I first started geocaching back in March 2001 and didn't think anything about finding older caches. I just went out and found caches, period. Of course, with the hobby only less than a year old at that time, there weren't a lot of caches out there, so most weren't very "old" anyway.
Fast forward to about five years ago and someone came up with Challenge caches. These are caches that you have to do something geocaching related before you can go out and find the cache. I found a very easy Challenge cache yesterday that involved having found already 10 caches with some family member (Dad, Mom, Grandma) in the title of the cache. I looked over my list and discovered I have 7 caches with the word Dad in it, so I knew I qualified for that challenge already.
Some challenge caches require a lot of planning. One of the challenge caches I've already completed, but haven't found yet is the 58 California county challenge which challenges geocachers to find a cache hidden in every county in California. I found the last four counties back in August 2011. I just haven't gotten out to find the final for that one yet, but it's high on my "geocaching things to do list."
Finding the cache we found yesterday filled in another square on the grid that is the Jasmer Challenge. The Jasmer Challenge challenges geocachers to find a cache hidden in every single month that geocaching has been around. The older caches are getting harder to find and there aren't that many of them, so time becomes a factor in all of this as well.
As you can see by the grid above, the months I still need are May, June, July, August and October of 2000 to complete my grid. Those last four months are going to require some traveling if I want to fill in the grid. The closest cache to me that was hidden in October 2000 is 328 miles away from my home. The distances for the other four months are likewise as far. If I want to complete this challenge, I'll have to travel to Oregon for sure, and possibly to Kansas. The oldest cache, hidden in the United States is there.
Since we do go camping every summer, it's not out of the realm of possibility that we have this challenge completed in just a couple more years. Hopefully, the old caches on my list will still be there when I get around to finding them. Either way, it's the adventure of challenging myself to do something new that keeps me going.
Obviously, you meant that you had started caching in March of 2001, but I bet that your readers are sharp enough to know what you meant.
ReplyDeleteOur grid looks like yours, as far as the holes are concerned. Well, we still don't have a Find on a cache hidden in January of 2013, but that will come easily enough.
Probably the next Jasmer cache on our List will be Firestone (GC78), up in Marin County. That one should be comparatively easy to get, and will take care of October, 2000. After that, who knows? GC12, maybe: it looks like the sort of cache just made for a long Springtime walk. Or maybe we'll finally visit The Great White North for a June, 2000 cache.
Well, what comes, comes. As for Saturday, that was a good hike. Sorry I kept lagging behind, but that's how it is for me, now. At least I eventually get where I'm going ;-)
Thanks for catching that typo. I hate when that happens. Since President Clinton's executive order wasn't issued until May 2000, it would have been pretty near impossible for me to have started geocaching in March 2000. Heck, I didn't own a GPS until March 2001.
ReplyDeleteI love the big challenge caches. I'm not sure I'll ever finish the Jasmer Challenge as some of the older ones I need are no where close to me. I hope to do it, but who knows. I've done the New York DeLorme, which was awesome to finish. I've completed the NY County Challenge, but haven't gotten to the final yet. I hope to once spring breaks, though. Good luck with your challenges!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting close to finishing up the three California DeLorme challenges. Lots of pages in those three (Southern, Northern and entire state). Many of the challenges keep me going to explore other areas of the state that I haven't been to, even if I never intend to finish the challenge and find the final for the challenge.
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