MathSeeker
06-01-2016, 08:50 PM
The Membership Relations Committee is happy to showcase some ArkGeo Geocachers through the "Geocacher Profile". The committee thought Adam Schoenwald aka Cloak.n.Dagger should be the next cacher to be in the spotlight.
What is your geocaching name? Cloak.n.Dagger
How did you choose your handle? There were two "boy" movies that came out at the same time when I was young and impressionable. The Last Starfighter, and Cloak and Dagger. It only made sense with the secrecy of geocaching that Cloak.n.Dagger fit.
How long have you been geocaching? Not long really, this coming July will be my two year anniversary. (July 12, 2014)
How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it? It took me nearly an hour to find my first geocache. To be honest I almost gave up on it, but I understood like most puzzles the solution often presents itself if you just be still. So I just sat on a rock and carefully studied ground zero. Sure enough, it was right in front of me all the time. It is still one of my all time favorites today. Without giving away to much info, it is a "hidden in plain sight" type of cache by the Nautical Wheelers named "Drifter" GC57QWV.
Who usually goes with you when you go caching? I typically go by myself, but my Wife DocGunney and daughter come with me from time to time.
How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up? I don't give up on them. Sometimes I will set them aside and allow some subconscious thinking to tackle it. There have been a few that have taken me a year to figure out.
What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in? That is really a tough question, I enjoy geocaching no matter where I go. But it is most enjoyable when you find a new area right in your own backyard. My normal geocaching radius is Joplin, MO to Fayetteville, AR.
Do you do paperless caching? Typically yes, but I do use paper maps when county hopping or in events that have a lot of geocaches that need to be found.
What kind of geocaching rig do you use? Samsung Galaxy primarily
Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching? That's the million dollar question isn't it? Geocaching is so versatile it can be tailored to any individual needs. People that need a little diversion during a lunch break can to a quick PnG. People that are die hard adventurers wanting to go to places that are impossible to get to with traditional ToT (like scuba diving) geocaching has it. If you're a collector the obsession of trackable items to high quality coins (and don't get me started on letterbox hybrids) will have your head spinning. If you're a socialite meeting people has never become more easy then the local and mega events that geocaching has to offer. You want to learn more about the earth and see rare and beautiful places, geocaching has you covered. Looking for a puzzle and you're a super sleuth, no problem, don't have a lot of money or you wanna spend a ton of money and travel the world no problem, anyone can go geocaching and find an adventure that is suited just for them.
Where are you originally from? South Dakota
In what states have you geocached? AR, MO, KS, OK, KY, IL, TN, MS, TX
What was your first event ever attended? The first event I attended was "August Souvenir Kick-Off Meet & Greet" Here I really got thrown into the August festivities that groundspeak likes to do in the summer. I also got to meet some of the coolest geocachers in the NWA area.
How many caches have you found? 1,537
Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest? As long as it isn't a nano in the woods I like em all, but I do enjoy letter boxing...I like adding new stamps to my album.
What was the most famous cache that you have found? Right here in Arkansas: Gorilla Stash (GC1B) currently has the most favorites and is the oldest cache I have found.
Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries? Rechargeable mostly.
Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby? That is really tough. I have really leaned more on the hiding side, With my Country wild Series the spans four states, over 200 miles and currently has over 130 hides on the trail, to my Intimidator puzzle series, to My month of May Earthcache quest, to hosting at least one event a month, I really try to put emphasis on just having fun putting out hides I would enjoy to find, with that being said, I am working on my 366 day steak, and have just a little over 100 days left. I guess I like it all, it just depends on my mood at the moment.
Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide? Yes, I call it my Trinity of Geocaching. They must do at least one of the following and preferably all three: engage, entertain, educate.
What is your favorite type of cache hide? Oh my goodness, I really am in a Letterbox, Earthcache, puzzle kick at the moment only because I have hidden so many traditionals and I wanted more diversity in the NWA area. I was the first to place Letterboxes and WIGS in the area, currently the states highest earth cache hider, and have had some of the best teachers challenge my puzzle building skills. We all challenge one another to do better, I feel that we are truly spoiled to have some gifted geocachers constantly raising the bar.
Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in? They would have to be my Intimidator and Night Cache Hides. I have a few favorite Country Wild hides that are unique. But my most favorite is my first puzzle cache ( .. -. - .. -- .. -.. .- - --- .-., GC65DK7 (http://coord.info/GC65DK7) ) and my NWA Annual Meet n Greet event.
