Logging in McCarthy Forest!!!

Myke's 'blob.

Logging in McCarthy Forest!!! Mon, Aug 28. 2006

What is this man doing?!

Why he's logging his discovery of a GeoCache of course!

McCarthy Forest Pathes
(in cyan, by Myke and CondorCounter; 45.3505,-75.6525)
Google Earths Map: © 2006 Navteq, © 2006 Europa Technologies, Background Image © 2006 DigitalGlobe

This past weekend, my father and I set off on a cartographing mission of the nearby McCarthy Forest on our Kona bikes. (He's got my old Fire Mountain.) He's got this neat little wrist-wearable Garmin ForeTrex 101 GPS receiver that we used to track our voyage and mark intersections as way-points. Unbeknownst to me, he'd also pre-programmed a few co-ordinates...
Along the way, we discovered our first GeoCache.
The Cache

Inside the cache

I'd heard of GeoCaching years ago, but not having a handheld GPS (I've got a USB mouse recv'r) or a bike, but mostly no significant inclination to go outside - didn't really made playing hide-and-seek all that likely... I get the feeling that's probably about to change: an excuse to use a GPS receiver, a digicam, my bike and something to 'blog about... how could I say no?!

Actually - a couple good reasons: raspberries, thorns, brambles... blood...
More Ow.

The more I think about it, GeoCaching isn't that far off from wardriving or Plazes either. Neither of which I'm a stranger to.

So now I have to find a GPS receiver that's:
- Mac and Linux friendly
- Handle-bar mountable
- Readable at that distance
- saves tracks
- supports way-point direction

Suggestions?


Oh, and here's some obligatory bike photos. Click for links to the galleries.
The Hoss in its Element


The Hoss and its Element
Posted by Mike Geiger in Biking, NCR Comments: (4) Trackbacks: (0)

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#1 - Arachnid said:
2006-08-28 16:26 - (Reply)

The entire Garmin eTrex range (I have an eTrex Legend, personally) is:
1) Handlebar mountable, if you buy the handlebar mount
2) Uses a serial port for comms, so it'll work in 'most anything
3) Very readable at that distance, unless you slam it into a brick wall at 70k/h.
4) Saves tracks - varying amounts of it, depending on the model.
5) Supports waypoints.

The more expensive ones have extra features, like built in maps, more useful cycle-computer stats, etc.

Comments (2)

#1.1 - MyX0R said:
2006-08-28 16:52 - (Reply)

Could the fact that it's readable BE the reason you slammed into said brick wall?

Comment (1)

#1.1.1 - Arachnid said:
2006-08-28 16:55 - (Reply)

Yes, that had something to do with it. It just wasn't very readable afterwards.

Comments (2)

#2 - André said:
2006-08-28 18:14 - (Reply)

Nicely done. That looks like a lot of fun, maybe I should get a GPS and go search for some geocaches too. Would give Tanya and I a reason to get out and move.

Comment (1)


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