Cache #319 - Turtle Ridge Cache

Name/URL: Turtle Ridge Cache

Coordinates: N 39° 07.628 W 077° 31.836

City: Leesburg, VA

Date: 12/27/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Brian, Christy

Notes: #4 of 5 on nice hike near Balls Bluff while kids were in Virginia Beach.  Up on a steep hill.  Christy found a cool stick shaped like a sword.

Cache #318 - Trilogy – Reflection #1 – “The Beginning”

Name/URL: Trilogy – Reflection #1 – “The Beginning”

Coordinates: N 39° 07.535 W 077° 31.667

City: Leesburg, VA

Date: 12/27/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Brian, Christy

Notes: #3 of 5 on nice hike near Balls Bluff while kids were in Virginia Beach.  2nd of 3 part multi.

Cache #317 - Leesburg Woods Edge

Name/URL: Leesburg Woods Edge

Coordinates: N 39° 07.577 W 077° 31.480

City: Leesburg, VA

Date: 12/27/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Brian, Christy

Notes: #2 of 5 on nice hike near Balls Bluff while kids were in Virginia Beach

Cache #316 - Trilogy – Reflection #2 – “The Stand”

Name/URL: Trilogy – Reflection #2 – “The Stand”

Coordinates: N 39° 07.463 W 077° 31.460

City: Leesburg, VA

Date: 12/27/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Brian, Christy

Notes: #1 of 5 on nice hike near Balls Bluff while kids were in Virginia Beach.  1st of 3 part multi.

Cache #315 - Geologicache

Name/URL: Geologicache

Coordinates: N 38° 53.572 W 077° 16.041

City: Vienna, VA

Date: 12/18/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Jay

Notes: Easy find in a small Vienna park on way back from lunch.

Cache #314 - Beware of the Troll

Name/URL: Beware of the Troll

Coordinates: N 36° 48.228 W 076° 12.804

City: Virginia Beach, VA

Date: 11/28/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Christy, Pete, Sam

Notes: Continuing our annual tradition of a family Thanksgiving hike, we walked from Mom's old house to her old school, played at the playground for a while, then visited this cache. Contents were a little wet, but not too bad. We will come back here on our next visit and add some toys.

Cache #313 - Down Under

Name/URL: Down Under

Coordinates: N 37° 36.982 W 077° 25.782

City: Richmond, VA

Date: 11/26/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Christy, Pete, Sam

Notes: Stopped here en route from Northern Virginia to Virginia Beach. Had a nice family walk and stretch break. We were almost ready to give up, then gave it one more try on the way out, and found it.

Cache #312 - Kraftwerk

Name/URL: Kraftwerk

Coordinates: N 53° 37.395 E 010° 01.693

City: Ohlsdorf, Germany

Date: 11/22/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None

Notes: Stopped by this cache on a nice walk from Ohlsdorf to the airport. Other than a few heavy bags, it was a pleasant morning.

Cache #311 - Real

Name/URL: Real

Coordinates: N 53° 33.357 E 009° 57.911

City: Hamburg, Germany

Date: 11/20/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None

Notes: Stopped here in the evening on long walk home from Repperbahn visit with Nick and Bob.  Real is the name of a grocery store.  This was a nut/bolt construction cache.

Cache #310 - Logenplatz

Name/URL: Logenplatz

Coordinates: N 53° 34.177 E 009° 54.145

City: Hamburg, Germany

Date: 11/20/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None

Notes: Walked here during lunch break of teaching a training class.

Cache #309 - Planten un Blomen: Rosengarten

Name/URL: Planten un Blomen: Rosengarten

Coordinates: N 53° 33.784 E 009° 59.011

City: Hamburg, Germany

Date: 11/16/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None

Notes: Our first cache outside of the United States. We had quite a day, walked about 5 miles and got drenched while visiting much of Hamburg.  Had to wait out some muggles in this botanical garden.

Cache #308 - WWFM?

Name/URL: WWFM?

Coordinates: N 38° 53.620 W 077° 25.750

City: Chantilly, VA

Date: 11/8/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None

Notes: Our second flash mob cache, near the KFC in Chantilly.  Gave Canadian coin to Kanukgirl.

Cache #307 - Skirt

Name/URL: Skirt

Coordinates: N 38° 54.341 W 077° 15.549

City: Vienna, VA

Date: 11/5/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Jay

Notes: Near Popeye's.  Found during lunch break.

Cache #306 - The Food of Love

Name/URL: The Food of Love

Coordinates: N 38° 54.250 W 077° 15.675

City: Vienna, VA

Date: 10/23/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Jay

Notes: Near Chipotle.  Found during lunch break.

Cache #305 - FTF#12 - Shockingly Fibonacci

Name/URL: Shockingly Fibonacci

Coordinates: N 38° 45.500 W 077° 16.400

City: Burke, VA

Date: 9/9/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Jay

Notes: Tough puzzle cache solved with Jay.

