Caching Name: captnkirk17
Real Name: Kirk Holzapfel
1. How did you become involved in geocaching? I read about it online when the Planet of the Apes movie had “Ape Caches” with movie props hidden all over the world. For some reason I never did it or got an account until my kids wanted to do the Delaware Geotrail in 2009.
2. How did you choose your caching name? I was in the Air Force right before I came to Delaware in 1987, a few people called me “captain kirk”, so I used that as my email, and in other places I where I need an online nickname. If captnkirk is taken I use captnkirk17.
3. What type of cache do you prefer seeking – traditional, multi, and puzzle, virtual? I like big old traditional caches in the woods, and puzzle caches I can solve. I am also a big fan of virtual caches too, glad to see more of them placed.
4. Which caches were the most challenging, either physically/mentally? Physically it was Alley Opp (https://coord.info/GCVGGH) hidden deep in a cave that I like in West Virginia.
Mentally it was Speakeazy (https://coord.info/GC43BFX) rehobch dedicated it to one of my caches, so I had to solve it, but It took me hours. Puzzles and caches are a lot alike, if you look for an hour and you find it, you feel great, if you try for an hour and you don’t get it, it’s just that much worse.
5. What are your current geocaching goals? I have nothing big planned at the moment, just find caches in some further away and more scenic locations, and hide some more caches.
6. Where have you always wanted to go caching but haven’t? Out West, I have traveled the area quite a bit, before geocaching was invented, so I don’t have any finds in the Western US yet.
7. What is your most memorable caching experience? Probably doing the Delaware Geotrail with my kids when they were young, when you have fun with your kids its always memorable. I also like the old virtual caches that take me to interesting places I never knew about and I would never have visited when I travel.
8. What do you like about geocaching? How it makes you go on little adventures to places you would have never known about otherwise.
9. Do you have some favorite caches in the area? This has to be the hardest question on the list. I think Delaware is lucky to have an abundance of great cache hiders. I particularly enjoy historic locations and old ruins so if you hid a cache near an old barn in the woods, century old gun emplacements, one of the jetties I have walked out on, remnants of old iron mining operations or any of the other interesting places in this state, thanks again. Special thanks to Mike Ott, Delaware is a small state, to have hidden over a hundred caches here is amazing and I have yet to log a bad one.
10. Do you have any other hobbies or interests? I have decided geocaching is going to be my old person sport, like golf is for many people. I also enjoy exploring caves, hiking, camping, target shooting, scuba diving and skiing, but I don’t seem to do any of them as often as I would like to anymore.
Photos:
5-5 Geocache: I can’t climb, so I rappelled down from the top to discover Swallow your pride rock (https://coord.info/GC4WAV8)
Geocaching at 7 Tubs: It was a cold and snowy day when I took the bridge selfie required to discover The Seven Tubs (https://coord.info/GC1G4RY)
Geocaching in a cave: Me exploring in Bowden Cave, the location of Alley-oop (https://coord.info/GCVGGH)
Serpentene barrens with Brownie: Me and my dog Brownie (https://coord.info/TB54942) at a nearby Earthcache called The Serpentene Barrens (https://coord.info/GC18KX7).
