One of the oldest and most popular geocaching challenges is the Jasmer Challenge. To complete the challenge, you must fill your Jasmer grid by finding caches placed in every month since geocaching began in May 2000. As of the time of this blog publication, there have been 222 months since the beginning of geocaching, which means you must find 222 caches to qualify. The first Jasmer Challenge appeared in California in 2008 (GC1GBC1). It has since been duplicated all over the world. If you're unclear on how the Jasmer Challenge works or want some tips on how to qualify, you found the right place. The Jasmer Challenge inevitably becomes more difficult as time passes. First, because with each new month, there is another required cache to find. Also, there are fewer active caches available from the early years. To see for yourself: Conduct a worldwide search and order the results by the ‘Placed On' category. Scroll past the caches with bogus ‘Placed On' dates (example: everything prior to May 11, 2000). You will see there are only seven remaining caches that were placed in May 2000, which was the first month of geocaching. The pickings are even slimmer for August 2000, with just four remaining active caches. So, you better get started! To find out where you currently stand, use a tool like Project-GC to view your ‘Finds by hidden month.” (Find it on your ‘Profile stats' page on Project-GC.) Next, identify available caches from the months you're missing. There are a number of ways to do this: Conduct a search on Geocaching.com and order the results by ‘Placed On' date. Run a Pocket query on Geocaching.com and use the ‘Placed During' box to limit the results to a specific month. There are other options, including Project-GC's ‘Map – Hidden Month' tool. It shows you a map with available caches from your missing months, along with multiple filters. All that's left is to find the caches! I know, I know, easier said than done. Since August 2000 is the most difficult month for most people, here's information about the four remaining active caches from that month: Potters Pond (GC3B, Utah, USA). Located in a high mountain valley (approx 9200 feet elevation), it's about 2.5 hours to drive from Salt Lake City. The last 11 miles or so are on dirt road. (Helpful driving information is contained in this log by a Utah community volunteer reviewer.) Once you make it all that way, the hike from parking to ground zero feels relatively easy. It's a nice, big cache in a forest. Classic geocaching. A view of Potters Pond by RachellLake Lanier (GC21, Georgia, USA). This one isn't quite as secluded as Potters Pond. It's just under an hour's drive from Atlanta. But as the cache title implies, you'll enjoy great views of a beautiful lake. A pleasant walk on defined trails leads you near the cache. Sunset at Lake Lanier, by TerriBikes+Geocache 612 (GC36, Michigan, USA). This cache is way out there, at least, relative to major metropolitan areas. You're looking at a three hour drive from Detroit, five hours from Chicago, or “only” two hours if you're coming from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I would argue it's the least accessible of the August 2000 caches. The last bit of road gets soft and sandy, and parking is about 0.1 mile from ground zero. From there, it's an easy walk to the cache. Cecton-more completes her Jasmer at Geocache 612.Match Stash (GC4D, Sweden). This is certainly the easiest of the August 2000 caches to access from a big city. It's only about a 20 minute drive from the center of Stockholm. I used public transit to get within a mile of the cache and then walked the remainder. The view at Match Stash, by RadlerAndiYou may not be satisfied with completing your Jasmer grid only once. When you finish the first loop, you can aim for Double Jasmer (find two caches in every month) or more. Quadruple Jasmer is one of my favorite geocaching accomplishments! Have you completed your Jasmer? If so, what was your most memorable qualifying cache? If not, how is your planning going? [...]

Whether on a geocaching road trip across the country or living down the street, geocachers love to make a pit stop at Geocaching HQ to sign the famous logbook, celebrate a milestone, share stories with fellow geocachers, and see for themselves where all the geocaching magic happens. But if you can't make the trip out to Seattle HQ is coming to you with a Virtual Tour of the Visitor's Center! [...]

