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Three geocachers are on a cache run and at their middle point they decide to spend the night in a local hotel. They walk into a hotel, and find out there is only one room left. The desk manager tells them that room is $150/night and all three men have to share the room. Each man gives $50 and retires to their room.

Shortly there after, the desk manager realizes he overcharged them, the room was only supposed to be $100. He informs the bell hop of this error, and sends him to reimburse the men, with 5 $10 bills. On the way to the room, the bell hop got to thinking; 'none of the men know how much they were mischarged. I will give each of the men $10 and put $20 in my pocket.'

Each man was more than happy to get $10 back. Thus, each man originally gave $50. After the $10 return, each man now only gave $40.$40+$40+$40=$120. The bell hop kept $20. $120+$20=$140...WHERE IN HELL IS THE MISSING $10? This should add up to $150!



Think about it................. 
BH

It's a beautiful day for geocaching adventures and a nice long hike. You head out with some of your best buds and while hiking through a remote area you smell something that reminds you of cat piss. "Dude, is that you?" You say and yuck it up but soon you realize, this is no laughing matter. There, about 12 meters away, along side of that old rock wall is a HUGE pile of trash. WTF! Who would dump all that crap out here in the middle of nowhere? On closer investigation you immediately yell, "get back, everyone get back!". Rattlesnake? No, Bee's Nest, Worse! Something Much More Dangerous! A METH LAB DUMP! And there in the pop and drain cleaner bottles lies serious potential dangers to the unknowing. Especially us geocachers, we explore everything, right? Poke it with your stick! Better not!


WARNING!
It's not all rainbows and lollipops here at CacheCrazy.Com. At times we get a little edgy so if this post "offends" you, I apologize in advance.
Just click HERE to return to Disney World.
Thank you! BH

So, whats the big deal Bloodhounded you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

Making methamphetamine in rural forest areas is more common than you might think and its the least likely suspected areas. Oh, sure we all heard about the labs in apartments, trailers, basements and even in trunks of cars but are you aware that one of the most used areas for meth labs are the same forests that we use for recreation and the two together spell DANGER. And, it's not just the labs but what if you run into the "cooks" or owners? You know they're not right upstairs. And, if you're alone you're at a disadvantage. Be prepared to protect your life. Who would have thought that GEOCACHING would have ever led to this?!?!

I'm not trying to scare you, but you have to be aware of how to identify, properly report and protect yourself if you ever come across a meth lab or dump in the great outdoors. You wont find fancy statistical data and graphs here. What you will get is what to do, in the "extreme" rare occasion that you might be so lucky as to come across one of these babies. And, let me state for the record, I hope you never do:)

When I first thought of a methamphetamine lab, I envisioned these big test tubes being heated by a crucible and drawn down a filler tunnel into a piperclay triangle and reduced to a powdery substance that is snorted, smoked or injected. NOT SO - A traditional meth lab is a primitive design using a propane tank filled with anhydrous ammonia  fueled "cooker" that aids in the separation of the needed chemicals from the unneeded chemicals of cold medicines/antihistamines/Sudaphed and then processed through filters that dry and yield the "goods".  There are more processes and products involved but that's a different post on another blog.  The drug is then "stepped on" meaning it's mixed with other like byproducts to reduce the potency and maximize profits.

Ole'  Bloodhounded sounds like he's cooked up a batch or two in his time, right? Well, I do love to cook, but I'm not a drug maker (I'll leave that for real scientists like DctrSpott)  however, I'm "told" this is kinda how it's done. LOOK at  the ingredients, ugh! Anything with drain cleaner in it that you ingest in anyway, is not good for your health and well being! DUHHHH!


