Post by Admin on Jan 7, 2018 0:29:46 GMT -5
Where is the center of the Geocaching Universe?
At one time it was Idlewild Park in East Charlotte.
Idlewild has fallen on hard times and it is time to restore the acknowledged Center of the Universe to it's once Great Glory.
Some of us 2nd and 3rd wave cachers remember when it was an Honor to have a cache in Idlewld Park.
We all scrambled to find a place and have our cache as a part of this wonderful Geopark.
We all scrambled to find a place and have our cache as a part of this wonderful Geopark.
They and others remember when this was the place to cache. A place to send others for a Fantastic Geocaching Experience.
In recent years time has taken it's toll and the park is lacking in the Great Caches that it once had.
We want to restore Idlewild Park as the Geocaching Center of the Universe.
To that end we introduce:
The Idlewild Park Restoration Project

The Idlewild Park Restoration Project
First we ask that no member place a cache listed on Geocaching.com in the park during the Restoration Project except at coordinates provided by the GCGC.
Caches listed on Opencaching North America are to avoid GCGC provided coordinates during the project
Caches listed on Opencaching North America are to avoid GCGC provided coordinates during the project
How to participate:
The Basics:
- Decide to participate
- Select coordinates for placing a Geocaching.com listed cache in Idlewild Park from the provided list. (if that is your choosen listing service)
- Craft a cache and cache page worthy of being hidden in Idlewild Park
- Place your cache at the GCGC provided coordinates for Geocaching.com or simply hide your OCNA cache avoiding GCGC provided coordinates.
- Submit your cache for approval on your chosen listing service
- Receive a GCGC Idlewild Park Restoration Project Medallion upon publication.
- Add your cache to the Idlewild Restoration Project thread for entry
- The member that earns the most combined Favorite / Recommendation points for their caches during the immediate 4 months following publication of each or the end of the Project which ever comes first will receive a Special Bonus Award.
The goal is to restore Idlwild Park as the Geocaching Center of the Universe.
By...
Restoring the GC.com status as the best place for caching in Charlotte by bringing back the glory once held.
Make Idlewild Park a new OCNA Universal Center by concentrating multiple quality caches in one location.
Guidlines for Idlewild Park Restoration Project entries:
We want creativity.
A unique, unexpected container or method of retreival combined with a theme of some sort is ideal.
No generic boxes in the woods (ammo cans included)
No micros just to make it difficult, in other words not the usual cache container hidden in the standard way.
There are specific areas where caches can be placed on GC.com. The list of GCGC provided sites will provide for slight variation in environments and adhere to the proximity rules as well as maximize the number of caches possible.
Locations are limited by previous placement and current placements. This also pertains to OCNA caches.
There should be theme cohesion in the cache container and the cache page.
The cache page should reflect the same high quality expected with a high quality cache container.
Utilization of less common cache types is encouraged to increase the variety available within the park.
Only GC.com caches placed at coordinates provided by the GCGC may be entered so as to maximize cache density.
OCNA caches may be placed in any available location. Please consider the location of GC.com caches and the GCGC list when hiding them and provide suitable seperation.
Only caches placed during the Restoration Project period may be entered.
Select only one GCGC provided coordinate for a GC.com cache and post your "Claim" of the site in the project thread.
Claimed coordinates for GC.com caches are to be utilized within 30 days of the "claim" (after that time the location is up for grabs again)
A second set of coordinates may be claimed for another GC.com entry provided the members first entry has earned at least 3 Favorite points.
OCNA caches are limited to two entries per member
Each member may enter no more than 4 caches in the project (2 OCNA + 2 GC.com)
Cross listed caches (listed on both OCNA and GC) will count as one (1) GC cache in the total cache count permitted. The crosslisted cache will not count towards the OCNA limitation.
A Medallion will be awarded for participation in both (GC & OCNA) for each cache listed
Approval by GC.com and OCNA cannot be quaranteed. Proximity should not be an issue for GC.com when using the provided coordinates.
The Idlewild Park Restoration Project will run through June 30th
Coordinates for GC.com listed caches:
These locations are known to have been approved during peak cache density in the park. You may be able to move it a little if necessary without conflict but please limit any alteration of the coordinates as much as possible to avoid encroaching on other project coordinates or existing caches. Claim your selection below. Your claimed location will be marked for others to see.
Best options: (Red entries have been claimed)
1) N 35° 09.848 W 080° 42.494 (Deep woods off walking path)
2) N 35° 09.905 W 080° 42.078 (Highland woods near entrance, no paths***themulcher 5/5/18***
3) N 35° 09.706 W 080° 41.999 (Deep woods lowlands away from path bordering large creek not likely flood prone)
4) N 35° 09.970 W 080° 42.161 (Woodland slope near small feeder creek, fallen trees, no paths, no flooding)
6) N 35° 09.943 W 080° 42.285 (Small wooded area directly adjacent to parking bordered by path on each side)
Less desirable: (Red entries have been claimed)
7) N 35° 09.781 W 080° 42.198 (Along edge of playground within view of a shelter, equipment and water source)
8) N 35° 09.852 W 080° 42.365 (Just inside narrow stretch of woods along fairway, bordered on each side by disk golf course, frequent past muggle finds)
9) N 35° 09.736 W 080° 42.340 (Sloping woods edge directly adjacent to a disk golf hole / tee)
This one has an additional physical location that may be used that is slighly more usable N 35° 09.738 W 080° 42.320 (Sloping woods adjacent to disk golf course, Disk course and small feeder creek occupy area between coordinates.)