Ohnocarwashingtexasodakio - Multi-state multi Multi-cache

This cache will take you all over the US, or at least have you meeting people all over the US! This is a six-stage multi-state multicache!!! It is NOT a typical multicache, It is spread out across a large distance, and encourages cooperative efforts between fellow geocachers.

First of all, special thanks to bennet for creating TexOhiMaryFlor... uh, land... Oh, This Is Nuts! which is the basis of this cache and a lot of the rules and code I'm using. I contacted him to ask if it'd be OK for me to swipe this cool concept, and he agreed. Thanks a ton!!! Bennet's cache just happens to be the first cache I did in my 365 day streak that began a little over a year ago.

All stages contain a 4 digit code either inside a micro or small container or written on the outside of an object. The four digits will be used to figure out the coordinates of the next stage.

Here are the stages:

The first stage is located in Ohio, in the Pickerington/Columbus area, at the coordinates posted above on this page. This stage keeps changing because the city has been updating the park, but right now you'll find the four digit number by looking inside the cap.

The second stage is in a beautiful part of North Carolina, near the Georgia border. It was placed and will be maintained by some of the coolest cachers I know.

The third stage is in Washington, in Spokane. This stage is in the city where my amazing brother lives. My brother used to be the caretaker of this stage, but life got in the way. A HUGE thank you goes out to the amazing cacher who created a whole new spot for this stage! Make sure if you bring your furry friend to this stage, you keep it on a leash.

The fourth stage is in Texas, a bit north of Houston near The Woodlands. This stage was placed by a SUPER COOL friend who we moved away from, then when we moved back she moved away from us. When life got busy for my SUPER COOL friend, the stage was replaced and is now maintained by an AWESOME new geocaching friend who created a beautiful new home for the Texas code!

The fifth stage is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota near where I used to live. I had a friend place this cache, but it got muggled before this cache published! Special thanks to a special cacher in the area for helping find a GREAT new spot! The attitude of this cacher who I'd never met and with whom I've only had email correspondence is the point of this cache - meeting new people and seeking out a common goal!

The final stage is right back in Ohio in the Pickerington area.

How this whole thing works...

An Ohio geocacher finds the first stage. Now he/she has a 4 digit code that can be used to derive the next stage coordinates. But the location is very far away. The Ohio geocacher can travel there if he or she wants. But to save airfare, it may be preferable to determine the general location of the second stage by mapping, etc., and then try to enlist a geocacher in that area (in North Carolina or Georgia) to find the second stage.

The NC/GA geocacher agrees, and then goes and gets the second stage. The NC/GA geocacher finds the code at the second stage and uses that code to determine the coordinates to the Washington cache. Then that cacher (or the team of 2 cachers thus far) would seek out a cacher in the Spokane, WA area.

The WA cacher agrees, finds it, and then the team seeks a cacher from the Texas area. Same process, and the TX cacher finds the Texas cache, and the team seeks out a cacher from the Sioux Falls, SD area. The SD cacher finds the cache, determines the coordinates, and passes them back to the Ohio geocacher.

The Ohio geocacher (who has to be the same geocacher who started the team) then finds the sixth and final stage. He/she signs the logsheet for both him/herself and all the others on his/her team. All geocachers on the team can then enter on-line find logs for the cache!

Yes, there are rules... (again, big thanks to bennet!)

1. Each team must come up with a team name. For example, The Bombers. Or maybe Drunk Monkeys. If you ever played adult rec softball, you know there are some creative team names out there. You may even want to get T-shirts printed up.

2. None of the geocachers working on a team, either in Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, Texas, South Dakota, or anywhere else, can enter an on-line find log until that team completes the cache by finding the sixth stage.

3. There are no restrictions on member locale. One geocacher can travel to all spots and complete the cache on his or her own if so desired. Or travel to two of the spots. Or just one.

4. The Ohio geocacher must identify, in his/her on-line log, the NC/GA geocacher who he/she teamed up with, if applicable.

5. The North Carolina geocacher, or the Ohio geocacher, must identify, in his/her on-line log, the Washington geocacher who he/she teamed up with, if applicable.

6. The Washington geocacher, or the North Carolina or Ohio geocacher, must identify, in his/her on-line log, the Texas geocacher who he/she teamed up with, if applicable.

7. The Texas geocacher, or the Washington, North Carolina, or Ohio geocacher, must identify, in his/her on-line log, the South Dakota geocacher who he/she teamed up with, if applicable.

8. Geocachers can play only once. Tom cannot team up with Sue and Howard and Liz to complete the cache, and then later team up with another group to complete the cache again.

9. Only one Ohio geocacher per team. The Ohio geocacher who found the first stage must be the same Ohio geocacher who finds the sixth stage. This helps make sure there are enough Ohio geocachers to man multiple teams.

10. Please be careful with this part. Coordinate closely as a team, and please be careful to not leave somebody hanging. For example, an Ohio geocacher should not provide coordinates to multiple North Carolina geocachers simultaneously, even in an attempt to complete it first. By doing that, somebody will get left hanging, and that's not fun. Also, consider that a team should coordinate so that the various members of that team are not providing coordinates to multiple people in South Dakota, for example.

11. It is okay to contact multiple people to start, but once you have provided coordinates to someone, that someone is your selection. You should not provide coordinates to another person in that area. It would be considerate to let the others that you contacted but will not select know that you won't be selecting them. I was personally involved in a mix-up similar to this scenario in bennet's cache - it is uncomfortable at best.

12. It is fully intended for any team that attempts this cache to complete the motions and find all the stages within the team. Players must not provide any coordinates to anyone else outside their own team.

13. People involved in placing stages should not be part of the FTF team (this was discussed with them prior to this, I'm posting this rule to let all the FTF hounds out there know there are no shenanigans going on.) They may be a part of any team from that point on, so long as they follow the above rules.

14. KBLAST cannot play.

The honor system is depended upon for some of these rules. So please be honorable.

Suggestions to complete a team:

Look at caches near each of the stages and see who has logged those caches recently. Go to the Groundspeak Forums and see who has expressed an interest. Check through the logs below to see if anyone wanted to play but isn't on a team yet. When communicating, make sure your expectations are made clear, both as a recruiter and as a recruitee! (i.e. Our team wants to finish this weekend, I won't be able to get there for a week or so, etc.) And above all, try to remember... those are real people with real feelings on both sides of the communication... when sending correspondence, pretend you're talking to the person right across the table!

Here are the FAKE coordinates:

Stage 2 NC: N 35° 03.776' W 083° 37.367'
Stage 3 WA: N 47° 38.723' W 117° 17.325'
Stage 4 TX: N 30° 09.397' W 095° 31.206'
Stage 5 SD: N 43° 32.119' W 096° 43.524'
Stage 6 OH: N 39° 53.697' W 082° 44.335'

Here's how to use the 4 digit code:

Take the 4 digit code and pretend it is ABCD. You take the next stage's fake North coordinates and subtract .ABC', and you take the next stage's fake West coordinates and subtract .BCD'. This will give you the REAL coordinates to the next stage.

Here is an example of how the 4 digit number works:

PRETEND you are the North Carolina cacher and you found the 4 digit number 1357. The fake coordinates to the third stage, the Washington stage, are N 47° 38.729' W 117° 16.244'. .ABC is .135, and .BCD is .357. So you take the North minutes - 38.729', and subtract .135', giving you 38.594'. You then take the West minutes - 16.244', and subtract .357', giving you 15.887'. The REAL coordinates would be N 47° 38.594' W 117° 15.887'.