Another way to make a batch of meth is to use the "shake and bake" or "one pot" method. This is likely the most commonly used method of armature cooks who just want to make a batch for themselves. They add a bunch of crap together in liter soda bottle, you have to do it fast OR ELSE, shake it up, THERE IS FREAKING FIRE INSIDE THERE (as long as it doesn't blow, you're still in business), you have to vent it with a rubber hose (sure sign of a "one pot"), let all the different chemical reactions take place at the same time and if it doesn't explode into flames (can you say "Richard Pryor") and choke you to death with toxic gas, you got yourself some freshly cooked meth. This is by far the most dangerous method for many reasons I wont even get into. Don't think I have to, you guys are smart, right? (but if you have any questions, concerns or a user seeking help, just email me)



WHO does this freaking stuff? You might be surprised to know that meth has effected all walks of life and the enticement to "cook your own" is very real. From kids to seniors, gals and guys, even Grandmas cook meth (I can see a couple of users saying, "It ain't the meth that Grandma use to make" that's CRAZY!). All kinds of folks are cookin up meth and the cooks themselves are the most dangerous. Why? Because they have access to the "pure crystal meth" before it's "stepped on". That's bad shit man, and it makes folks go crazy. Among many sensations, the feeling of being indestructible comes to mind. If you're gonna fist fight one of these guys, good luck! I personally prefer a 9mm Glock but some pepper spray will do nicely. And, just a side note, these squatters are usually in very poor health so you CAN outrun them and there's nothing wrong with retreating. It's a life preservation game plan believe me. Run like hell!

Are you following me here? Good, because this part is important! DO NOT HESITATE, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY!  Even if you can't talk, they will start the ball rolling to get you help fast. You should give them the coords from your gps or smart phone OR they can pick you up on their system JUST DON'T HANG UP!

The rest my friends, is up to you. If you choose to carry pepper spray in your pack, it might be put to good use someday. A nasty wild dog, an overaggressive boyfriend or a meth cook, they all back down or slow down quickly after a shot to give you time to RUN! Do not fight these guys, they are bad-asses and often carry guns (and their stoned enough to use them). If you carry a gun, remember, it can be used against you so be ready to use it or lose it. These bastards are fast because they're all cranked up on meth and can quickly "fake you out", take your gun and BANG, you're dead. Think I'm kidding here?

GUYS! Don't go into areas that are known "kitchens". Woods near small cities are the worst, even large parks. Where there are squatters,  there are meth labs, the two go hand in hand. Under bridges, along railroad tracks, off well established paths (meth cooks don't like bushwhacking). Let's put it this way:


"You know you might find a meth lab if....."

• There is an old beat up car parked at the trail head parking area with LP Gas tanks in the back seat
• Lot's of recent litter like beer cans, cigarette packs and empty cold medicine packaging 
• Speaking of smokes, these guys HAVE TO smoke like chimneys, look for areas that have a lot of recent butts on the ground
• The area is a known "kitchen" (then your just asking for it)
• It only takes two days to cook up a batch of meth in a larger setup so look for "recent" signs of heavy traffic on trails
• You smell cat piss
• Any unfamiliar odor like fingernail polish remover or sulfur
• You hear clanging of LP gas tanks in the distance
• If you come across some "shady looking" folks on the path (hope that never happens to ya)  

For every pound of meth produced, 6 pounds of meth trash is left behind. Many times it's dumped off to the side or left as is and the cooks move on. They never stay in one place too long. If you come across a dump, don't touch it (CITO DOES NOT APPLY HERE). You could literally start a reaction from the sweat on your fingers, morning dew or rainwater. Report the dump and coords to the authorities or call 911. Also, if you do find a dump, don't think for one moment that the cooks are far away. Many times they just move a short distance because they're lazy and fearless so there could be trouble down the path. Go out the way you came in and get the hell out of there.

So, there you have it. In our love for the great outdoors we rarely come across serious dangers because we know certain things like; don't mess with a bear cub, don't stick your walking stick in a ground bees hive, don't throw rocks at a wasp nest, don't mess with a rattlesnake and don't underestimate the possibility of finding a meth lab or dump. Be prepared and enjoy the great outdoors, safely!
BH

A note from the author: While doing research for this post I was surprised of the lack of information available to the outdoor recreation enthusiast! I couldn't really find too much that told it "the way it is" so, I decided to put this together for you to share and learn of the dangers. My personal advise to you is: Want to get high? Climb a mountain. Want to get stoned? Rappel off a cliff.  Want a real head rush? Watch the sun set from a western rocky point. 

