The Trailmix.Net Blog

May 2008 - Posts

Attending a Geocaching Mega Event with Kids: Tales from GeoWoodstock VI

As luck would have it, the granddaddy of all geocaching events happened right in our backyard this weekend. The sixth anniversary of GeoWoodstock, an event that draws thousands of Geocachers from around the world, took place in Wheatland CA. We have never attended a Geocaching mega event and had no idea what we were in for. We found that it was well planned, family friendly, and loaded with fun.

Kid Friendly Activities

We discovered geocaching while we were doing research for Trailmix.Net and have always found the sport to be well suited for children. The largest Geocaching community event in the world was no different. After spending five minutes at GeoWoodstock VI it was obvious that great care and an enormous amount of planning had gone into making sure that there were activities that would appeal to younger age groups.

Our kids spent much of the day panning for gold, petting farm animals, riding a train, exploring barns and playhouses, and listening to music. In fact, we were having so much fun we missed the magic show.

Seminars and Demonstrations

For parents and older kids there were a set of seminars and demonstrations. This alone was worth the trip in and cost of admission (free). Topics included compass and map navigation, using GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife), tips and tricks for using Google maps, GPS basics, and managing risk on hikes.

One really interesting display was of an original can of beans that was included in the first geocache. To me, the reverence during the unveiling of the OCB is a perfect snapshot of the fun and usually quirky atmosphere you will find in the Geocaching Community.

View original media here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bhAXAmTwnx4

Youtube video of the revealing of the OCB (Original Can of Beans)

Geocaching Online has a great post with more about the seminars and demonstrations.

Geocaching

Obviously, no world class Geocaching convention would be complete without a healthy dose of geocaching. A number of cache runs were coordinated through the event and there were countless informal cache runs. People were caching 24/7. We actually met a group from Denmark that found over 300 caches in a marathon midnight-to-midnight caching extravaganza. They weren't the only ones geocaching into the late evening. One of our in Roseville caches was found 1-3 times an hour all night long until the event started.

GeoCoins, and Travelbugs

Near the entrance was the largest gathering of travelbugs that I have ever seen. There were trackable bugs, trackable dogs, even trackable people. A tent and several tables were dedicated just to managing the drop off and pick up area. We were able to log a new favorite: "Jenny", the green Volkswagen bus the Old Hippy and Granny drive from event to event.

Once the main event was wrapped up, a secondary event broke out in a nearby hotel. I was amazed by the number of travelbugs at Geowoodstock VI, but the number of geocoins at the Geocoin Swap Meet event after Geowoodstock VI really blew me away. People came out of the woodwork and completely took over the conference area, lobby, and patio. It was amazing. About 150 people brought their own collections in boxes, albums, and fishing tackle boxes. Several custom coins were also on display. Geocaching mayhem.

GeoWoodstock VII, Bell Buckle Tennessee

Next year, Geowoodstock will be held in Bell Buckle Tennessee. We are going to make every effort to attend. If you are a geocacher, have kids, and have the opportunity, we highly recommend a GeoWoodstock event. This was an adventure that our kids will remember for a long time.

More Information: Here are some other Geowodstock VI posts that I found in the blogosphere....

GeoWoodstock VI - The Big Day! | Geocaching Online - GeoWoodstock VI was an obvious success as around 3000 Geocachers from all over the world converged on the small town of Wheatland, California. This was our.
GeoWoodstock VI Meet And Greet Fun! | Geocaching Online - We just got back from the GeoWoodstock Meet and Greet that was held tonight not too far from our hotel here to Roseville, California. It was estimated that.
geowoodstock vi - geowoodstock vi, originally uploaded by c.bellevie. woo hoo! gw! sick as a dog, but i still had a blast. and i even got to run into princess mousekatat! bookmark.
the road to geowoodstock vi - wow… it’s taken me a long time to catch up on logging and photos, but here’s the first of my posts on my trip to geowoodstock and beyond! i drove up to sacramento on friday, intending to get to the evening meet and greet, ...
geowoodstock vi goodbye breakfast - called ‘thanks for the memories’, it gave us a chance to say good-bye to all of the new friends that we met at geowoodstock vi and it also gave us a chance to make some new ones too! the food was excellent and there was lots of it, ...
hiking, geocaching, waymarking, etc » Blog Archive » Updated: GW6 ... - Tags:events, geocaching, Geocoins, geowoodstock, GeoWoodstock VI but wait there's other events happening around the mega event! As I'd hate to forget about these other events, so decided to update this post as I find out about them. You must be logged in to post a comment. Register Log in Entries RSS Comments RSS WordPress.

