JenniferQp

 

 

Our Featured Geocacher this month is jenniferQp, aka Jennifer Price who describes herself as Techie, Mom, Nature Lover.  Her family includes husband Barry, children, Megan (16), Ethan (10), and Sydney (8) plus two dogs.   Jennifer’s job as Senior Director of Clinical Solutions for Phoenix Data Systems involves technical work, traveling about twice per month and lots of teleconferences from her home office. She has a fairly flexible schedule including 4am calls to Europe and the 7pm calls to the west coast, and hopefully plenty of time for Geocaching.

 

 

How did you become involved with geocaching - and how long have you been doing it?

A friend of mine told me about Geocaching and Letterboxing in 2005.  I checked out both web sites, and since I didn’t have a GPS, I started Letterboxing.  I enjoyed it very much, but there are not very many letterboxes out there, so I re-visited Geocaching.  In 2006 I tried to find two caches without a GPS with no success.  In 2007 I ended up getting a very low end Garmin GPS 60 and started caching.  My first cache was a disaster!  I really had no idea what to look for. I was looking for something similar to a letterbox.  The cache ended up being a magnetic hide-a-key on a guard rail, but I didn’t know that at the time.  My first official find is Mr. Jesse’s Pony Shed in March of 2007.  I think I only found it because it was BIG. 

How did you get your caching name?
The first time I looked at Geocaching.com, I signed up for a user account.  At the time I didn’t realize that this would be my Geocaching ‘name’ forever, so I used my first name, followed by my favorite star trek character: Q.  That was taken, so I added the first letter of my last name.  Once I realized that I would be stuck with this name, I looked into changing it and realized you couldn’t.  Now, Geocaching.com allows name changes, but I haven’t thought of something really good to use, so I have kept the original login ID.

 

How many caches have you found so far?

I’m getting close to 700.  I did the first couple hundred really quickly, then fell into a bit of a slump, but have picked up the pace again recently.  In May 2007, I decided to do a ‘cache a day’ for as long as I could.  I kept that up for 40 days and it really boosted my numbers and was pretty challenging.

 

(That’s an interesting location)

 

Have you cached in 21 states. How did that come about?  Tell us a bit about your adventures in these states.  

I really enjoy traveling and seeing new places, and Geocaching is a really fun way to see some areas off the beaten path.  There are different types of caches in different regions; In Colorado, there were several caches hidden in drainage ditches filled with huge rocks.  In California there is a great series called the El Camino Real that follow this trail of bells stretched 700 miles from San Diego to Sonoma.  A terrain of ‘2’ is much harder out west than it is here.  In Florida there are a lot of fake sprinkler system caches.  There are several small caches along Miracle Mile and the Navy Pier in Chicago.  The virtual caches in Las Vegas were really fun as were the micros along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.  I stopped and tried out the GPS Adventure Maze in Connecticut on the way home from a conference in Boston.

 

Sometimes I travel alone, or I travel with one of three co-workers.  Two of them now will ask to find a cache if we have a period of downtime which I think is awesome!  I always try to scope out a cache, ideally a TB hotel near the airport that we are flying out of in case we have some extra time.  The problem now is that I have found all the regular size caches close to all the airports that I go to on a regular basis.

I really enjoy moving Travel Bugs and coins thousands of miles, and taking pictures of them along the way.  If I bring a bug to Delaware, I try to get a picture of the bug in front of the ‘Welcome to Delaware’ sign on Elkton Road. 

 

 

Which type of cache do you prefer seeking - traditional, multi, puzzle or virtual?

It really depends on my mood.  I love a nice walk to find an ammo can.  I like Multi’s as long as each stage is interesting. I enjoy history and geology, so the virtuals and earthcaches are interesting and rewarding in a different way.  Lately I’ve really been enjoying the puzzles.  I don’t like urban caches that require a lot of stealth. 

I really like themed caches such as Pirate type caches, DEspirate Housewife and the Bill Bob series of caches.

