Fifty Caches for Fifty Years: Kiecker’s Birthday Cache Run

🎉 Happy Birthday: You’re Old! 🎉

50 caches, a milestone find, several FTFs, and far too many suspicious gnomes

There are plenty of ways to celebrate turning 50. Some people throw a party, some take a vacation, and some have an entire series of geocaches hidden in their honor.

The “Happy Birthday: You’re Old” series included 50 caches, along with a couple of extras, all placed to celebrate Kiecker’s 50th birthday. Every cache description featured another reminder of what it means to reach middle age, from wisdom highlights and senior moments to the comforting thought that the best part of being over 50 is having done all your stupid stuff before the internet.

Naturally, The Dealfarms Duo and 2xrCody decided to see how many of them they could find.

🥇 The Race for the FTFs

RamseyWarrior had apparently received the same idea, only earlier and faster. She beat everyone into the area and claimed a large portion of the available FTFs. Still, several blank logs remained scattered throughout the series, and the group managed to claim a respectable collection of FTFs of their own.

The route did not follow the cache numbers in anything resembling numerical order. They began around #13, jumped into the 40s, returned to the teens, visited the extras, dropped into the single digits, and continued bouncing around from there. It was a route that could only have been designed by a geocacher—or possibly a gnome.

🍄 Something Gnomish Was Going On

In fact, Dealfarms had already started suggesting that some of the messages 2xrCody sent while planning the trip sounded suspiciously gnomish. That accusation was completely ridiculous. 2xrCody believes all the messages were perfectly normal. Yet the mysterious chicken watching from behind a tree seemed to disagree.

As they continued, the situation became increasingly suspicious. Tiny red hats appeared beside blank logs. Small boot prints surrounded the caches. Gnomes began hiding in the bushes, inspecting signatures, demanding snack taxes, and following the group with tiny clipboards. The chicken appeared at nearly every stop, sometimes accompanied by a cow that it was apparently teaching to cross the road.

⚠️ Important Safety Warning

At one cache, Dealfarms announced that “the tree eats humans” immediately before photographing 2xrCody falling into a wormhole.

It turns out 2xrCody was pulled through a wormhole filled with lost cache pens, unmatched socks, and one extremely smug gnome. Fortunately, he fell back out in time to sign the log and continue the series.

🎊 FIND #800! 🎊

“Happy Birthday: You’re Old #8” became 2xrCody’s 800th geocache find!

The gnomes held a small ceremony, the chicken delivered what may have been a congratulatory speech, and the cow attempted to eat the decorations. It was not quite how he had imagined celebrating find #800, but it was certainly memorable.

A milestone find worthy of an official gnome ceremony.

👋 More Cachers Join the Adventure

Later, kesleyk and OO dreamer came out and met up with the ridiculous others. They joined for a few caches and brought some much-needed additional witnesses.

Naturally, the moment other people arrived, the chicken began acting like a completely ordinary bird and all the gnomes froze in place like lawn decorations. Nobody believed what Dealfarms and Cody had been dealing with all day. That is exactly how the gnomes get away with it.

They did not complete a perfect sweep. A few caches refused to reveal themselves despite plenty of searching and some deliberately unhelpful directions from the local poultry. They also passed over a couple of blank logs so another cacher could enjoy an FTF—or that’s what they say….

🎂 The Birthday Man Arrives

Eventually, the old birthday man himself made an appearance. Kiecker came out later in the day and began finding some of the caches placed in celebration of his birthday.

After spending the day reading jokes about failing eyesight, grey hair, senior moments, and getting up to pee during the night, it was great to finally see the guest of honor enjoying his birthday series. Although Kiecker reported no sightings of gnomes, the likelihood of them following him was still particularly high.

The birthday man searching for one of the caches hidden in his honor.

🧭 More Than Another Day of Finds

This turned into one of those geocaching days that was about much more than adding numbers to the find count. Everyone earned several FTFs, celebrated 2xrCody’s 800th find, met up with friends, encountered an alarming number of gnomes, and helped celebrate a fellow geocacher’s milestone birthday.

