Wireless Geocaching.com - Fancy Not Required

Most cellular users have the ability to log-in to geocaching.com to view and log cache listings.  All that is usually needed is a data plan on your phone.  If you do not have a data plan, watch out so your usage doesn't bite you when the bill arrives.

If you happen to have data service, I am sure you have found many limitations to your phone's built in Web browser and sometimes the inability to visit geocaching.com.  However, if you are satisfied with what your phone manufacturer provides for browsing the web, by all means stay with what works.  However if this is your situation and you are not able to access geocaching.com, you have an alternative called WAP.

Wireless Application Protocol (commonly referred to as WAP) is an open international standard[1] for application layer network communications in a wireless communication environment. Its main use is to enable access to the Mobile Web from a mobile phone or PDA.

A WAP browser provides all of the basic services of a computer based web browser but simplified to operate within the restrictions of a mobile phone, such as its smaller view screen. WAP sites are websites written in, or dynamically converted to, WML (Wireless Markup Language) and accessed via the WAP browser.

Before the introduction of WAP, service providers had extremely limited opportunities to offer interactive data services. Interactive data applications are required to support now commonplace activities such as:

    * Email by mobile phone
    * Tracking of stock market prices
    * Sports results
    * News headlines
    * Music downloads

- [Wikipedia]

You may access geocaching.com for simple tasks by pointing your cell phone's web browser to: http://wap.geocaching.com/ Here you are able to view, find, log a cache and look up a travel bug with a very simple text based menu interface.

If you want the ability to access geocaching.com and all its provided features and options, and you have a Java enabled, or other supported phone application loaders, I suggest you give Opera Mini a try.

Opera Mini is almost a full fledged web browser and is supported on the majority of recently released cell phone models.  Opera Mini may be found here: http://www.opera.com/mini/download/

If you have a restricted phone and are having trouble installing Opera Mini, see this Blog Post for a work-around.  The title indicates that it is for the LG LX260, though the download link will work for many other brands and models.

If you happen to be a Sprint subscriber, you also have the option of registering your phone's ESN/MEID number on the Sprint Developers web site which will automatically enable your phone to download signed and unsigned apps not soley approved by Sprint.

Of course if you have a laptop with an open wifi network near by, you can hardly beat broadband Geocache access!

Geocaching Software Series 1 - Cachemate

I have a, what is known in the United States as a Samsung Blackjack, though I have the branded SGH-i321n, which is the International version of this Windows Mobile Smart Phone.

The Geocaching tool Cachemate is a must have army knife for any smart phone users, whether the device is GPS enabled or not.

I use Cachemate in conjunction with my primary GPSr to quickly locate caches imported into this program from a GPX or LOC location file.  You may import it from Geocaching.com, or as I do, export your GSAK database and transfer this file by bluetooth or USB cable for import into Cachemate.

When I do not have any waypoints loaded into my GPSr, I take my current position, enter it into Cachemate, and sort all the records I have imported by the closest hide location, its direction, cache type, description, and logs for that particular geocache hide.

Here I will list the features of Cachemate.  I should note that I do not have any cellular service on my smart phone.

CacheMate™ is a database for tracking GPS cache hunts. You can store information about caches or benchmarks, decode hints, and transfer data to and from other software and devices.

Features:

• Signed for use on locked devices
• Configurable/sortable list view
• Distance sorting with GPS support
• Multiple database support
• Editable cache type/container lists
• Geocaching hint decoder
• Record bookmarking
• Bluetooth GPS support
• Plugin application support
• Waypoint projection
• Travel bug management
• Voice notes recorder
• Built-in GPS support on certain devices *
• Full-text database searching
• QVGA display support
• Import/export waypoints using GPX and LOC XML files
• User-defined fields with GPX import/export

Cachemate is available for the Palm OS, Pocket PC, Windows Smartphone, and Google Android. [http://www.smittyware.com/]

Geo Journey's Resource Sites

Welcome to my Geo Journey's Blog Site!  My name is Andy Wright, the owner of the domains "cacheblogs.com" and "geo-jots.com".  I go by the name "myside" on "http://geocaching.com/", or "geomyside" here on "http://myside.geocaching.com/".

Although my greatest passion is Geocaching, I will start with a couple details about these sites, "http://cacheblogs.com/", and "http://geo-jots.com/":

I am educated in computer network technologies.  I have more computing and bandwidth resources than I know what to do with.  I want to share this joy.  Let us see where these three points takes us!

My GC name is "myside".  I am a rather newbie Geo hunter to many.  As of the time of writing this, I have 91 finds and 3 hides.

Though I do call myself a true Geocaching fanatic, I go out for the fun maybe once a week, or every two weeks.  Sometimes I will hit many hides in a day, for a few days.  Though when I am able to, at any free time that may come my way, you may very well see me in the woods, and if you see me in the woods, you will see me with a GPS receiver!

Send me an E-Mail if you would like to chat, or if you would like your own Blog space on any of these two domain.  See you in the woods!

Two Ancient Roads Until Beauty (GC1GJYH)

One of the most enjoyable Geocaching adventures I have had was placing my first hide, "Two Ancient Roads Until Beauty", GC1GJYH.

