Spring has sprung and the critters that call the High Desert home are active and are slithering, chirping, and hissing…… Let’s just cut to the chase….. WE are doing it again!!!

Phelan Pinon Hills Community Service District is hosting another workshop and has opened a invitation, again, to the Geocaching community. This time on a Saturday NOT mid week like last year! Workshop will be presented by Dr. Michael Glassey. Dr. Glassey is a Medical Entomologist with the United States Army, locally known as “The Snake Man”. Dr. Glassey will be providing a power point presentation and educating us on what to expect to find while out exploring the Desert. He has generously agreed to bring his living specimens for our viewing enjoyment and answer any questions anyone may have when encountering the High Desert’s inhabitants. Like that of the famous High Desert Mojave Green and other critters we need to be aware of when we are out caching in the Desert between early Spring to late Fall. High Desert Geocachers would like to invite you to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

This event will be held on:

Saturday, June 2nd from 10AM to 12:00PM
at the Phelan Community Center in Phelan CA
4176 Warbler Road, Phelan, CA 92371

Like last year, seats are limited to 50 so please “Will Attend” quickly. Please provide us the total in your group. Seats may open up the closer we get so don’t hesitate to get on a waiting list. We will immediately post any updates so keep this on your watch list. If you “Will Attend” and cannot make it, please post a note for cancellation. Should you have any questions regarding this workshop please feel free to contact George (“BigDaddyGRC”) at GCardenas@PPHCSD.org. Hope to see you there!

High Desert Geocachers

MEADOW PARK, August 4th, 3pm to 6pm, At Park and Georgia St., Big Bear Lake.

Hard to believe that this is out 7th year. The BBCB continues to be one of the best events in the southland, thanks to all of the fine cachers that attend. We can’t do it without you!

Badgerdawg and Mandy’s Mom look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

This is a POT LUCK affair. Please post what you will be bringing to share. Bring your EZ-UPs and chairs. Play ground for kids; tennis courts; dogs on leashes welcome; restrooms nearby; BBQ’s will be going!

Make reservations early if you plan to stay over as this is a busy time of year. Raffle donations appreciated. Thank you!

Join us Saturday, April 21st (Earth Day Weekend) at 9:00 AM for morning pastries and juices. Trash bags and bottled water will be available, all we need are Geocachers to stop by and pitch in. Muggles are invited as well.

Since this is an “adopted road” through the Town of Apple Valley, those participating are required to fill out a release form. We need these forms back to us by 5:00 PM, Thursday, April 19th so that we may get them back to the Town of Apple Valley before the day of the event. Those who don’t have the forms turned in will not be able to participate, so get them in early!

Ever had questions about geocaching and you did not have anyone to turn to for answers? Did you ever wonder what geocaching is and what all the hoopla is all about? Questions like ….. What is it when….? Why would ….? Who can…..? When do I….? Most importantly, How….? Thinking about joining Geocaching and wondering where to start? Already a geocacher and would like to pick someone’s brain?

Once again, Phelan Pinon Hills Community Services District is hosting another Geocaching related workshop with the assistance of the High Desert Geocachers Saturday, November 19th, 2011 10am to 11:30am.

We’ll cover topics like:

What is Geocaching?
How it got started
Types of Caches
Finding your First Cache
Travel Bugs and Geocoins
Caching Ethics
Hiding a Cache
GPS use, what to buy
Infamous Abbreviations

We invite everyone to attend, muggle (those that are not geocachers, taken from the Harry Potter series) and geocachers. Come meet other geocachers. We don’t claim to know it all but we may be able answer those tough questions. Challenge us, don’t be shy! After the presentation we will have some hands-on field exercises. Parking is free. Entrance is free. This event is free. It doesn’t get any better than that! Please act quickly, seats are limited. Please “will attend” and provide us with how many in your group. We hope to see you there!

All things 11 flash mob event on 11/11/11 at 11th Street and 11th Avenue.

On the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the eleventh year of this century, a gathering lasting eleven minutes and eleven point eleventy seconds at the intersection of Eleventh Street and Eleventh Avenue will take place at exactly eleven-eleven am. Discussion will center solely on all things eleven.

Get together with friends, share and swap some caching stuff, and eat good food! Please feel free to join us for the evening, whether or not you eat, or whether or not you choose to participate in the OPTIONAL gift swap. Either way, EVERYBODY is invited to attend! See the cache page for details about the swap.

When: Thursday, December 8, 2011
Where: Golden Corral Buffet & Grill
Private Party Room
12845 Main Street
Hesperia, CA
(Target shopping center near I-15)
Time: 6:30-8:30ish

Once again, the Tevis Family has opened up their famous Tevis Family Haunted House. The Tevis Family has graciously invited all geocachers and muggles to come visit the lost spirits and the mentally ill that roam the 10+ acres seeking the warm flesh and brains of the mortals.

Saturday, October 29th, this event will be begin at 6:00pm. There will be a special children’s version tour of the haunted house between 6pm to 7pm. Once the sun sets the Haunted House begins to fill with those who reside inside the haunted structure. The haunted house will be open until 10:30pm!

Parking is free. Entrance is free. This event is free. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Well OK. So we aren’t actually quitting caching although we have slowed down a lot since the last NASA event for a plethora of reasons. Matt is in the early stages of starting a new business making solar panels and Mike is changing-up jobs following the move, too. It looks like our whole family is moving back to Moreno Valley before or during October.

Our changing time commitments muggled us pretty good for being able to maintain all of the remaining caches we still have in service in the high desert, so we will be putting certain caches out in the more peripheral areas harder for us to visit frequently living in the IE up for adoption for whomever would like to take over maintaining them, etc. See my list of caches for listings that have notes designating them as adoptee potentials..

Thanks so much everyone! We have had a lot of fun supporting the sport of here these last few years and had hoped to see a few more, but commerce and progress have ways of moving you on to other pastures unexpectedly, so we are moving with hope for having even more fun as IE Cachers soon.. but we’ll definitely miss you all and will never forget where our caching roots are up here in the HD! (And don’t think that from time to time we won’t drop in and steal some of your FTFs when y’all least expect it! Muhahahahha! )

GC2Z7DN - Sunset Clean Up CITO : Scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2011 @ 7:00PM. Here’s what FlyBryFly wrote on the cache listing:

Help us Cache In Trash Out the unique North Etiwanda Preserve. We’ll follow a well marked trail for two miles roundtrip trashing out as we journey following No Cacher Left Behind policies. Elevation change is minor. If you are not confident in your walking ability, there is plenty of trash to clean up in the parking area. Parking here is an option of on pavement or off pavement. Thank you for helping us preserve this wonderful environment.

Saturday, August 13, 2011
This event is hosted by Kit Fox. Here is an excerpt from the event listing – The summer time heat has taken over the desert. Come visit fellow geocachers at Devil’s Punchbowl in the cooler evening hours. The event starts at 6:00 pm (when most visitors have already left the Punchbowl,) and continues until 8:00 pm. The event will be held in the quiet, picnic area (Southeast of the visitor center.)

At 8:00 pm, Ranger Jonathan will be leading their monthly, full moon hike. This hike is not a requirement to attend the event, it is an added bonus.. This is the only time you can legally hike in the Punchbowl after hours. After the hike, the rangers usually set up a table with hot chocolate, and marshmallows to heat over the camp fire. All are welcome to attend. This event, and the hike are free. The Hike is about 1 mile, and should be considered a tad bit strenuous if you’re not in good physical condition.