Posted May 26 2008, 05:52 PM by Mike Barlow with 3 comment(s)

Filed under: Northern California, Geocaching, Family Outdoor Recreation, Exploration

Hiking With Children in Calaveras Big Tree State Park

The year was 1852 and Augustus T. Dowd was tracking a grizzly bear that he had wounded. As he walked through the unfamiliar forest he was stunned to find a tree larger than any he had ever seen. He returned to his mining camp and told his tale. After a fair amount of ridicule he was able to convince others to come to the giant trees that he had found. One hundred and fifty years later you too can visit the grove of trees that Dowd discovered.

For those of you who might be reading this blog for the first time, our family likes to track down giant trees. It was a hike to Merced Grove in Yosemite National Park that we sparked the idea of creating Educational Expeditions. This was a follow up visit to continue our exploration of sequoia groves and development into amateur botanists.

The North Grove Trail: Distance and Trail Conditions

While in Calaveras Big Tree State Park, we hiked the gentle 1.5 mile North Grove trail. This trail has minimal elevation gain and is perfect for families with young children. In fact if you are in the process of calibrating the hiking capabilities of your kids, this is a near perfect starting point (click here for a tutorial on setting realistic expectations when hiking with kids).

The trail begins at the parking area. For $0.50 you can pick up a booklet that identifies a number of trees by name and provides an excellent orientation to the sights you will see along the way including illustrations of other trees such as sugar pine, incense cedar, and dogwood. Alternatively, you can order this guide by mail from the Calaveras Big Trees Association.

After a short walk from the parking lot, you will find The Big Stump. This is the remains of that first tree that Dowd discovered. Unfortunately, there are a couple of examples along the North Grove Trail where a complete lack of foresight by our ancestors resulted in the destruction of truly amazing specimens. The big stump is the first.

The conditions of the North Grove trail are excellent. If you have a jogging stroller, you should have no trouble getting around.

Go here for an overview of other trails in the park.

Action Scenery:

Whenever you select a hike for kids, you want to orient them to the local action scenery. Action scenery can include waterfalls, wildlife, or other points of interest. Unfortunately, trees don't move nearly as much as waterfalls. Luckily, since each of the trail notes on the $0.50 park guide are clearly numbered along the way, younger children will have fun racing ahead to find the next sequentially marked sign.

Getting There:

From SF Bay Area
Take I-580 eastbound over Altamont Pass to I-205 toward Manteca, to US 99 North. Take the exit for State Hwy 4 Eastbound (Angel's Camp) to the Park Entrance. Hwy 4 makes a jog to the right in Angel's Camp along State Hwy 49, then jogs left just before leaving town. Calaveras Big Trees is about 35 minutes driving from Angel's Camp.

From Southern California
Take either I-5 or US 99 North. From I-5 you can cross to the other side of Stockton on State Hwy 4 to 99/4 South a few miles, then follow Hwy 4 towards and beyond Farmington to the Park. Hwy 4 makes a jog right in Angel's Camp, then jogs left just before leaving town. Calaveras Big Trees is about 35 minutes driving time from Angel's Camp.

From Sacramento
Take US 99 South to Stockton, turning off onto State Hwy 4 towards and beyond Farmington to the Park (through Angel's Camp). Driving time to the Park from Stockton is approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes. An alternate route is to take State Hwy 16 southeast to State Hwy 49 South through the goldrush towns to Angel's Camp, making a left turn on the far side of town on State Hwy 4 to the Park. Driving time from Angel's Camp is approximately 35 minutes.

From Nevada
Take US 395 to State Hwy 89 West to the terminus of State Hwy 4, up over Ebbett's Pass to the Park. The road is closed in Winter. It's very scenic, but so steep and tortuous that trailers and large motorhomes are ill-advised to use it.

Reference: Calaveras Big Tree State Park website.

