Featured Cachers - momandson2006

1. How did you become involved in geocaching. When did you start?

Barb and A.J who are the "mom" and "son" were in a exercise class and saw a picture on the instructors laptop of the instructor holding a geocoin asked her about it and she told them about geocaching as a way to get out and get some exercise while having fun doing it! This was in December 2006.

2. How did you choose your caching name?

I am a volunteer fireman and I was at a fire department meeting the night Barb was told about Geocaching and for some reason Barb and A.J. thought this was something they were going to do so now I say Barb is "mom" A.J. is "son" and I am "and" ! Son got bored after a dozen caches so now momand_ _ _2006 do all the caching. "Son" no longer participates.

3. How many caches have you found so far?

1931

4. What brand/type of GPS do you use?

We use a Garmin GPSmap 60CSx which was given to use as a FTF for a cache called "AS you Wish" I do not know how we cached before we got it. It is a great unit!

5. What programs/software or hardware (PDA/laptop/phone) do you use to make caching easier?

We use GSAK on our laptop with Map Source to read about and study routes while in the field.

6. What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, puzzle, virtual?

We like traditional small well hidden or camouflaged and really like it if it has been unfound for a long time with the last 4 or five logs being DNF's it is almost as big a rush as a FTF!

7. Which caches were the most challenging –

physically?

A adventure cache such as the Tricachelon because it had many way points over many miles you had to bike, hike, canoe, and drive it was epic in nature, covered miles, took us 2 different evenings and we had a real work out.

mentally?

Puzzle caches. There are such a wide variety of puzzles that you never know what the creator of the puzzle is up to and you can spend hours on a puzzle that has a simple solution and have a complicated one just fall into place!

8. Do you have a favorite or favorites among the Minnesota caches that you’ve found?

Tricachelon, The legendarium, Cliff hanger, A lake? There are so many great cachers putting out so many creative caches that we could name dozens that deserve the title favorite.

9. What’s the most unusual thing that you’ve ever found in a cache?

A bottle of spiced rum!

10. What are your current caching goals?

We attempt to clean out a 50 mile circle around home there are 36 caches in that circle right now that need to be found!

Is there a certain cache that you can’t wait to do?

Number 2000 finally!

11. How many caches have you placed?

37

Do you have a current hiding goal?

No

12. What advice would you give someone that wants to place a cache?

Just do it get started we waited thinking we needed a cool spot or something unique then we realized you need all kinds of hide for all kinds of cachers!

What steps do YOU take when placing a cache?

Most of our caches have been spur of the moment we see an area we have the supplies with us lets place a cache.

13. How often do you go caching?

We used to go every weekend but the poison ivy scared barb off this year so we do not go as often as I would like.

14. What advice would you give a beginning Geocacher cacher?

Be careful do not get in over your head there are some caches placed in areas the require significant hikes or difficult terrain and it would be possible to get into trouble so be prepared before you hit the trail!

15. What type of gear do you carry with you on your caching trips? What’s in your geopack?

Needle nose pliers. They have helped get caches out from there hiding spots and we take dogs with us and we have used them after our dogs found porcupines , replacement log books, zip lock bags, new cache containers, pencils and sharpeners, duct tape, water, snack bars, Antihistamine, sun block hand warmers, batteries, flashlight our signature cards.

16. What is your most memorable caching experience?

Doing cliffhanger with the Fargnots as find number 1000

17. What is your best caching story?

We were driving across cross lake as the sun was coming up we followed a pick up out on the Ice and came to a fork in the trail the pickup went one-way we went the other it was early and the sun was in our eyes but we were following a well used trail the one tire fell through I cranked the wheel and headed to shore and the front end fell in we got out and looked and we were on a snowmobile trail and the sparkling ice we had seen as we drove we could now see looking away from the sun was open water! This was in 2006 we have not been back out on the ice!

18. What do you like about geocaching?

All the areas and sights we see and people that we never would have met without Geocaching!

What keeps you going?

The knowledge that there are places we have not seen.

19. Besides geocaching, what other things do you like to do?

We see a lot of movies. Barb reads all the time and I like video games. Playing Zelda skyward sword right now.

20. What question did you expect us to ask but didn’t.

How have you seen Geocaching change since you started?

What is the answer?

The day we started there were 2 caches within 20 miles of Bemidji there are now close to 200 We went several weeks before we heard of another cacher in our area that was Wixie and we went for months before we met another cacher in the woods that was Fargnot now we cannot leave the house with out running into a cacher!