LIFE IS THE DRUG OF CHOICE, USE IT WISELY.  
If you feel you have more to add, please make an entree in the comments.
Bloodhounded

Whether you're a seasoned geocacher with thousands of finds under your belt or a newbie to geocaching, I think there's something for everyone in the recently published "101 Devil Caches."
Co-written by EJ Martin and Kurt Milligan, these guys know what they are talking about.  Lifelong friends and avid geocachers, they currently run the Madcacher Geocaching Blog and Navicache.com in an effort to share their geocaching experiences with others. 

Since they are fans of geocaches that are a little more difficult than a basic park and grab, they came up with the idea of this book to showcase caches that require thinking outside the box and using your wits to figure them out. 

The book is so much more than a cache primer - it begins with an excellent and detailed description of the game, how it began, the different types of geocaching hides, rules of geocaching, how it impacts our lands and society and finally, the future of geocaching.

Chapter 3 goes into a thorough lesson on GPS technology and how it works.  They then explain GPS units in general and tell you about some of the different capabilities they have and how to use them in conjunction with geocaching or other applications in your daily life.

Chapters 5 & 6 will tell you everything you want to know about joining in the fun.  They list step by step instructions on how to find or hide a cache as well as the different types of basic containers that are usually used.

The real nuts of bolts of the book though are the 101 devil caches that follow in chapter 7.  Each page gives a detailed description of a cache, how to make it, and an excellent drawing of what the cache should look like. If you're looking for some fun and creative caches to make, then you will find this section really useful.  But what I really liked about this section is that it would truly help the newbies to see examples of some of the devilish hides that are out there. 

Many of the caches in the book were ones I've seen over the course of my 3 1/2 years of caching.  But I have to admit there were a few I've not seen before and the book does a great job of getting you excited to try your hand at making some of these different caches. 

Pros:  If you're new to geocaching or thinking about giving it a try, I highly recommend this book to you.  It's a wonderful primer on the how's and why's of geocaching.  And if you're an experienced geocacher, I think you'd enjoy the book as well.  I found out some things about the early days of geocaching and about GPS units in general that I didn't know before.  And as I already mentioned, I'm itching to try my hand at some of the fun and creative caches they describe.  The authors plan to use the proceeds of their book to re-invest in their madcacher.com and navicache.com sites.

Cons:  They have one small, 2 page spread called Geocachers in Profile that I felt could have been expanded.  They only talked about 3 geocachers, and while this was interesting, and exciting since I was pleasantly surprised to see one mentioned that I know personally, I think they could have done an entire chapter on this.  For me, I would have liked to also see some interviews with cachers who have contributed something to the game, or maybe a few cachers who have over 50,000 finds, or even a few who have cached since the inception of the sport.  But that's totally my opinion and the focus of the book is on the devil caches themselves and not the geocachers.

Overall, this book was a good read, very thorough, written with humor and great attention to detail.  Very affordable at $ 14.95 per copy, you can go to the madcacher.com site and order a copy for yourself or to give as a gift.  While you're on their site, take some time to look around - read their blog, look for geocaching clubs in your area and do a little shopping.

I'd like to thank the guys over at madcacher.com for the review opportunity.  I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 Bugleann

This is the time of the year when the temperature can vary from 100 degrees to the mid-70s depending on how far inland the "coastal low cloud and fog" extends. Saturday was one of those mild days perfect for catching some "inland" caches that will be inaccessible in a few weeks because of the heat.

So, once again I drove over to the "Park and Ride" near Descanso to meet a friend. He has a new van and was willing to drive up the roads in the Laguna Mountain/Sunrise Highway area. The closest cache we saw in our GPSrs was north of Pine Valley. It was a surprise to see this little one-lane road was paved. Had I known that, I could have driven my car.

The first cache we got to was "easy peasy." It was a small container inside a 4" diameter pipe. However, the last people to put it away, put it way inside the pipe. It is a good thing I have very long arms or I wouldn't have been able to reach it. The next cache was "in a bush" according to the hint. So, I took the hint literally and thought it might be another one of those DeCon containers hanging from a branch in one of the four or five bushes near GZ.

There were a bunch of biting flies bothering us as we conducted our ever-lengthening search. I read and re-read the past logs and then somehow saw the ammo box on the ground "under" the bush. 



I know it is a manner of semantics, but I would have written the hint differently. That was another example of taking the available information too literally, something I have a tendency to do with most everything.