A geo buddy of mine, mad_geek and myself visit a lonely traveler's resort in Black River Falls, Wisconsin to do an occasional sleep over.  Camping is not allowed here, though if you are kind to the ranger, so the ranger will be kind onto you! :-)

One morning while the Geek was still sleeping, I rolled him over and notified him I was going on a trek to find our next camp site.  I left with my GMRS radio in hand, and a healthy supply of caffeine and health bars.

I was about an hour into the hike, and I had found the perfect area for us to set up camp.  The early morning mist rolling over the valley and the soft sound of the nearby river did more than tempt me to stay a while longer until I headed back, as I setup my lump on a nice hump and finished my coffee and breakfast enjoying the scenery at the same time.  The stop was well needed indeed.

While dark that night, I thought: This would make a very nice spot to place my first Geocache.  I have had my first cache container created, and I carried it everywhere in the case the location arose where a Cache would be able to sprout.

Those whom wonder deep off the beaten path will notice the ancient roads.  You will also come back wet I must add.  Here are a couple Cache logs for my first hide:

#5 of 5 on a crazy day of geocaching after a stay at Jellystone. If it weren't for this cache, I would have left HATING Jackson County and its confusing roads. This cache made it one to remember.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I turned this into my own little Five for terrain. I always seem to find the WORST possible place to divert from the trail. After winding all the way around the cache, never getting closer than .25 miles, I crossed a bridge, at which point I decided I must be on the correct side of the creek that everyone else had to fjord, so I started bushwacking to GZ. After jumping 2 more narrow creeks and coming to an impassable valley, I gave up and BW back to the trail. I backtracked to the "Jackson County Rec" sign, and headed in through the MUCH easier forest. For any who want a clue on this one, when the path turns away from GZ at about .25 miles from GZ, DON'T FOLLOW IT ANYMORE!

After climbing down into the river valley, I found the creek I had to cross. I switched into sandals and waded across the shallowest point I could find, which turned out to be about thigh deep. At GZ, I searched for about 30 minutes, then checked the clue. I was sure I had been searching the right place, so I figured something must have happed to the cache since the last find. I started rummaging around in needles and found it. I replaced it at what I guessed was its correct locale, and headed back. It took me about 2 hours to get to GZ, and about 30 minutes to get back. On a 90deg day, I hadn't brought enough water, so I was glad to be back to the van.

This type of cache is the reason I go geocaching: heading into strange places I never would have know about otherwise, having great adventures (and doing stupid things). Thanks so much for this great cache! - SR Explorers 2

To bring the Wellies, or not to bring? That was the question as we set off with vtwinspin and the evil twins, agentK1 and gforce1 to seek this one out today. We knew the weather was supposed to take a turn for snowy, but not as soon as it did; just in time for us to drive right into it on the way home after our adventures.

We had the "road" all to ourselves this afternoon, the evil twins toting sleds and joking that they could float themselves across any stream crossings on those. We reached a point where we found a nice passageway off the main trail, then another that turned us in the direction of the cache. We kept looking for that stream, never seeing it, hoping against hope that it was frozen, easing our passage.

Well, some spots were frozen. Kind of. Sort of. Less than 60 feet between us and the cache, and where to cross? We walked up the banks, hoping for a nice natural bridge, but finally settling on testing the waterproofness of our boots. Trekkin' went across first, jumping over the deep hole near the bank. Though the girls had waterproof boots, their dad was a true gentleman and carried them over, keeping their feet dry and toasty and leaving the sleds on the other side. Once we were across, we made our way back toward ground zero, where all descended on the closest spot. I believe it was agentK1 who actually came up with the goods here. We signed in and then followed our path in the snow back to the crossing, which was just a bit tougher going the other way, due to that deep hole right on the banks. The walk out was pleasant with just the hint of the snowstorm to come falling on our heads. This is a very nice area, and as vtwinspin commented, looks like a fun stream to play in when the weather's warmer. He even spotted a little trout in the hole after he'd crossed back over and was waiting for the rest of us.

So, to answer the question? Wellies would have been a nice plus here, but we don't need no stinkin' Wellies! Thanks for a lovely winter hike into the woods and near the stream. SL TFTC

P.S. This one was number 3300 for us! Great one for that milestone. - Trekkin' and birdin'

Yahoo ! ! !

Had the evening off, so the Family and I took the phone off the hook and left the FTF Beacon on...
And what's this a new Cache in our beloved State Forest? A FTF sounds great, so off we went with the flashlights loaded, and a cool evening of stars to guide the way.
I always wondered why there weren't more caches along the State Forest ATV Trails. They sure would be a nice addition to the area.
Any who - TFTC - we signed the log and placed it back in its little nest for the next lucky Geo Cacher.
Oh, just to mention the Glen Creek that runs near is chuck full of native rainbows, for anyone that likes to sneak a fishing pole along on their Geo Journeys...

Thanks again for the venture,

Snyder Bear - Synder Bear

If you are ever in the area, pack a nice lunch and bring the kids!  There is a beautiful cleared area to plop your end down and enjoy the backwoods to this mostly ATV utilized area!