Posted May 22 2008, 03:16 AM by Mike Barlow with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: Northern California, Hikes for Kids, Northern California Trails, Hiking, Family Outdoor Recreation, Exploration

Whale Watching with Kids

Looking for a new spin on an educational expedition? How about whale watching? Here is a brief tutorial on how to get started, resources, locations, citizen science projects, and some other special topics for kids.

<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/0YVsELR7Q48">http://www.youtube.com/v/0YVsELR7Q48</a></p>

View original media here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YVsELR7Q48

I have blogged periodically about bird and other animal watching with kids, but one subject that I haven't written about yet is whale watching. The primary reason for this lapse in blogging is because... well.... I don't know much about it. Using the magic of the World Wide Web I was able to contact some people who actually know quite a bit about the subject (credits below).

The product of that discussion is here for all to enjoy.

Whale Watching: Background and Getting Started.

Whale watching as an organized activity began in the early 1950's in San Diego when people began to visit Cabrillo National Monument to observe the migration of Gray Whales. In New England, organized whale watching gained traction in the mid 1980's but instead of the Grey Whale (extinct in the Atlantic), the Humpback whales are a focus of attention. To find out what species are near your geographical location, go here.

Where the Whales are: Whale Watching Locations

Humpbacks feed in the Gulf of Main from late April to September. In the winter months they travel south to the Caribbean to feed and calf.

Gray Whales travel north to south between October and January. They are usually seen in California around mid-December to early January. They begin to return North in March to mid April.

A simple Google search for whale watching at an east or west coast location will pull up numerous commercial whale watching tours. If you do decide to charter a boat, find a reputable company associated with organizations like WWF, or groups actively engaged in research such as CRESLI or Allied Whale.

While there are some places where you can watch whales from shore in New England, a boat tour that will carry you out to the banks and ledges where the whales feed is recommended. If you plan to watch whales from shore in California, here are some recommended locations:

MacKerricher State Park
Bodega Head

Point Reyes National Seashore

Chimney Rock

Muir Beach Overlook

Point Bonita

Julia Pfiefer Burns State Park

San Simeon State Park

Point Dume State Beach

Cabrillo National Monument

Resources for Whale Watching:

On the web:

Journey North: Gray Whale tracking.

Center For Coastal Studies: A research group from Provincetown Mass.

Whale Center of New England: A humpback research group.

Allied Whale: Holds the catalogue for whale identification.

Gray Whale Census: Surveying the northbound migration of gray whales

The Marine Mammal Center: Marine Mammal Information

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: Underwater maps of Monterey Bay.

Ocean Alliance: Videos, audio, and scientific reports.

It is a good idea to read up on the whales you are watching. Here are some guidebooks to get you started:

On the trail of the whale

Whale Watcher: A Global Guide to Watching Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises, in the Wild

Citizen Science Whale Watching Projects:

The term citizen science is a used to describe a research project where volunteers help scientists collect data. Citizen science projects are an almost perfect complement to any educational expedition. If you are planning to watch humpback whales and have a camera, the Flickr.com humpbackflukes group uses photos uploaded to Flickr to build a catalogue of humpback whales and track their activity.

Photo: Humpback fluke, credit: ahisgett via flickr.com

Special Tips for Whale Watching with Kids:

Dress right, wear warm clothes in layers, bring sunscreen, and if you are going to be on a boat wear some rubber or slip proof shoes.

"The perfect whale-watcher, we decided has 360 degree vision (since the whales can appear anywhere, even if you see them dive, they can change direction under water), 3 legs (for stability on a rocking boat) and 4 arms (two to hold your camera steady, one to hold on to the rail of the boat, and one to hold your hat on when the wind picks up!"

-Tim Ellis

If you aren't watching whales from shore, be prepared for motion sickness. Stay out on deck, sit in the center of the boat and focus on the horizon, and bring a supply of Dramamine. There are also some alternative cures for seasickness that include pressure point bracelets, ginger pills, and or ginger ale.

Special Credits:

As I mentioned earlier, I got a lot of help with this post from the people at the All Whales Discussion forum on Flickr.com. Specifically, Yeimaya, Tim Ellis, and Nikki and Jason. If you like, you can read the full thread here.

Posted May 14 2008, 04:08 AM by Mike Barlow with 3 comment(s)

Filed under: Northern California, Techniques and Tips, Family Outdoor Recreation, Exploration, Whale Watching