One cache had a great view to the west. It also gave us a nice look at all the new growth after the devastating fires.



Some of these thistle blossoms were nearly two inches in diameter.



We missed the turnoff to one cache because of the limited parking available, but we found a nice hike in the trip to T.R. Violin's "Big Tree Down" cache. As we bushwacked through the high grasses, the sound of water drew us over to this little waterfall.


After finding the horse gate, I wanted to walk up to the big tree, since that was the reason T.R. placed the cache. He said he discovered the tree some 30 years ago. It must have been spectacular, and it is too bad the fires of October 2003 finally caused its demise.


We walked back to the horse gate and started our search for the cache. I was just going to check the past logs in my Palm again when I heard and odd tapping sound. My friend had found the container under a nearby bush while searching with the walking stick.

I took some pictures of this spectacular tree on the way back to the car. Maybe another cache should be placed near it to celebrate the fact that it is still standing.


We finally reached the end of the Old Burma Road and started back, but then a cache showed up in my GPSr only .3 mile behind us. So we turned around and found the Kwaaymii High View cache.



Last spring I met a couple in Joshua Tree National Park who told me they like to take pictures of their shadows. The late light gave me an opportunity to get a self-portrait.



The late afternoon light accented the beauty of the unique rock formations and this yucca growing in the windswept area of this spectacular viewpoint.




Our last cache of the day was one by Duscwé! It was located at a viewpoint platform that had been built so even people in a wheelchair can see the awesome view of the desert below.

Finally, in fading light and with the headlights on, we gave up the search for caches search and headed home for the day.


__________________________________________________



This post was written by Miragee from her personal blog Musing About Geocaching. You'll find a lot of great articles and awesome adventures there. Karen is a regular contributor to CacheCrazy.Com.
Thank you!

Geocaching hasn't exactly found it's niche in cinema.  Sure, there's Splinterheads, but outside of that, not much else.  In addition, you never see it on television.  I've heard it was mentioned once on an episode of Law & Order, but I have yet to see it for myself.  There are plenty of movies and television shows out there, and as such, I find it hard to believe NO ONE on those shows geocaches!  So, let's suspend belief for a few moments and reflect back on characters in recent (and not-so-recent) memory.  For various reason, aspects about these ten characters, in my opinion, carry over very well into the game of Geocaching.







Tim "The Toolman" Taylor from Home Improvement- Tim was always modifying some household object or objects in order to get them to accomplish something they weren't really meant to do.  Haven't we all, at some point or another, looked at something in our home and thought to ourselves "Hey, that would make a great cache container!"  I rest my case.


Ogilvie from The Bad News Bears- Not the most athletic of the squad, Ogilvie was the bookkeeper and the unofficial team dork.  He also had a way with numbers.  I bet if you gave him a puzzle cache, he'd be able to crack the code without even breaking a sweat!

Emilio from Mr. Deeds- The eccentric butler from Adam Sandler's 2002 Comedy Mr. Deeds had a knack for showing up, unexpected, wherever his employer, Longfellow Deeds, happened to be. "I'm very, very sneaky!"  Sounds like a FTF hound to me!

Steve Urkel- "Did I do that?"  Urkel was the consummate nerd.  His science projects never quite lived up to expectations, but he did whatever was necessary in an attempt to win the heart of his neighbor, Laura.  Had Family Matters been set in the present day, I could imagine Steve Urkel geocaching, whenever he wasn't harassing the Winslows.

Cliff Clavin-  If there's one guy who could have written one heck of a cache description page, I bet it would have been Cliff Clavin.  He was a walking encyclopedia, knew a little bit of what seemed to be everything, and was quite articulate.  He also always paid attention to detail.  This Cheers mainstay would, undoubtedly, write a very descriptive cache log, as well.

MacGyver- Oh, come on, geocaching or not, who wouldn't want to hang out with MacGyver?  This mild mannered special agent had a profound knowledge of science.  More importantly, he was able to make great use of even the  most mundane objects.  Have you ever been to a cache site, and spotted the cache, but couldn't figure out how to get it, or how to open it?  I bet MacGyver would have been able to grab or open it, probably with a wad of gum or, perhaps, a rubber band.