What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh? Well my Caching Karma says I am at 2.78, but really, I think the ratio is really dependent on the person. I would rather find a cache hidden by someone who wants to hide a cache and will take care of it, than find one by a player feeling forced to hide one because of some number and it being total junk taking up quality space.
How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby? I heard rumors about geocaching here and there but never paid much attention to it until I became 100 percent retired from the military. I needed something to do to keep my mind busy and it wasn't until I married my wife and one of her friends introduced me officially to geocaching. Mad props to Ilektra for getting me hooked.
What's your favorite geocache? Oh that is so not fair to ask. I mean I have so many that come to mind. I would feel bad for not listing one particular cache over another so I will just say this. If a cache takes me somewhere new that I had never known existed right in my backyard, or a cache that truly makes me smile when found, those are the one that get my favorite points.
If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching? Another challenging question, I know that some people have mentioned the Space Station, all the states in the United States, and even all over Europe. But if money is truly no object...I recently read somewhere that the highest geocache finder has somewhere near 117,000 finds, there are 2.5 million active caches in the world...if money was no object, I would like to find them all!
Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group? Typically I find myself caching alone (as most people have to work) but there is nothing more enjoyable than caching with fellow geocachers. The cacher's that I cache with like DocGunney, Sanders_Sooners, wcsexton, brandyjack, to name just a few have given me some of the coolest memories. Geocachers are fun people to spend time with, they all have two great things, a sense of adventure and a sense of humor. Even if they are complete strangers, I feel at home with geocachers.
How many First to Finds do you have? I currently have 50 FTF, I can't even count the number of STF's that were so close to FTFs lol. We have such a competitive group, that we poke fun of one another in both our logs and listings!
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? Very much so now, I wasn't a year ago, I am not sure how many miles I have it set to, but my guess is about 100 miles. And I am not ashamed to say I woke up at 3am and drove 55 miles one way to score an FTF in my pajamas lol.
Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching? I absolutely love photography and scuba diving, just going out for country drives, and most importantly spending time with my family.
What is your geocaching name? Cloak.n.Dagger
How did you choose your handle? There were two "boy" movies that came out at the same time when I was young and impressionable. The Last Starfighter, and Cloak and Dagger. It only made sense with the secrecy of geocaching that Cloak.n.Dagger fit.
How long have you been geocaching? Not long really, this coming July will be my two year anniversary. (July 12, 2014)
How did you find your first Geocache, and which one was it? It took me nearly an hour to find my first geocache. To be honest I almost gave up on it, but I understood like most puzzles the solution often presents itself if you just be still. So I just sat on a rock and carefully studied ground zero. Sure enough, it was right in front of me all the time. It is still one of my all time favorites today. Without giving away to much info, it is a "hidden in plain sight" type of cache by the Nautical Wheelers named "Drifter" GC57QWV.
Who usually goes with you when you go caching? I typically go by myself, but my Wife DocGunney and daughter come with me from time to time.
How long will you work on puzzle caches before you give up? I don't give up on them. Sometimes I will set them aside and allow some subconscious thinking to tackle it. There have been a few that have taken me a year to figure out.
What town/areas have you most enjoyed caching in? That is really a tough question, I enjoy geocaching no matter where I go. But it is most enjoyable when you find a new area right in your own backyard. My normal geocaching radius is Joplin, MO to Fayetteville, AR.
Do you do paperless caching? Typically yes, but I do use paper maps when county hopping or in events that have a lot of geocaches that need to be found.
What kind of geocaching rig do you use? Samsung Galaxy primarily
Why would you recommend anyone else to take up geocaching? That's the million dollar question isn't it? Geocaching is so versatile it can be tailored to any individual needs. People that need a little diversion during a lunch break can to a quick PnG. People that are die hard adventurers wanting to go to places that are impossible to get to with traditional ToT (like scuba diving) geocaching has it. If you're a collector the obsession of trackable items to high quality coins (and don't get me started on letterbox hybrids) will have your head spinning. If you're a socialite meeting people has never become more easy then the local and mega events that geocaching has to offer. You want to learn more about the earth and see rare and beautiful places, geocaching has you covered. Looking for a puzzle and you're a super sleuth, no problem, don't have a lot of money or you wanna spend a ton of money and travel the world no problem, anyone can go geocaching and find an adventure that is suited just for them.
