Caching In The NorthWest

In Episode 694 of Caching in the NorthWest, Chris of the NorthWest, witzend, and LANMonkey sit down with Shane, developer of the Outcrop app, for a talk about EarthCaches, geology for geocachers, and how augmented reality can help you read the rocks and landscape around you. Shane also built the Flyover Country app, so the conversation covers the story behind both apps, how Outcrop draws on geological databases like Macrostrat, and how it performs offline on a logging road with no bars. Whether you are new to EarthCaches or working through an EarthCache bingo card, this episode covers answering logging tasks, designing better EarthCaches, and exploring the geology of the Pacific Northwest. Try the Outcrop app at https://outcrop.rocks/. Find more episodes, join the Discord server, and support the show at https://CachingNW.com and https://Patreon.com/CachingNW. Thanks to our sponsors Landsharkz (https://landsharkz.ca) and Cachly (https://cachly.com). Read about the December solstice souvenir at https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2026/11/get-ready-to-celebrate-the-december-solstice/ and the World Postcard Day 2026 recap at https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2026/11/wish-you-were-here-world-postcard-day-2026-recap/.

Do you need a permit to hide a geocache in a state park? In this episode of Caching in the NorthWest, Chris, witzend, and LANMonkey compare Washington State Parks and BC Parks geocaching rules. Washington requires a cache placement permit, 90-day inspections, and bans food and hazardous items, while BC Parks' policy allows most caches in open public-use areas without a permit, with visits every three years. The hosts also cover the trade-offs between permits and trust, how to report abandoned or damaged caches, and how BC's permanent daylight time, in effect since March 2026, changes the clock for a Pacific Northwest cache trip. Whether you hide caches, hunt them, or plan a Cascadia cross-border adventure, this geocaching podcast helps you know the rules before you go. Live every Thursday at 7pm Pacific in Washington (8pm in BC) at CachingNW.com.

Links

• Washington rule, WAC 352-37-255, geocache placement in state parks: https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Law/WACArchive/2024/htm/WAC%20352%20-%2037%20%20CHAPTER/WAC%20352%20-%2037%20-255.htm
• BC Parks Geocaching Policy (2013 PDF): https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/kuwyyf/bcpark_geocaching_policy_432b88f2f5.pdf
• BC Parks geocaching policy page: https://bcparks.ca/park-use-permits/policies/geocaching
• BC permanent daylight time: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/celebrating-british-columbia/daylight-saving-time
• CachingNW.com: https://CachingNW.com
• Patreon: https://Patreon.com/CachingNW

Weird Washington: Caching in the NorthWest Episode 692 explores the strangest stories from the Evergreen State with hosts Chris of the NorthWest and witzend. The episode covers Mel's Hole, the bottomless pit legend near Ellensburg and Manastash Ridge; the Capitol Hill mystery soda machine in Seattle that vanished in 2018; the Spokane Gypsy curse and the Jimmy Marks lawsuit; the buried gold legend near Blewett Pass and Old Blewett; the Craigslist Robber, a Monroe armored-car heist nicknamed D.B. Tuber after D.B. Cooper; and the alpine divorce trend. Washington legends, Pacific Northwest urban legends, geocaching podcast, Seattle history, Spokane history, Ellensburg mysteries, Washington State history, and Cascadia folklore are all part of this weird ride. Find more at CachingNW.com.

Caching in the NorthWest Episode 691, "From The Methow to Mount Hood: Gear for Golden Larch," takes you into golden larch season across the Pacific Northwest. Chris of the NorthWest and witzend cover rain gear for geocaching, including dry bags, waterproof cache containers, breathable rain shells, and waterproof logbooks, plus where to find larch trees turning gold in the Washington Cascades, the Methow Valley, and on Mount Hood. For current conditions, check the Washington Trails Association trail reports at https://www.wta.org/ and the Washington Fall Foliage Map at https://morethanjustparks.com/foliage-tracker/washington. Find more episodes, resources, and guest info at CachingNW.com.