(Picture of jenniferQp as pirate)

 

 

Which find was the most challenging?

It took me a few tries to figure out how to project a waypoint, or read a bearing on the compass, but thanks for Horn and Rehobch, these come easy to me now.

I have trouble with some of the Dam Trolls caches, it took me several tries to get Running in the Hall (GC1799M) mostly because I read way too much into the cache description.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Cache (GC17DMA) was a tough one to find and I wouldn’t have found it if Thermopunk wasn’t there to help on my third attempt in the rain.

 

 

Runfrog’s caches have always been a challenge for me, but usually are really fun.  The last few I did with GregWein and really enjoyed sharing the pain that is usually involved with Runfrog’s multis.

My favorite challenges have been the Delaware Geocaching Hundreds event and DelaQuest.  Planning out a path and going for these caches all over the state has been a wonderful experience.  When visiting caches that are related to these types of events, I am more likely to run into other cacher which is always fun.

 

(jenniferQp gets Colonial Hundreds cache)

Tell us about your favorite caches?

My all time favorite has to be Worlds Largest Bison Tube FOUO (GCV6VX)

The Great Easter Egg Hunt (GCN427 & GCN428) – This was on a big hill that was very dry and didn’t have a lot of vegetation.  The eggs were hidden in a real creative way.

The Bridge over Middle Run (GCT416) – It took me three tries to get this one, and I would never have gotten it without MikeOtt giving me hints that got more and more progressive until he pretty much had to tell me where it was.  I stubbornly believed I knew where it was and boy was I wrong!  I really enjoy this type of clever find.

 

Tumbledown Dick Mountain (GCG5YT) has to be the most special cache for me since it is placed near my family’s camp in New Hampshire.  My grandfather built a hunting cabin on a lake here, which evolved into their full time residence when they retired and I have been coming here and climbing this mountain my entire life.  Finding a cache and being able to mark a find in this special place made this truly wonderful.

(picture of New Hampshire caching area)

How involved is your family in geocaching?  (and if they are, especially your children, tells us about them

I have now learned that kids like certain kinds of caches – a short walk, a big can or a task to complete.  My kids don’t like micros or urban caches because they don’t have the attention span for them.

Harthausen, Delawhere and CodyHollyFarm have all put out some great kids caches (do you see the theme here?) such as the night caches: Star of Wonder, Star of Night and Night Creatures, and the themed caches: Here Kitty, Kitty, You get a line, I’ll get a pole, Nicht Echt, Crikey!  The kids all-time favorite cache is ‘One of these things’.

 

The kids enjoy the ammo cans with swag.  They also enjoy earthcaches:

 

(With her family getting an Earth cache)

 

 

 

 

(Kids hoppin’ on cement hippity hoppin’ stones)

 

 

Have you had any memorable experiences while seeking a cache?

 I was caching in Carousel Park with the kids and the dogs and we were pretty much cached out.  The last cache of the day was to be ‘Just Degrees or Down to Seconds’, a puzzle by MikeOtt.  I thought I had figured out the answer and everyone knows MikeOtt hides big ammo cans in the woods so I thought it would be an easy find.  My GPS didn’t bring me to an area that would hide a big ammo can, so I thought I had figured the puzzle wrong and started to leave.   We were on the way to the car, and my phone rang.  It was Runfrog and he said 'are you at Just Degrees or Down to Seconds? (GC16Y21)', why yes, I answered, we are. He was driving by and saw me, the kids and the dogs.  He reassured me that my coordinates were correct and gave me a hint. I said, 'MikeOtt would never hide a cache there!!!', but alas, I was pleasantly surprised to find it right where my GPS said it would be.

 

(Carousel Park is a great place for caching with kids and dogs)

 

What advice would you give to a beginning geocacher?
Look at the terrain and difficulty.  If the terrain is less than 2, you shouldn’t be bushwhacking.  If the terrain is 1, it is wheelchair accessible, so no need to venture off the paved trail. 
Mark your CAR using your GPS!  This makes getting back much easier. 
Don’t be afraid to log a DNF or email a cache owner.  Cache owners want their caches to be found and are very willing to help you.