EarthCache GC3F65X by funkymunkyzone Difficulty: 2 Terrain: 1.5 Location: North Island, New Zealand S 38° 38.920′ E 176° 05.408′ New Zealand has the highest density of sheep per unit area in the world, featuring a sheep to human ratio of seven to one. It is also a country full of stunning and diverse natural beauty ranging from jagged mountains to rolling pastures, providing the perfect backdrop for The Lord of the Rings movies. The country features active volcanic zones, picturesque beaches, fiords, and raging rivers. One of those rivers, the Waikato River, is responsible for the powerful Huka Falls, our Geocache of the Week. The water flowing over Huka Falls is so strong that it prevents the migration of native fish and eels. The Maori people were the first to navigate the river, but after a chief went over the falls and barely survived, they steered away from them. It is also rumored that a small group of dwarves from Middle-earth may have braved the falls inside of barrels while escaping their enemy. The waterfall crashes upon a layer of rock known as the Huka Falls Formation — a geologically altered and hardened layer made of lacustrine shales. The formation was created 70,000 – 200,000 years ago by mid-Pleistocene sediments sinking to the floor of an ancient lake that extended beyond the current boundaries of Lake Taupo. Then the sediment geothermally altered, hardened, and set like a natural concrete. Originally the river was much wider at this point. As the Huka Falls Formation is much harder than the surrounding rocks, the river began to exploit weaknesses in the rock to carve out the deep channel above the falls you see today. The strong currents from above and under the surface lead to erosion that chips away at the edges of the falls as well as undercutting the cliff behind it. This phenomenon causes the falls to slowly move upstream. Should you find yourself in New Zealand, consider a visit to this amazing EarthCache to enjoy the breathtaking views and expand your knowledge about geology. Continue to explore some of the most amazing geocaches around the world. Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form. [...]

Get ready to get spooky — Halloween is coming! This year, ditch the usual broomstick and witch hat and opt for a more geo-tacular disguise. In a crowd of witches, superheroes, and princesses, you'll definitely stand out. They're dreadful, ghoulish, and just the right amount of strange — check out our geocaching costumes, and let us know if you create your own! (To the tune of Monster Mash): I created a cache late one night When my eyes beheld an eerie sight For my ammo can became a disguise And suddenly to my surprise He found the cache!(He found the geocache)He found the cache!(He found it in a flash) Travel Bug Put on a bug costume, grab a suitcase, and you'll be all set for your voyage around the neighborhood. Bison Tube Q: What did the buffalo father say to his son as he left to go trick-or-treating? A: Bison. (K)night Cache Do you defend the castle from intruders during the day and search for caches at night? Are you a skilled swordsman and a night owl? Are you a fan of mediocre puns? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, dress yourself up as a (k)night cache this year! Muggle Impress your geocaching buddies with this muggle costume. They're oblivious, they're everywhere, they make our lives difficult… but geocaching wouldn't be nearly as fun without them! Ammo Can We ammo-can't believe how great this costume is. [...]

