Another "Bomb"

Well, there is another geocaching "bomb" story...

A few weeks ago, we were planning another geocaching trip to gather up some more Kansas counties (105 County Challenge) and for another few grids for the Delorme challenge. Jeff was busy planning our route and he came across a cache that was close to home, on I-70 west at a rest area. This would be perfect for our trip since we were headed west. When we were finalizing our route, Jeff discovered the cache was no longer active. It had been archived. Jeff searched for more information...the rest area had been renovated during the past few months, but why was it archived now? Then he found this...

"The cache died today, the KHP Special Response Team blew it up. It was apparently found by a non-gecacher and reported to the Highway Patrol. They X-rayed the container and did not see anything hazardous inside, they blew it up anyway.... If you decide to submit another here, be sure to clearly mark the container and maybe we should use something clear for this one."

So last weekend, we placed a letterbox geocache (JC's Letterbox Hybrid http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=59af535c-6a3f-4fae-a67f-eb4cc2bec150 ) and this is what the reviewer posted on our cache:

"Recently a KDOT worker found a geocache in an unmarked ammocan in a rest area. Secluded in an area with some trees. He called the Highway Patrol and they sent out their Special Response Team. Even though a deputy caught wind of what was going on and told them what the can was, the response team X-rayed the can and it contained nothing that looked like a bomb. To be safe, they blew it up. A member of the response team then got a geocaching account to find out who the can belonged to. He contacted the member and they are talking about charging the cacher for the response. I am not sure what that costs, but you need to make really sure you have permission and/or a well marked container. I am not sure given this response team member's attitude, any marking would stop him from blowing an ammocan or military style container."

Be on the lookout for bombs...uh, ammo cans...

Police On Our Door Step

So yesterday Jeff and Jacob went rollerskating to give me time to study in a quiet house for my upcoming GRE exam. I'm working hard, studying, thinking, "How on earth am I going to pass this blankly blank test." And the doorbell rings. Standing on our front step is one of Junction City's finest...a police man. I'm thinking something horrible has happened to Jeff and Jacob...maybe a broken bone or some type of roller-derby-gone-wrong injury. Maybe someone has broken a tail bone from falling!

I'm standing barefoot looking up at this police man when he says, "Your neighbor called to report someone putting a mysterious ammo box in the tree in your front yard. Your neighbor thinks it might be a bomb."

Uh, that's our geocache. We have a 4 part multicache that ends in our front yard. You need to travel to 3 of our geocaches in order to get the numbers that will unlock the chain. Once you have the 3 numbers, you end up in our yard with the lock combo and the multicache is solved. But here I am, trying to explain why we have a ammo box in our tree with a lock and chain around it. I swear he thought I was crazy.

Of course, Jeff and Jacob miss the fun of explaining what geocaching is and that it's a game! Stuff like this only happens to us.

And to top it off, the poor cacher couldn't get the ammo box unlocked! Maybe he was trying to hurry before the "bomb" went off. :)

The "Bomb" (aka diecast64's "4 in 1" geocache)