Metazbad

Metazbad

Interviewed August 2006

We're into the "Dog Days" of August but that's not the real reason the photo above shows a geocacher and his dog. This month's Featured Geocacher is one of the pioneers of Delaware Geocaching. As you will discover in his interview, Metazbad has been geocaching almost from the start of the sport. Shown with him in this picture is his dog Dundee. Although Dundee is not truly a member of a Metazbad "team", those who read logs and log books know that the signature they find for these two long time friends is frequently Metazbad and Dundee. It is also typical of Metazbad to submit pictures to geocache galleries showing Metazbad and Dundee at various caches. He was good enough to send us a selection which we've added to our Scrapbook (found in the Photo Gallery section of this site.) Here's your chance to learn a bit about Metazbad.

How did you become involved with geocaching - and how long have you been doing it?
I purchased my first Magellan Blazer to return to put in when kayaking in the Florida Keys. A friend told me a game of Geocaching was online. He wasn’t doing it but he owned two GPS units that he used for hiking. I went online and chose a cache close to home. Lum Skull at Lums Pond state park. I took a hike and eventually found the cache. I recently learned this was one of the first 10 caches in Delaware. Oddly I found this cache on 9-11-2001. Dundee my Australian terrier hikes with me to most of the time. He enjoys the seeking as much as I do. Most of my logs are signed, Metazbad and Dundee.

How many caches have you found so far?
The number at this time is 1012 finds.

Which type of cache do you prefer seeking - traditional, multi, puzzle or virtual?
I prefer traditional and multi. I don’t care for the puzzles or the virtuals although I have completed many virtuals. I hate micros and I don’t own any.

Which find was the most challenging?
I don’t mind the challenge of hiking or climbing. There is no particular cache that stands out as the most challenging. Climbing to and hiking the Appalachian Trail, kayaking the Susquehanna river to the islands, hiking 4 miles one way to a dead end road at a secluded pond in the Adirondack Forest at Inlet, NY, and hiking a never used trail to a cache by a warning sign along the Susquehanna brings a few to mind.

Which was the easiest?
The string of caches under lamp post bases offers no challenge.

Which was your favorite?
No favorite, I just appreciate some more than others.

What's the most unusual thing you've found in a cache?
Nothing comes to mind.

Have you had any memorable experiences while seeking a cache?
While climbing the Appalachian Trail near Jim Thorpe, Pa., I followed a man with a large backpack. He turned off on a narrow trail as I continued to the top and the cache. On the way down I took the narrow trail as I heard voices. The hiker with the large pack was a hang glider. He and others were sailing off a cliff. I spent an hour watching these daredevils soar and catch the wind currents. Also getting stuck twice in the New Jersey Pinelands in a water hole and having to be towed out each time, one of the times flooded the floor of the van.

What advice would you give to a beginning geocacher?
Keep in mind this is for fun. Some caches you will not find and others will be easy. Sometimes the coordinates will take you to the cache and other times they will have you 100 feet from the cache. Don’t get discouraged and when you get disgusted go on to the next cache. Come back again if it bothers you. Remember it ’s a game.

How many caches have you placed?
20

Have any of them proven to be more "popular" than what you expected?
All have been more popular than expected.

Have any of them proven to be more difficult to find than you expected?
My caches have not been difficult to find. Many of the cache hunts have been difficult and I occasionally come across one that has been done very well. I recently completed a multi of micros and it was done very well. The most unusual that comes to mind was a non specified container. I would never have found it without hints from the owner. Magnetic sets of numbers on a metal box. I looked at it a hundred times and did not even consider it to be the cache. Well done but it stretches the container definition.

Have any of them been muggled? If, so how did you handle this?
Yes. I suspect a problem private property owner that lives near one of my caches finally found and removed the container. I may relocate it.

What's your best caching story?
Many caching challenges and stories come to mind but none stand out as favorite.

What advice would you give to someone designing a cache placement?
Choose a public access location and a spot not frequented by anyone. Use a waterproof container and conceal it well. Don’t hide so it cannot by found. The challenge is to bring the cacher to the spot and find the cache. This will continue their interest and add to their finds. If they hide a cache be aware that the container will have to be maintained.

Beside geocaching, what other things do you like to do?
I work part time at Wooden Wheels bike shop in Newark, De. The rest of my time is caching, mountain biking and mostly kayaking.

Webmaster's Note: Since Metazbad is a geocaching pioneer we altered our interview a bit and substituted this final question

Since you've been geocaching for a while what changes do you see happening in this sport - negative or positive.
I used to know most of the cachers in the area. I spent a lot of time in the Jersey Pinelands and knew many of them. I don’t see very many familiar names anymore, all new cachers. The sport has grown. I had every one of the caches in the Pinelands at one time now there are probably 100 new caches. I am planning a three day trip over there soon with Mom Mom and Pop Pop as they have a motorhome.  I truly hate micros in the pinelands.

The sport is growing and there are many new cachers in the area. I think it is definitely a positive for the sport and for the area. Many more families appear to be entering the game and I attribute this growth to recent positive publicity. The activity concerning my caches has continually increased.

Thanks, Metazbad, for sharing these answers with us.