outsid4ver has some excellent thoughts and is really far sighted about this event. I would suggest he lead up the effort to put this together with the core. I also think they are right to try and pull in more interest by raising the level of this potentially fun event to the front end of the website. We could bring in more members by actively requesting their anticipation. We are all for helping out with any Southern Maryland planning if it swings through this region or however planned.


We are the only area with rain today. It is a trip to see snow everywhere but here just like almost every other storm. COLD WET RAIN and WORK yuch!

the snow is NOT cool. i was eye-balling a snow-blower on Monday and said "Nah". Should have given Sears the money and taken it home that night.

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-robert
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Southern Maryland may just be the only snow free caching spot in the state right now but that scould end tomorrow has they are predicting two inches of slush. Time to run to the supermarket and get some red food dye to make some slushies in my yard. Where in the heck did this winter pop up out of the blue from?

I'm home today too. Gotta love the SNOW!!! I'll write up something and we'll see how it goes!

Submitted--and posted. Thanks! Nice graphic, BTW.

My entire department is working, except me, and a woman who lives in Mt Airy. I'm home due to laryngitis and what I thought may be flu/cold--I'm not into sharing that stuff, especially at our peak season. I just finished trying out my new snow blower.

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-robert
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I'll do what I can for the event from this side of the Bay. (Talbot County)

_________________
"It is true, all of us are standing in the mud,
but some of us are looking at the stars."

Since we have members from across the state (and some outside) how about a mult that can be started from from multiple locations. That way, someone in Western MD won't have to travel to the Eastern Shore to start, and vice versa. Give it more than a couple of weeks, so folks with busy schedules can get it all in.

Outlander03,

Good point. Maybe it will work with the multis sending you through each of the points, not necessarily with a designated start point BUT definitely a designated end. Maybe a puzzle type thing, where each of the caches has numbers for the final coords*. You can do them as slow or as fast as you'd like but the final part is on xx/xx/04 at the coordinates you solve with all of the multi's parts.

Regardless of where you start, you'll still have to do some driving.

*Much like SCRABBLE SCRAMBLE in So. MD.

_________________
-robert
MGS Site Admin, MGS Director, former Officer
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I think this could be the basic premise that we could use to plan the event. Well spoken!

_________________
Joe, Laura, Elise, and Lilly Tinker
Look at our favorite caches-
http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/vie ... 28616be17e

How about each of the caches being significant, historical or otherwise, to the area that it is located. We can learn about the Free State as we cache.

Another good suggestion. Tie it to Maryland historically as opposed to just geographically.

_________________
-robert
MGS Site Admin, MGS Director, former Officer
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I love the historical aspect. I am starting to think it would be great to have a summer long event of multiple caches all over the state that would start on say May 1st with all the caches going on line with titles such as Caching across Maryland Tour - <Cache name>. Every cache would have a secret trade item that is designated by the cache owner and told to the Club President who sorry would be exempt from the prizes. Proof of ownership of this trade at the MGS Fall Picnic (culmination of the tour) would result in a door prize from the MGS. The finder would be notified by the cache owner that that trade item is redeemable for a door prize at the MGS Fall Picnic and to hold on to it until then. This is going to be a highlight event no matter what form it ends up in this coming season.

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Wags from the Last Lap Gang!

Caching from So Md & SE PA since 2002

Hmm... this takes it away from a specific end-time "event". Which is probably fine. I wonder how many people are going to participate in the "multi-event". I know of a few, but we'll really have to push it hard. As long as they aren't micros in the woods, I'm sure we'll be fine.

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-robert
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No Mr. K I think it enhances the end event which does not have to be at the fall picnic. The prizes encourage curiosity and participation while the summer long tour gives people time and lengthens the time that the official part of this tour of caches is in play. I know it may not completely work but there are so many ideas in this thread that when a committee comes together they will find a realistic way of doing this. We are doing some pipe dreaming in the thread but the original idea I think will evolve into a fresh new highlight event next season. I do agree there should be some end event of finality and celebration. The caches could then live on if the cache owners wanted to maintain them.

