Harthausen

Harthausen

Interviewed May 2007

This month our featured geocacher is a woman who, in the not quite 3 years she has been geocaching, is averaging almost 1 find a day. While this is quite an accomplishment in itself she often caches with her young children.

Carrie Monson, also known as Harthausen has geocached in several states beyond Delaware and has placed several caches in Delaware. One of these, Crikey, is one of the more unusual caches you will ever find. And it proves that this cacher has a keen sense of humor. Another of her caches Nicht Echt hints at her German heritage. This cache is one of the Letterbox Hybrid types placed in Delaware so far. And, while we're on the subject of rare things, she is also one of the few Delaware Geocachers who has conquered "Getting Around To It".

This interview will help you get to know her better.

How many caches have you found so far?
600.

The map you display on your geocaching.com profile shows that you've found geocaches in New York Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virgina, and North Carolina. That's a good cluster of states and you can drive from one to the other. But the map also shows you have cached in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Tell us a bit about how you chose to jump over to those two more-distant states.
My husband’s family lives in Minnesota. Whenever we visit I go caching there with my father-in-law which is a treat. The last time I was there we drove to Wisconsin just to add another state to the map.

With your multi-state experiences we like to hear your comments on how Delaware caches compare to those you've found in other states.
Honestly, whenever I cache while traveling I’m usually under a time constraint. Therefore, I don’t usually go after really tough caches while on the road. I have noticed that there are a couple of Delaware cachers that occasionally put out really challenging caches not so much it seems for the caching community at large, but rather to stump each other. This is not at all a criticism, just an observation.

Which type of cache do you prefer seeking - traditional, multi, puzzle or virtual?
I like them all, but I personally avoid puzzles that require lots of time and research to figure out because being a mom of three children ages 5, 7, and 12 I don’t have lots of extra time.

Which find was the most challenging?
No surprise here – Getting Around To It. I decided to do it the “easy” way by kayaking to it. But…the boat ramp closest to the cache was not accessible the day that I went for it and I had to launch from a bridge a mile upstream. Getting to the cache wasn’t too bad, but fighting the current on the way back was exhausting and scary!

Which was the easiest?
No one cache in particular comes to mind. LPC’s are the easiest, but great when caching with children. My two youngest often look for them in parking lots even when we’re not caching. I’ve also found several caches that were really easy because they were either left totally out in the open or were re-hidden very poorly. It’s always a bit disappointing when that happens.

Do you have a favorite or favorites from among the caches you have found?
This is difficult to answer as there are so many fun caches out there. A few that come to mind are: Granite Terrace, Tomorrow’s House From Yesterday, Sushi, And It’s a Long Fly Ball (would like to see that one back up and running), Fourteen Minus Six, Estrella’s SBUX REDUX, I Hate Micros Revenge, Pine Island Fire, and anything by Delawhere.

What's the most unusual thing you've found in a cache?
A blood glucose meter.

Have you had any memorable experiences while seeking a cache?
Oh yes. I’ve had great quantities of memorable experiences while caching. I’ll just tell you about the first one. I didn’t yet own a GPS, but had heard about caching, checked out the website, and couldn’t wait to find a cache. My husband is a pilot with the Civil Air Patrol. So I begged him to let me try caching with his piloting GPS. We went out to Fair Hill with the children on a cold winter day. Needless to say, caching with a piloting GPS doesn’t work at all because you have to be walking at least 140 mph. Also, the children got tired of walking and were cold and crying. It was not fun. Got the proper sort of GPS shortly thereafter!

What advice would you give to a beginning geocacher?
1. Start finding simple caches and work your way up. 2. Attend an event and meet other geocachers. In addition to being fun, you get lots of advice. 3. Read your GPS’ owner’s manual. 4. Always save your vehicle’s location before setting out on a hunt so that you can find it again. 5. Carry extra batteries and a cell phone.

How many caches have you placed?
Officially I’ve placed six including the Delaware C.A.C.H.E. cache, one of which had to be archived. Unofficially, I may or may not have been involved in hiding a very pretty cache under another geo-name.

One of your caches is "Crikey." It ranks as one of the most enjoyable caches my wife and I have done. Without giving away the surprise how did you come up with the idea for this cache?
Many years ago at a summer camp I was “surprised.” I decided it would be a fun idea for a cache and tested it out on my children.