🎈 Happy 50th Birthday, Kiecker! 🎈

“Don’t let aging get you down.
It’s too hard to get up again.”

🍄 🐔 📍 🐄 🧭

Brazos Valley Geocachers Lunch #4

Barbecue, detours, catching up with old friends, and thankfully, nobody ending up on the menu.

Event: GCBTTX3 — Brazos Valley Geocachers Lunch #4

Hosted by: PittPack

When: August 24, 2026

Where: Rudy's Bar-B-Q, College Station, Texas

Sometimes all you need is barbecue and a table full of geocachers.

The Brazos Valley Geocachers gathered once again on August 24 for Brazos Valley Geocachers Lunch #4, hosted by PittPack at Rudy's Bar-B-Q in College Station.

Joining the lunch were PittPack, dealfarms1, Nov64, StevenNJessica, and AggieBirds. It was a small group this time around, but judging by the logs, there was no shortage of good conversation and good company.

The plan was simple: grab some lunch, catch up with friends, trade or discover a few trackables, and, naturally, talk all things geocaching.

And there was barbecue.

Back in the Land of Barbecue

For PittPack, the lunch came with an added benefit.

After spending three weeks in Colorado, there was something important waiting back home in Texas:

Barbecue.

Three Weeks Without Barbecue

“And it was really nice to have some barbecue after being in Colorado for three weeks and no barbecue!”

— PittPack

Three weeks.

No barbecue.

We'll just leave everyone to contemplate that hardship for themselves.

More importantly, PittPack said it was a great opportunity to catch up and see some faces that hadn't been around in a while.

Nobody Was on the Menu

Then came the report from dealfarms1.

According to their log:

Good News from the Lunch Table

“The whole crew had a great time. Some members were especially excited about not being on the menu, today.”

— dealfarms1

There is no additional explanation.

Although the photographic evidence may provide a clue.

Whatever transpired over lunch, the entire dealfarms1 crew apparently survived the experience and reported having a great time.

Who Takes the Direct Route Anyway?

The award for longest lunch commute may have belonged to Nov64.

Nov64 had been wanting to attend one of the Brazos Valley events for a while. There was just one minor complication:

They were headed to Georgia.

For most people, that might be a reason to miss lunch in College Station.

For a geocacher?

Apparently it is a reason to take a detour.

The Geocacher's Route

“Been wanting to come out to one of these events so since I was heading to Georgia, I thought I would take the detour and attend the event besides what GeoCacher take the direct route anyway 🤔😅”

— Nov64

Fair point.

After all, taking the most efficient route from Point A to Point B would eliminate countless opportunities to say, “There's a cache only five minutes out of the way.”

Which inevitably becomes twenty.

A Day Off at the Right Time

StevenNJessica was also able to make the gathering, thanks to some fortunate timing.

“It was great seeing folks for lunch! I’m glad I was off and able to make it.”

— StevenNJessica

And sometimes that's really all an event needs to be.

No elaborate adventure. No giant milestone. No expedition into the woods.

Just an hour set aside in the middle of the day to sit down with other geocachers, eat some barbecue, and catch up.

Until Lunch #5

Not everybody was able to make this one. PirateKate was stuck at the courthouse for jury selection and missed the gathering, although there was at least some good news:

She wasn't selected.

And she's already hoping to make the next lunch.

That seems to be the common theme running through the logs from Lunch #4. PittPack is looking forward to next month. dealfarms1 is looking forward to next time. PirateKate plans to try again.

A small group.

Some Texas barbecue.

And another good excuse to get geocachers around the same table.

A small group gathered around a table at Rudy's, some familiar faces got a chance to catch up, one geocacher made a detour on the way to Georgia, and everyone apparently managed to avoid becoming lunch themselves.

Sounds like a successful Brazos Valley Geocachers lunch to us.

Happy caching!

Brazos Valley Geocachers Celebrate ooDreamCrafter Joining the Comma Club

ooDreamCrafter Joins the Comma Club

1,000 caches, VERY yummy kupkakes, a group FTF, and a gathering of geocachers to celebrate.

