A Charter Member Wins October!

Details

Written by Terri Nealon

Published: November 11 2025

Last Updated: November 11 2025

Hits: 573

One of geocaching's charter members. and a SLAGA forefather, has joined the winners circle for SLAGA Adventure Awaits Challenge.  Jim Greene, aka Strider, has participated many of the months and enjoys the variety of challenge criteria, but has finally won for the month of October 2025. His qualifying caches to find four geocaches each with a different Cache Owner (CO) and one event, are as follows: 

GC2DA4M Fourth Spiral CO / Flic

GCBC70N Fish in a Barrel CO / JoeBum

GC3XDCW Just Jonesburg...again / CO Quailman2

GC53XXN The Great Westbound Treasure Hunt / CO ottieolsen (Dustin & Heather)

GCAYRTR Geocoinfest 2025 - Castle Rock, CO / CO A_Novel_Cache_ Cmte

Most of Jim's qualifying caches were from his recent trip with Sarah (Crowesfeat30) to Colorado for the Geocoinfest Event, which he chose as his event cache.  Some caches were from the different states he and Sarah visited on the trip. He commented that, "It was a great 10-day vacation, and we got a lot of caches and Adventure Labs in 30 new Colorado counties and several in Nebraska. We now have 53/64 Colorado counties with only the NW corner left."  

As for his geocaching history, Jim jumped on the game board in February 2001, less than a year after The "Original Stash Geocache" was placed. He found his first cache GC147 "Under the Boardwalk" in Missouri not too far from his current residence by chance, and he wasn't even the first to find but was the sixteenth. He didn't hit the ground running at the start of his caching career, with only two finds his first year, but if you look at his stats now, you'll see a diverse caching history throughout his 19,352 finds and 785 FTFs to date.  Jim's completed every caching grid multiple times, has cached in 49 United States plus DC and in a few countries as well. Looks like a trip to Hawaii is next for Jim.  His contribution to this game is awesome with 363 hides so far, as the 'bear' is awakened often at Queeny Park so his hide count is always increasing.  Jim has also served SLAGA well, not only as a local hider, mentor, and events volunteer, but also served on the board as Treasurer from 2007 to 2009 and as Vice President from 2009 to 2011. 

Jim said, "When I started this game, I borrowed a GPS from some friends and got a few caches before they took it away from me. It was an old Magellan and only went to two decimal places, so I got hung up on Super Bowl Stash from that problem. After I got my own GPS I really got into it. I cached with my two dogs, Charlie and Sophie who thought it was great fun. After a while I met Sarah (Crowesfeat30), and we started caching together and have been together for 20 years now.  I've made so many great friends along the way and have visited some fantastic places.  I sure didn't expect when I started this that it would become such a part of my life."

SLAGA's Triple A Winner!

Details

Written by Terri Nealon

Published: September 13 2025

Last Updated: September 13 2025

Hits: 756

August in SLAGA-Land brought us sunshine and heat with days as long as 14 hours, temperatures over 90*F for 11 days, and 0% precipitation recorded.  But it also brought us our August Adventure Awaits Winner, Denise Muskopf, better known as 6dancer.

Denise has been caching exactly 16 years to the day that she was notified of her August challenge win! She started geocaching when her sister, Deborah, returned home from a Colorado visit and the two of them went on a picnic in Valmeyer, IL. Deborah had been caching for about 5 years by then, and as they were picnicking, she told Denise that there was a geocache under their table! Denise was amazed! The following day she found a cemetery cache and after that was hooked. She has since found 6850 geocaches to date, has cached as far north as Alaska and as far south as Argentina.  She has cached across the Pacific ocean west in Hawaii and across the Atlantic ocean east in Germany. She's missing only one day to fill her calendar grid, so everyone wish her a Merry Christmas on December 25th with a reminder to go out and grab a cache that day! (HoHoHo)

But back to the summer heat and her August accomplishment. Denise endured the heat to complete her task of finding five different geocaching types with one event in the mix. These are her qualifying geocaches.

Cache 1: GC6QGW4 Wherigo - aLieNs

Cache 2: GC4MT9J Multi - Red Corvette

Cache 3: GCB9W73 Event - The Gateway to Finland

Cache 4: GCB7972 Traditional - LesMar's Little Library on Lansdowne

Cache 5: GCBATRM Mystery - DDH US # 35 - 100 Field Puzzles Challenge

When interviewed about why she chose to participate in this month's SLAGA's Adventure Awaits challenge, Denise said, "I chose to participate in this one because they were my recent finds, so the challenge was easy since I had the ones I needed to qualify.  I'd previously sent in qualifying caches for maybe eight months."

A worst geocaching experience that Denise shared in the interview, was when she " got lost in the woods trying to find Misi-ziibi (GC8KRWQ) a D3/T4 in Cliff Cave Park.  [She] was lost wandering for a good hour and finally prayed for help.  About 5 minutes later, a young man stepped in the path.  [She] asked if he knew the way out and he said sure.  He was an Angel."  That was brave (or maybe a little risky) of Denise to attempt a T4 with needed TOTT solo. Happily she made it out of the woods, but sadly she never got that smiley.  Another geo-fear she shared is that she is a bit scared about going down steep hills, because falling is always on her mind. 

Nevertheless, geocaching is Denise's favorite hobby!  She goes out with her friends 3Nina and NEgirl every week.  Her favorite geocache is one she owns and is in her yard, GC89GP7 "GNOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS."  She also enjoys reading and playing games.  

 CONGRATULATIONS 6DANCER ON YOUR AUGUST CHALLENGE WIN!

SLAGA On The Air!

