On this episode of Caching in the NorthWest, puzzle cache expert and Fizzy Challenge namesake FizzyMagic joins hosts Chris of the NorthWest, witzend, and LANMonkey to talk about what goes wrong with puzzle caches — and why we can’t stop solving them anyway. From unsolvable ciphers and moon-logic guesswork to last-three-digit shortcuts, one-true-page puzzles, walls of text, and egocaches built to show off rather than entertain, Fizzy shares hard-won puzzle-solving wisdom from working alongside some of the top names on the Certitude solved list. Whether you’re brand new to mystery caches or chasing a Fizzy Challenge grid of your own, this episode is packed with practical tips for solving smarter and hiding better puzzle caches in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Watch live every Thursday at 7PM PT at https://CachingNW.com.
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685: Merlin1392 Challenge Accepted!
In this episode of Caching in the NorthWest, hosts Chris of the NorthWest, witzend, and LANMonkey are joined by fellow geocaching podcaster Bounce,bounce to remember Tim, known in the geocaching community as Merlin1392. A longtime board member of the Michigan Geocaching Organization (MiGO), Merlin1392 left a lasting mark on geocaching through his dedication to the hobby and his community. This geocaching podcast episode looks back on his legacy and contributions, sharing stories and reflections from fellow geocachers whose lives he touched. Tune in for this tribute episode of Caching in the NorthWest, the podcast from the birthplace of geocaching, live every Thursday at 7pm PT. Visit CachingNW.com for more geocaching news, geocaching podcasts, and community stories from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Caching in the NorthWest 684: Jurassic Fall Event with Bounce,Bounce and goblindust
Join Caching in the NorthWest, the geocaching podcast from the birthplace of geocaching in the Pacific Northwest, as we preview the Jurassic Fall Event — a hands-on gadget cache building night happening 09/19/2026 at the Bounce Bounce shop. This week’s episode dives into DIY gadget caches, breadboard electronics projects, and geocache container design, with special guests Bouncebounce and Goblindust breaking down what to expect at this unique geocaching event. Whether you’re into gadget caching, electronic geocaches, cache building, or just love a good Pacific Northwest geocaching meetup, this episode has something for you. We’ll cover breadboard basics for beginners, how a fun electronics build turns into a published gadget cache, event prizes, and the goblin dust fall theming tying it all together. Tune in live every Thursday at 7PM Pacific for geocaching news, GLOW (Geocaching Log Of the Week), and conversation with geocachers from around the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Geocaching | Gadget Cache | Pacific Northwest | Caching in the NorthWest | Bounce Bounce | Jurassic Fall Event | DIY Electronics | Breadboard Projects | Geocaching Podcast | Geocaching Events
683: Creating a Challenge Cache
What does it actually take to design a great challenge cache? On this episode of Caching in the NorthWest, we sit down with returning guest JTCoffee to dig into the creative side of challenge cache design — from picking a theme, to building a requirement that feels rewarding instead of tedious, to navigating what will and won’t get past reviewer approval. JTCoffee joined us back on Episode 672 to talk Seattle-area caches and EarthCaches, and this time returns for a deep dive into challenge caches, plus a surprise double duty filling in for LANMonkey on the intro. Whether you’re a new geocacher trying to understand what a challenge cache even is, or a cache owner sketching out your next challenge idea, this episode has something for you.
Join us live every Thursday at 7pm PT, and find more episodes, show notes, and ways to connect at CachingNW.com.
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682: Wildfires: Ash, Archive, Adapt
Welcome to Caching in the NorthWest! This is THE podcast from the birthplace of geocaching, right here in the great Pacific NorthWest. It’s Thursday at 7PM Pacifi and we are going to talk about geocaches and geocachers from here and around the globe. So while you’re refreshing the AQI map for the fourth time today, we’ll be Caching in the NorthWest.
681: Signal’s Island Goes M*A*S*H
Welcome to Caching in the NorthWest! This is THE podcast from the birthplace of geocaching, right here in the great Pacific NorthWest. It’s Thursday at 7PM Pacific and we are going to talk about geocaches and geocachers from here and around the globe. So while you’re slogging through stores for back to school shopping, we’ll be Caching in the NorthWest.
680: Baja 1000 Navigation by Geocaching
Welcome to Caching in the NorthWest! This is THE podcast from the birthplace of geocaching, right here in the great Pacific NorthWest. It’s Thursday at 7PM Pacific and we are going to talk about geocaches and geocachers from here and around the globe. So while you’re looking for Jimothy the raccoon, we’ll be Caching in the NorthWest.
679: Shareables with Bryan Roth
Welcome to Caching in the NorthWest! This is THE podcast from the birthplace of geocaching, right here in the great Pacific NorthWest. It’s Thursday at 7PM Pacific and we are going to talk about geocaches and geocachers from here and around the globe. So while you’re wondering just where you left your hiking boots to dry, we’ll be Caching in the NorthWest.
677: Live From Valemount!
Welcome to Caching in the NorthWest! This is THE podcast from the birthplace of geocaching, right here in the great Pacific NorthWest. It’s Thursday at 7PM Pacific and we are going to talk about geocaches and geocachers from here and around the globe. So while you’re looking for the middle of everywhere, we’ll be Caching in the NorthWest.
678: Treasures vs. Souvenirs: Geocaching’s Collectible Showdown
Welcome to Caching in the NorthWest! This is THE podcast from the birthplace of geocaching, right here in the great Pacific NorthWest. It’s Thursday at 7PM Pacific, I’m Chris of the NorthWest, one of the many Chris’ that rule the internet tonight.
Tonight, we are going to talk about geocaches and geocachers from here and around the globe. So while you’re actually glad to see the rain, we’ll be Caching in the NorthWest.
Continue reading 678: Treasures vs. Souvenirs: Geocaching’s Collectible Showdown