 

How do you decide when its time to bushwhack or to stay on the trail?  Any stories on when you seem to have made the wrong choice?

I don’t mind bushwacking, but I like to know ahead of time if it may be required.  If so, I’ll be prepared with long pants and some clippers.  I tend to stay on the path as long as possible – as the distance starts getting close, I watch for a geotrail, and when the numbers start increasing indicating that I’ve passed the cache site, I will walk another hundred feet or so looking for a clear path before bushwacking.

 

(jenniferQp finds a cache)

 

How many caches have you placed? How did you get started or come up with the ideas?

I have seven approved caches.  My first cache is my favorite ‘Lego my Blazin’ Cache’.  It combined Lego’s with a puzzle and was on the Mason-Dixon trail in my neighborhood.  I really enjoyed putting together this cache, then reading the logs as it was found.  It was muggled once, then some pieces went missing so I archived it.  I figured most cachers have found it so I would give up the land to another cacher. 

I really liked my Hippity Hoppity cache where you had to find the eggs in order to get the coordinates to the final cache.  Unfortunately I put the final cache in a Spider colony, so some cachers had more of an adventure then they wanted.  Easter Egg hunts are very much like Geocaching, and I’ve always loved Easter Egg hunts!

I have enjoyed placing caches, but I like to have a twist – something that makes the cache worthwhile.  I also appreciate a good log detailing the adventure of finding the cache, and I try to always give good logs for good caches.

 

You were involved in organizing an event.  Tell us about that.

I co-hosted the World Wide Flash Mob - WWFM III (GC1AXA1) with Runfrog.  I enjoy listening to podcasts, especially ones about Geocaching.  I listen to a bunch of them, the Granite State Podcache, Cache-A-Manicas, Cachers of the Round Table, Geotalk, Maine Podcache, Icenrye’s Video podcast, SLAGA podcache are some.  My favorite is the Podcacher podcast.  I really enjoy their show and call in and contribute when I can. When they were looking for hosts for the WWFM, I signed right up.  It was a great experience, and a nice short (15 minute) first event for me to host.  Flash Mobs in general are really fun, check out some on improveverywhere.com.

(with Runfrog)

 

What advice would you give to someone designing a cache placement?

Find more than 100 caches before placing your first cache.  Make the cache placement meaningful – it is a clever hide, a good cammo, a nice place or a fun puzzle?  Think of a good hint that will really help me find the cache if I’m stuck.  A pet peeve of mine is hints that say things like ‘No Hint’ or ‘Keep Looking, you’ll find it’.  If a cacher wants to make a cache hard, raise the difficulty and leave the hint blank.  If there is a hint, it should be meaningful, the best kind don’t mean anything until you are at the cache site

 

What's your best caching story - the one you tell others to let them know the kind of fun and adventures one can have while geocaching?

I was in a meeting in Kansas City which meant I wanted to add both Kansas and Missouri to my state map.  I had come directly from a conference in Las Vegas and I didn’t have any time to scope out the area and find caches.  I had about 3 hours to cache after my meeting, so I looked for the closest ‘Regular’ cache to my location.  It was called Missouri’s First - Watts Mill (GC37) and it was Missouri’s oldest geocache!  I was so excited!  It was off of a paved walking path alongside a river.  I looked and looked and looked for the cache and was determined not to give up until I found it.  I left my iphone in the car, so I went back to the car to get it and re-read the logs. There were several DNF logs, but there was a find the day before.  Many of the logs said it was a tricky cache.  The cache description said it was hidden ‘the usual way’.  After looking for over 30 minutes, it dawned on me that ‘the usual way’ in 2000 when this cache was placed was not necessarily ‘the usual way’ caches were hidden today.  After this revelation, I found it easily in a hole covered with pine needles.  It was a very satisfying find and it is still the oldest cache I have ever found.

