Geocaching with 4-H

Highlights of the Geocaching fun!

Morris County 4-H has hidden geocaches at 4-H related locations throughout the county with little 4-H or club related treasures inside. The list of Geocaches is available at https://coord.info/BM9DDCZ and further down on this page.

The goal is to find as many of them as possible and learn about 4-H and different clubs along the way.

Here are some Highlights from July 2021 Geocaching Challenge:

  • 34 families participated

  • 57 finds total

  • 2 caches marked as a favorite by Geocachers
    ("Do you Mine?" & "STEAM Punks")

Winners

  • Players with most finds:

      1. Jessic417 - found almost all 8
        Was close to find the last one, but couldn’t for reasons out of their control

      2. Harry Dolphin

      3. 1CavyQueen

  • Cache with most finds: "Thanks"
    Hidden at the Chester ShopRite parking lot to thank them and others who have supported our fair in the past through donations

  • Most difficult to find: Minecraft Club’s "Do you Mine?"

  • Best guarded geocache: "STEAM Punks"
    See deer picture. There was also a buck that actually started to charge David and Celia!

  • Most picturesque cache: "Buckanears" (see pictures)

  • Best collaboration Geocache: "Knit Wits"
    This involved club leaders, library staff and town officials to approve the hide.

  • Most Booby-trapped Geocache: Teen Council’s "Nuts about 4H"
    Multiple large ground hog holes near hide


Best Comments

Geocache "NUTS about 4H"

7/2/2021 FatDuke

This was our first ever geocache! Our group had so much fun finding it. Thank you for contributing to our analog play. Best, FatDuke and family.

7/9/2021 DeeDeeGeoDude

Found it! Great spot! Our first ever Geocache! Thanks to the people who organized!


Geocache "STEAM Punks"

7/1/2021 tyva28

TFTC. When I saw this published I had to go to the calendar to check the date. It is indeed July first. So off we went in hopes to keep the monthly FTF streak going (and get it out of the way). It's close to home and we drove directly to the parking lot at Strobaeus Park Field off of Felch Rd (NOT off of Brooklake Road). This is a new path and the town just put up some new signs. Approaching GZ my coords were bouncing a bit but I saw what was described in the hint. I pointed it out to Mr Tyva and he found the container laying out in the open. Anxiously I opened it and happily found a clean log sheet. Signed the log at 11:50 AM and my (FTF) streak is safe for another month. We replaced the cache hidden under a small geo-pile. Mr Tyva wants to give this a favorite in tribute to the work done by the 4-H and because it was a quick and close first finder.


Geocache "Thanks"

7/2/2021 DEGoldy

I watched this sit there all day yesterday and today wondering why no one had logged it. I finally decided to make the long trip to see for myself. Pulled up to GZ as the cache was being discovered and joined in the signing party. Nice to meet you folks and hope to meet up again at the MEGA. Thanks to the CO for placing and maintaining this cache. Now for the leisurely ride home, ha.

7/2/2021 Roxbury Devil

FTF!!! No.95 for me, and the second today. Having gotten the 4H-Do you MINE? FTF with the Little Landing Devil, we decided to try our luck with this one as well. I got of the car and knew where it had to be, and as I'm fumbling to get the logbook out, and some swag falling out, I see a car pulling right across from me. I saw the front license plate was a trackable and knew it was a geocacher - DEGoldy!!! He had driven 2+ hours from PA to try and grab this FTF as well! Well you made 3 geocachers happy with this FTF! Again, every cache has a story! Nice to have met you DEGoldy and hope to see you at NNJC's MEGA event. TFTH. TFTC.

...

07/26/2021 GeoSam123

One of the coolest P&G'S we have found. It is not like a little pill container stashed under a lamp post. Soooooo much better than that. Thanks for the Cache!



Geocache Talk:

FTF - First to Find

TFTC - Thanks for the Cache

GZ - Ground Zero (location of the cache)

CO - Cache Owner

P&G - Park & Grab

Here are the geocaches for our challenge.

Or use this link: https://coord.info/BM9DDCZ to the list in the geocaching app.

  1. Morris County 4H: Do you MINE?
    N040 46.488 W074 43.302 #GC9DBCJ

  2. Morris County 4H: Knit Wits
    N 40° 49.865 W 074° 25.992 #GC9CZCR

  3. Morris County 4H: STEAM Punks
    N 40° 46.921 W 074° 23.130 #GC9CZFE

  4. Morris County 4H: Nuts about 4-H
    N 40° 49.903 W 074° 31.404 #GC9D21Q

  5. Morris County 4H: Buckanears #GC9DA6Y
    N 40° 54.087 W 074° 35.739

  6. Morris County 4H: Science-Sational! #GC9DA5G
    N 040° 51.312' W 074° 34.786'

  7. Morris County 4H: Thanks #GC9DBEP
    N 40° 46.775 W 074° 41.777

  8. Morris County 4H: Be the Change #GC9DCW5
    N 40° 48.104 W 074° 30.53

*By entering our July contests or attending our events you agree to adhere to the 4-H Code of Conduct and allow 4-H to highlight and share challenge entries and photos of the events on the website and other media. Only first name and last initials will be used to identify the artists or participants. Please be respectful of private properties etc. on your geocaching adventure.

How to do the 4-H Geocache Challenge!

The 4-H geocaches are still available. How many will you find?

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Internet access

  • a smart phone with a GPS

  • a pen or pencil, for some geocaches will not supply them

  • a power bank and charger for your phone might be very handy

  • water, bug spray and sunscreen, if you’ll be doing several geocaches in one outing

What to do:

  • Visit https://www.geocaching.com

  • Create an account with a cool user name (no cost)

  • Go to the list of Morris County 4-H Geocaches called "To Make the Best Better"

  • Click “Map List” (folded map symbol on the far right in the gray bar above the list)

  • Plan your trip to find them

  • Alternatively, put in the coordinates or the GC code from the list below

  • Using a smart phone with a GPS, download the app called Geocaching and log in

  • Once at the physical site, use the app on your phone to zone in on the cache

  • Once you find the cache, date and sign the log

  • In the app, mark the geocache as FOUND (or NOT FOUND)

  • We would love to see how you are doing! If you’d like, take some pictures and send them to 4hmorris@njaes.rutgers.edu