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Thread: January 2013 Geocacher Profile

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Jacksonville, AR
    Posts
    1,514

    January 2013 Geocacher Profile

    The Membership Relations Committee is happy to showcase some ArkGeo Geocachers through the "Geocacher Profile". The committee thought Richard Honebrink aka Rhone should be the next cacher to be in the spotlight.


    What is your geocaching name? Rhone

    How did you choose your handle?
    First letter of first name, first 4 letters of last name

    How long have you been geocaching?
    Since May, 2004

    How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it?
    GCJ7YT, Sling Blade Bridge This was not actually the first find, because I had found one or two stages of Deezer’s multi-cache that was hidden in Benton’s Tyndall Park a few days earlier. I was using an old Garmin GPS 12 at the time and didn’t even know how to enter coordinates into it, so I just walked around looking at the location display until it matched the posted coordinates. It was this cache, that led me to figure out how to enter the coordinates because the difficulty of finding GZ was increased significantly by not doing so. This cache was particularly interesting to me because it was the location of one of the scenes in the movie by that name.

    Who usually goes with you when you go caching?
    For a long time I cached alone except for I went to Fort Smith and cached with my son, Extreme 3435. I met SJClimber at a CITO at Beaverfork Lake north of Conway in April, 2005 and have been caching with him ever since. I also cache with goff-family, the snowlight, and KNKINCABOT, and Old River Runner.

    How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up?
    That depends on the puzzle itself. If it’s something that is interesting to me, I never give up until it’s solved. Sometimes the solutions are the result of collaboration with other cachers. I think the most difficult one would have to be GCKX3M, Revenge of the Big Crybaby, which unfortunately has been changed from it’s original form. Another one that was really difficult is: GC1J386, Two Hundred Six.

    What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in?
    In the early days, Clarksville was the place to cache because of the very creative hides of nonnipoppy and gulfnutz. The area around Russellville, and Hot Springs are always fun for caching. Recently I have been spending most of my time hunting caches that are located on trails and require significant hikes to get the smiley.

    Do you do paperless caching?
    No, I used to use a Palm device, but it gave up the ghost and I have always used a list with all of the important facts about each cache since then.

    What kind of geocaching rig do you use?
    I am currently using a Garmin 60CSx.

    Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching?
    It is an interesting way to spend spare time, that not only takes you to unique places, but also gives one the opportunity to meet a lot of very nice people.

    Where are you originally from?
    I am originally from St. Paul, Minnesota

    In what states have you geocached?
    Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, South Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Mississippi, Indiana, North Dakota, Iowa, Nevada, Kentucky, Colorado, Wisconsin, Montana, North Carolina, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, and West Virginia. I intend to add 19 more states by the end of 2013.

    What was your first event ever attended?
    GCJXNY, Central Arkansas Geocachers .. 1st Annual Meet August 22, 2004.

    How many caches have you found?
    As of December 27, 2012 10,902.

    Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest?
    I like them all, but ammo boxes would be high on the list, followed closely by pre-form soda bottles (because they don’t leak).

    What was the most famous cache that you have found?
    That would have to be GC30, Mingo, which is the oldest active cache in the world.

    Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries?
    I used rechargeable batteries for awhile, but switched back to disposable batteries because they last longer.

    Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby?
    I would have to say finding, but hiding caches is a lot of fun too, especially if you have a good place to put them where they are unlikely to become victimized by muggles.

    Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide?
    When I first started hiding caches, I had no goal, except that I liked to make the hides unique in some way. More recently my goal has to get people out onto a nice trail so they can enjoy nature and get some exercise as well.

    What is you favorite type of cache hide?
    Anything that takes me to a special place…especially those places with exceptional beauty in some form. I very much enjoy many of the old virtual caches as well as earth caches.

    Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in?
    My personal favorites would be the multi-cache in Burns Park that consists of Leave it to Beaver, Rockaby Baby, and The Great Wall. I am also proud of the OT series.

    What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh?
    For someone with a low number of finds, maybe 5%. After one has significantly over 100 hides, maintenance can become a big problem, so I think the ration should decline (unless many of the hides have been archived), to keep the task of maintaining them at a manageable level.

    How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby?
    I remember first reading about Geocaching in the newspaper and I thought it was about the most stupid thing I had ever heard of. Several years later, I went on a nature hike (1:1) with the interpreter at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, and as we passed along the base of a hill in the park, he pointed up toward the top and told me that there was a geocache hidden up there (GCGZ07, Pinnacle Girl Scout Cache) That sort of perked my interest…mostly just a curiosity, and I went out and found Sling Blade Bridge shortly thereafter. Pinnacle Girl Scout Cache turned out to be find #45, and it was about that time that the hook had really been set.

    What's your favorite geocache?
    There are so many that it’s really hard to pick a favorite, but GC1YFD3, The Foxes Have Raided the Hen House, was a great cache. I also really enjoyed the Cachin’ for chiggers series.

    If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching?
    That would have to be Australia. One of my favorite places is Sydney and the Blue Mountains just west. I intend to return to Australia in the near future and do a bit of caching while I’m there.

    Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group?
    Sometimes I prefer solitude, but it is usually more fun to share the experience with someone else. It is always good to have another pair of eyes, or sometimes even more than one other pair. I would consider a group of more than four to be a crowd in most cases, but it can be fun to be with a whole gang of cachers at an event searching for the temporary caches.

    How many First to Finds do you have?
    Currently 210.

    Are you a First to Find person who is always set on go and if so, how many miles out do you have your settings on to get notifications?
    I have a few FTFs that are 180 mile drive (120 straight line) from home, and I do enjoy being the first to find, but I never really have made being the first to find a priority. My philosophy is, that a smiley is a smiley.

    Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching?
    Yes, I enjoy caving, hiking, photography, making bread, and more recently have become very interested in woodworking.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Ridgway, CO
    Posts
    488
    Well, I can vouch for this person. He has been absorbed with the "game" and has hidden quite a few interesting caches. My worry is the woodworking and it's potential impact on his caching !!! Nice profile and response..

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Jacksonville, AR
    Posts
    944
    Beaver, Rockaby Baby, and The Great Wall ~ Didn't realize those were yours, Rhone! I met ORR when I was looking for those! It was fun - one of my first experiences searching with someone else.

    I also remember meeting Rhone for the first time on the trail at the Old Mill in NLR. markrocks916 and I had met up with ww9 that day to cache a bit in celebration of Mark's birthday and met Rhone. It was a good day at the Old Mill.

    Thanks, Rhone, for your profile responses!

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