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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: September 13 2025

Last Updated: September 13 2025

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August in SLAGA-Land brought us sunshine and heat with days as long as 14 hours, temperatures over 90*F for 11 days, and 0% precipitation recorded.  But it also brought us our August Adventure Awaits Winner, Denise Muskopf, better known as 6dancer.

Denise has been caching exactly 16 years to the day that she was notified of her August challenge win! She started geocaching when her sister, Deborah, returned home from a Colorado visit and the two of them went on a picnic in Valmeyer, IL. Deborah had been caching for about 5 years by then, and as they were picnicking, she told Denise that there was a geocache under their table! Denise was amazed! The following day she found a cemetery cache and after that was hooked. She has since found 6850 geocaches to date, has cached as far north as Alaska and as far south as Argentina.  She has cached across the Pacific ocean west in Hawaii and across the Atlantic ocean east in Germany. She's missing only one day to fill her calendar grid, so everyone wish her a Merry Christmas on December 25th with a reminder to go out and grab a cache that day! (HoHoHo)

But back to the summer heat and her August accomplishment. Denise endured the heat to complete her task of finding five different geocaching types with one event in the mix. These are her qualifying geocaches.

Cache 1: GC6QGW4 Wherigo - aLieNs

Cache 2: GC4MT9J Multi - Red Corvette

Cache 3: GCB9W73 Event - The Gateway to Finland

Cache 4: GCB7972 Traditional - LesMar's Little Library on Lansdowne

Cache 5: GCBATRM Mystery - DDH US # 35 - 100 Field Puzzles Challenge

When interviewed about why she chose to participate in this month's SLAGA's Adventure Awaits challenge, Denise said, "I chose to participate in this one because they were my recent finds, so the challenge was easy since I had the ones I needed to qualify.  I'd previously sent in qualifying caches for maybe eight months."

A worst geocaching experience that Denise shared in the interview, was when she " got lost in the woods trying to find Misi-ziibi (GC8KRWQ) a D3/T4 in Cliff Cave Park.  [She] was lost wandering for a good hour and finally prayed for help.  About 5 minutes later, a young man stepped in the path.  [She] asked if he knew the way out and he said sure.  He was an Angel."  That was brave (or maybe a little risky) of Denise to attempt a T4 with needed TOTT solo. Happily she made it out of the woods, but sadly she never got that smiley.  Another geo-fear she shared is that she is a bit scared about going down steep hills, because falling is always on her mind. 

Nevertheless, geocaching is Denise's favorite hobby!  She goes out with her friends 3Nina and NEgirl every week.  Her favorite geocache is one she owns and is in her yard, GC89GP7 "GNOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS."  She also enjoys reading and playing games.  

 CONGRATULATIONS 6DANCER ON YOUR AUGUST CHALLENGE WIN!

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: February 12 2025

Last Updated: February 12 2025

Hits: 1145

It is said that January is a 'magical' month to welcome the new and cherish possibilities and surprises that lie ahead.  SLAGAs Adventure Awaits 2025 embraces this adage with a first time 'park-theme' for the monthly challenge, as well as their unusual pictorial method of informing this journalist of the January monthly winner.   

What a surprise indeed?  After having participated every month during the inaugural year of the Adventure Awaits Challenges, and after writing some very interesting articles about other geocachers that won, this journalist knew the slim chance of having her own name pulled from the many qualifying entries. While thrilled to have won, it quickly dawned on me, however, that I now had the strange task of writing an article about myself. So here goes...

As many of you know, my geo-nickname is TerriBikes+, so you've probably also guessed that a favorite hobby of mine is bicycling.  I started riding a hybrid mountain bike in spring of 2012. While searching online for new and different trails to ride, I came across a review that mentioned that there were several geocaches along the trail.  "What the heck is a geocache," I remember saying aloud, but it didn't take long for me to find out and soon discover a whole new world of outdoor fun!

So in July of 2012, I started caching during the few remaining warm weather months. Having little experience with this game, and not knowing many people, I assumed cold weather months were a natural hiatus, haha, so I then accrued a 118 day 'slump' before caching again.  Fast-forward a year caching and experience, and I felt a driving need to continuously find daily caches until my find streak outnumbered my slump. Prompted by the 2013 HQ incentive of "31 days of August" souvenirs, I did just that and cached for the next 120 days.  Since I still love bike riding, I often now blend my two favorite hobbies for an even better adventure.  I am thankful my love of cycling introduced me to my new love of caching. 

