Wifeyole and me will be supplying hot dogs and brats with all the fixings. We'll start cooking lunch around noon but feel free to come anytime. Please consider bringing a dish, salad, dessert, etc to pass. Also please bring your own beverages. We are hoping Beccaday and Cachin' Katie will bring another awesome geo-cake like they did in 2012. (no pressure!) 
For those of you unfamiliar with a road rally, its a combination of an "Amazing Race" meets scavenger hunt meets, in this case, geocaching skill challenge. Each team will consist of 4-6 individuals. Each team will drive around find some new caches and have some wacky fun at various stops along the way.
Official rally rules will be announced approximately 1 week before the event.
Each team will be given a starting time in advance. These times will be staggered so that not everyone is going out at the same time. The first five teams out will have the best chance for FTFs as the caches will not be published until June 15th. The first cars out will be picked by a lottery based on when you check into the sign up cache. There is a sign up cache in Rivers Crossing Park. See GC4ZG6R
You do not need to get the sign up cache to attend the event. This sign up cache is just for the first 10 teams going out. It will determine starting position and chances for FTFs during the event. Starting time will likely be 9am. Expect to be at the park throughout lunch at noon and for the results closer to 3pm.
Each 4-6 person team will need the following:
1) One digital camera
2) a vehicle with an odometer and with enough gasoline in it to go 20-40 miles and enough room to fit the entire team.
3) One member with good reading / navigating skills.
4) One member with a valid drivers license.
5) At least 1 GPSr with capability to manually enter coordinates for 10 or so new geocaches on the course. *
6) $5-10 per team member to do optional tasks
7) A plastic bag to bring back scavenger hunt items
8) A pen
9) A smartphone will also be helpful
Preferably, each caching team should also bring a food item to pass for lunch after the event.
*The new caches on the rally will be published the day after the event.
Children are welcome and encouraged to attend the event, there is a nice playground at the park, but I would recommend only kids 12 or older on a rally team given the number of stops and getting in and out of the car safely and quickly. You know your children best so ultimately the choice is up to you.
The course will take at least 4 hours depending on how well you do.
This year we will be preparing a rally more like a "Great Urban Race" competition instead of a defined course. The first 5 teams will all be sent out all at the same time. Instead of following a planned route, it will be up to your team to strategize and determine where you go, what caches you will find and what tasks to complete. The next 5 teams will be sent out 30 minutes after the first 5 teams. The following 5 (plus) teams will be sent out in the 3rd and final group, 1 hour after the first group. If you do not want to travel to Waukesha to get the sign up cache before the event, you can log a WILL ATTEND on the event page and your team will be sent out in this final group. If you just want to come for lunch and to watch other cachers come back in from the rally, please state that in your will attend log. ALL are welcome to attend the event and enjoy the food and geo-chat.
Although this is mostly for fun, this can also be rather competitive and usually is. Prizes will be awarded the winners.
There will be some changes this year to simplify scoring: But its really not about the rules, its about the fun and camaraderie with fellow cachers!
Disclaimer: Everything on the course is optional. This is not a race, its a rally. Go at your own speed. Obey all laws. By agreeing to go on the Road Rally you are stating you are taking care of yourself and the organizers of the rally will not be held responsible for your actions. Safety first but have fun too.
I'm not a big fan of rules... but in order to keep things fun and fair, here are some Road Rally Regulations.
Teams of 4-6 cachers - only allowed one motorized vehicle per team.
There will be more than 10 geocaches on the rally. All of them are permanent caches that I hope will be around awhile. If you didn’t get to a cache during the rally, come back another day.
You will have 4 hours to complete the rally. Unlike the last road rally, this 2014 rally will not be on a defined course. This is a “sandbox” or “free roam” type of rally -- where you go and what you do will be up to you.
Points are how you win. In the unlikely event of a tie, shorter time will be the tiebreaker.
Everything is optional. Each cache is worth points. The points for each cache is determined by adding the difficulty and terrain of that cache. (ie a 1.5D/1.5T = 3 points) To prove you were at a cache there will be a code word attached to each log. You will be given a sheet to fill in.
There will be a number of optional tasks, bonus questions, a picture bingo, and some items to bring back with you. Each will be worth variable points. There will be a maximum of 139 points available.
