Metro Gathering 2016

This weekend, I went to Northern New Jersey for Metro Gathering 2016, a geocaching mega event. (A mega-event is an event with at least 500 attendees.) Just like the previous year, there was an overlap between a furry con and this mega event. Last year though, FA United and Metro Gathering were both in the same general area so I was able to attend both. That's not possible this year, since Furpocalypse, the furry con happening this weekend, is much farther away in Connecticut. I had to pick one and Metro Gathering was it because I've already had enough furry cons this year. Hopefully next year, there won't be an event conflict.

There were actually two events. The "Pre~Metro Gathering Mega Meet and Greet" was held the night before at the Mt. Allamuchy Scout Reservation. It was a pot-luck dinner, with the addition of Halloween candy and some spooky food items. Saturday was the day of the main event at Waterloo Village. Since it's the Halloween weekend they had a "haunted village" theme. The sign-in log was a skeleton. There was a spider lair, a bat cache, and a werewolf, among other things. It was also an opportunity to see some interesting gadget caches that were on display. Also, a large bison tube was at the entrance. After finishing the caches in the village and chatting with some of my friends, I went for a hike along the Morris Canal Greenway and in Stephens State Park to get a series of caches that was placed for the event. All in all, it was quite a day!

Aside from attending the pre-mega and mega events, I also took the opportunity to find caches around Hackettstown, Rockaway, Dover, Denville, Ledgewood, Wharton, Succasunna, and Roxbury. Cache sites ranged from suburban and downtown areas to fishing areas and streams in the countryside. In addition, I hit the Bridgewater / South Plainfield / Piscataway area both on the way there and on the way home.

( The caches... )