The family of kesleyk, _KellMell_, and ooDreamCrafter have been geocaching off and on since August 15, 2020. After almost 6 years, ooDreamCrafter found his 1,000th cache, and geocachers from the area joined together in celebrating that accomplishment. When kesleyk put out the call for fellow celebrants, he thought he'd get a few locals, but to his surprise, they travelled from several counties away to make the event special.

VERY Yummy Kupkakes and a Group FTF

With the promise of VERY yummy kupkakes baked by _KellMell_, and group FTF of a new Mystery Cache crafted by kesleyk, the geocaching celebrants arrived and did their best imitation of upstanding members of the community once a representative of the CSPD arrived. Kpip1066 and Team_Red_J were evidently traumatized from previous geocaching excursions in the big city when the black and white arrived, because they instantly tried to find an excuse why they parked in that location (even though it was perfectly alright!). Turns out, StevenNJessica had a chance to join us in our congratulatory meetup. OOrah!

Kpip1066 and Team_Red_J were evidently traumatized from previous geocaching excursions in the big city when the black and white arrived

Shortly thereafter, the rest of the dozen arrived, to include the dealfarms1 duo, the PittPack twopack, and navystud and kidprincess. Then, the time had come for the supporting Mystery cache to publish, and the group rushed to solve the puzzle and find the cache. It didn't take very long before the puzzling was complete, and the hunt was on. It took even less time to find the clever hide (their words, not mine!) and lucky for the group, kesleyk had brought a specific TOTT to make getting to the cache a simpler activity than it might otherwise have been. (Although, without the TOTT, it may have been much more entertaining!)

Stories, Swag, and Trackables

There were a few not in attendance that were missed, but the group didn't let that dampen the spirit, and their absence was limited to an observation (and perhaps a dig or two at their full schedule). Swag was traded, logs were signed, stories were told (some of which may even have been true), trackables were discovered, and the rest of the day's plans were made. Although the event was scheduled for 30 minutes, the group ended up disbanding 75 minutes after start, a tribute to the great comradery and fellowship everyone experienced.

Although the event was scheduled for 30 minutes, the group ended up disbanding 75 minutes after start, a tribute to the great comradery and fellowship everyone experienced.

All Good Things, End They Must

But, as always is the way, all things, even good things, end they must. Kpip1066 and Team_Red_J had planned on grabbing some of 2xrCody's shareables nearby. They were joined by navystud and kidprincess, who had planned on going to Taco Casa afterward for some delicious tacos! kesleyk, _KellMell_, and ooDreamCrafter had planned on finally tackling 2xrCody's Tank You For Your Service, which had legitimately nearly broken them by this point. They were joined by the dealfarms1 duo for a successful hunt. And the PittPack twopack were off to take care of non-geocaching duties (oh the horror!). And StevenNJessica headed out to continue his duties of citywide protection and service. They all left with full hearts, and a smile, knowing one day, some day, somewhere, they would cross paths again. And on that day, this day they will remember what was shared and accomplished. ooDreamCrafter joined the comma club, and they were there to see it.

Guest Author

kesleyk

This story was written and submitted by kesleyk, a member of the BVGC community.

A Note from KesleyK: No AI was consulted for the contents of this entry. Any and all errors, mis-statements, and poor grammar are mine alone, and should be considered flavor for your perusing enjoyment. Even if they weren't intended. :D

Brazos Valley CITO and Lunch 1.5

The Brazos Valley Geocachers Have Done It Again...

Donuts, liquid rocket fuel, CITO chaos, lunch stories, and caches straight out of The Twilight Zone.

Breakfast Event: GCBQ5AA, hosted by kesleyk

CITO Event: GCBQ5AY

Lunch Event: GCBQ5K4, hosted by PittPack

Sometimes you come home from a geocaching event and struggle to explain exactly what happened.

This was one of those days.

Fortunately, Deal Farms already did the hard part. In his recap of the day, he somehow managed to capture the exact spirit of the morning:

As Deal Farms Said Best...

“Imagine with me if you will a tranquil unsuspecting city park. Squirrels are happily falling out of trees, cats, snakes and deer minding their own business and suddenly the tranquility is shattered. The park is overwhelmed with humans, not just any humans, but the best kind, geocachers.”

