More McShepardSons

Well, do you remember that I hid a new geocache? If not, see McShepardSons on Independence Mountain.

It has not been getting very many visitors. In fact, after almost 3 weeks, it had only been logged as found once on its online log. There were a couple of entries in the paper log in the cache. It seems weird to me that someone would find the cache and not sign online, but maybe that is just me.

Anyway, while hiking up to the top of Independence Mountain, I thought maybe more people would visit the cache if there were more to find on the way up.

McShepardSons on Independence Mountain

I placed what I hope will be the Sheppy Family's third geocache.

McShepardSons on Independence Mountain

It is currently submitted for review. The only thing that would prevent it from being published is any multi-stage caches that have one of the steps in the area. Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing where all those might be unless I find every multi-cache that might be anywhere close to this area. I didn't see any multi-caches particularly close, so I think my chances are pretty good.

Searching Guacamole

I introduced a new Travel Bug to the world yesterday:

Searching Guacamole

I know my obsession with Travel Bugs is childish and/or nerdy. I don't care. The whole concept fascinates me. In a weird sort of way, I live vicariously through these little travelers.

On Searching Guacamole's Profile, I introduced him very similarly like I did Search & Rescue. Both list their "mission" to find and hopefully rescue my first travel bug Guacamole.

Return of Taco Pterodactyl

Back in January, I reported that my Travel Bug, Taco Pterodactyl had gone missing.

If you want, go back and see Missing Taco Pterodactyl?

On December 31th, this geo-cacher said "good-bye" to my little Taco Pterodactyl and dropped him off at "Want a Steak, Want a Shake, or will you get Gas?".

On January 5, a log on this cache says, "Nice cache no trackable inside tho".

I contacted all the people who had logged visits to that cache between the time Taco entered the cache and the time he was reported missing. I got answers from 4 out of the 6 saying they had not seen the poor little guy. The other 2 never answered.

I had no choice but to consider Taco MIA. 

Missing Taco Pterodactyl?

I'm afraid my travel bug, Taco Pterodactyl has gone missing.

Taco is my second oldest travel bug, and until recently, the oldest one still surviving.

For quite awhile he was traveling across Florida with one geo-cacher. On December 31th, this geo-cacher said "good-bye" to my little Taco Pterodactyl and dropped him off at "Want a Steak, Want a Shake, or will you get Gas?".

On January 5, a log on this cache says, "Nice cache no trackable inside tho".

Assuming that the January 5th log is correct, and that cacher did not just miss Taco Pterodactyl in there, either someone picked him up and forgot to log him, or someone picked him up and didn't know to log him, or someone stole him.

Of course, I am hoping that someone just forgot to log him. Perhaps by the time you read this, it will have been logged.

An Update on my Travel Bugs

I am fascinated with Travel Bugs.

You probably know this, but just in case, a Travel Bug is a type of geocaching "trackable". Basically, it is sort of like a game piece. The bug is a tag attached to an object that travels from cache to cache.You can read more about these little hitchhikers at Geocaching 101.

So, it is cool to me that you can easily look and see where a travel bug has gone.

Sheppy McShepardSons (take II), Take 2

So, remember a couple of weekends ago, my wife, kids and I tried to hide our geocache? See McShepardSons take 2 as a reminder.

Later the same day I posted the entry, I got a message from a geo-reviewer telling me that the spot we picked was too close to a physical location of a multi-step cache. I would have to move our cache. Unfortunately, those multi-caches are the reason we've had such a difficult time finding a spot up till now.

Tuesday night, I went back to Pence Park and got the container and looked around for another spot.

I found one after about a 1.3 mile hike. I placed it and re-submitted my new hiding spot.

McShepardSons take 2

So, way back in September, I reported that we had hidden a geocache. See Placing Sheppy McShepardSons take 1.

Do you know what a geocache is? If you follow this blog on a regular basis, you have probably noticed our renewed interest in geocaching (see Sheppy's Blog: Geocache), and probably have either figured it out or don't really care. If not, it is basically a global hide-and-seek game using GPS coordinates.

As it turned out, we were too close to a "Multi-Cache", and that spot got rejected. We tried a few more spots, but we kept running into the same issue ... the cache was too close to some other one that we couldn't see. Eventually, we sort of gave up trying to find a spot for the winter.

Missing Travel Bug: Guacamole

Have you seen this Travel Bug? He is missing already. If you have him, or know where he is, or even have some idea where he might be, leave a comment on this blog post. Better yet, do it on his geocache page, Guacamole.

Better yet, if you have him .... LOG HIM!

Again, the webpage on which you can leave a comment or log him is:

Guacamole

Placing Sheppy McShepardSons take 1

My boys ... especially Little Brother have been working on making a geocache to hide.

Do you know what a geocache is? If you follow this blog on a regular basis, you have probably noticed our renewed interest in geocaching (see Sheppy's Blog: Geocache), and probably have either figured it out or don't really care. If not, it is basically a global hide-and-seek game using GPS coordinates.

If you are interested in learning more, take a few minutes and check out "Geocaching in 2 Minutes" and / or  "Geocaching 101". Go ahead ... I'll wait.

So, anyway, we have been FINDING geocaches since November 2008. This is our first attempt to hide a geocache. My youngest pretty much took the lead on this one. He found the container, and convinced Mommy to empty it of its previous contents. He talked his dad into taking him to the store and buying Camo duct tape (weird that we didn't have any already ... right?). He applied the tape, found a log book, assembled the contents, and coordinated getting a little information sheet about geocaching printed out and laminated to put in the cache.

Guacamole -- Have Bug. Will Travel

My kids have sort of had a renewed interest in geocaching lately. Here it is two weeks in a row I am able to blog about it. As I mentioned last week, we have gone quite awhile without doing any geocaching. That was too bad, because it really seems like a great way to help enhance the whole outdoor experience with the family.

If you don't know what geocaching is, take a few minutes and check out "Geocaching in 2 Minutes" and / or  "Geocaching 101". Go ahead ... I'll wait.

Anyway, we have just "stepped up our geocaching game". Quite some time ago, I gave my oldest son a couple of Travel Bug tags. We didn't do anything with them and somehow they ended up lost in his room for months. If you have ever seen the normal state of his room, it does not surprise you that these were lost in the chaos.