Seek & Find Magazine by Natalie Bombatch

seek&f ind winter 2011

for pennsylvania geocachers

CENTRAL PA

CACHE MASTER

MARTY POPOLA

MAKE YOUR OWN CACHE WINTER 2011 $3.99

SEEKFIND.COM

Must Have Caching Supplies

TICKS: MYTH OR FACT QUIZ

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Winter caching.

Bring it.

THERE’S ONLY ONE

contents Editor’s Note

Readers Speak

cache events Fall Events

Winter Events

feature Cache Master

Photo courtesy of Marty Popola

cool caches Make Your Own Water Main Geocache

Cool Containers

swag 21 Must-Have Caching Supplies “The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.” -Unknown “Cache Master” | 18

safety Ticks: Myth or Fact? 10-10-10: Record Breaking Day

27 27

Geo-speak for Newbies

Crossword Puzzle

Find the hidden geocache! Three lucky winners who find the cache hidden within the pages will be chosen to recieve a special Seek & Find geocoin. Submit your answers on our Facebook page facebook.com/seekfindmag and enter to win!

winter 2011 | seekfind.com

PathTags PATHTAGS are custom metal swag the size of a U.S. Quarter. They make great â&#x20AC;&#x153;signature itemsâ&#x20AC;? to leave in caches or trade by mail with others all over the world. With thousands of designs to collect, unlimited enamel colors, a myriad of customization options and a slew of interactive online features PathTags offer something for everyone.

For more information or to order your own custom PathTags visit:

Whose path have you crossed? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy and affordable to get started! Design your own tag or get professional help from a Design Partner. Your Starter Kit includes the initial setup and your first 50 tags for just $99 + S/H and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only about $1 a tag after that.

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seek&f ind EDITOR Natalie Bombatch WRITERS Phillip Glover, Andrew T. Smith, Jennifer Wolfe PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Glover CONTRIBUTORS Jim Bombatch, Chelsey Krisay, Aaron Evelan, Natalie Speece ADVERTISING Susan Bombatch OPERATIONS MANAGER Christine Weik PRINTING Graphtech DISTRIBUTION Harrisburg News Company PUBLISHER Three Cousins Publishing ADDRESS PO Box 782 Shippensburg, PA 17257 TELEPHONE 717.532.0123 FAX 717.532.0124 ADVERTISING EMAIL advertising@seekfindmag.com GENERAL EMAIL info@seekfindmag.com Seek & Find magazine is copyright. The contents of this magazine including stories, photographs and artwork are strictly not to be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher, Three Cousins Publishing. The advertisers and suppliers of editorial information and photographs warrant that any material published in Seek & Find is in no way an infringement of the copyright or other such acts, is not unlawful, defamatory, or libelous or does not infringe the Trade Practices Act or other regulations, laws, or statutes. Advertisers and suppliers agree to indemnify Three Cousins Publishers of any claims, damages, or costs including legal expenses, penalties, or judgement occasioned to the publisher in consequence of any breach of the above warranties.

editor’s note I’m so excited to print the very first issue of Seek & Find, a magazine for Pennsylvania geocachers. I designed a regional magazine so that the caches featured will be relatively easy to grab with only a few hours of travel. With a national or international magazine, it’s not as likely that someone from Pennsylvania will jump over to Colorado, Mexico, or even England to grab a cache. Not to say that it isn’t fun to hear about caches from different areas, but that’s already taken care of with other publications. It’s my job to help you learn about what’s happening in our beautiful state. In this issue you will find an exciting feature article about a local geocacher from Cumberland County who has found more than 4,200 caches in nine years. He tells of his favorite containers, Pennsylvania finds, and a few out of state hides that took him to beautiful areas. I plan to feature a local cacher every quarter, so send your suggestions and you could be next! While you’re flipping through the pages, check out statewide events and photos of cachers from previous events. Learn to make your own water main cache container and see what other unique cache containers readers have encountered in Pennsylvania. Don’t forget to take the quiz about ticks to learn the facts versus the myths. Most importantly, I’d like to hear from you about what you’re doing in the caching world. What neat containers have you found? What are you favorite locations in Pennsylvania? In what local group events have you participated? Do you have a story you’d like to share? This magazine wouldn’t exist without you, so please send your stories and photos to info@seekfindmag.com to be included in future issues of Seek & Find magazine! Keep on caching,

Natalie Bombatch (natalie9184)

winter 2011 | seekfind.com

What will December 2011â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coin be?

