Geocaching Survey!
You know those ridiculous MySpace surveys that people only do when they’re REALLY bored? I couldn’t find one related to geocaching that was already made up so I did it myself. Yep, here’s my version of a geocaching-style survey:
1. What is your name?
Theresa Edwards
2. What is your GC name?
mugglesdontscareme
3. What kind of GPSr do you use?
Magellan eXplorist 400
4. What is your favorite feature on your GPSr?
The fact that I can transfer caches directly from my computer and don’t have to manually enter them to the unit.
5. What is your best memory of geocaching?
Probably the Kelly’s Island event my mom and I went to. The weather was crappy in the evening, the rain flooded my BRAND NEW tent, my mom and I slept in my (read: tiny) car and overall it was just a really amazing weekend. It was a great bunch of people at that event which made it a blast…even if we were all huddled under a camper canopy while it poured over our fire for pie irons.
6. What is the furthest from your house you’ve ever found a cache?
The United Kingdom. That comes down to about 3600 miles from my house.
7. What is the hardest cache you ever found?
Bears Den Bluff because if you don’t enter the right way, it becomes basically a level 5 terrain. Guess what? We went the wrong way. At the bottom of the cliff it said only about 100 feet, but that was straight up the cliff. We climbed and climbed and almost slipped and fell multiple times because it had recently rained. Then, when we actually made it to the top of the cliff, it took us a while to actually find the cache. We were close to giving up when we found it.
8. What is the most amount of caches you’ve completed in one day?
23 – My friend CharlesIsland was in Columbus for work, called me up the night he was going there and said to meet him at the hotel and texted me the coordinates. We went for an FTF that I was a little late to claim and then geocaching alllllll the next day. I drove back to school absolutely exhausted.
9. How did you get started in geocaching?
It’s CharlesIsland’s fault. He was bugging and bugging for me to check it out and was constantly telling me stories about it. I thought it was stupid and didn’t make any sense. Then, I went for my first cache and I figured it out. From then on, I’ve been hooked.
10. What is the silliest mistake you’ve made while geocaching?
Probably not knowing how to use my GPSr effectively. For the longest time when I started geocaching, I used a hit-and-miss method of the “Drunken Bee Dance.” While it was fun, I looked ridiculous and it wasted a lot of time.
11. What memorable animals have you encountered on the trail?
My favorite was the owl. It was dark out and I was going for a cache down in Conneaut Harbor. The owl was hiding in the brush along the water and I nearly stepped on it. It scared me at first, but then I got a really great picture of it and went along my way.
There was also a raccoon that didn’t seem too happy that mom and I were nearby.
12. What is your favorite earthcache?
Definitely the glacial grooves on Kelly’s Island. It was awesome to see the beautiful things nature does.
13. When do you geocache most often? (Season? Time of day?)
I usually cache in the summer because I dislike the cold weather (more particularly because I have to walk through the cold weather to go to classes) and I most often cache during the day. Although, I have done some night caching.
14. Who do you usually geocache with?
I mostly geocache on my own, but when I geocache with others I’ve gone with my mom (DeeDee44425), Wayne (CharlesIsland) and Dave (ramskid1388). I’ve also invited non-geocachers along who were interested in giving it a try.
15. Have you ever logged a find on one of your own caches? If not, would you?
I’ve never had a reason to log a find on one of my own caches, but I have heard of it happening in cases where someone logged a find and then eventually adopted the cache. That’s about the only way that might happen for me.
16. What is the most consecutive days you’ve gone caching and had a find?
3 Days (8/3/2007-8/5/2007)
17. How do you feel about people who “collect” trackable items?
I’ve heard about many travel bugs and geocoins going missing…usually because someone decides to add it to their “collection.” I think it’s great if you want to buy them and keep them for others to discover at events. I don’t think it’s OK to take someone else’s trackable item and keep it for yourself. It actually annoys me a bit because I’d like to see more trackable coins and such in geocaches, but when people take them and don’t pass them on it defeats the purpose.
18. Is it all about the numbers for you?
Absolutely not. I don’t care when I make the next milestone…slow and steady is my pace. And then again…sometimes not very steady at all. For me it’s about the places geocaching takes me and the people I meet along the way. Having the geocaching network when I went to London was awesome, exciting and made my class trip for school that much better!
19. What have you learned since you started geocaching?
I’ve learned to think more critically. I don’t think anything in college could have taught me what geocaching has. It really is a challenge to find your (legal) way into certain cache locations. When I started this gig I just headed straight for the cache and if I got stuck in a thorn patch, so be it. Now, I really evaluate my surroundings and consider the fact that someone has to maintain the cache…what’s the easiest way possible? Then, just because you got there doesn’t mean you’ll get back the same way. It’s a whole new game trying to find the car 
20. What is the most interesting travel bug or geocoin you have discovered?
The coolest ones I’ve seen was in the UK at the Bucks/Beds/Herts Border-ing on the Ridiculous#4 event. One TB was the event’s log book. The other one was a dish served at the event (they made brownies for that event…an American dish because they knew I’d be there – so sweet!). It gave me the idea to do a travel bug cookbook “Take THAT Rachael Ray!” that I’ll eventually set out for others to add to when I get enough recipes in there to get it started.
Sounds like you’ve had some great geocaching adventures!
Oo, I might have to steal this
Nice blog! I see that you are from Ohio! I grew up in Cincinnati and moved out to AZ last year!http://www.erikajean.com/search/label/geocaching
Aw. THX Erika for introducing me to Theresa! Theresa! Girl, you are wild.I wish I could see THAT cookbook TB and a log book TB??!?!!WOW…I have an idea for another cache…THANKS!!!
Great read Theresa E.
Found you through Erika’s blog. The survey is a cool idea. Maybe more cachers will snag it and we can all find out new things about each one! I like the blog!
@Chris: I really have had some good times with geocaching. I can’t wait to have more in the future!@Erika: I really enjoy your blog too. It was cool reading about how you don’t geocache much in summer because of how hot it gets. I wouldn’t have thought of that being from Ohio where it SNOWS in April
@Demara I’m glad the post inspired you. It was really cool seeing how they do things different overseas.
yep gonna steal it too