Cache #304 - Rutro - Kid's Cache

Name/URL: Rutro - Kid's Cache

Coordinates: N 39° 01.856 W 077° 30.880

City: Ashburn, VA

Date: 8/30/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Sam

Notes: Near Clyde's.  Went with sam, he stayed on the path.  Got about 30 chiggers.

Cache #303 - FTF#11 - 42

Name/URL: 42

Coordinates: N 38° 52.542 W 077° 15.342

City: Merrifield, VA

Date: 8/26/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None

Notes: Easy puzzle, similar to CHE.  Found letterbox right near cache, in Hideaway Park (near Choza).

Cache #302 - Return Of Crikey's Bait

Name/URL: Return Of Crikey's Bait

Coordinates: N 36° 54.934 W 076° 01.695

City: Virginia Beach, VA

Date: 8/7/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Christy

Notes: #3 of 3 on a nice date in First Landing State Park

Cache #301 - A View From The Top

Name/URL: A View From The Top

Coordinates: N 36° 55.130 W 076° 02.539

City: Virginia Beach, VA

Date: 8/7/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Christy

Notes: #2 of 3 on a nice date in First Landing State Park

Cache #300 - Mother Natures Movie

Name/URL: Mother Natures Movie

Coordinates: N 36° 54.833 W 076° 02.558

City: Virginia Beach, VA

Date: 8/7/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Christy

Notes: Milestone #300 and #1 of 3 on a nice date in First Landing State Park.  This was a nice quiet location with a bench at the top of a hill.

Cache #299 - Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

Name/URL: Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

Coordinates: N 36° 48.699 W 076° 11.650

City: Virginia Beach, VA

Date: 8/4/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None; Pete was at the skate park, Sam at the playground

Notes: Not sure why I didn't look down low the first time

Cache #298 - K'ville Quarter Cache

Name/URL: K'ville Quarter Cache

Coordinates: N 36° 48.950 W 076° 09.717

City: Virginia Beach, VA

Date: 8/4/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Mom, Pete, Sam

Notes: Near the library

Cache #297 - Be the Gynecologist-Sugar and Spice

Name/URL: Be the Gynecologist-Sugar and Spice
Coordinates:
City: Clifton, VA
Date: 7/22/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Virginia Vipers
Notes: Found (while drenched) on return hike from FTF on Lend Me Your Ears

Cache #296 - FTF #10 - Lend Me Your Ears

Name/URL: Lend Me Your Ears
Coordinates:
City: Clifton, VA
Date: 7/22/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Virginia Vipers
Notes: Pretty easy puzzle, if ignore hints. Hike resulted in drenching from thunderstorm.

Cache #295 - In The Neighborhood

Name/URL: In The Neighborhood
Coordinates:
City: Chambersburg, PA
Date: 7/19/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Found after dinner at this same place on PA golf trip.

Cache #294 - Sun Burned Shrimp

Name/URL: Sun Burned Shrimp
Coordinates:
City: Chambersburg, VA
Date: 7/19/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Found after dinner at Applebee's on PA golf trip

Cache #293 - Here And Gone Hotel

Name/URL: Here And Gone Hotel
Coordinates:
City: Chanbersburg, PA
Date: 7/19/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Dropped off on way back from Penn National during golf trip

Cache #292 - Ox Road Travel Bug Hotel

Name/URL: Ox Road Travel Bug Hotel
Coordinates:
City: Fairfax, VA
Date: 6/3/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Virginia Vipers
Notes:

Cache #291 - K. Corder Cache

Name/URL: K. Corder Cache
Coordinates:
City: Leesburg, VA
Date: 6/1/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Brian
Notes: Second cache in Red Rock Wilderness Park

Cache #290 - Red Rock Wilderness Overlook

Name/URL: Red Rock Wilderness Overlook
Coordinates:
City: Leesburg, VA
Date: 6/1/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Mom, Pete, Sam
Notes: Found once before with Brian, then with all on Father's Day.

Cache #289 - W&OD PARK AND RIDE

Name/URL: W&OD PARK AND RIDE
Coordinates:
City: Dulles, VA
Date: 5/24/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Pete
Notes: Called owner to confirm type of tree

Cache #288 - FTF #9 - Holy Days

Name/URL: Holy Days
Coordinates:
City: Dulles, VA
Date: 5/13/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Virginia Vipers
Notes: FTF. VV did most of the puzzle.

Cache #285 - FTF #8 - The Beavers Want to Play Too !!!

Name/URL: The Beavers Want to Play Too !!!
Coordinates:
City:
Date: 5/10/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Heard that this was still unfound toward the end of the event at Algonkian Park. Found a new trail near Horsepen Run and got FTF (despite coordinates being off) on way home. About 2 mile hike.