Join the club to find out. GeocoinClub.com A new geocoin every month!

readers speak

Photo courtesy of annieptigger.blogspot.com

This is the premier issue of Seek & Find, a magazine just for geocachers in Pennsylvania. We heard from some cachers about how they feel about the idea of a new magazine for the region.

I can’t wait to read the first issue of Seek & Find! I received an email through my local geocaching group that had teasers for upcoming articles. I subscribe to the national geocaching magazine, but I think this will be a great opportunity to learn what’s going on in the local geocaching community! CITOCachers Do you think you will make a Seek & Find for other states or regions? I love the idea of local editions, and I know my friends and family in other states would, too! I’d like to help out with articles in future issues! MRC00LBRDR I recently started caching and have been looking up how to become a better cacher, you know, improve my geosenses. An ad for Seek & Find came up on an internet search and I fell in love with the ideas it intends to publish. It will teach us newbies about things we aren’t even aware of in the geocaching world. I certainly will be subscribing to the magazine to extend my knowledge about caching. MarydaGeofinda23 I had some friends that tried making a geocaching magazine and it flopped. I know there’s a national magazine that’s been doing well, so I wonder how neccessary it is to have a regional magazine. Are there enough people in Pennsylvania to purchase the magazine and keep it going? I guess we’ll find out. PunKacher

MarydaGeofinda23 with her son at a park where she made her first find.

Geocaching is my new hobby. I have found over 200 caches in just a few months. I feel like I have made great progress in my geocaching career. I’m not a part of a local geocaching group yet, so I feel like I’m lacking in the social aspects of caching. I saw an ad for Seek & Find, and noticed that there will be information about events going on throughout the state. I travel for work, so instead of joining just one group, I may participate in many events! I think this will make my geocaching adventures even better! Looking forward to the first of many issues of Seek & Find! JSL88 I’m not sure how well a magazine will work. Print is dead. Geocachers especially are a tech-savvy bunch who can find information about geocaching online for free. I don’t know who is going to pay for a magazine subscription. Crea8iveCacher

I’m not feeling it. How much is there to write about geocaching to fill four magazines a year? There are lots of resources aready online, too, like blogs and online magazines. I think you’re going to run out of new and interesting things to say. Just saying... sistermaryfake I love the name you chose for the new magazine. Seek & Find so accurately represents what geocaching entails. It’s the adventure that goes with the seek and the thrill of making the find! I’m really interested to see what you come up with in each issue! JWZiggy

Email us questions, comments, and ideas for future issues of Seek & Find. We want to hear from you! info@seekfindmag.com winter 2011 | seekfind.com

cache events

FALL CACHING EVENTS

Parents and kids met up to find a multi-cache in Reading.

A great turnout for a caching group that met up in Pittsburgh before attending a Pirates baseball game.

A group of cachers in Johnstown set out to find a night cache in the area.

A regularly scheduled monthly G.O.T.C.H.A. cache event in Harrisburg.

Geocachers in Erie joined together to find a series of caches in Presque Isle State Park.

Share your event pics! events@seekfindmag.com

14 winter 2011 | seekfind.com

Photos submitted by and printed with permission from readers.

A fun canoe outing on the Susquehanna river to pick up some island caches.

cache events

UPCOMING WINTER EVENTS Check if there are any group caching events in your area! If there’s not, plan one and let us know. We’ll list it here! Email your event links to events@seekfindmag.com

LOST - This ONES for you too

11.11.11 @ 11:11:11 Yumm

Date: 11.1.11 from 6:00-8:00pm GC Code: GC33T6F Difficulty/Terrain: 1/1 Location: Lititz About: Monthly area meeting held on the first Tuesday of each month!