Obviously, I go caching in the winter months now.  I've enjoyed participating monthly in SLAGAs Adventure Awaits, not only as my way of supporting this great organization, but because it gets me outdoors (often with a more defined purpose) especially in weather or at times that aren't all that convenient for me. It also encourages me to attend events and socialize more often. For this January's 'park' criteria, I could have found any cache in any park, but I challenged myself a bit more.  I chose to find geocaches with the word 'park' or the name/initials of a park in the title.  My qualifying caches include:  

GC8H15J  Just a preform in JB

GCAHFEZ  Walk in the park (Drace)

GCANFPM A Walk In The (Stookey) Park 

  GCAW583 Queeny Park 2024 - 20 Years of Hides 

 GCATKRT  SLAGA Winter Potluck & Cabin Fever 2025 (Jefferson Barracks).

These monthly challenge incentives are fun, but my very favorite type of geocaches are the far and few between earthcaches, of which I have found 365 to date, of my 8250 total finds. That total includes caches from all 50 of the United States and 13 other countries so far.  I enjoy geocaching and especially ECs probably due to my natural love of outdoors and my degree and young adult career of Geological Engineering.  But I'm an odd mix actually.  I'm outdoorsy, yes, but I have a passion for theatrical arts as well. If you don't find me biking, hiking, or kayaking for a cache, you may find me wearing a costume at a Halloween geo-event or at a Mega 'Gumshoe Ball' (with my partner in crime MrsSpongy), or donning festive face glitter at a holiday Happy Hour event occasionally. 

While I enjoy socializing at geoevents often, I'm not actually that social of a butterfly.  I don't mind and am quite comfortable spending time alone and have trekked many a mile on solo adventures too.   Don't get me wrong though....I love my caching buddies, look forward to planned outings, welcome new caching friends, and wouldn't trade a single moment of fun I've had with my friends. 

Some of my favorite geocaching memories include attending the first ever USA GIGA with friends, GC5AX15 GeoWoodstock 2018, and traveling to the northwest states with my husband to experience some geocaching history, which checked off some huge geo-bucket list items.  Not only did I visit GC Headquarters and the 'Original Stash Tribute Plaque,' but I thoroughly enjoyed bike riding through the long, dark Snoqualmie Tunnel in Washington to find "Mission 9: Tunnel of Light" APE Project geocache at the far end.  Another memorable cache find was "Europe's Oldest GC43" when I climbed up the hill from the path along St.George's Channel near Bray, Ireland for that smiley.  And still, there's a lot of world I'd like to see and geocache in, including returning to Thailand some day, I hope, as I remember that beautiful country fondly from living there for six months when I was in grade school. 

I'm grateful for winning the January Adventure Awaits challenge, but feel lucky too as the month represents fresh starts and new possibilities.  For me, that's exciting both personally and for new geocaching adventures in my future.

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: September 17 2024

Last Updated: September 17 2024

Hits: 1175

During the month of endless sizzling summer days, Su&Sco/Susan Bevis, with the help of her husband Scott, geocached her way to the August Adventure Awaits monthly challenge win! With the interesting challenge of finding an event cache plus five caches, one each starting with a letter in our group's acronym, she had her work cut out for her. But Susan made it look easy and qualified for her win with the following geocaches:

                               GC673HN             S  hort Circuit

                               GC7T9D2              L  ouis's Statue

                               GC99Z5R              A  wakening II Virtual

                               GC8C4H1             G  nome Home #1

                               GC995HV             A  merican Thunder 

                               GCAVXYV           Marian's Happy Hour 

 

 

 

When asked why she and her husband chose those particular geocaches for the challenge and why they chose to participate in the Adventure Awaits, Susan said, "We had already found all but Awakening II Virtual, Gnome Home, and Marian’s Happy Hour Event when we became aware of the August challenge. Since we were in the St. Louis area for doctor appointments and were caching anyway, we decided to make a try for it. It seemed like a fun goal, and we like challenges and goals in geocaching. This was actually our first attempt at completing a monthly challenge and we're happy to complete it. We were kind of surprised to have been chosen."  

 

Susan and her husband began geocaching in May of 2010, but a couple years later, Susan's bilateral lung transplant put a near halt to her caching career. But after rest and recovery for several years, she finally returned to hunting caches and really stepped up the game in 2020. To date, she has found 5526 geocaches, including a cache in the Bahamas. With her renewed enthusiasm in caching in the past four years, it's not a wonder she opted to attempt and then won this August challenge.