Mrs Last Lap really likes the mystery prizes as it promotes visiting the cache but not necessarily rewarding the FTF.

_________________
Wags from the Last Lap Gang!

Caching from So Md & SE PA since 2002

I'm sure we'll figure it all out, or have it all figured out for us by the "leaders". I'm going to post this thread to the gc.com forums to invite more input. Still a lot of people out there who don't know about the MGS yet, but I'm doing what I can.

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-robert
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That is excellent Mr. Kablooey. You bring an energy to this site and the MGS and it will pay off next season. Keep up the good work.

_________________
Wags from the Last Lap Gang!

Caching from So Md & SE PA since 2002

The historical/geographical connection would be cool. The summer-long concept, and recognition at the standard Fall Picnic might water down the uniqueness of this event.

I think we can agree that the purpose is to encourage whole-state (Maryland) caching and involve members from across the state, either in the planning, or the finding of the caches.

A 2-4 week timeframe would be plenty for interested cachers. We want participants to visit ALL of the caches on the tour. They can either take multiple days to do this, or decide on their own to hook up with other cachers on a grand weekend tour of the state. The pleasure would be in the completion of the whole list, not in the prizes for individual caches. Finisher prizes (and bragging rights) could be given to the finishers of the cache tour, at the ending celebration. The ONLY people at the celebration would be those who found ALL of the caches and decoded the date/time/location of the event, or those who directly planned the affair. It would not be a regular meeting of the MGS, nor would it be a Summer or Fall picnic.

Thanks MrKablooey for cross-posting this to the main gc.com forums. That might generate more input.

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Joe, Laura, Elise, and Lilly Tinker
Look at our favorite caches-
http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/vie ... 28616be17e

Another valid point from Outsid4evr regarding the final point being a celebration of those that finished the series. I'd vote for a 4 vs 2 week time-span to give as many people a chance to find the lot, especially if there are quite a few.

And thanks to LLG for the compliments.

BTW, it's been posted.

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-robert
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All very valid points and yes I think it is agreed we should make this UNIQUE and combining it with other MGS events would water down the idea. I really think outsid4ver has this concept formulated well and now it is up to a committee to plan the logistics. I still think there needs to be thoughts on enticing and encouraging more than just "die hard" cachersto participate if the final site is to be well attended. A good start to perking and formulating this interest was Kablooeys cross post to gc.com forums.

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Wags from the Last Lap Gang!

Caching from So Md & SE PA since 2002

Why not something like this: The initial event over 3-4 weeks with a defined end celebration for the completers. The MGS Grand Muckey-Mucks announce the end celebration time but not location. Upon completion of the required cache, the location of the celebration is emailed to the completer. Proof could be in the form of log entries, codewords, or actual physical tokens/tickets. (The codeword option matched to a master list is probably the easiest to manage.) This gives an defininite closure to the event, and allows potential completers to mark the celebration on their calendars in advance.

After the event is completed, the "Maryland Historical Cache Trail" or whatever it is deemed, remains viable, and future completers are awarded a completion certificate at the next regular meeting or event that they attend. (Or if he or she is a slackard about attending meetings- like me, for instance --the cacher could request a mailed certificate.)

Make the trail challenging but not only for the Uber-cachers who hit 5+ every time they go out-- maybe 10-15 caches or so that hit all parts of the state, and make them interesting in their own right, including views, historical sites, natural sites, even an urban or two, etc., evenly distributed over the state's zones. They can be new traditional caches or already established ones, to be maintained by the owner as a stop on the trail, in perpetuity. The owner would simply need to restock any Maryland Cache Trail items, as needed, on regular maintenance visits. The caches would stand as individual caches to log, but only the event completers would get the honor of logging the event celebration cache, which could be listed with bogus coordinates to keep it to the completers.

Sound reasonable?

_________________
"It is true, all of us are standing in the mud,
but some of us are looking at the stars."