Cache #284 - Algonkian Jewel

Name/URL: Algonkian Jewel
Coordinates:
City: Sterling, VA
Date: 5/10/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Banshee Reeks
Notes:

Cache #283 - Just One More...

Name/URL: Just One More...
Coordinates:
City: Sterling, VA
Date: 5/10/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Banshee Reeks
Notes: Easy find

Cache #282 - Dragonfly Project

Name/URL: Dragonfly Project
Coordinates:
City: Sterling, VA
Date: 5/10/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Banshee Reeks
Notes: Banshee helped with the projection

Cache #281 - Spring Bingo

Name/URL: Spring Bingo
Coordinates:
City: Sterling, VA
Date: 5/10/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Banshee Reeks
Notes: Learned a lot about fellow cachers to get coordinates for this one

Cache #280 - NoVAGO Spring Fling - Redux

Name/URL: NoVAGO Spring Fling - Redux
Coordinates:
City: Sterling, VA
Date: 5/10/08
Result: Success
Joined By: NoVaGO
Notes: Pete's baseball game was cancelled, so we could attend. Found some soggy caches, and lost the raffle spectacularly.

Cache #287 - CJG - Kids Cache

Name/URL: CJG - Kids Cache
Coordinates: N 39° 03.641 W 077° 30.637
City: Ashburn, VA
Date: 5/4/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Mom, Pete, Sam
Notes: Lots of ticks, poison ivy, and caterpillars. Hiked down wrong path at first. Very close to home of Pete's first soccer coach.

Cache #286 - Going, Going, Gone!!!

Name/URL: Going, Going, Gone!!!
Coordinates:
City: Burke, VA
Date: 4/23/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Virginia Vipers
Notes: Easy puzzle

Cache #279 - FTF #7 - Ready For Caching?

Name/URL: Ready For Caching?
Coordinates:
City: Ashburn, VA
Date: 4/21/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Golf course closed due to the storm. Had to cross the raging stream in work clothes.

Cache #278 - Sabermetrics - The Changeup

Name/URL: Sabermetrics - The Changeup
Coordinates:
City: Ashburn, VA
Date: 4/14/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Grabbed stealthily during Pete's baseball game

Cache #277 - Crazy Crime Coach

Name/URL: Crazy Crime Coach
Coordinates:
City: Fair Lakes, VA
Date: 4/9/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Virginia Vipers
Notes: Not an enjoyable puzzle

Cache #276 - Cain's Branch Overlook

Name/URL: Cain's Branch Overlook
Coordinates:
City: Chantilly, VA
Date: 4/4/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Tricky hike, with daring crossing on return trip

Cache #275 - The Space Transportation System

Name/URL: The Space Transportation System
Coordinates:
City: Chantilly, VA
Date: 4/4/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: A little soggy

Cache #274 - The Bunny Man Cometh

Name/URL: The Bunny Man Cometh
Coordinates:
City: Clifton, VA
Date: 4/2/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Virginia Vipers, Kristin
Notes: Checked out the scariest place in Virginia (during lunchtime). Kristin's first cache.

Cache #273 - C'side Trog C

Name/URL: C'side Trog C
Coordinates:
City: Sterling, VA
Date: 3/29/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Pete, Christopher, Kyle
Notes: Grabbed this after Cub Scout hike. Have been in this parking lot several times before.

Cache #272 - Alluring Location

Name/URL: Alluring Location
Coordinates:
City: Chantilly, VA
Date: 3/28/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Mom, Sam
Notes: Had to wait out several muggles

Cache #271 - future office park

Name/URL: future office park
Coordinates:
City: Chantilly, VA
Date: 3/28/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Mom, Sam
Notes: Fun lunch outing after quick stop at new Arby's

Cache #270 - Ovt Oyhr Pbzzhavpngbe

Name/URL: Ovt Oyhr Pbzzhavpngbe
Coordinates:
City: Sterling, VA
Date: 3/23/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Took 2-3 visits

Cache #269 - Drama Queen

Name/URL: Drama Queen

Coordinates:

City: Great Falls, VA

Date: 3/23/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Brian, Patti

Notes: Easy puzzle

Cache #268 - Turkey Trot

Name/URL: Turkey Trot
Coordinates:
City: Great Falls, VA
Date: 3/23/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Brian, Patti
Notes:

Cache #267 - The King of Carrot Flowers

Name/URL: The King of Carrot Flowers

Coordinates:

City: Great Falls, VA

Date: 3/23/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Brian, Patti

Notes:

Cache #266 - Cache A Cold #1

Name/URL: Cache A Cold #1

Coordinates:

City: Chantilly, VA

Date: 3/20/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None

Notes:

Cache #265 - Crypto Parko

Name/URL: Crypto Parko
Coordinates:
City: Fairfax, VA
Date: 3/18/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: : Success
Joined By: None
Notes: 2TF

Cache #264 - Cache Aid

Name/URL: Cache Aid
Coordinates: N 38° 54.892 W 077° 21.385
City: Reston, VA
Date: March 14, 2008
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Took: Nothing
Left: Nothing
Log: Signed
Notes: Third find (of 4 caches) in this little park.