Date: 11.11.11 at 11:11:11am GC Code: GC34KJD Difficulty/Terrain: 1/1 Location: Wilkes-Barre About: Luncheon get together at a nearby burger restaurant!

G.O.T.C.H.A. Again

11-11-11 Multi-Event: SWPA

Date: 11.8.11 from 6:00-9:00pm GC Code: GC356YK Difficulty/Terrain: 1/1 Location: Hershey About: A regularly held meeting with CHOCOLATE!

11-11-11 Flash Mob Date: 11.11.11 at 11:00am GC Code: GC339M9 Difficulty/Terrain: 1/1 Location: Beaver About: Flash mob event, raffle with prizes.

The Eleventh Hour Event! Date: 11.11.11 at 8:30-11:30pm GC Code: GC32KB3 Difficulty/Terrain: 1/1 Location: Reading About: NEW night caches, bon fire, dessert, hot cocoa, flash mob photo!

How cheesy can you be on 11/11/11 at 11:11:11PM?

Date: 11.11.11 from 6:00-8:00pm GC Code: GC32VX8 Difficulty/Terrain: 1/1 Location: McDonald About: Drinks and snacks, locationspecific geocoin available for purchase.

Date: 11.11.11 from 11:00-11:11:11pm GC Code: GC358EN Difficulty/Terrain: 1/1 Location: Hazleton About: Bring cheese for this flash mob event held in front of a cheese store.

This ONES for YOU! Final edition

It’s a Hockey Night in Wilkes-Barre!

Date: 11.11.11 at 7:03pm GC Code: GC339QJ Difficulty/Terrain: 1/1 Location: Lancaster About: Dress warm for this outdoor event near the Park City Center!

Date: 12.17.11 from 5:30-6:00pm GC Code: GC31YRN Difficulty/Terrain: 2/1.5 Location: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton About: Games with Penguins prizes, group photo, option to attend hockey game after event!

winter 2011 | seekfind.com

Dillsburg geocacher Marty Popolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1000th find in a cave.

feature

CACHE MASTER How can one person find more than 4,200 caches in nine years? Geocacher Marty Popola explains how he discovered geocaching and where he has found some amazing hides. BY NATALIE BOMBATCH PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARTY POPOLA

itting outside and enjoying the crisp, cool air Marty Popola recalled some of his favorite geocaching experiences. Popola (pamap), a geocacher from the Dillsburg area, has found 4,213 caches during the past 9 years. He is ranked 68th in the state and 3,274th in the world. That’s not half bad considering there are over 5 million geocachers worldwide! He has 3,395 Pennsylvania finds spanning all 67 counties. Popola has cached in 29 US states and 6 countries – Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras, and Panama. More than 13,000 digital photos help him remember each find. The Beginning Popola was a cartographer for 33 years, but surprisingly that has nothing to do with how he discovered the sport of geocaching. In 2002 Popola saw a newscast on ABC27 about Lynn Cooper (CCCooperAgency), a leading geocacher in the state who has found more than 25,000 caches. At that time he was intrigued and said to himself, “Wow, that really looks cool. That’s something I’d like to do.” After watching the news story Popola visited geocaching.com and looked up a cache nearby in Pinchot Park. He was able to locate the cache using his cartography skills and an aerial map based on the latitude and longitude listing. Count-

ing the parking lots on the aerial map, he calculated the approximate place to start trekking 200 yards into the woods. Popola and his son found his first cache without the help of a GPS. “Fortunately it was an easy one. It was almost the size of a shoebox, and it was just behind a big boulder with some twigs on it,” Popola reminisced. And then he was hooked. It wasn’t long until he purchased his own GPS (having since gone through about 5 different models); in fact, he purchased one the very day he found his first cache. Popola never thought he’d be caching this long. He says, “I, to be honest with you, thought after a year or two I’d be bored with it and it’d be the end of it, but here it is. I’ve been doing it since 2002 and I’m still excited about it. I look every morning, what’s new out there?” After nine years Popola is still passionate about geocaching and continues to look for new hides every day. Unknown Caches Popola and some of his retired friends have taken to solving challenging Unknown Caches. This type of cache requires the finder to log certain caches before receiving the final Unknown Cache coordinates. On April 1, 2010 he found a cache that completed his challenge to find geocaches in all Pennsylvania counties. He got the final Unknown

winter 2011 | seekfind.com

Popolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stunning view of a natural arch in Moab, Utah.

feature

p Geese protecting their nests in Codorus State Park.