Honestly, there may not be a better way to describe it.

One moment the park was peaceful. The next, it had been overtaken by geocachers fueled by donuts, coffee, and the unmistakable urge to go wandering through the woods with a purpose.

Breakfast Before the Invasion

The day started with a quick breakfast event hosted by kesleyk. Donuts were provided, conversations were had, and the coffee.... or as Deal Farms called it, “liquid rocket fuel” — did exactly what it was supposed to do.

Once everyone was sufficiently caffeinated and socially warmed up, it was time for the real mission of the morning.

CITO Time

It was, after all, Cache In Trash Out time.

Armed with gloves, trash bags, and questionable enthusiasm, the Brazos Valley Geocachers spread out through the park to clean up whatever did not belong there.

A Note from the Geocacher Wildlife Department

“A grand time was had by all, except maybe the snake and the deer, apparently they hadn’t checked their email and missed the head’s up about the CITO.”

The snake and deer may have been surprised, but the cleanup was a success. The group wandered, searched, collected, laughed, and probably looked a little ridiculous doing it.

Or, as Deal Farms put it, we were “traipsing around like heathens collecting all types of goodies.”

Once the cleanup wrapped up, everyone gathered back at base camp to debrief. Trash had been collected, the park looked better, and thankfully, none of us looked like Homer and Bart after their foray into the forest.

Lunch, Stories, and Chewing the Fat

After a brief intermission, the BVG crew reconvened at a local eatery for the lunch event hosted by PittPack.

You Should Have Been There

“And YOU should have been there, oh the stories you would have heard.”

That pretty much sums up any good geocaching lunch. Food was eaten. Stories were told. Some stories may have grown slightly larger with each retelling. There was much chewing of the fat and, eventually, digesting of our food.

But geocachers are not known for calling it a day just because lunch is over.

The Bonus Cache at the End

If This Day Was an Adventure Lab...

“If this day was an AL, this part was the bonus cache at the end.”

A pared down BVG crew headed out for more caching. Deal Farms and kesleyk made their way to GCBQPQ3 and secured a co-FTF.

Yay them!

At this point, most normal people would probably consider the day complete.

But geocachers are not normal people.

Enter the Twilight Zone

Joined by 2xrCody, the next targets became GCBPQQY and GCBPQQ7.

What we found at those two caches is hard to describe without giving too much away. Every geocacher has found clever hides before. We have all had those moments where we finally spot the container and laugh because the cache owner got us good.

These were different.

These were the kind of caches that make you stop and stare for a second. The kind that make experienced cachers go quiet. The kind that make you wonder how someone even came up with the idea in the first place.

Even Rod Serling Would Have Been Stunned

“What we found at those two caches left us speechless. Even Rod Serling would have been stunned.”

And honestly, for once, nobody was exaggerating.

Some caches are finds.

Some caches are stories.

These caches were stories.

Why We Keep Coming Back

By the end of the day, we had shared breakfast, cleaned a park, startled the wildlife, eaten lunch, claimed a first-to-find, explored a couple of unforgettable caches, and created even more stories for the next event table.

That is what makes days like this special.

Geocaching is about finding containers, sure. But it is also about the people, the stories, the laughter, the strange little adventures, and the moments that make you say, “You should have been there.”

Happy caching!

Brazos Valley Geocachers Lunch #1

Pizza, caching stories, trackables, and great company!

Event: Brazos Valley Geocachers Lunch #1

Host: PittPack

Date: May 12, 2026

Location: Crust Pizza, College Station, Texas

On May 12th, local geocachers gathered at Crust Pizza in College Station for the very first Brazos Valley Geocachers Lunch event hosted by PittPack. What started as a simple lunch meetup quickly turned into a fantastic afternoon filled with stories, laughs, pizza, trackables, and plenty of geocaching talk.

The event ran from 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM and brought together geocachers from around the Brazos Valley area. Some attendees were longtime friends who had cached together for years, while others were meeting face-to-face for the first time.

One of the highlights of the event was welcoming a newer cacher, budgetgirl, into the local geocaching community. Several attendees mentioned how enjoyable it was getting to meet new people while catching up with familiar faces.