 

What are you current caching goals?

I want to hit 1000 before the end of the year.  I would like to attend a MegaEvent to get that Icon. My two closest unfound states are Vermont and West Virginia – I plan on getting Vermont Thanksgiving week, but need to find an excuse to get to West Virginia!

Beside geocaching, what other things do you like to do?

I coach a FIRST Lego League team that competes with a Lego Mindstorm Robot.  I really enjoy watching the kids learn programming and coaching them to solve the challenges that are involved as part of the competition. I am a lifetime girl scout and have been involved with a girl scout troop and council in one way or another for the past 11 years. 

 

Which Delaware cache site would you like to see featured on the web page and why?

I really liked the DE-sperate Housewives series.  These are easy caches hidden in really clever contains or hidden in a clever spot.  I also like that many different cachers all over the state contributed to this series – it is a really fun group collaboration.

 

You have 36 Travel Bugs and/or Geocoins, do you have any stories to tell about these?

It amazes me the distances they can travel.  I currently have one in Germany and one in Australia, one went to the UK and back, one went to Hawaii and back.  I’ve lost only two, the rest are still moving around out there.

It also is amazing to me that occasionally I will recognize the name of a cacher who picks up one of my TB’s.  It might be someone I’ve heard on a podcast or a local cacher on vacation who picks up.

I placed Grey Kitty TB in a cache when we were on vacation in Virginia Beach and made its goal to come home.  It made it home in seven caches in nine months. I brought it to Bar Harbor, Maine a few weeks ago, and it is in New Hampshire now.

 

Do you have any signature items?

I have a pathtag which incorporates many of my favorite things – the beach, my hometown of Newark and a flamingo.  I like flamingos because in the Sims computer games, a flamingo adds a big environment and makes the sims happy whenever they are near one.

 

What do you enjoy most about Geocaching?

Three things:

1. The challenges!  I started caching in the middle of the Delaware Hundreds event, and really enjoyed trying to get as many of these historic caches as I could.

2. The solitude. I enjoy a nice walk through the woods with only the animals and trees.

3. The people!  Every cache owner I’ve ever contacted for a hint has been very helpful and supportive.  I emailed the Dam Trolls for a hint and within minutes my phone rang providing help.  Rehobch has been great with providing subtle hints to get on the right path to figuring out his puzzles.  Runfrog is always willing to give guidance and is the only cacher I’ve seen that has his phone number on a cache page.  Horn is quick to provide an email as is every other cacher I’ve contacted.  I have sent text messages to MikeOtt and received immediate replies.  

I believe that cache hiders want their cache found and enjoy being in on the adventure.

 

 What do you like about caching in Delaware?

I would have to say the people involved. One of my first contacts with a Delaware cacher was after my first cache find, I got an email from the CO (MikeOtt) welcoming me to the sport with his contact information.   I called him that night and learned a lot about caching that day.  My second contact was after I logged a DNF at a SBUX cache by Horn.  He emailed me and explained the mystery of lamp post caches.  I never knew!  I have greatly enjoyed meeting other cachers at events and on the trail. 

 

How do you prepare for a day of caching?

I setup a pocket query in Geocaching.com and load the results in GSAK, then transfer it to my GPS.  I have it setup so my GPS will show me the Geocaching ID, the cache type, terrain and difficulty plus the first 20 characters or so of the hint.  With all of this info in my GPS for 500 caches, I am already ready to go.

Usually I plan an area where I want to cache, and prior to going out, I usually print the google map showing all the caches on my to-do list from the Geocaching.com website.  Since I have web access from my iPhone, I can lookup the cache description and logs in the field.

My low-end GPS 60 is not capable of using maps, so I can never tell which side of the stream a cache is on, or what road to take.  I really love technology, but I am resisting getting a fancier GPS because I like the thrill of the hunt – If the GPS takes me right to the cache, what fun is that?