Cache coordinates, but has yet to grab it. He chuckles as he says, “The final’s out near Pittsburgh, between Pittsburgh and Ohio, and I’ve been out to Pirates and Steelers games, but I just can’t go tramping through the game lands, get all sweated up and stuff, and then go to a game. I just haven’t been able to do it.” Popola plans to take on the Pennsylvania DeLorme challenge next. Instead of caching in each county, he must find a cache in each grid of the DeLorme map of Pennsylvania. He has also nearly completed a task to find a cache on every day of the year. Popola has geocached on every day over the course of nine years except one, Feb. 29. This day comes around just once every four years. Before real-

p A cache between nesting geese in Codorus State Park.

izing the important date, Popola booked a cruise that falls on Feb. 29, 2012. His friends suggested that he simply cache on one of the cruise’s stops. Unfortunately, he’ll be at sea that entire day. His only chance is to join in on an Event Cache that his friend is holding that day. If the geocaching.com administrator permits, Popola can join in via a web cast and get his find without waiting until 2016 to finish the challenge. Pennsylvania Finds Though he’s fallen out of a tree and capsized in a kayak on the Susquehanna, he says, “I’ve never really felt that I was really in danger, otherwise I probably wouldn’t be doing it anymore, at least the more difficult ones.” He said a tricky cache he found was on an island in Codorus State

Park in Hanover. Although signs warning of ticks were in the park, that wasn’t the problem; rather, it was nesting geese protecting their eggs. “As soon as we started approaching the island, oh man, they got really up in arms, flapping their wings. We didn’t know if we were going to be able to get it.” Fortunately the cache was between two nests, so Popola was able to retrieve it. He never knows what he might encounter in the wilderness. His favorite cache containers are those that are innovative and homemade. One of his favorite containers, that has since been archived, was a bird box. It had a false bottom, but instead of a cache hidden within, there was a button. He accidentally pressed it and heard a doorbell winter 2011 | seekfind.com

An innovative bird box container with a doorbell button leading to the final cache location.

feature chime in the nearby woods. It was an “a-ha” moment! His friend pressed the button while Popola walked toward the chiming sound. He walked about 100 feet and even crossed a stream to retrieve the cache. Another one of his favorites was a Multi-cache called Phone a Friend, which has also been archived. He followed the coordinates to the first location and it was a normal hide on which latitude and longitude coordinates were listed. The second stop was a weatherproof utility box hanging on a tree. The coordinates listed there led to a box that held a telephone with a jack. Popola recalled that there was a telephone jack in the electrical box and realized he had to take the phone back to the previous location to get the next location. A voice recording played the coordinates for the next location, and carrying the phone with him, he continued through the woods plugging the phone into the electrical boxes. After finding the final cache he had to take the phone back to the third hiding spot. At Raystown Lake, Popola found a cache that is also one of his favorites. Luckily, he visited close to the winter months when the lake was beginning to drain. Marty described that the cache owner attached an anchor to rope that then attached to a sealed PVC pipe cache container. So that cachers wouldn’t have to dive all the way to the bottom of the lake there was a flotation device attached to the other end of the pipe, keeping it buoyant. Because the

lake was so low when Popola began his search he was able to see the flotation device near the top of the water. The device was about 3 feet underwater and the cache was then another 4 feet lower. “I put goggles on and went down for this thing. It took me I bet eight or 10 times. I’d go down and I’d find it, but I couldn’t see good enough to find out how to detach it.” Eventually he found the carabiner clip and was able to bring the cache to the surface. Scenic Caches P o p o l a ’s daughter, who lives in Salt LakeCity, Utah, suggested that he visit nearby Moab. Popola loaded his GPS with 30 or 40 caches. However, the most memorable part of the day to be the view. “We looked and there’s the most gorgeous natural arch. It’s nicer than the one that they feature in Arches National Park. It’s bigger. It’s taller. That was the most scenic area. It was just beautiful down in there. I want to go back,” he remembers. Another trip Popola took was down the coast of Washington state. He recalled another memorable view at a stop with a Virtual Cache. A short walk down a trail led to a bench overlooking the ocean. The virtual task was simple but the view was unforgettable. “You had the most spectacular view… These big rock formations were coming out of the ocean and there were pine trees right down to the ocean side. It was a little foggy and misty and it was so beautiful.” -S&F

I’ve been geocaching since 2002 and I’m still excited about it.