I came up with a cool idea for caches with longer hikes. I can paste to this blog an image of Google pedometer that shows the path and distance covered. Here is what it looks like for this cache:

Cache #263 - Marathon Training Ground #1

Name/URL: Marathon Training Ground #1

Coordinates:

City: Fairfax, VA

Date: 3/11/08

Result: Success

Joined By: Virginia Vipers

Notes: On the way to get Liver Hell

Cache #262 - Bergen's Find

Name/URL: Bergen's Find

Coordinates:

City: Sterling, VA

Date: 3/9/08

Result: Success

Joined By: None

Notes: Scouting this location for upcoming Cub Scouts hike (which is in photo)

Karma - Getting Closer

Geocaching Karma is a calculation of how much you have contributed to the sport of Geocaching vs. how much you have taken.

It is a simple calculation equal to (total number of finds on caches you have placed) / (total number of caches you have found). Of course, you do not want to obsess too much about Geo-Karma, since it rewards placing very easy caches and does not adequately reward good puzzle caches (which we also enjoy placing).

Our Karma is currently up to .73 (191 / 261). I project that it should be over the coveted 1.0 threshold by the end of the summer.

Cache #260 - Strange seeing that there...

Name/URL: Strange seeing that there...
Coordinates:
City: Merrifield, VA
Date: 2/29/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Coordinates not too good. Found on second visit.

Cache #259 - zero in

Name/URL: zero in
Coordinates:
City: Montgomery, AL
Date: 2/24/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes:

Cache #258 - Karate Chop

Name/URL: Karate Chop
Coordinates:
City: Montgomery, AL
Date: 2/24/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Found during golf trip

Cache #257 - Wally & Company

Name/URL: Wally & Company
Coordinates:
City: Montgomery, AL
Date: 2/24/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Found on Alabama golf trip

Cache #256 - Cooters Bluff Overlook #2

Name/URL: Cooters Bluff Overlook #2
Coordinates:
City: Date: 2/24/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Found in nice park during Montgomery, Alabama golf trip. Photo of MLK church from trip, but unrelated to cache.

Cache #255 - Scurry Along

Name/URL: Scurry Along
Coordinates:
City: Opelika, AL
Date: 2/23/08
Result: Success
Joined By: None
Notes: Now archived

Cache #261 - W&OD Smith's Switch TravelBug Train Station

Name/URL: W&OD Smith's Switch TravelBug Train Station
Coordinates:
City: Ashburn, VA
Date: 2/18/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Mom, Pete, Sam
Notes: Took brief hike down trail after finding

Cache #254 - CJG - A Cool, Refreshing Cache

Name/URL: CJG - A Cool, Refreshing Cache
Coordinates:
City: Ashburn, VA
Date: 2/18/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Mom, Pete, Sam
Notes: Stage 2 is ridiculous. Went back to previous idea of solving with math, and not going to first 2 stages.

Cache #253 - Les Nains Sont Partout

Name/URL: Les Nains Sont Partout
Coordinates:
City: Ashburn, VA
Date: 2/3/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Mom, Pete, Sam, Brandon
Notes: Decided to solve this after presentation by owner about puzzle caches at meeting in Ashburn Library. Brandon came with us for his first cache.

Cache #252 - Upside Down in a Briar Patch

Name/URL: Upside Down in a Briar Patch
Coordinates:
City: Sterling, VA
Date: 2/2/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Jeffnerner
Notes: This was the new Baja Clan cache published during the meeting at the library. Headed over after the meeting and was in group that was first to find.

Cache #251 - NoVAGO Meet & Greet and Cryptophobia Support Group

Name/URL: NoVAGO Meet & Greet and Cryptophobia Support Group
Coordinates:
City: Ashburn, VA
Date: 2/2/08
Result: Success
Joined By: NoVaGO
Notes: Ashburn Library. Went afterward to new puzzle cache that I solved during the meeting.

Cache #250 - Do you feel stupid yet?

Name/URL: Do you feel stupid yet?
Coordinates:
City: Washington, D.C.
Date: 1/13/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Brian
Notes: Found after Flyers / Caps game

Cache #249 - The Actor Really Did Break A Leg

Name/URL: The Actor Really Did Break A Leg
Coordinates:
City: Washington D.C.
Date: 1/13/08
Result: Success
Joined By: Brian
Notes: Found before Flyers / Caps game