Details

Written by Terri Nealon

Published: October 14 2025

Last Updated: October 14 2025

Hits: 621

On September 25, 2025, SLAGA representatives John Layman and Nan Dabler were interviewed live on  'St. Louis on the Air' public radio station 90.7 KWMU. SLAGA member, Sara Christy had mentioned geocaching to a friend of hers who interns at the station, and he thought a piece on geocaching would be perfect for the show. He was right! John and Nan made SLAGA proud by describing the organization, explaining the game of geocaching, offering personal insight and experiences, and promoting CITOs as a way to "keep the game board clean." The infamous D5/T5 Mystery cache 'The Architect' (GC4CQ9V), by Forest-Ghost and Curlycue 109, was highlighted during the interview also.   

The 20 min interview is definitely worth a listen, so use the link below and enjoy. Thanks to Sara for making this possible and to John and Nan for representing SLAGA so well.

https://www.stlpr.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2025-09-26/geocaching-invites-st-louis-adventurers-to-find-hidden-treasure-and-clean-as-they-goi

Adventure Awaits this New Year!

Details

Written by Terri Nealon

Published: February 12 2025

Last Updated: February 12 2025

Hits: 1436

It is said that January is a 'magical' month to welcome the new and cherish possibilities and surprises that lie ahead.  SLAGAs Adventure Awaits 2025 embraces this adage with a first time 'park-theme' for the monthly challenge, as well as their unusual pictorial method of informing this journalist of the January monthly winner.   

What a surprise indeed?  After having participated every month during the inaugural year of the Adventure Awaits Challenges, and after writing some very interesting articles about other geocachers that won, this journalist knew the slim chance of having her own name pulled from the many qualifying entries. While thrilled to have won, it quickly dawned on me, however, that I now had the strange task of writing an article about myself. So here goes...

As many of you know, my geo-nickname is TerriBikes+, so you've probably also guessed that a favorite hobby of mine is bicycling.  I started riding a hybrid mountain bike in spring of 2012. While searching online for new and different trails to ride, I came across a review that mentioned that there were several geocaches along the trail.  "What the heck is a geocache," I remember saying aloud, but it didn't take long for me to find out and soon discover a whole new world of outdoor fun!

So in July of 2012, I started caching during the few remaining warm weather months. Having little experience with this game, and not knowing many people, I assumed cold weather months were a natural hiatus, haha, so I then accrued a 118 day 'slump' before caching again.  Fast-forward a year caching and experience, and I felt a driving need to continuously find daily caches until my find streak outnumbered my slump. Prompted by the 2013 HQ incentive of "31 days of August" souvenirs, I did just that and cached for the next 120 days.  Since I still love bike riding, I often now blend my two favorite hobbies for an even better adventure.  I am thankful my love of cycling introduced me to my new love of caching. 

Obviously, I go caching in the winter months now.  I've enjoyed participating monthly in SLAGAs Adventure Awaits, not only as my way of supporting this great organization, but because it gets me outdoors (often with a more defined purpose) especially in weather or at times that aren't all that convenient for me. It also encourages me to attend events and socialize more often. For this January's 'park' criteria, I could have found any cache in any park, but I challenged myself a bit more.  I chose to find geocaches with the word 'park' or the name/initials of a park in the title.  My qualifying caches include:  

GC8H15J  Just a preform in JB

GCAHFEZ  Walk in the park (Drace)

GCANFPM A Walk In The (Stookey) Park 

  GCAW583 Queeny Park 2024 - 20 Years of Hides 

 GCATKRT  SLAGA Winter Potluck & Cabin Fever 2025 (Jefferson Barracks).

These monthly challenge incentives are fun, but my very favorite type of geocaches are the far and few between earthcaches, of which I have found 365 to date, of my 8250 total finds. That total includes caches from all 50 of the United States and 13 other countries so far.  I enjoy geocaching and especially ECs probably due to my natural love of outdoors and my degree and young adult career of Geological Engineering.  But I'm an odd mix actually.  I'm outdoorsy, yes, but I have a passion for theatrical arts as well. If you don't find me biking, hiking, or kayaking for a cache, you may find me wearing a costume at a Halloween geo-event or at a Mega 'Gumshoe Ball' (with my partner in crime MrsSpongy), or donning festive face glitter at a holiday Happy Hour event occasionally. 

While I enjoy socializing at geoevents often, I'm not actually that social of a butterfly.  I don't mind and am quite comfortable spending time alone and have trekked many a mile on solo adventures too.   Don't get me wrong though....I love my caching buddies, look forward to planned outings, welcome new caching friends, and wouldn't trade a single moment of fun I've had with my friends. 

Some of my favorite geocaching memories include attending the first ever USA GIGA with friends, GC5AX15 GeoWoodstock 2018, and traveling to the northwest states with my husband to experience some geocaching history, which checked off some huge geo-bucket list items.  Not only did I visit GC Headquarters and the 'Original Stash Tribute Plaque,' but I thoroughly enjoyed bike riding through the long, dark Snoqualmie Tunnel in Washington to find "Mission 9: Tunnel of Light" APE Project geocache at the far end.  Another memorable cache find was "Europe's Oldest GC43" when I climbed up the hill from the path along St.George's Channel near Bray, Ireland for that smiley.  And still, there's a lot of world I'd like to see and geocache in, including returning to Thailand some day, I hope, as I remember that beautiful country fondly from living there for six months when I was in grade school. 

I'm grateful for winning the January Adventure Awaits challenge, but feel lucky too as the month represents fresh starts and new possibilities.  For me, that's exciting both personally and for new geocaching adventures in my future.