 

Some of Susan and her husband's favorite geocaches are: state oldest, FTFs, geoart, state stars, and puzzle caches. As with many cachers, Susan mentioned that geocaching has taken them to so many places they would never have visited if not for the game. In response to whether there was a memorable geocaching experience, Susan shared this story.  "On a canoe caching trip at Lynnville Lake in Indiana, we pulled over to sit by a waterfall at the far end of the lake and take a break. Before getting back into the canoe, we walked over the falls to take a selfie. I slipped and fell breaking my right hip. The resulting evacuation by emergency boat and ambulance ride resulted in a partial hip replacement. This has slowed my pace, but not my enthusiasm."  Sadly however, Susan did comment, "I can't count the number of broken bones that I have incurred" anymore.   

Other interests of Susan's are photographing nature and grandchildren and spending time with her sidekick Scott, whom she takes geo-vacations with across America.  She also enjoys reading, watching crime shows, and "even at my age, I still like to color with Crayolas, chalk or pen."  She and Scott serve as greeters in church weekly.  They also participate in several other Geocaching organizations and "enjoy meeting, talking, and geocaching with geocaching friends."

It was a wise decision to complete the August challenge, and enter qualifying caches, that led this duo to their sizzling win. Now the SLAGA community gets to extend a huge CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSAN AND SCOTT!

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: July 12 2024

Last Updated: July 12 2024

Hits: 1114

June, when days are brighter and smiles are bigger, was the month to chase dreams and bask in the glow of new found adventures!  And that's just what Uga_Mom, Cindy Smith, did during her participation in the SLAGA Adventure Awaits Challenge.  She utilized longer days to chase caches, earn smileys, submit her geocaches for the monthly challenge, and then WIN June's challenge Gift Card prize and sticker.  Congratulations Cindy!

Cindy's qualifying caches for the two different states finds plus an event requirement, chosen simply from her recently learned search technique for recent caches that fit the challenge parameter, were the following.

GC9CYCQ Go With The Flow, IL

GC5E3PR THE CACHE CAN/CACHE ME IF YOU CAN, IL

GC77A9R Crooked arrow, MO

GC8KX6N Where is the lady dolphin of the park?, MO 

GCAQFJ0 Happy solstice- Penguin Event, MO

When asked why she participates in Adventure Awaits, Cindy commented that "after learning about the Adventure Awaits monthly challenge, from another cacher (cootie_man), I thought I would give it a try.  I was able to qualify several months ago, but then missed a month.  This last month I tried again and SURPRISE I won the fabulous prize!  I’m very excited."

Read more: The Gateway to Summer Brings a new Winner!

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: June 28 2024

Last Updated: June 28 2024

Hits: 1176

{This article was written by Laurie and John Elfrank and submitted here on their behalf with some minor additions and  editing.}

Geocaching is a community driven game, and it relies on the support of more than 400 community volunteers. The volunteers are a diverse and dedicated group from over 35 countries who give their time to translate content, moderate forums and review cache pages on behalf of the global geocaching community.  Community volunteers are required to adhere to Geocaching HQ’s guidelines and are said to “Obey the Frog” (Signal the FROG is the geocaching.com’s mascot).

In the early 2000s, Groundspeak hosted a reviewer event, and it was called Obey, as in "Obey the Frog."  But as the number of volunteers grew, HQ stopped hosting the event, and instead let the volunteers take over hosting in different cities. In North America, they changed the name to (Dis)Obey.  

In June 2024, around 30 community volunteers descended upon St. Louis for their annual multi-day gathering in North America, hosted by Missouri reviewer MrHarmonica. Attendees included community volunteers from all over the U.S. and Canada, one from Germany, their families, and a Lackey WatermanHQ (a Geocaching HQ employee from Seattle). They started arriving on June 19, and spent the next four days enjoying activities that appealed to the volunteers and families.  MrHarmonica’s schedule included a guided tour of Bellefontaine Cemetery, mini golf at Swing-A-Round Fun Town, a hike at West Tyson County Park, an evening at Breakout Games escape rooms, a tour of  St. Louis craft breweries, and time sampling the local cuisine.

Read more: 2024 Community Volunteers have Fun DisObeying