Where are you originally from? South Dakota
In what states have you geocached? AR, MO, KS, OK, KY, IL, TN, MS, TX
What was your first event ever attended? The first event I attended was "August Souvenir Kick-Off Meet & Greet" Here I really got thrown into the August festivities that groundspeak likes to do in the summer. I also got to meet some of the coolest geocachers in the NWA area.
How many caches have you found? 1,537
Which type of cache container do you prefer over the rest? As long as it isn't a nano in the woods I like em all, but I do enjoy letter boxing...I like adding new stamps to my album.
What was the most famous cache that you have found? Right here in Arkansas: Gorilla Stash (GC1B) currently has the most favorites and is the oldest cache I have found.
Do you use disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries? Rechargeable mostly.
Do you enjoy hiding or finding more as your part of the hobby? That is really tough. I have really leaned more on the hiding side, With my Country wild Series the spans four states, over 200 miles and currently has over 130 hides on the trail, to my Intimidator puzzle series, to My month of May Earthcache quest, to hosting at least one event a month, I really try to put emphasis on just having fun putting out hides I would enjoy to find, with that being said, I am working on my 366 day steak, and have just a little over 100 days left. I guess I like it all, it just depends on my mood at the moment.
Do you have a personal goal in mind when you make a hide? Yes, I call it my Trinity of Geocaching. They must do at least one of the following and preferably all three: engage, entertain, educate.
What is your favorite type of cache hide? Oh my goodness, I really am in a Letterbox, Earthcache, puzzle kick at the moment only because I have hidden so many traditionals and I wanted more diversity in the NWA area. I was the first to place Letterboxes and WIGS in the area, currently the states highest earth cache hider, and have had some of the best teachers challenge my puzzle building skills. We all challenge one another to do better, I feel that we are truly spoiled to have some gifted geocachers constantly raising the bar.
Out of all your hides, what are your personal favorites that you take pride in? They would have to be my Intimidator and Night Cache Hides. I have a few favorite Country Wild hides that are unique. But my most favorite is my first puzzle cache ( .. -. - .. -- .. -.. .- - --- .-., GC65DK7 (http://coord.info/GC65DK7) ) and my NWA Annual Meet n Greet event.
What do you think the proper hide to find ratio should be to keep the sport fresh? Well my Caching Karma says I am at 2.78, but really, I think the ratio is really dependent on the person. I would rather find a cache hidden by someone who wants to hide a cache and will take care of it, than find one by a player feeling forced to hide one because of some number and it being total junk taking up quality space.
How did you end up getting into this wacky hobby? I heard rumors about geocaching here and there but never paid much attention to it until I became 100 percent retired from the military. I needed something to do to keep my mind busy and it wasn't until I married my wife and one of her friends introduced me officially to geocaching. Mad props to Ilektra for getting me hooked.
What's your favorite geocache? Oh that is so not fair to ask. I mean I have so many that come to mind. I would feel bad for not listing one particular cache over another so I will just say this. If a cache takes me somewhere new that I had never known existed right in my backyard, or a cache that truly makes me smile when found, those are the one that get my favorite points.
If money was no object, where would you like to go geocaching? Another challenging question, I know that some people have mentioned the Space Station, all the states in the United States, and even all over Europe. But if money is truly no object...I recently read somewhere that the highest geocache finder has somewhere near 117,000 finds, there are 2.5 million active caches in the world...if money was no object, I would like to find them all!
Do you like geocaching by yourself or in a group? Typically I find myself caching alone (as most people have to work) but there is nothing more enjoyable than caching with fellow geocachers. The cacher's that I cache with like DocGunney, Sanders_Sooners, wcsexton, brandyjack, to name just a few have given me some of the coolest memories. Geocachers are fun people to spend time with, they all have two great things, a sense of adventure and a sense of humor. Even if they are complete strangers, I feel at home with geocachers.
How many First to Finds do you have? I currently have 50 FTF, I can't even count the number of STF's that were so close to FTFs lol. We have such a competitive group, that we poke fun of one another in both our logs and listings!
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? Very much so now, I wasn't a year ago, I am not sure how many miles I have it set to, but my guess is about 100 miles. And I am not ashamed to say I woke up at 3am and drove 55 miles one way to score an FTF in my pajamas lol.
Do you have any other hobbies besides geocaching? I absolutely love photography and scuba diving, just going out for country drives, and most importantly spending time with my family.