Introducing the next challenge in our four month series “You might be a geocacher if…” From October 29 at noon UTC through December 3 at noon UTC, use the Friend League to individually earn points towards the “Social Butterfly” souvenir. Keep reading to learn November's challenge below! In November, you might be a Social Butterfly if… You walk the walk and talk the talk—as in you like to go to events! You are fully immersed in the geocaching community and Event Caches are totally your thing. You love meeting all of your fellow geocachers and have a knack for helping newbies fall in love with the game! To earn the Social Butterfly souvenir, earn 70 points individually on your Friend League starting October 29 at noon UTC through December 3 at noon UTC. This month earn higher points for attending Event Caches! The scoring*: Action Point value Log a Found it on any geocache 5 Log a Found it on a geocache with 10 or more Favorite points 10 Attend any event 15 Drop off trackable 1 Earn 15 points for attending any regular Event Cache, GIFF Event, CITO Event, Mega or Giga-Event! There are no extra points for Difficulty/Terrain ratings this month. *The Friend League will not reflect this scoring until Monday, October 29 at noon UTC. FAQ: How do I play? Find different geocache types to individually collect 70 points on the Friend League between Monday, October 29 at noon UTC and Monday, December 3 at noon UTC and earn the Social Butterfly souvenir. How can I earn points? If you log a cache, attend an event, or perform other geocaching actions, you collect points. Action Point value Log a Found it on any geocache 5 Log a Found it on a geocache with 10 or more Favorite points 10 Attend any event 15 Drop off trackable 1 *The max number of points you can earn for any find log is 15 points by attending any Event Cache. What is the Friend League? The Friend League is a leaderboard that shows you and your friends' geocaching activity. Earn points when you log a cache, attend an event, or complete other geocaching tasks. The number of points vary depending on the task at hand. The Friend League displays the total points you individually collect during the month. You can also see how many points your friends have earned. After October 29, the Friend League will reset to zero on Monday, December 3 at noon UTC when the next souvenir challenge will begin. Can I join at anytime? Of course! Join anytime between October 29 through December 3 and earn 70 points individually on your Friend League and earn the Social Butterfly souvenir. Where can I see my souvenirs? As soon as you collect a certain number of points, the associated souvenir will automatically be awarded to your profile. The souvenirs appear on your profile under the souvenir tab. Is the Friend League in the Geocaching® app? The Friend League is not in the Geocaching® app but can be viewed in your phone's web browser. My Friend League points aren't correct. Help! If you change a Note, DNF, or other log type to a Found it log, it will not be recognized on the Friend League. You may have found and logged a Lab Cache. At this time, the Friend League does not award points for finding Lab Caches. You logged on Monday, October 29 before noon UTC (convert to your local time here). We suggest that you wait to log until AFTER Monday noon UTC – which in some places like New Zealand is Tuesday at midnight – to log your geocaches. Otherwise the points will count towards the October challenge and not the November challenge. You saved a Draft on a Monday, October 29 before noon UTC (convert to your local time here). If you have already posted your logs, select “View / Edit Log / Images”, then click the pen icon and “Submit Log Entry” on the website. Your logs should now be counted towards your total. What does UTC stand for? Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the basis for civil time today. It is the time standard (not a time zone) commonly used across the world. You can convert UTC to your local time here. Do I get points for attending a CITO, Mega or Giga-Event? Yes. Attending any event earns you 15 points. Plus, the Geocaching International Film Fest runs November 8 through 12. Attending one of these events will earn you 15 points! Still have a question? Having trouble logging your finds? Have a question about scoring? The best way to get answers quickly is to write to us using this form. Thanks and good luck! [...]

The Great Trail Treasure HuntColder temperatures may be setting in Canada, but with 100 recently hidden treasure boxes, there's never been a better time to get out and explore The Great Trail Treasure Hunt. Gorgeous views in CanadaThis large-scale treasure hunt continues through October 31, and celebrates the connection of The Great Trail, decades in the making. Participants can visit The Great Trail Treasure Hunt and guess where treasures box are hidden. The first person to find one of the boxes receives a prize. Canadian northern lightsTreasure hunters can also enter weekly drawings when they post a photo of themselves with a treasure box to Instagram or Facebook. Just make sure to include the hashtag #GreatTrailTreasure. Canadian residents are eligible to win prizes such as a Nikon camera, a gift card to Mountain Equipment Co-op, or a subscription to Canadian Geographic, just to name a few. Canada sunriseThe Great Trail Treasure Hunt is a fun, healthy way to discover Canada whether you live in the Great White North or plan to visit. Next year The Great Trail plans to become an official GeoTour! Stay tuned to our blog and social channels for more details. [...]

Traditional GC6CN64 by GC5LT2 Difficulty: 2 Terrain: 1 Limburg, Netherlands N 51° 02.194′ E 005° 50.634′ There's more than meets the eye at this TB hotel. From the outside it looks like your typical, mundane utility box. But, isn't that the point of geocaching — to hide something special in plain sight, make it look like it belongs there, in a place where no one expects to find it? This cache embodies that spirit by hiding an entire fire department and puzzle contraptions inside that mundane utility box, making it a strong Geocache of the Week. Like any good firefighter you're going to need equipment to extinguish that burning feeling you get when looking for a geocache. The following items are needed: 9-volt battery Small magnet At least 60 cm (24 in) of rope It may not initially be clear what you are doing with those items when you approach the utility box and it's locked, but there are some clever hints to look out for: What do firefighters fight? Fire. What does fire create? Smoke. There's a curious “No Smoking” sign that might turn you in the right direction. Once you are inside the cache and attach the battery, you see what makes the cache so special. It is filled with a child-size firefighter outfit, a firetruck, axes, and walkie-talkies. It should also be mentioned that TB Kazerne “Spuit 11” has earned an 86% Favorite rating (533 total Favorite points) in its two years of publication. Cachers of all ages enjoy this fun, creative, and well-maintained hide. Continue to explore some of the most amazing geocaches around the world. Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form. [...]