Time only matters for the tiebreaker AND if you go over time of 4 hours, sharp. Each 10 minutes, or fraction thereof, over time will be a deduction of 2 points.
It should go without saying, but do not sabotage or make more difficult the hides for other teams. Saboteurs will be disqualified. The winners will get a small prize, but its not like you are playing for a new car or $20,000 or something. This is meant to be competitive fun, fun being the key word.
Caches will be published after the rally, if all goes well on June 15th.
Some helpful suggestions:
Teams can temporarily split up when going for a longer or higher terrain cache, it only takes one member of the team to make a find. (although I’d prefer you do not log a “found it” log on gc.com if you weren’t actually in sight of the logger) How you play the game is up to you though.
Some businesses are not open during the entire rally. If there is a task you want to complete, plan your route accordingly.
This is a 4 hour rally to respect everyones time - Don’t try and do it all, do what you want. I think it would take 6+ hours to do everything.
There is no additional bonus for FTFs - but they do count for bragging rights on the permanent cache for us FTF hounds.
If you need a phone-a-friend, I’ll give you my number the day of the rally. A phone-a-friend to me, will result in half the points being deducted for that cache. (If it is my error, like Road Rally #2 from the last one, no points will be deducted).
Everything else goes?!
Oldnwild (2), mewwi101, gonzakel and Wheelers of Fortune are still interested and looking for teams. Just plan on showing up before 10am and we'll get you sent out with another team
Congratulations to Team Dukes of Hazzard (The Goldie Diggers, Doctor Dolittle, Bushwhacking Queen and waggintails (2)) for making the biggest move of the lottery, from sign up spot #5 to the front of the pack at team #1! If my statistics are correct, you only had a 5% chance of being pick #1 - better than the Cleveland Cavaliers though.
Joining you at the 9am (please arrive around 8:50 or before) start time will be:
Team #2 the defending champs, Team Cannonball Run (jspleva (2), lucky7z, redwingrr, geohunter100)
Team #3 - Cache me if you Can (beccaday, CNAStein, Dreamcatchr and Razzles)
Team #4 consisting of Livingtoplay, Scribble Scribe, Boulder7, Mos Eisley Pirates
Team #5 Team TAG (matter23, tupperqueen, bbgun, SparkSeeker and zuma!)
The 9:30 start time will be teams 6-10 - please arrive around 9:20 or earlier:
Team #6 - Two Chicks and their Johns consisting of wisjanine (2), Hack1of2 (2), Pawn of Chaos and Oregonjohn1
Team #7 consisting of Uncle Fun, 3Hawks, Johnny Cache, Big Macs with 1-2 nuggets and Sarge0919
Team #8 consisting of Oldnwild - so contact them to get out in the 2nd group!
That completed those who found the sign up cache to date so to keep it even and fair: each remaining team was assigned a number and a random number generator picked the remaining 2 teams going out at 9:30:
Team #9 Wacky Racers (Lacknothing and WalkingAdventure)
Team #10 Frankensteins Death Race 2000 heavin(2), lobsters9494 and Ranger Boy
The remaining teams will leave at 10am. (please arrive around 9:50am or earlier)
Team #11 Team 377kmhiker, teambeek, Ecorangers/Earth Angel (2), Mr Greenthumb and Sunshine (2) = 6 members
Team #12 Team Marauder- consisitng of our Illinois friends - AKiteFlier, PsychoVW, Drank and Topher_LV
Team #13 - Team RallyCAPS - dadsgps (2), SimonSaysGPS, silyngufy = 4 members
Team #14 jorday, lilylou23, peanut23 and any other remaining Chillin with My Peeps members from the 2012 Road Rally.
Team #15 Not all About the Numbers - Amita17, AstroDon, AstroKat, Marc 54140 and Benny7210 = 5 members
Team #16 TJSAAVEDRA, sandyd (2), Tom K. = 4 members
Let me know if you have any more questions, for those still looking for teams, just come between 9 & 10AM and we'll pair you up with some nice other cachers.
Please feel free to contact with me with questions via email or this webpage. Keep this page on your watch list for updates. Otherwise, we hope to see you on June 14th
See GC3CE3H and GC4DWGW for more information on the Road Rally from 2012.