Geocache Name:

Fire and Ice (GC4TXB2)

 

Difficulty/Terrain Rating:

3/2.5

Why this is the Geocache of the Week:

As the first Geocache of the Week for 2015, this geocache sets the bar pretty high for the rest of the year. While it’s located in a nearby park, this multi-cache takes you on a journey that requires a few specific tools of the trade. It begins with a 9V battery to power the Arduino computer inside. From there, you need to either raise or lower the temperature of the probe on the geocache. Once you’re at the right temp, you’ll get the coordinates to the next location. If your geocaching New Year’s resolution is to hide a geocache, consider creating something as innovative and fun as this one. Good luck and Happy New Year!

 

What geocachers are saying:

“This was super fun with all the different stations and i would love to hunt for this one again!! Girl Scout Troop #55492 LOVED IT!” – laurakwik

“The best cache I had encountered yet. I brought some friends along that are not big on caching, but they both absolutely loved. Once we had seen and had been trying Stage 2 we all kept saying, “This is so cool.” TFTC” – TheAdamBomb98

“Took a couple of trips but we got ‘er done. When will I learn … read the instructions … always read the instructions first. Exceptionally well done cache. Will send a fave point once I get my account back up to par. Thanks.” – surfnturfnsky

What the geocache owner,  bflentje, has to say:

What inspired you to build this geocache?
One of the things that keeps me deeply interested in geocaching is finding the higher profile geocaches; oldies, caches with high favorites, caches that are interesting or out of the ordinary, and challenges. Gadget caches particularly standout as my all time favorites. One of the ways I give back to the community is to hide caches that I like to find on the notion that I might inspire others to find geocaches that I like to find, I can’t say that my mission has been successful or not but in my home area, there has recently been an increase in the amount of those more interesting geocaches.

Do you have an engineering/programming background?
I do have a background in science and technology. I acquired my BS in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1995 but have worked in the IT field for the last 20 years. Within the the IT field it is safe to say that the majority of my skillset revolves around software, databases, and computer programming. Though to not scare others away from building gadget caches, the knowledge required to build Fire and Ice was the simplest form of the C programming language and how to apply fundamental logic to code.

How long did it take to create?
The construction of multiple iterations of the device took about a month but to be fair, I also had to balance my family, my job, and my need to find other geocaches. I went through three different models before I was able to construct what I thought would be the best way to apply my high level idea for the cache. Though by far more time was spent finding the perfect location for the device which required the perfect location, safety from muggles, and land owner involvement,

What has been your reaction to all of the positive logs and favorite points?
Watching the positive reactions to the cache by my fellow geocachers is probably one of the most rewarding things in geocaching for me. And knowing that someone may have walked away following their find with the idea that “maybe I could build a cache like that” is even better.

Is there anything you’d like to say to the geocaching community?
I just wanted to say that by and large, geocaching has been a tremendous part of my life for about 10 years now. It still amazes me the wonderful friends that I’ve made, the places I’ve discovered, and the other related activities I’ve attempted along the way that I wouldn’t have otherwise given much thought to (biking, paddling, exploration etc).

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