By Louise Kempker (freeweez)

Eklutna-based State Park Rangers will be enforcing the full set of guidelines outlined in GCAK’s park user permit, having recently reported finding caches that are in violation of the permit and are not being maintained annually.

If you will be caching along the Eklutna Trail this year, and discovering all those smileys along the power trail —-we kindly ask your assistance! When you sign the log on each Eklutna Cache, please write that the cache has been inspected and is in compliance with the Alaska State Park Geocaching Permit! Sometimes the Cache Owners aren’t able to get to Eklutna each year to make a note on the physical cache log….so if you would help out…it will be most appreciated!

If you have questions, please contact any of the GCAK board members.
Thank you.

By Sarah Pace (RSPace)

We’re incredibly lucky as Alaskans to have the Alaska State Park system as part of our game board. Over 120 separate park units and a total of almost 3.5 million acres gives us the biggest state park playground in the US! We even have State Park units that are bigger than whole states! As Geocachers, we have an obligation to help protect our parks by being responsible owners, hiders, and finders of the geocaches hidden on State Park lands. GeocacheAlaska! will be talking a lot this summer about how we can do this!

If you own a geocache, or if you’re considering hiding a new geocache within the boundaries of the Alaska State Parks system, be sure to read the full set of guidelines outlined in our park user permit. Alaska State Park Rangers have recently reported finding caches that are in violation of the permit, and we want to be the best parks users that we can be! Remember, these are the rules that you’re agreeing to as a cache owner:: https://gcak.org/documents/2021_AK_State_Park_Permit_GCAK.pdf

Responsibilities for individual cache owners and (cache finders) include:

1. Standard caches must be at least 10 feet away from any trail, road, structure, or sign. Caches must be at least 100 feet from any public use cabin.
2. Caches must be bear proof/resistant and may NOT contain any food, edible items, or items with an odor. Remember: never use food or candy as swag!
3. Cache may not contain any profanity, offensive material, or anything that would otherwise be inappropriate for young children. This includes swag!
4. Caches must have a waterproof log and container.
5. All caches must be marked in permanent marker Alaska State Parks Permit/Geocache AK.
6. Cache must be placed in a durable, sealable, watertight, non-biodegradable container that is not bigger than a standard 50 caliber ammo can, in a color that blends in with its surroundings. The cache must be kept clean, dry, and serviceable.
7. The cache should not hinder, deter, or affect the park aesthetics to the visiting public.
8. No natural resources are to be damaged or disturbed in hiding the cache. No live vegetation is to be cut or disturbed.
9. Caches cannot be placed in any location that could damage, disturb, or otherwise impact a historic site, building, or artifact. No caches can be placed in areas that are intentionally fenced, signed, or otherwise marked has hazardous or closed to the public.
10. The cache owner shall visit the cache annually (yes, annually), to ensure that the cache is in compliance with permit regulations, signing the log to indicate that it’s been inspected.
11. State Parks staff (as well as the GeocacheAlaska! Board of Directors) may, without notice, remove any cache that is in violation of our permit regulations. Several wet caches and caches containing food or garbage have already been removed.

By GeoFootstomper and Dogliest

If you are like most geocachers, you’re probably on the hunt to spot your own 25 in the wild, in order to qualify for the new Where’s 25? – Locationless Cache that was recently announced. Dogliest and GeoFootstomper put together this helpful guide on where to find a few different 25s in the Anchorage area. Take your pick, grab a selfie, and log a rare Locationless Cache type.

From: https://geocachingak25.blogspot.com/

By Emily Accipiter Stewart (eaccipi)

Upcoming Events

March 14 – GCB2FZB  2025 PI Day Celebration Event Cache  (Anchorage)

March 22 – GCB39FR  A Toast to Davidaknz! Event Cache  (Juneau)

March 23 – GCB2H5W  12TH ANNUAL MARCH BIRTHDAY FLASH MOB Event Cache  (Anchorage)

March 27 – GCB3GG8  Let’s create some events together (Anchorage)

Upcoming Souvenirs:

Cache In Trash Out, Season 1: March 1–May 31
       (Log a CITO event to qualify)

Pi-Day: March 14 
       (log a Mystery Cache to qualify)

March Equinox: March 20-23
       (log any three geocaches or events to qualify)

Geocache in your Pajamas Day: April 16
      (log any geocache or event to qualify. Don’t forget to wear your bunny slippers!)

Temperatures hovered around zero degrees on a recent Saturday as a group of Geocachers traveled north to the Willow Community Center to help with the annual Willow Winter Carnival, and to be ambassadors for Geocaching in a community that loves their outdoor activities. Dressed to help guide attendees through a course of four ammo cans hidden around the park for the day, we arrived to the discovery that our booth was unexpectedly indoors! After ditching excess layers of outerwear, we spent the day introducing people to Geocaching, as well as how to use a GPS device to navigate. We spoke to families, kids, Scout leaders, teachers, residents, tourists, and even a few former Geocachers who were excited to jump back into the game. Several people borrowed a GPS and braved the cold to complete the day-course, earning a prize then they returned to warm up. We also enjoyed the diverse entertainment that the main multipurpose room offered, from a percussion and mamba ensemble, to a steel drum group, and even a demonstration of various Native Youth Olympic events. As always, it was a great event to be a part of!

Upcoming Event Caches:

• There are 7,498 enabled caches in the state of Alaska. Man, that’s a lot of opportunities for putting smileys on a map!
• There is a geocache in every borough and designated census area. A good time to make more progress on your borough challenge!

  https://coord.info/GCYPMN

• Speaking of challenges, Alaska only has 36 Challenge Caches. Maybe some cachers will have a resolution to hide more!

• Looking to work on a GeoTour? There are TWO caches in our state that are parts of Official GeoTours – GC52J9B and GCB09MA. I’ll let you look them up to see which tours.

• Looking for an elusive 5/5 cache? Alaska has 17 you can go for!

By Tim O (Dogliest)

On December 4, 2024, at 8:15 am, an Alaska Airport Police Officer received notification that mischief had been done within the boundaries of the Anchorage Airport at the Lake Hood Aerodrome (“The World’s Largest Seaplane Base”).

The officer arrived at the reported location in less than an hour, where he spotted a man acting suspiciously while carrying an electronic device. The police officer interrogated the suspicious man and investigated the entire site. Eventually an unusual object was found hidden there.

The police officer took evidentiary photos, filled out the necessary paperwork, and then the two men filed “FTF” reports as “Farmergang” (2,324 finds) and “biggriz” (3,046 finds) at GCB0AMP.