mile from the cache, all worried about the water hazard. Strolled right up to the cache and TN/LN/SL. The cache was good and surprisingly well hidden. I am getting a little frustrated with all the "Grampa Knock-Offs" though. Double Diamond...hahah.

Diamond East

Diamond West

Fossilized Cache by Southside_Glen N 41° 41.425 W 087° 55.034 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Episode IX: Are You Sure This Isn't One of Grampa’s? 15:00 SPOLIER! GREAT cache, GREAT hiding spot. The best "hide" of the day. This one was under a bunch of rocks creekside. My GPS zeroed out and I was having a dickens of a time finding the location. Used the encrypted clue, which didn't help much. All I could think of was the I&M Canal Cache by Grampa - VERY similar. I decided to let my GPS zero out completely by hanging it on a tree creekside. Meanwhile, I stripped off my sunglasses and heavy down coat to get a better look at things. I took two snapshots up and down the creek at the rocks for fun, not realizing that I was actually taking a shot with my GPS hanging directly over the cache (see photos below). Two special notes: they've done a TON of clearing of the brush in this area, and the log book is signed "Hello GPS people, F.P.D." - so the Forest Preserve District people are aware of Geocaching in Cook County, and evidently have no problem with it.

Clear Cutting 1

Clear Cutting 2

Looking at the Rocks South

Looking at the Rocks North

Looking at the Cache SPOILER

Prairie View Cache by Jay-Cin N 41° 43.630 W 087° 51.770 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/18/2002 Hunter: Kelly

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Episode X: Muddy Overtime 16:00 I noted the clock and that I had a full 85 minutes before I needed to pick my two boys up. Being at the nearby Fossilized Cache, I decided to make a go for it. I parked at the Willow Spring entrance and hoofed it the half-mile into the park. LOTS of mud. I caked my shoes throughout the trip. There was one thing of interest that I really wish I could go back to investigate: at one point the signs indicated a bridge was in hazardous condition and that no traffic would be allowed to cross it. Wonder what THAT looks like! All I can say, Jay-Cin is that this is a prime location. Unfortunately, the cache is damp, so signing was difficult. I noticed that the cache was damp before. Maybe the other end of the container needs some apoxy or the contents need ziplocks. TN/LN/SL, and headed back to the car for the end of a VERY full day of caching and dashing!

Prairie View One

Prairie View Two

A Welcome Sight

The Photographer’s Cache VI by Markwell N 41° 56.800 W 087° 39.240 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/23/2002 Hunters: Kelly and Sam

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

OK. How can someone claim a “find” on a cache that they placed? When someone else moves it. Glenn95630 was the first finder of Photographer’s Cache VI, and he moved it to Chicago. This cache sat far too long to be left alone, so I took Sam on a drive up to Chicago. It was relatively easy to get to and kinda fun. We left at 4:00 and returned by 6:30 (NO traffic except a little on the inbound Dan Ryan. The address on Sheffield Avenue was literally in spitting distance to Wrigley Field just to the west of the El. All in all, a painless, but fun cache.

	Proof I was There	View of the Skyline	Sears Tower from Dan Ryan
	The El (Elevated Train)	Apartment Building	Wrigley Field

Bleacher Bum’s Entrance

Main Entrance

Blarney Stone by Grampa N 41° 43.872 W 087° 52.938 Difficulty: Terrain: Found: 2/24/2002 Hunters: Kelly, Drew, Sam and Sherry

Green Dot is home. Blue Dot is cache.

Sherry was feeling mighty proud and this was a day of weather that was unbelievable. We came home from church to 58°F weather. True, we had a lot of house cleaning to do, but it seemed ludicrous to have the boys inside on a day like today when there's a new cache in town! We got to the area pretty quicly and the walk was pretty short. Having visited Grampa's Black Partridge Surprise on Sept 30, 2001, on knew a little of what to expect out of a “Blarney Stone.” When we got to the area, I said to the wife, “It's probably right there, or right there.” We checked the first “there” and it wasn't, so we moved to the second “there,” but my GPS was saying it was somewhere else. As I was rummaging around making the GPS zero out, my wife turns to me and says, “I know your GPS says it's over there, but I think I'm looking right at it.” Needless to say, she was. Heheheh. No more cache hunts for her while she's using the force. Turns out that the container was actually one that I had seen many times before on the latest Cache Frenzy - a small igloo cooler. I was worried that my Classical Geocaching CD wouldn't fit, but it did once we removed a squishy ball. Also, Grampa pegged this one as a theme cache - all Irish or St. Pat's or Green. Luckily, the CD has a mostly green cover. If it's a themed cache, they ought to mention that in the cache description.

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Last Updated: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 15:00 CDT