Programmer64

Programmer64

Interviewed May 2006

Programmer64 answers to several names - P64 - Winter Warlock and Rob Bleattler. His involvement with Delaware Geocaching goes back to the beginning. Note the design on the tee shirt he's wearing. That's the logo for the original Delaware Geocachers group started by Howie several years back. His Programm64 and P64 names are sure to be found in almost every log book in the state. But Programmer64 is also a cache site creator. And here's where his additional name sometimes appears. You'll find caches created by Programmer64 and Winter Warlock. If you visit the Geocoins Photo Gallery in this web site you'll see another side of Programmer64. Be sure to check our his personal geocoin. Unlike some of his caches, it's not hard to spot. In a future installment we'll be reviewing his Winter Warlock Waiting in Three. But for now, here's Programmer's answers to our standard interview questions:

How did you become involved with geocaching - and how long have you been doing it?
My wife, kids, and I were at ringing rocks and ran into a group of people placing a cache. I thought they were on a scavenger hunt, and decided to ask. They told us they were Geocaching and let us use their GPSr to find the one they had just placed. I was hooked, came home, logged on and bought a Garmin ETrex the next day.

How many caches have you found so far?
819

Which type of cache do you prefer seeking - traditional, multi, puzzle or virtual?
Regular Traditional, I like “finding the box”

Which find was the most challenging?
Manunka Chunk Tunnels GC82B5

My wife and I did this one early in our Caching career. We did not know that when you are in a cut out (for a train to go through rock) there is no reception  in the gorge. We spent 2.5 hours looking for a cache, after taking the high road over the mountain because the tunnel was too  flooded to walk through. We checked every nook cranny and crevice in that wet mucky cut out. After an hour Mrs. P sat down while I kept on searching. Anyway after about 40 minutes she stands up, and hears a clunk. Honey, I found it she says! That’s when I learned that cammo is my friend.

Which was the easiest?
That’s easy. The Ruined chicken Multi-cache GC2BE4. I was in Fairhill Natural Resource Management Area looking for some of the other caches. I did not really do multi’s back then. I saw a building while hiking, and I thought “ there should be one there”, turns out this was the next to last leg of this multi, I marked the cords and headed over to claim my somewhat notorious find.

Which was your favorite?
That’s a tough question as each cache offers something different than every other. I am going to have say it is a toss between Mike Ott’s Mason-Dixon started here-GCF18F and TeKnight’s Getting around to it-GCNFGT.

What's the most unusual thing you've found in a cache?
Salamander-Don’t ask

Have you had any memorable experiences while seeking a cache?
I have many memorable geocaching moments, the best was in alapocas when three deer walked right up to Mrs. P and I, we all just stood there for what seemed like forever. I started to speak softly and the deer almost seemed to understand. It was pretty amazing.

What advice would you give to a beginning geocacher?
Do my caches first! Just kidding, start out with easy ones first. Maybe get a local cacher to go out with you. We love spreading the addiction.

How many caches have you placed?
48-38 are currently active

Have any of them proven to be more "popular" than what you expected?
Burnt Sienna-GCH248. When I placed it in the Jersey Pines there where only about 15 caches down there, now about 120.

Have any of them proven to be more difficult to find than you expected?
Winter Wonderland #1, which is now archived. It was a 5 stage evil multi, but I though with the clues and all it would be much easier than it was.

Have any of them been muggled? If, so how did you handle this?
I’ve had 3 caches muggled. I’ll replace a cache twice then it gets archived.

What's your best caching story?
I think my answer to question 4 is my best.

What advice would you give to someone designing a cache placement?
Make sure you have permission, and average you cords.

Beside geocaching, what other things do you like to do?
I am an explorer at heart, so we do a little of everything. Canoeing, climbing, hiking and we usually encounter these things while out just driving around checking things out.

Which Delaware cache site would you'd like to see featured on the web page and why?
Delaware A-1-GC229  is the oldest active cache in the state right now, can’t you tell by that short GC #? I think that warrants a feature.

Thanks, Programmer64, for sharing these answers with us.

Thanks so much for asking