Gan Dalf
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Posts posted by Gan Dalf
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My reasons are similar to the last poster. I travel, or at least I did, a lot. My travels would have me living for days at a time out of a hotle in areas where I had nothing to do expcept sit in my hotle room or get out and see thing. Geocaching gave me something to do. Due to my compulsive nature I quickly got hooked. Now I cache everywhere I go and it is somehting I think about every day. Hardly a day goes by where I don't at least THINK about geocaching....
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Got this e-mail just a bit ago:
I found a cache of yours in North XXXXXX. It was in a place it couldn't stay so I took it with me. I don't want to interrupt your process and want to get the container back to you. I work for the City of XXXXXX and you could retrieve the container at the Reception counter at Public Works.I responded to the e-mail with the following:
Hi there,
First let me say thank you so much for contacting me. It looks to me like you created your geocaching profile just to conatact me and let me know what happened and so I am very grateful for that.
I will go to the Reception Center at the Public Works building to pick up my container but I am hopeful that you will answer a couple of questions for me. I should know which cache it is when I pick up the container but would you mind telling me where you found it and when? It might be a couple of days before I can get there and I would like to disable the cache so other cachers know not to go and look for it.
Also if there is a way that I could keep it in it's current location or somewhere nearby, I would appriciate your input. I put a lot of work in to the caches I place and so I would like to try and keep it active if at all possible, even if it has to be in some other form and not in the exact same spot.
Thank you again for reaching out to me, it is greatly appriciated.
FobesMan
The cacher that contacted me through my geocaching profile created their account today. Pretty impressive that they figured out what the container was and how to contact me so quickly. Actually, it might not have been so quick as they could be referring to one of three caches, one of which has been missing for at least a month if not longer. I just thought it was cool that they took the time to contact me and let me know how to retrieve my container.
Thoughts on success on keeping my hide spot or at least somewhere close by?
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I just messed with the collectable option on my car TB, it doesnt matter wether it is collectable, or not. it still allows another user to grab it from me.
If it is in your inventory (the list of bugs that are in your possesion that are moving from cache to cache) then yes, anyone can grab it from you whether it's marked collectable or not. But if you place the bug in your collection then the only options for others that have the tracking number is either to discover it or post a note.
One other thing to point out is, that if you mark a bug as collectable and then release it for others to find, then someone who finds it int he wild can then move it to their collection. That would not be a desirable thing to have happen. I'm not sure as the owner if you would then be able to remove it from the others collection or not...
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Not all puzzles are going to be that easy. I have a 4.5* Puzzle that didn't get solved for days after publishing.
"Days"? A friend and I drove 6 hours to log a find - a FTF - on a puzzle cache that hadn't been found in 2 years. The owner regularly checked to make sure it was still there. We informed him we solved the puzzle, and he wanted to meet us as we came a great distance for the 2 year FTF.
The puzzle required no specialized knowledge or skill.
Sometimes solving a puzzle cache can just be a matter of achieving that "click" of realization. We were in disbelief that we got it, and that it was that simple, and no one else had; suffice to say, after staring at it for 4 days, we drove down that weekend, ASAP, to seal the deal.
Puzzles can be great fun, and sometimes you never know how easy it really is
(and it was only a 5/1
)Well, yes there are those kinds of caches, like this one. Been 4 years and it still hasn't been solved. My point was that some puzzles are better left alone. Especially if you are just starting out on them...
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I think the easiest way to help someone do a puzzle is to provide them with a step by step example on how to do one. since it is bad form to tell someone on the forums how to solve someone elses puzzle I will do so on one of my own. My intent on this particular puzzle was to make it easy anyway so if there are locals that now getto find this cache because I have revealed it's secret, then so be it. It's a cool area anyway...
Start by going to this cache page (GC2XRD9), once you look at the page and read the description there are several things I want you to take note of. The first is the title and the second is the background image. As others have said, these can often be vaulable clues on what the puzzle is about or what you might need to solve it. A quick google search of the title will lead you to the Memory Alpha Web site which as I am sure many of the people reading this are aware, is the wiki style data base for everything Star Trek related. You'll also notice that the background image is the same as what is on the Memory Alpha web site and that the image in the lower left hand coordinate is the logo for the United Federation of Planets, the Universe that Star Trek is written about. You can proably assume at this point htat the information you need can be found on this web site.
