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October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Highlighting Maryland's finest cachers!
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Calvertcachers
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October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Post by Calvertcachers »

It is a true honor to introduce Kassie and Rhiannon, mother and daughter, in our October Member and Caching Kids spotlight. We have had the pleasure to get to know Kassie and Rhiannon over the past few years and they are awesome!

This year, Kassie began assisting the Town of Cheverly and the Mayor with maintain the MML hide, placing additional caches, and she even set-up a Geocaching Booth for Cheverly Day! More recently, Kassie has been assisting the National Park Service with the Capt. John Smith and Star-Spangled Banner GeoTours. Be on the lookout for a few new caches to publish soon!
Say hello to Kassie!


Caching Name: eissak
Real Name: Kassie
Interview Date: 08/19/2013


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

I first heard of geocaching from a facebook friend in Colorado. She posted pictures of her and her son on a mountain with toys and a box. After a lot of googling, I created an account and went out that next weekend! This was at the end of April in 2012.

2. How did you choose your caching name?

I use ‘eissak’ on a lot of sites. It is just my name spelled backwards.

3. How many caches have you found so far?

My profile says I have found 395 caches. But I have yet to log the 10 CAM caches of this year, a webcam cache from last month, and two caches from yesterday. I’ll get around to it… one of these days…

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

I used a Garmin eTrex Venture HC while I still had a crapberry. But I have since upgraded to an iPhone 5. It isn’t as accurate as a GPSr, but even when I had a GPSr, I wasn’t as good at finding caches!

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

I’ve downloaded GSAK and I’m still learning how to use that program. I mainly use the geocaching app by Groundspeak and save individual caches to offline lists.

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

I enjoy traditional geocaches since they are the most common ones to find. Unknowns are fun when it is simple and when I know what to do. But the unknowns that are puzzles I am no good at! For the virtuals that are still around, I hope they don’t get archived. Whereigos are probably my favorite though. I wish there were more around!

7. Which caches were the most challenging – physically/mentally? Why?

GC411BA – MML Myersville was very challenging. It was getting dark and was confusing at first. We weren’t expecting to solve for the final but was overall a fun challenge. It took us a while to find it. That was the first time I saw that kind of hide. Very cool!!

8. Do you have a favorite or favorites among the Maryland caches that you’ve found?
(Feel free to list a favorite for each type of cache) Do you have a favorite in a nearby state?


GC3EMBG – Awesome container!! It took me five visits for me to figure it out.
GC2FJTP – I loved how this blends in. I found this while vacationing in Bethany Beach, DE.
GC22AMC – I have always wanted to go to a lighthouse and glad a cache took me to one!
GC3EYT8 – I loved the hike in this different terrain. Cool little hiding spot! I found this one while visiting family in Virginia Beach, VA.

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

At my fourth cache find, there was a condom in the cache. If I knew any better, I would have trashed it. Oh, and there was also that time where we went out to the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center and found a cache that had a bison tube and a chicken foot in a ziplock bag inside. Months later, the CO motherwolf emailed me letting me know we found someone’s bait box and NOT her cache… oops!!!

10. What are your current caching goals? Is there a certain cache that you can’t wait to do?

I would like to complete several of the new geotrails that have been published. I’d like to attempt the Psycho Urban series. I want to find a cache a day to complete the calendar year. I’m also trying to complete the PG County ADC map challenge.

11. How many caches have you placed? Do you have a current hiding goal?

I have placed 7 caches so far. I would like to cache out Cheverly, which is where I am from. I also would like to fill in some parts of Prince George’s County where we seem to have a cache drought. I enjoy historical caches and would like to place more caches near historical places.

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12. What advice would you give someone that wants to place a cache? What steps do YOU take when placing a cache?

Go caching for at least six months to make sure this is an activity you can stick with. It is annoying when a cache is placed and not maintained once the CO loses interest in geocaching.

Find as many caches as you can to get ideas on hide spots, containers, and significance of the hide.

Attend events and meet people who may be able to give advice or just share stories.

Go with friends, muggles or cachers to help you place it.

Know how to get a good reading to mark coordinates, no matter what device you’re using.

Take pride in your DNFs!! I have a good time whether I find the cache or not and I wish I logged all my DNFs from the start.

13. How often do you go caching?

I try to go geocaching any chance I get! Whenever I go out, I try to see if there is a cache nearby. I usually go once a week at minimum.

14. What advice would you give a beginning geocacher?

If it doesn’t look right, that is probably it! Just sing the song. One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong! And don’t be afraid of looking awkward!!

15. Have you completed CAM in the past? What was your favorite aspect?

This year was my first time completing CAM. I had a lot of fun going all around Maryland! I enjoyed the crazy car rides to our destinations and also eating at local food joints. We saw snow in western MD and loved the view of the beach from the boardwalk of Ocean City. Going to each cache allowed us to learn about each place we were visiting.

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16. Do you collect geocoins? Of the ones that you’ve collected, which is your favorite?

I like geocoins that have significance. I only have coins for the trails I have completed and a Masonic geocoin from the DC event. I love the MML coin because of the history of each town and also the SSB coin because of the history of the war of 1812.

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

I carry around a pen, chewy bars, geophone, portable charger, flashlights, headlamp, and safety pin at minimum.

18. What is your most memorable caching experience?

In January, we set out to get some MML caches in western MD. We left at 8am and didn’t get home until after 1am. We saw a lot of cool places and ate some good pasta.

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19. What is your best caching story?

We went to find a cache at night in a cemetery in Jessup. Shortly after we arrived, a tow truck parks behind us as the muggle asked why we were there. It turns out he was the landowner and wanted to make sure we weren’t messing with his family that was buried there. He didn’t even know there was a geocache hidden near the graves. He found it interesting and even used his flashlight to help us search for the cache.

20. What do you like about geocaching? What keeps you going?

I like exploring and going to new places. I like historical spots, whether the history is just on the cache page or if it takes me to a plaque to read. I like going with friends as it adds to the experience. There are a lot of new trails opening up and that is what keeps me going.

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

I like munzeeing and playing games with my daughter. I found a few little free libraries and am working on making one for my town.

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OhMelli
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Re: October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Post by OhMelli »

Nice write-up Kassie! I enjoyed meeting you in Cheverly, and it was great to learn a bit more about you today! :D
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mortards
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Re: October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Post by mortards »

One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong!

LOL... so true. I think I'll start singing that in my head from now on!
-mortards (Al & Michelle)

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lpyankeefan
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Re: October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Post by lpyankeefan »

mortards wrote:One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong!

LOL... so true. I think I'll start singing that in my head from now on!
Auugh! Earbug! Thanks for that! Now I'll have it in my head while carpooling to and from the MGS Fall Picnic! :-D
"No matter where you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai
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coupleocachers
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Re: October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Post by coupleocachers »

It was fun getting to know more about you. Love chatting with you at events and it was great to meet you this year at the easter event in southern maryland. Amelia loves her zombie book.
We are now Mr. And Mrs. Coupleocachers and Proud parents of AmeliaGrace
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Snurt
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Re: October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Post by Snurt »

Concur with all of the above, and adding to the quotes:
Just sing the song.
I love the caching spirit reflected in both of these interviews. Thanks for sharing it with us Cassie (eissac).
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Hixon
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Re: October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Post by Hixon »

Wonderful write-up! Great pics!
deepdish23
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Re: October 2013 Spotlight - eissak

Post by deepdish23 »

Great writeup. It was great to meet you and your daughter at the Greenbelt CITO in June. I like the cache location you placed the container you won at the CITO. It is one of the more interesting locations in the Greenbelt area.
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