Something New in the Air

 OOH! Can't wait to see what's happening on Bonner Street soon!

Looks like "Another" geocache is coming!

Happy 250th Birthday, USA! Replenishing Michigan's Game Board

 

HB250: Celebrate America’s 250th With Us!

Michigan geocachers are marking the USA’s semiquincentennial with a statewide geocache explosion—and we need hiders. Our goal is 250+ caches and events published on July 4th.

How to Participate

• Hide geocaches of any type.
• Name your geocaches starting with: HB250
• Include this paragraph in your description: “HBUSA started in 2018 with 204 geocaches published in Michigan. This year we hope to surpass 250 caches and events to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial!”
• Submit your geocache or event for review by June 15th.
• In your reviewer’s note, request publication on July 4th. Staggered publication times are encouraged—we want those email notifications popping like fireworks!
• Each published cache or event earns one entry into a drawing for three prizes. (One entry per listing; one prize per person. Adventure Labs count as 1 entry). 

Contact scrapcat via the Messaging Center with any questions.

Nothing like 3 Slices of Pi!

Ah, spring must be around the corner when a plethora of events and puzzles pop up in our Inboxes! 

Yesterday was the Welcome to HNY26 Flash Tag Event on Pi Day up in Macomb Township. TaGeez and I had planned to go, and we were even more enthusiastic once we lost power at home. A warm restaurant with food? Check!

You could tell that others were excited for the chance of spring, too, as there was quite a turnout from all directions. Donuts, coffee, and Flashtags!

A Flashtag is a new type of custom trading token offered by Pathtags.com. It shares many characteristics with the original (OG) Pathtag but features key innovations in production and design. Flashtags are 23mm round and 2mm thick, maintaining the iron core and nickel plating for magnet compatibility. [They] are printed rather than enamel like traditional pathtags.

Like OG Pathtags, Flashtags are left as signature items by some geocachers and are fully integrated with the pathtags.com website for collection management and trading. [source]

Our score from the event

We liberally gave away our new one, too!

After the event, Paldog0603, released 15 puzzles that sent us scurrying into the cold. It was a lovely day to go for a walk along the river (and earning 3 Pi Day souvenirs!). All event puzzles found that day (including a bonus one from Ramblin' Rumble) earned attendees first to finds - nice!

Team TaCat ran into GeoPanda!

My 1,000th first-to-find!

TaGeez for the find!

MrandMrsMan

Truly, the best part of the day, however, were the many, many friends that came out of hibernation. See you at the next event!

✨Final totals for the day✨

17 smilies
16 first-to-finds (one being my 1,000th!)
7 Flashtags
3 new souvenirs 

3 miles walked
1 free trackable
1 HQ Treasure Collection completed

A Different Kind of Emergency Kit

If you've been to one of gsix5666 Happy New Year's event, everyone wins a door prize. This is a popular prize for "those in the know".

But what kind of "Emergency Kit" is it? 

Have you ever been caught out in the woods for a bio-emergency and have been unprepared? Keep these kits in your caching bag. So, what is it? Yes, 5 rolls of dehydrated toilet paper - just add the included water!

And before you ask, yes, gsix does work with the scouts!

My 2025 Puzzle Resolution

I'm normally not one for resolutions, but I made a geo-resolution last year. We started to notice that more and more of the caches on our "solved-but-not-found" list were getting archived. 

Geo-resolution? To find 75% of the puzzles on our list by New Year.

How'd we fair? After removing caches that were archived during the year, we finished the year with approximately 53% found, and we're happy with that. My guess is about 200 of the remaining puzzles are part of geoarts, and we just didn't have the time during crazy last year for that kind of commitment.

⁉️

So, are we going to do it again? Yes. With 237 still unfound, we're going to shoot for finding 50% of them this year.  This may not seem like such a mean feet, but remember - like last year - we continue to add new puzzle solves throughout the year.

Phoenix or Bust! A Trackable's Adventure

You know how it is? I was sent to Phoenix for work in December, and I decided at the last minute not to carry my new trackable with me. As our Engagement Summit was in downtown, I assumed I wouldn't have access to a cache large enough for a trackable. 

WOW! I was wrong! I Waymo'd to a fabulous cache in the Phoenix suburb called the Bookworm's Haven. My adventure was my favorite part of my trip!

Now I've decided this trackable needs to visit, too!

Sending this out with the mission to visit Bookworm's Haven (GCAANNB) in Phoenix, AZ. 

After I meet its mission, I hope it continues to travel to other libraries, too. 

 

It wouldn't be New Year's Day without a geocaching breakfast at Hope Lutheran Church.  About 100 Cachers (some coming as far as Hamilton, Ontario) converge for food, chatter, and door prizes!

HNY26-17th Annual Geocaching Breakfast Event

Bobo's Dad, Bobo, TaGeez and Scrapcat

Then 11:00 AM strikes, and it's time to geocache! 433 geocaches hidden by 17 Cachers from Commerce Township to Harsen's Island - Romeo to Detroit. Traditionals, Mysteries, Wherigos, Multis and Letterboxes. 

It was cold (19°) but glorious to be out! TaGeez & I did a great job picking our area to cache - we scored 34 FTFs out of 37 finds! SO many animal tracks and quiet roads. We love caching BWY Gand and Ramblin Rumble caches.

We jokingly called this picture 'Scrapcat finally climbs a tree!'

Last year was such a hard year so I'm taking this a sign of a good start to a fresh year. Looking forward to many more caches, more souvenirs, and more time outside. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!