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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: September 27 2024

Last Updated: September 27 2024

Hits: 1539

SLAGA's monthly challenge incentive has been taking place over the last 12 months. Adventure Awaits was launched in October 2023 with a simplistic challenge of finding 5 traditional geocaches and attending one event during the month.  But the challenges increased in uniqueness and difficulty as the months progressed.  They've provided a means to enhance the geocaching experience for members and inspired many geocachers to enjoy this fun outdoor hobby in a new and different way.

There are only a few days left for those wanting to complete this month's challenge (September '24), which is the final month in this inaguaral 'year.'  This month's challenge is to find four St Louis 'theme' titled caches and one event.  (Cache titles could include STL, Rt 66, Arch, Gateway, Blues, Cardinals, Forest Park, Queeny Park, Mississippi/Missouri Rivers, etc...you get the idea.) 

To recap our past months winners, they are once again:

October '23   Rouseabouts

November '23   stevendede

December '23   Geokid12

January '24   3nina

February '24   Java1369

March '24   vorlon40

April '24   deancmeredith

May '24   MrsSpongy

June '24   Uga_Mom

July '24   brantole

August '24   Su&Sco

September '24   ???

Lucky for all us that participated, whether we won a single month or not, one of the original guidelines for the Adventure Awaits challenge stated that a Grand Prize Winner would be drawn from all qualifying monthly entries from October '23 through the September '24 and announced at the Fall Picnic.  While some cachers participated all 12 months, and will get their names in the drawing 12 times, a few cachers were only able to submit qualifying entries one or more months, so they'll get their names in the drawing the number of months they participated. 

Now that the time is near for that coveted Grand Prize drawing, join us at the SLAGA Fall Picnic to be held on October 19, 2024 at Kirkwood Park (GCAXXFZ), when the WINNER will be announced!  Also during the picnic, a survey will be handed out regarding the SLAGA Adventure Awaits challenge.  Please take the time to fill this out as it will be helpful in determing the future of this type of SLAGA incentive. 

Remember folks...if you participated in any of the monthly challenges, your name will be in the drawing as many times as you entered.  In the end it's the 'Luck of the Draw' that will determine the Grand Prize winner!.  And that lucky geocacher will be awarded a $50 gift card! 

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Written by Robert Klemme

Published: August 29 2024

Last Updated: August 29 2024

Hits: 1287

Some position shuffling this past month, here are the current standings of the 2024 SLAGA Travel Bug Race!

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Written by Terri Nealon

Published: August 16 2024

Last Updated: August 16 2024

Hits: 1598

 "July is a POP of Color, a Burst of Sunshine,

and a Promise of Adventure," 

as is SLAGA's July Adventure Awaits Winner, 

brantole (Lena Dowers)!

Congratulations to Lena on her spectacular win and gift card prize.  She began geocaching on the 4th of July 2010 and was immediately hooked. She chose to participate in the SLAGA monthly challenges because they keep her motivated to go out geocaching. Lena commented, "I have been participating since the beginning when I was still working full time. Work made it difficult for me to find time to geocache. Sometimes the only caches I did find for the month were the five caches necessary to complete the Adventure Awaits. Now I am working part-time and my cache finds per month have increased! I like the variation of the requirements for each month." 

Lena has over 5000 geocache finds and 32 hides. She has completed her Fizzy challenge, geocached on every day of the calendar year (366 days), and cached in 5 different World Countries. It might surprise some geocachers to know that Lena's favorite type of caches are gadget caches. Her least favorite are Earthcaches.  She loves tree climbing caches, but doesn't much care about getting First to Find. 

Thankfully that was not a requirement for July's challenge. Instead, it was finding caches with at least 5 favorite points (FPs) and all qualifying finds had to add up to more than 40 FPs.  During this July, Lena knew she would be traveling to visit family which would make it very easy to qualify. She was also on a 'mini' mission to find a lot of multi geocaches and most of her multi cache finds had significant favorite points attached to them which also helped.  Her challenge entries included:

GC74ZB6: 50 Souvenirs Challenge  (17 FP)

GCJVBR: Round Mound of Sound  (19 FP)

GC947FC: Cascade- Goodbye 2020  (20 FP)

GCWMDF: West of the Mississippi in Illinois  (37 FP)

GCAN2WG: SLAGA Summer Picnic 2024

When asked about her most memorable geocaching adventure(s), Lena expressed her thorough enjoyment in doing the extreme caches placed by Forest Ghost, such as Grant's Fear Factor and The Architect. ("Thanks Ethan!")  She also fondly remembers  some great geocaching road trips through the years. But said, "Although all the road trips have been a blast, I am truly thankful I took one with my mother driving up through IL, IN, and MI into Canada in 2016."

Lena is a fearless, fun and friendly geocacher and no doubt awaits more spectacular geocaching adventures, not unlike every  SLAGA monthly challenge which holds a promise of a new adventure.  Join the fun and find and submit your entries for the August challenge soon.  

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Written by Robert Klemme

Published: August 06 2024

Last Updated: August 06 2024

Hits: 1289

2 months in and first place distance wise is still sitting pretty. However, much like summertime, things are still heating up!

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Written by Robert Klemme

Published: June 25 2024

Last Updated: August 06 2024

Hits: 1467

The travel bug race is underway! We're only one month in and we're seeing some good movement so far! It's very early in the race though so it's still anyone's game! Here's how things currently stand: