On Saturday, at 8:00AM, we will have several semi-competitive, somewhat organized, get lost in the woods, geo-fun kinda caching activities (Please see the details about The Gauntlet an the Poker Run below and please register on the Registration Page - it's FREE!.). After the caching activities, we will be serving cooked animal, an assortment of side items and ice cold drinks. No need to bring anything for dinner, but attendees should plan on bringing their own food and drinks for the rest of the day
The posted coords are for the Mill Dam area of the Ocala National Forest.
THE GAUNTLET
NOTICE: We have closed off registrations for the Gauntlet. We will continue taking registrations, but additional teams will be put on a waiting list. Also, if there is sufficient interest and we can work out the logistics, we will consider starting earlier so a few more teams can participate. Also, many teams do not yet have six members, so many interested cachers will be able to get on a team that is already registered.
We have placed a series of caches along a beautiful trail in the heart of the Ocala National Forest. The posted coords are the "End Point" where there is parking available. Teams should gather there and will be given the necessary information and coordinates. Teams will then be taken to the "Starting Point" and abandoned... er, I mean, dropped off.
From the Starting Point, teams will hike back to the end point. Along the way it will be necessary to find all the placed caches (which will be activated after the event). Also, there will be a list of "Targets" to find to earn "Bonus Points". These will be scavenger hunt type items. Some are existing features and some will be planted just for the event. In addition, there will be a number of special items placed at points along the trail. They will be numbered. Each team will draw a number unique to their team and will need to locate and retrieve the special items bearing that number for additional Bonus points.
Points will be calculated as follows. First of all, it's golf style scoring - the lower the score the better. The number of minutes it takes to complete The Gauntlet will be your Base Score. To that will be added Penalty Points for any caches DNFd. From that total, we will subtract the Bonus Points. The lowest score wins!
It is HIGHLY recommended that you form teams of 6 adults. The trail has many spots where it is possible to take a wrong turn. If a team has to focus all its attention on staying on the trail it will likely miss a lot of targets. And vice versa. Therefore, there is an advantage to having a larger team allowing delegation of attention. However, due to logistical requirements, all team members must be able to fit in two Jeeps, which can each seat a driver, plus 3 adults, semi-comfortably for a short trip. We can probably squeeze in a few kids (literally) on top of them. In any case, the drivers will be comfortably seated. Transportation to the starting point from the end point will be provided. You only need to worry about getting to the posted coords, which is easily accessible in any 2wd vehicle. It is on a well graded gravel Numbered Forest Road.
IMPORTANT -- There are a limited number of team slots available. Should we run out of slots, preference will be given to teams of six members and in order of receipt of registration. We reserve the right to combine teams and add members to teams to create teams of six members. So form full teams and sign up early. Please use the registration page to register the name and composition of teams.(Teams that participated in last years Gauntlet with fewer than six members are welcome to do so again this year.)
What to Bring - Each team will need a GPS and a Digital or Instant Camera. Also, a clip board may be handy as there will be some reading and writing involved. Walking/poking sticks will be a big help. Water is probably a good idea too. There will be one stop along the way where water, fruit and snack bars will be placed, but depending on your needs, you may want to bring more. And bug spray. Lots of bug spray.
Trail Conditions - The trail is mostly firm and dry. There will be little if any bushwhacking involved.
Time/Distance - The total distance will be approximately 5 to 6 miles but that is still being finalized.
Weather - We are having regular discussions with TPTB (i.e. we are praying) for good weather, but we plan to go rain or shine. I mean, after all, we'll be back at base camp warm and dry regardless. Besides, weather should be viewed as part of the adventure.
Starting Coords - If I told you that I'd have to kill you. They will be provided to teams as they start, beginning at 8AM at the posted coords on the day of the event.
Prizes - We are assembling a selection of prizes. There will likely be geocoins involved.
Trophy - The Best Cacher In the Land - Traveling Trophy Will be awarded to the winning team.
BEST GEO-SHIRT
A prize will be awarded on a Team basis for the best Geo-shirt. To qualify for the best team shirt award, all members of your team must have the same shirt (or shirts of a similar theme) and your team must participate in The Gauntlet
POKER RUN
There will be a Poker Run for those not wishing to participate in The Gauntlet, and for those ambitious enough to do both.
Twelve geocaches will be placed throughout the Forest. Seven of these caches will contain a token. Participants will find the caches and retrieve the token. Those who find all twelve caches will receive an eighth token. Poker play will be Five Card Draw. You will exchange your first five chips for a hand of five cards. If you have additional chips, you may discard up to three cards and draw an additional card for each additional chip. For an added twist, there will be a list of several scavenger hunt type items. Teams finding these items will have the option of converting one or more of their drawn cards to a wild card. High poker hand wins!
PRIZES: We are assembling an array of prizes. Participants will select prizes from the prize table in order of the strength of their hand until all prizes are awarded.
The list of caches and scavenger hunt items will be distributed at 8:00AM. The last hand will be delt at 5:00PM
COINS! COINS! COINS!
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Yes! There is an event coin. Please see the design to the right. The coins will are trackable on geocaching.com. There were 200 made in antique copper. There were also be a Limited Edition version of only 50 coins made in antique silver. None of these coins will be sold. They will be used for prizes and swag at the event or activated and released at the event.
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Coins that have been paid for will be distributed at the event. There will be a number of coins on the prize table for The Gauntlet, The Poker Run and the Team T-Shirt Contest. Some of the unactivated coins will be placed in caches. A number of the Limited Edition coins will be activated as "Adopt Me" coins that cache be adopted by the finder.
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CAMPING
Mill Creek is a group campground and can accommodate up to 150 people. A large swimming beach adjoins the area and is accessible by wheelchair. A new restroom facility was constructed in 2003. Other amenities include a picnic shelter, group grills, picnic tables and flush toilets. It is tent camping only and there is no electricity. We have the site reserved for both Friday and Saturday nights.
IMPORTANT> > > >REGISTRATION < < < < IMPORTANT
Please register on our Registration Page in addition to posting your "will attend" here. There is registration for all attendees and a separate registration page for team participating in The Gauntlet. Registration is FREE, as is participation in the event, camping, The Gauntlet and the Poker Run.
THE GREAT TRAVEL BUG AND COIN RACE 2007
The Third Annual Florida Finders Fest will be the starting point for The Great Travel Bug and Coin Race. A race that will span the globe and continue at a grueling pace for a whole year. It will conclude at the Fourth Annual Florida Finders Fest.
Horseshoechamp will coordinate the race. The rules are as follows:
All TBs to be entered in the race must be new; that is, they must not have been dropped into any cache prior to the Third Annual Florida Finders Fest event cache. They will all have the event as a common starting point with zero miles.
All entrants should be logged online as "dropped" into the event prior to or during the event. ONLY ONE BUG AND ONE COIN ENTRY PER CACHING NAME. The travelers must be registered to that name. All entrants must be turned into Horseshoechamp at the event no later than 5:00 PM. DO NOT drop them at the travel bug trading table.
Volunteers to pick up race TBs should sign in with Horseshoechamp by 5:00 PM. Preference will be given to volunteers who do not have an entrant in the race.
After 5:00 PM, all TB entrants will be distributed to the volunteers who have agreed to move them to their first cache.
Owners of all TBs entered in the race are expected to show good sportsmanship with regard to other entrants. This means that if you find another TB which is entered in the race, you will take no action that will unreasonably hinder the other entrant's movement. This includes, but is not limited to, picking up and holding the TB or placing the TB in an exceptionally difficult or rarely visited cache.
The race will end at the Fourth Annual Florida Finders Fest. Horseshoechamp will post standings in the NEFGA forums approximately monthly, and at the end of the race.
There will be two categories -
**Most miles by a bug or coins that returns to the Fourth Annual Florida Finders Fest
**Most miles by any other bug (unless beaten by a bug that returns)
For the prizes each winner will receive an ammo can stuffed with highly sought after boodle.
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This cache was placed by a member of the
Northeast Florida Geocachers Association