Caching in the NorthWest Episode 690 explores themed geocache hides, including movie screen concepts and animal-inspired containers. Hosts Chris of the NorthWest and LANMonkey talk through how themed caches are designed, placed, and maintained, and why they make such a fun experience for beginner and advanced geocachers alike. This Pacific Northwest geocaching podcast covers creative cache ideas, hiding tips, and community favorites. New episodes go live Thursdays at 7PM PT. Visit https://CachingNW.com for episode links, guest profiles, and resources mentioned in the show.

In this Caching in the NorthWest episode, Chris of the NorthWest and LANMonkey take you on a geocaching road trip through San Diego. The episode covers Phil's Memorial Cache (GC5B), known as the oldest California geocache, along with the trails and views at Mt. Soledad, the history and gardens of Balboa Park, and the coastal scenery of Point Loma. Balboa Park's story, from its 1868 origins through the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, shapes much of the discussion. Watch the full episode, catch the live show every Thursday at 7PM PT, and find more geocaching adventures at CachingNW.com.

In this live Caching in the NorthWest episode, recorded from San Diego, Chris of the NorthWest and LANMonkey broadcast from a brewery with a crowd of geocachers. The show covers Phil's Memorial Cache (GC5B), the oldest geocache in California, along with Balboa Park, the La Jolla tide pools, and Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument. Guests share hand-made Signal event souvenirs, a deep dive into Earth caching, and San Diego's Hall of Fame cache challenges, plus tips on Mike's Taco Club and the California burrito. Watch the full episode, catch the live show every Thursday at 7PM PT, and find more geocaching adventures at CachingNW.com.

In Episode 687 of Caching in the NorthWest, the Pacific Northwest's geocaching podcast, we explore EarthCaches: the geology-based geocaches that send you to waterfalls, basalt columns, glacial erratics, volcanic landscapes, and coastal formations instead of a hidden container. LANMonkey joins Chris of the NorthWest and witzend to talk through how to find EarthCaches, how to research the geology before you go, how to answer logging tasks correctly, and how to communicate with cache owners so your log stands. Whether you're a beginner geocacher wondering how EarthCaches work or an experienced cacher looking to sharpen your earth science skills, this episode is packed with practical tips for EarthCaching in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and beyond. Join us live every Thursday at 7PM PT and find all episodes at https://CachingNW.com.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Co-Host LANMonkey on Geocaching.com: https://www.geocaching.com/p/?u=LANMonkey

EarthCache Resources EarthCache Program (Geological Society of America): https://www.geosociety.org/what-we-do/in-the-field/earthcache EarthCache Submission Guidelines: https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/fieldexp/EarthCache/guidelines/home.aspx EarthCache FAQ: https://rock.geosociety.org/earthcache/faq.htm New Hiding Guidance for EarthCaches (Geocaching HQ Blog): https://www.geocaching.com/blog/?p=133006

On this episode of Caching in the NorthWest, puzzle cache expert and Fizzy Challenge namesake FizzyMagic joins hosts Chris of the NorthWest, witzend, and LANMonkey to talk about what goes wrong with puzzle caches — and why we can't stop solving them anyway. From unsolvable ciphers and moon-logic guesswork to last-three-digit shortcuts, one-true-page puzzles, walls of text, and egocaches built to show off rather than entertain, Fizzy shares hard-won puzzle-solving wisdom from working alongside some of the top names on the Certitude solved list. Whether you're brand new to mystery caches or chasing a Fizzy Challenge grid of your own, this episode is packed with practical tips for solving smarter and hiding better puzzle caches in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Watch live every Thursday at 7PM PT at https://CachingNW.com.

In this episode of Caching in the NorthWest, hosts Chris of the NorthWest, witzend, and LANMonkey are joined by fellow geocaching podcaster Bounce,bounce to remember Tim, known in the geocaching community as Merlin1392. A longtime board member of the Michigan Geocaching Organization (MiGO), Merlin1392 left a lasting mark on geocaching through his dedication to the hobby and his community. This geocaching podcast episode looks back on his legacy and contributions, sharing stories and reflections from fellow geocachers whose lives he touched. Tune in for this tribute episode of Caching in the NorthWest, the podcast from the birthplace of geocaching, live every Thursday at 7pm PT. Visit CachingNW.com for more geocaching news, geocaching podcasts, and community stories from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.