Cacher of the Month - March 2009

manitoba marauders

manitoba marauders

The manitoba marauders have been caching for a little over a year and half. In that short amount of time, they were able to hide at least 26 caches around Portage la Prairie, including the popular and challenging puzzle cache Manitoba ABC Soup (GC1E9KJ). By hiding these caches, the manitoba marauders now have 50% of the caches in the area and are attracting many geocachers to the Portage la Prairie area.

When did you start Geocaching?

September 9 2007

How did you find out about Geocaching?

Daemun, our son, who was going to University in Winnipeg, came home one weekend with an interesting travel bug. We found several caches around Portage that weekend (with no GPS), and I was hooked. We soon purchased a GPSr as "we would also be able to use it to find out exactly how many acres are in a field"!!! Still haven't actually done this but it sounded good at the time!

What was it about geocaching that got you hooked into the game?

The trackables really intrigued me. I still keep track of where some of the trackables that we have seen are now. I also enjoy watching where others have gone, seeing pictures and reading logs and cache descriptions of far away lands. It gives me something to do while trying to stay awake for the 2 am calving checks. I was also amazed that if I hid a cache people would come find it so that was one of the first things we did hiding Jack Shack (GC15V83) on the first day we went geocaching.

Have you cached in any other provinces, countries?

Yes I was able to do a bit of caching in Nova Scotia while chaperoning a band trip last spring.

Have you ever introduced someone to geocaching? If so, who?

We have introduced a lot of students through school. Thomson3 is a PE teacher who I helped get going on geocaching and now she does Geocaching with her PE classes.

How do you describe the sport of Geocaching to your family and friends who haven't tried it yet?

A treasure hunt with a GPS

What are other interests or hobbies that you have (please go into detail / accomplishments)?

Being beef farmers that takes up a lot of our time! We also like to ride our horses, and I love gardening especially flowers. The mini marauders are in 4-H and have been very successful showing their cattle, doing speeches and going on trips.

What are some things you don't like about geocaching? What are your pet peeves?

One thing we don't like is that we don't have enough time to cache as much as we would like to! Also we enjoy caches large enough for some swag, so we often do not go for the micros or nanos.

What is the most interesting/unusual place that geocaching has taken you?

Peggys Cove was very beautiful - I love the ocean. The Swiss Air Memorial cache was a very sobering experience.

What is the most memorable cache that you have found (or tried to find?)?

Our very first FTF was at The Great War Monument Trove (GC16DR0). When we saw a new cache was posted all 5 marauders jumped in the truck and headed to town armed with flashlights. As we neared the area we noticed a pack of muggles right near the cache so we had to circle the block a few times. Once the muggles left the area the marauders swarmed the area with flashlights but could find no Tupperware! Then realizing it was a TROVE the light came on! Well actually the solar powered lights at the site were not on! So the Trove was found inside the solar lights! I can tell you this as the cache was muggled. The marauders were ecstatic as they headed home with the FTF certificate in hand. The Trove Chasers later replaced the cache with a micro. Every time I went past I would have a quick look for the new cache. The mini marauders even searched the area with several friends. After several unofficial hunts as I usually had not brought my GPSr once again the light came on! I found the micro and the Troves had given me another evil lesson on cache hiding.

What is your most interesting item found in a cache?

Most recently it was a soother TB called Suck This!

What items if any do you carry with you when you go on a hunt?

Farm trucks are very well equipped with various tools that are useful for geocaching!

What kind of GPSr do you use?

Magellan eXplorist 500

What methods do you use to avoid muggle detection?

When the minis are present it's easy!

What is the meaning of your username?

The minis picked this name and had it registered right away as they thought they were to become "marauding pirates" with geocaching.

What was the most memorable travel bug that you have found?

It's hard to pick one when there are so many favorites! Skull Compass Geocoin; mi-vache, mi-cochon!; The Golden Lady Carousel Horse; and Sand Dollar v 2.5 are 4 that we watch regularly

Which geocachers do you respect or standout to you the most?

I think all cachers who go out in winter are very dedicated. I have a soft spot in my heart for the ones who come to Portage la Prairie to find marauder caches!

With whom do you normally go geocaching?

Usually we just go ourselves and it may be only 1 of us or any number up to all 5 of us.

If you could cache anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?

Australia.

Is there a challenging local cache you have in your sights right now? Which one?

Moo-seum (GC1DQYB), a multi in St Claude, we have a geocoin that wants to go there so it's next on the list.

Of your placed caches, which is your favorite? Why?

It's hard to pick a favorite as they were all fun but have really enjoyed all the feedback from the Manitoba ABC Soup (GC1E9KJ). Also Rock in the Snow Travel Bug Hotel (GC19H6X) was a lot of fun to hide.

What kind of books do you prefer to read? What was the last book you read?

Read all types of books with the last one being Catherine Cookson's The Harrogate Secret.

Can you play a musical instrument?

Does the radio count??? Minis S and B play the fiddle and mini C plays the piano, mama and papa stick to the radio!

How far from your house is the nearest unfound cache?

2.7 miles, a micro called The Eagle Has Landed (he crowed)

Besides your GPSr, what other tools (electronic or otherwise), or software do you make use of?

Nothing but the computer to find out the coordinates, although I did download GSAK onto my computer but haven't figured out how to use it. We are still at the stage of writing the coordinates down and then finding the cache. Not too good with all this high tech stuff!