Popola’s successful retrieval of a cache at Raystown Lake.

Marty’s Top 5 Favorite Active PA Caches Marty Popola, a local cacher, hasn’t found every cache in PA. But of the 3,395 he’s found, those listed below are his favorite active caches. High on Longstreet is his hide that he included in his list since it has received 56 favorite votes from other geocachers. 1. Thousand Steps Cache GC Code: GC59AF Type: Traditional Cache Location: Near Mt. Union 2. Camp Michaux Nostalgia GC Code: GCKC50 Type: Multi-cache Location: Near Shippensburg 3. Llama Corner: Revisited GC Code: GCKC11 Type: Unknown Location: Near Elizabethtown 4. GC Nocturnal GC Code: GC15MAJ Type: Multi-cache Location: Near Wertzville 5. High on Longstreet GC Code: GC8808 Type: Virtual Cache Location: Near Gettysburg

winter 2011 | seekfind.com

cool caches

Make your own water main geocache Learn how to make an innovative, homemade geocache container. BY NATALIE BOMBATCH PHOTO BY ANDREW T. SMITH (HEADHARDHAT)

Supplies: 1 - 2” Water Main Valve ($13.00) 2 - 2” Male Connectors ($2.50 each) 2 - 2” Elbow Joints ($2.50 each) 1 - Small Pill Holder (Metal, $5.00) 1 - Small Log Sheet to fit in Pill Holder 2 - Tent/Yard Stakes PVC glue How it Works: Inside the water main valve there is a ball, in which you’ll hide the small pill holder. When the valve is turned “off”, the pipe is closed and the pill holder is not accessible. When the valve is turned “on”, the ball shifts so that the pipe is open and out pops the pill holder. This will keep the pill holder and log nice and dry.

3 4

Roll the small log sheet and slide it into the pill holder.

Slide the pill holder into the open water main valve and when it is in the middle, turn the valve so it closes the pill container in and becomes water tight.

Finally, when you find a hiding spot for this sneaky container, place the stakes into the ground at an angle that points into the elbows of the pipes.

Place the two elbow joints over the stakes for a secure hold. Be careful to place this cache in an area without a lot of action so it doesn’t get kicked over or hit with a mower. Though it may be a little pricey to make this geocache container, the quality will help it last for years to come. To watch a helpful step-by-step video demonstration by headhardhat, visit seekfindmag.com.-S&F

Steps: Put PVC glue on the threaded end of one male connector and screw into the water main valve. Do the same with the other male connector. Note that it does not take much glue for the bond to be strong.

Put PVC glue on one elbow joint on the side that does not have the lip. Place into the male connector with the water main valve pointing up and the eblow pointing straight down. Do the same with the other elbow joint. *There is also an option to leave one elbow joint off to place against a wall.

22 winter 2011 | seekfind.com

A great place for the water main geocache is near a bush.

Photo courtesy of Andrew T. Smith

cool caches

Cool Cache Containers

This squirrel is nuts about caching!

Photos submitted by and printed with permission from readers.

Can you pick out the cache container? It’s the one that’s different.

A camo Easter egg under leaves. Tough to spot!

Looks like an official electrical box sticker but it’s a magnet cache instead!

Whoever placed this cache paid careful attention to detail and matched the paint exactly. It didn’t stump GrayRun1171!

AJG12594 and PSGZ12594 show a unique container that matches the Irishthemed cache.

