By Wes Skinner (NorthWes)

Greetings from Wes Skinner (NorthWes). It’s been an exciting start to 2026 for me as I’ve stepped back into the role of President for GeocacheAlaska! Inc.’s Board of Directors. I’m looking forward to writing an article together with some photos that humbly shares the fun I’ve  had recently while traveling out of state, but right now I want to focus your attention on matters of immediate concern right here in Alaska.

I’m sure you’ve received email notifications about the various events coming up soon. Ranging from the fun coffeehouse events happening in Chugiak and at the Tudor to Muldoon curve, all the way over to the traditional series of events we see around this time of year, there’s plenty of opportunities to fit in a fun event find while making new friends and seeing familiar faces at these quick meet-up events. Upcoming are a dozen events so far later this month, including a Valentine’s Day celebration event, a President’s Day event, a CITO event (out at Chugiak HS), and two events featuring the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous! The opportunity to earn the first season CITO event souvenir can be fulfilled at a second CITO Event to be held on March 28 the at Chugiak HS as well. Stay tuned to the events coming, so you can stay in touch with your geocaching buddies and build your find count the easy way in Alaska’s wintertime.

This year will be bringing a new focus on Eduvents hosted by  GeocacheAlaska! Inc. as well. Eduvents used to be a monthly occurrence pre-pandemic, and we’re purposing to bring that learning focus back to our geocaching community’s attention. A broad array of topics are being developed for presentations, and we’d love to hear from you about areas where you’d like a bit of classroom learning opportunities to help you grow in the get-outside game of geocaching. Stay tuned to see that’s coming with Eduvents!

Since September of 2025 I’ve been in ongoing conversation with the Alaska Department of Natural Resource’s permitting office, seeking to renew GeocacheAlaska! Inc.’s permit to play the geocaching game in Alaska State Parks. The past three 5-year permits were approved quickly and with minimal fuss, but this year’s application process has encountered the results of significant upgrades to DNR’s permitting process that were made statewide in 2023. As a result, the permit’s cost has risen significantly and the conditions of the permit have been extensively modified, while the term of the permit has been shortened to 3 years. It’s been an extensive deep-depth review of how geocaching impacts Alaska State Parks. We’re in the final days of discussion regarding how to get our permit approved, and I’ll be keeping you updated on how the  new permit’s terms and conditions will impact geocaching in Alaska State Parks. Watch your emails and our social media updates to learn more as the permit gets finalized in the coming week’s time.