A Little Limerick Fun

The event also happened to fall on National Limerick Day, which added an extra layer of fun to the meetup. Several attendees joined in on the limerick spirit in their logs, continuing the playful theme from the cache page itself.

Of course, no geocaching gathering would be complete without talking about recent finds, favorite hides, puzzle caches, and future adventures. Conversations bounced from cache stories to upcoming hides, and even to a brand-new cache that had been published shortly before lunch began.

The food received plenty of praise too. Pizza, salad, and good company made for the perfect combination during a busy weekday lunch break. More importantly, the event reminded everyone what makes geocaching communities special — the friendships and conversations that happen between the finds.

Geocachers in Attendance

Attendees included familiar local names such as dealfarms1, PirateKate, TxRider, ooDreamCrafter, _KellMell_, kesleyk, 2xrCody, and of course the host, PittPack.

By the end of lunch, it was clear this would not be the last gathering for the Brazos Valley geocaching community. With such a great turnout and positive atmosphere, plans for another event next month were already being discussed before everyone even left the restaurant.

Events like these are a great reminder that geocaching is about far more than finding containers. It is about the people, the stories, and the community built along the way.

Happy caching!

Maker Magic: A Day of Cache Creativity

Maker Magic - Cache Creation Day turned out to be a fun and creative geocaching community day, bringing together cachers of all experience levels for an afternoon focused on building, brainstorming, and sharing ideas.

The goal of the event was simple: create a space where geocachers could connect, explore new ideas, and leave feeling inspired to build their own hides. Whether attendees were brand new to cache hiding or already had creative concepts in mind, there was something for everyone.

Throughout the event, tables were filled with containers, tools, and all kinds of unique geocaching ideas. From simple hides to more creative builds, there was no shortage of inspiration. It was the kind of setup where every table had something interesting to check out.

A highlight of the event was a hands-on build station hosted by KesleyK, where attendees could create their own geocache containers. This gave participants a chance to walk away with something they built themselves, while also learning what goes into making a solid hide.

The atmosphere throughout the event was relaxed and collaborative, with geocachers sharing ideas, asking questions, and helping each other refine their concepts. It was less about structured instruction and more about creativity and community.

Instead of a traditional logbook, a painted canvas was set out for attendees to sign. It quickly became a unique and memorable part of the event, capturing everyone who came out to be part of the day.

A big congratulations goes out to 2xrCody for reaching an incredible milestone of 700 finds during the event. It was a great moment to celebrate and added something extra special to an already memorable day.

Events like this highlight what makes the geocaching community so great, not just the caches themselves, but the creativity, collaboration, and connections behind them. The Brazos Valley Geocachers appreciate everyone who came out, shared ideas, and helped make Maker Magic a success.

Now comes the fun part—seeing all of these ideas turn into new hides out in the wild.

Spring CITO at Edelweiss Gartens Park

Geocachers, Aggie students, and community volunteers came together for a great day of service

Today, Kiecker hosted a CITO event at Edelweiss Gartens Park, and it turned out to be a wonderful day of community service, geocaching, and time spent together outdoors. We were especially glad to welcome Aggie students participating in The Big Event, who came out to help clean up the park and surrounding area.

Every year, Texas A&M students take part in The Big Event as a way to give back to the community. While many projects are focused on helping individual homeowners, this year we were excited to bring that spirit of service to a public space so the impact could be shared by everyone who visits the park.

Event Details:
Location: Edelweiss Gartens Park
Date: Saturday, March 21
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Hosted by: kiecker

Winter and early spring had left quite a bit of trash built up in the park and back in the wooded areas, so there was definitely plenty to tackle. With help from the students and local geocachers, we made a real difference and had a great time doing it.

It was one of those events that really highlights what the geocaching community is all about — not just finding caches, but also caring for the places we enjoy. Seeing everyone come together to help out made the event especially rewarding.

After the cleanup: A few cachers even broke off afterward to go do some caching, which made for a perfect ending to the day.

Thank you to everyone who came out, helped clean up, and made the day such a success!