Email your cool finds to caches@seekfindmag.com

winter 2011 | seekfind.com

swag

Geocaching Supplies Water Long sleeve shirt/jacket to avoid jaggers & ticks

Flashlight

Camera

Walking stick 24 winter 2011 | seekfind.com

Hiking boots

Rain poncho

Photos courtesy of Andrew Glover

Compass

swag GPS

First aid kit

Pens

Work gloves Insect repellent

Extra batteries

Swag

Tweezers for micro logs

Backpack Towel

Plastic bags for CITO

Snacks

Multi-tool winter 2011 | seekfind.com

safety

Ticks: Fact or Myth? Take the quiz and see how much you know about these pesky little buggers.

Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness in the U.S. In 2009, it was the 5th most common Nationally Notifiable disease. In 2010, 94% of Lyme disease cases were reported from 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin. To learn more, answer the following questions with True or False.

If my dog has Lyme disease, he can transmit it to me.

Photo courtesy of maggielr.wordpress.com

False. Lyme disease is passed only by the bite of an infected deer tick.

Use caution in tick areas. Wear pants and a long sleeve shirt for protection.

A tick can only pass on one disease during a single feed.

False. Icky, one deer tick can be carrying bacteria for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and human babesiosis. If the tick chooses you for a meal, he can transmit all three at the same time. If the tick opts for your dog’s blood, he could contract Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.

If I have a tick bite, I definitely have Lyme disease.

False. Lyme disease can be spread only by one type of tick, the “ixodes dammini” or deer tick. Only about 40% of these ticks are thought to be infected, so not every bite will result in infection.

10-10-10: Record Breaking Day Last year on October 10, geocachers all over the world came together to celebrate ten years of geocaching and ten years of Groundspeak, the company who manages geocaching.com. More geocaching accounts logged finds on 10-10-10 than on any other day. Geocachers shattered the previous record of 56,654 with a new record of 78,313. As a bonus of participating on the big day, Groundspeak gave cachers a “souvenir” image to display on their profiles. Maybe 11-11-11 will bring a new record this year. Check out page 14 to see if there’s an event in your area that day. Write to us at info@seekfind.com and let us know how you spent 11-11-11. -S&F

Scott and Elaine (wegeocache) celebrated 10-10-10 by hosting a party. Check out their cool cupcake display!

winter 2011 | seekfind.com

safety Ticks, cont’d.

Photo courtesy of healthspablog.org

The tick has to be attached to a human for more than 48 hours to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

removal, use alcohol or antiseptic to clean the area. Do not use Vaseline, nail polish, rubbing alcohol or matches to kill the tick.

True. Most experts believe that the tick has to be imbedded in the skin for more than two days for transmittion. Do a tick check immediately after geocaching to avoid infection.

If you’d like to know more about ticks, Lyme disease, and other diseases carried by ticks, visit seekfindmag.com. Not only will you find tips to avoid ticks, but you’ll have access to maps illustrating the Lyme disease risk levels broken down by Pennsylvania counties. And if you’re going out of state, you can check out the risk level in that area, too. -S&F

If I find a tick on me, I should remove it with tweezers by pulling upward with constant pressure.

Ixodes Dammini: Deer Tick

True. Try not to twist the tick because part of it may remain in the skin. After

Geo-Speak for Newbies TFTC Thanks For The Cache. An acronym written by geocachers in physical cache logbooks or online when logging cache finds. TFTH Thanks For The Hide TNLN Took Nothing. Left Nothing. Usually written in cache logbooks by geocachers who do not trade for material contents in a cache.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Bombatch

TNLNSL/TNSL Took Nothing. Left Nothing. Signed Logbook / Took Nothing. Signed Logbook. FTF First to Find. An acronym written by geocachers in physical cache logbooks or online when logging cache finds to denote being the first to find a new geocache. DNF Did Not Find. An acronym used by geocachers to state that they did not find a cache. This is also a type of online log on Geocaching.com and is useful for alerting cache owners of potential issues. Cache owners who repeatedly receive “Did Not Find” logs should check to see that their cache has not been removed. Definitions found at http://www.geocaching.com/about/glossary.aspx

winter 2011 | seekfind.com

crossword puzzle

For crossword puzzle answers, visit seekfindmag.com. 30 winter 2011 | seekfind.com