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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: March 12 2025

Last Updated: March 12 2025

Hits: 1247

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!

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Written by Robert Klemme

Published: January 25 2025

Last Updated: January 25 2025

Hits: 1033

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.

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Written by John Layman

Published: December 11 2024

Last Updated: December 11 2024

Hits: 1237

Gas up your Cheverolet to see the USA! Coming soon to a US state near you, per Geocache Talk Network:

Cache Odyssey is an exciting project aimed at creating the nation’s first fully accessible set of GeoTours, where every geocache is thoughtfully designed to be handicap-accessible.

There will be one Cache Odyssey cache in each US state, similar to Cache Across America.  Each cache will be a Letterbox Hybrid with a unique stamp (collect all 50), will be a T1, and will be size Regular or larger. They say that "all are going to be amazing". For the statistically addicted there will be a leader board so you can follow the obsessed on their hunt or check your standings. Leaderboard Link

Each cache is also included in one of 6 GeoTours divided up by regions, so you can collect 6 new GeoTour souvenirs. There is a rumor that there will be a 7th souvenir for those who collect all 6 regional souvenirs.

All of the caches will publish on December 29th at 7pm CST, so start your engines

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: December 10 2024

Last Updated: December 10 2024

Hits: 946

A Recipe for SLAGA Success

Ingredients:

     1 President

     2 Vice Presidents

     1 Treasurer

     1 Secretary

     As many geocaching members as possible

     And a handful of each of these:

            positive attitude, passion, confidence, motivation,      

            open-mindedness, vision, creativity, financial savvy,

            innovative thinking, and networking skills

Now mix all these together in the St. Louis area to create an alluring organization worthy of active participation and pride, and led by conscientious, reliable officers.

What this looks like in reality for the St. Louis Area Geocachers Association (SLAGA) is a group of elected officers, a few appointed individuals who assist in managing its business side, and a high-membership organization of enthusiastic geocachers. But before the nitty-gritty of what the SLAGA board and organization does today, it's time to announce the board member voting results as revealed at the Fall Picnic 2024 event for those that missed the picnic.  

Congratulations go out to the new SLAGA board, which happens to look a lot like our past with re-elected President Michael Smith (cootie_man) once again at the helm, assisted by our re-elected Vice President Robert Klemme (GeoKid12), as well as our ongoing term Vice President John Layman (vorlon40), our Treasurer Nan Dabler (nan-d1955), and Secretary Susan Adams (Treasure Isle).  We bid farewell, with tremendous thanks, however, to our past Secretary Melissa Pierce (socibutte) for all her help with the secretarial duties this past transitional year.  Enjoy 'board retirement,' Melissa!   

While our SLAGA forbears, through tedious groundwork, paved the way for our current organization, some of the same activities take place today along with so many more as the membership has exponentially grown in the last 20+ years since SLAGA's inception. Today, our SLAGA board meets monthly exercising their best judgment as they make decisions on behalf of the organization.  And since the SLAGA organization is ever growing and improving, the assistance and suggestions of the body of members are essential.  Attendance at meetings has always been welcome to the membership, however if a SLAGA member wishes to attend a meeting, they should email their intention to the board.  The board welcomes input, so if you have a suggestion or general interest in the organization's activities, arrange to attend a meeting. If you prefer, you may contact the board at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..