Please join us for our 6th Annual Geocaching Seminar and kickoff of the Gadgets of Berkeley County (GBC) Geotrail on Saturday March 15th 8:00 am – 12:30 pm at Independent Bible Church (IBC) just 2 miles west of I-81 in Martinsburg.
We try to have something for every level of geocacher, from the beginner to the experienced cacher.
Doors open at 8:00 am. PLEASE COME EARLY and enjoy some free coffee and donuts provided by our host Independent Bible Church. There will be informational tables about local geotrails, travel bugs, and local geocaching organizations have been invited.
Seminar will start promptly at 9 am.
There will be no childcare provided, but children are welcome to attend sessions with you. Please include them in your will attend count.
Each attendee will have the choice of 3 breakout sessions and the seminar will end this year with a Q & A panel.
First Breakout session
1. Geocaching 101 - How to get started designed for those new to geocaching
2. Geocaching Software - GSAK 101 How to create an account, how to create and populate databases, how to import geocaches into GSAK, how to export geocaches to your caching device
3. Puzzles – from A to Z
Second Breakout session
1. Geocaching 102 – a continuation of the 101.
2. GSAK 201 – More advanced techniques.
3. Geocaching Destinations and Events – some highlights of different mega events and a discussion on some favorite geocaching trips.
Third Breakout session
1. Geocaching Devices explored - GPSR, iphone, and Android. This session will spit according the group into the device you intent to use. Session is designed for the new geocacher.
2. GSAK Micros
3. What’s in your cache bag? Hints on gadgets and devices that will make your caching easier. A show and tell seminar. If you have some tool that is unusual that you use to help you with caching bring to share during this secession.
Following the Panel Discussion, the details of a new "Gadgets of Berkeley County (GBC)" geotrail will be released.
We hope you will bring those friends and neighbors wanting to know what geocaching is all about. We have several sessions designed for the new cachers. We hope to have lots of visitors who want to understand the hobby we all enjoy. Some of our new cachers introduced to caching at this seminar in the last couple years now have hundreds of finds and are placing geocaches. Two of our visitors from last year even created a geotrail.
A display of geocoins will be on hand, so bring your TB's and geocoins to show off or pass on. We will have a geocoin table where geocoins and TB's can be checked in and out safely.
Examples of geocaching paraphernalia, including GPS's, smart phones with geocaching ability, future geocaches, geopacks and more will be available for the new cacher to examine before and after the seminars.
Several door prizes will be given away including a prize for a new geocacher, as well as a prize for a cacher who brought a brand new cacher (less than 100 finds), a WV geocoin for the cacher who came the farthest and many more.
Please log a will attend to let us know if you're coming and how many you'll be bringing so we'll know how many donuts to pickup.
Another event
Geocaching Seminar Lab (GC4wqzq), will be held nearby at 2 pm on the Martinsburg Bike Trail, all are welcome, but intented especially for those new to geocaching. Experienced geocachers will take those new to the hobby geocaching in small groups, out to find a few geocaches. Please log your WILL ATTEND separately to that event.
The church property currently has 3 geocaches, "Safecracker" , "This Old House" , "*some assembly required" .
*************************************************************************************
NEW GEOTRAIL being introduced the day of the Seminar.
The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and I have partnered to place a new Geotrail – The Gadgets of Berkeley County (GBC). There will be 13 new caches activated in the county on the day of the seminar. Most will be “gadget” caches. This Gadget Trail will challenge even the experienced cacher in what we are sure will create a memorable experience.
One of the 13 will be a night cache (mandatory). These new caches will be activated after 5 pm; BUT, event attendees will be given the descriptions and coords at the end of the seminar for those looking for a FTF, or just wanting to do a little caching with friends while in the area. The first 250 households to find 12 of the 13 (the night cache is mandatory) will earn a Gadgets of Berkeley County Geocoin. Each site will have a code word to collect. Rack cards to record your codes will be given out at the seminar, or can be picked up at the I-81 rest stops or at the Visitors Center downtown (126 E. Race St, Martinsburg). The trackable geocoins will be available in April. Each cacher will be required to stop by the CVB, to verify their finds and turn in their code words. Coins will be mailed out in April. Only one coin per household.
Make an entire weekend of it. There's plenty to do and see in Berkeley County, so pick up a free visitor's guide at the table at the kickoff event to help you get around. Arrangements are being made with area hotels for discounted rates. While here, search for even more exciting and unique caches. Geocachers have awarded the caches in Berkeley County nearly 4000 favorite points.
Place this cache on your watchlist to watch for posted discounts to local hotels and additional information from the seminar committee.
One option for rooms is the Comfort Inn Aikens Centermore, located at 1872 Edwin Miller Boulevard, in Martinsburg, WV 25404 there phone number is (304) 263-6200. When calling the front desk tell them you want the CVB rate of $65.
We now have 4 events happening TODAY. If you have ever wanted to visit a wild cave, please check out GC4YXVQ Geocaching & Spelunking - A Seminar 3 pm. Snurt will lead the safety seminar then a visit to the CAVE cache (GC2MD1H).