February’s Repeat Adventure Awaits Winner

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: March 12 2025

Last Updated: March 12 2025

Hits: 101

The last full month of winter challenged Adventure Awaits participants to find 5 non-traditional geocaches with one being an event. No one did that better than the repeat winner stevendede (Steve Jacobs).  

Steve won in November 2023 during the inaugural year of SLAGA's monthly challenge, so we know a little about this high geo-achiever.  But during the past 15 months since his first win, Steve has increased his caching finds from 16,056 caches to 18,301, and hidden 8 additional caches. He also recently completed a personal challenge of 1355 consecutive days with finds.  In 2024 alone, Steve found more than 1900 caches, his most productive year since he started caching in 2011. He has over 300 cache finds this year so far, with five of them being his qualifying caches for the February 2025 Adventure Awaits win.  

GCAEZWA - CASC 2024- Tatooine - Letterbox

GC96B2F - Dr. Alien's Wickedly Wonderful Wherigo #131

GCGJ53 - Original McDonalds - McToy Museum - Virtual

GC4E3JV - Holtville Hot Springs - Earthcache

GCAKZ9Y - Yuma Block Party: Thanks GCHQ for 25 Amazing

When asked why he chose these caches and some favorite caching experiences since he won last, he combined it all into his story of an awesome week-long caching trip he took with his buddy Vorlon40 to the Yuma, Arizona Block Party. 

"We flew to Phoenix and spent 2 days caching around Phoenix and Mesa, highlighted by a desert hike to Arizona's oldest cache (GC57) and dinner with frequent SLAGA visitors Jim & Marline (eagles_landing). Next we headed towards San Diego, logging California's oldest cache (GC5B) along the way. But that was all in January, so they didn't count for the February Adventure Awaits. 

On February 1st, we cached our way from Santa Monica back to Yuma. Along the way we stopped for a Star Wars themed letterbox hybrid CASC 2024- Tatooine (GCAEZWA), a couple reverse-Wherigo hides in the series of Dr. Alien's Wickedly Wonderful Wherigos (GC96B2F), and a quick visit to the Original McDonalds - McToy Museum for a virtual cache (GCGJ53). After an overnight south of Desert Springs, we stopped at in Holtville, CA to smell the sulfur at the Holtville Hot Springs Earthcache (GC4E3JV) before finally arriving at our target, the Yuma Block Party: "Thanks GCHQ for 25 Amazing Years" to earn the rare GCHQ Block Party icon.  Now I've logged every one of the 20 geocache types created by Groundspeak.

The block party was a blast, with lots of fun caching around Yuma plus the opportunity to cross the border into Los Algodones, Mexico for a CITO, a lunch event, and several caches.  That evening we cached our way back to Phoenix for our flight home."

As Steve has always claimed, his favorite caching experiences involve travel, and that is certainly the case with his February winning caches and geo-trip.  It appears he doesn't actually 'await' adventures, but travels and finds them himself by geocaching state and worldwide!

Congratulations and Cache On Steve!

Adventure Awaits this New Year!

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: February 12 2025

Last Updated: February 12 2025

Hits: 330

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.

Winter Potluck 2025-SLAGA Style

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: January 28 2025

Last Updated: January 29 2025

Hits: 349

It was time to break free from the cabin fever here in St.Louis, and the SLAGA Winter Potluck 2025 Event was the ticket out! Over 80 geocachers met at the Pavilion at Lemay facility in Jefferson Barracks park on January 25, 2025. 

This highlight event was hosted by LFrank and Denmother, with the help of many volunteers. Set-up/Clean-up crew included Mixed Breed, SWAseeker, arabbit&ubuck, Repmul, and spiritwolf922. The potluck food organizers were MrsSpongy, jray131 and Stormrider. At the registration/GeoBingo table were How-D and magpie, alongside nan-d1955 and GeoKid12 performing their board officer duties. The Trackable table was overseen by stargazer61, and raffle tickets were sold by Loonwoman and Bluedaisey. The efforts of ibew ret proved advantageous for 50/50 ticket sales as the winning purse amounted to $125.

During the event, geocachers always enjoy each others' company and share caching stories, but could also play games (GeoBingo and 50/50), participate in the raffle, visit and exchange trackables, and munch down on gobs of delicious food as well!  Each family brought a shared dish to help feed the group, including chicken, sliders, dollar sandwiches, mostaccioli, pasta and other casseroles, salads, vegetables, fruit, breads, soups, desserts and more!  No one in attendance went hunger at this enormous potluck spread! 

Read more: Winter Potluck 2025-SLAGA Style

Check out the SLAGA Apparel Store!

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Written by Robert Klemme

Published: January 25 2025

Last Updated: January 25 2025

Hits: 231

As announced at the Winter Potluck, SLAGA apparel featuring our new mascot Louie the Lion will be available for purchase for a limited time!

Buy yours today!

https://slaga2025store.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Store closes FEBRUARY 16, 2025 11:59 PM.

Best of SLAGA 2024

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Written by John Layman

Published: January 06 2025

Last Updated: January 06 2025

Hits: 429

Best of SLAGA, Favorite Caches Placed in 2024

Of the ~390 new caches published in the 100 mile radius SLAGA territory in 2024, these are the top caches, as determined by % of favorite points awarded.

By cache type

By overall % of favorite points awarded

Congrats and thanks to the Cache Owners and everyone else who continues to create and support quality caches in the St. Louis area!