Next take note of the column on the right. You'll notice that there are 15 lines of what appear to be phrases of some sort, maybe you can see that they could be titles. Now googling any one of these might not tell you much but if you google more than one you might start to notice a pattern or if you google a couple in conjunction with the name of the cache you should be able to figure out that each one is the title of a particular Star Trek episode. You might alos notice on the Memory Alpha web site there is a link to the list of the episodes of the various Star Trek shows.
The fact that there are 15 of them is not insignificant. That is the number of digits in the coordinates of caches found in my area so you now know that you need to look for something from each title that represents a particular digit of the coordinates. You can also assume that the first two digits are going to be 4 and 7 respectively and that the eigth, ninth and tenth digits are gong to be 1, 2, and 2. The reason you can assume this is because Groundspeak limits the distance away from the posted coords of a puzzle cache to where the actual cache is placed. Since the distance of one minute of latitude or longitude is about a mile, you know that a puzzle cache must be placed within two minutes of the posted coords and so unless you are very close to a change in degree than most puzzle caches will have the same digits of the degrees for both the posted and actual coordinates for the cache. This is a very important thing to learn about aolving puzzles as it helps you narrow things down teremendously.
Now that you know that the puzzle is related to the titles of Star Trek episodes and what the digits of the first two eposdes should represent it should be easier to figure out the rest. I admit that some knowledge of what Star Trek is and how I might relate it to the cache is useful but it's not so much of a leap that you can't figure it out. You'll note from the logs on the cache page that at least a couple of the people that solved the puzzle were not huge fans.
Take a look a the hint. When you decrypt it you'll see that it says Decimal. This is a clue as well. If you've watched Star Trek before you might remember that most episodes start off with a Captains log, something like "Star Date 22178.9: the Enterpirise is on a routine training mission to..."
Even if you don't recognize that, if you look up the epsode lists on the Memory Alpha website, you 'll see that each episode is listed along with a "Star Date" which is always a number. Maybe I used those for the numbers of the digits of the coords for the final...
By investigating a little further you notice that the decimal number for each of the star dates for the episodes that are listed go in order, 4, 7, 5... you start to notice a pattern that makes sense. The answer is the Star Dates decimal points; take them all down in order, enter them into the geochecker and BAM! you've got answer.
You'll note that I used several different tools to give the cacher clues as to how to solve the puzzle. The Title, The Background, Images in the description, even the font in the text all relate to Star Trek. Each of these either alone or together are common ways for CO's to tell a cacher how to solve puzzles. Start with a couple of easy ones like this, look for commonly used tricks by the CO. Sometimes you will get lucky and know the subject intimately because it realtes to something in your own life. People write puzzles about what they know, if you know it too, it should make it a lot easier.
Not all puzzles are going to be that easy. I have a 4.5* Puzzle that didn't get solved for days after publishing. I made it that hard on purpose. Among people that make puzzles there is almost a competition to see how difficult they can make it with everyone trying to one up the last guy, similar to those that like to hide "evil" caches. It's probably best to avoid those at first concentrating on just the ones that are less than 3 stars in difficulty. After a while you'll see that it gets much easier once you start to recognize the common tricks. Also, just like people use PAF's for tricky hides, people use them for solving puzzles too. Don't be afraid to aks CO's either through e-mails or at events how to solve a particular puzzle that has you stumped. Most of the time you will find that puzzle writers are more than willing to help others solve their own puzzles.
I hope this helps. Let me know if anything is unclear.
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I was just looking at my hidden caches and noticed a few of them haven't been found in almost a year.
Does anybody else have caches that never seem to get found? Do you do anything to try and get people to find them, or just let them sit?
Part of my list:
19 March 2009 A 2/2 puzzle
28 August 2010 A 4.5T "cliffside cache"
23 February 2011 "The Witch Hunt"
26 March 2011 A parking lot cache!
Yes, I have several caches that don't get found that often. The ones that get found the least are either puzzles or are in remote areas. I think it is a common phenomenon. Of my 10 least found caches that have been out for more than a year and are still active, only one is traditional, the rest are either puzzles or multi's. The tradititional has a high terrain rating and is difficult to find.
My most found caches? All but one is a micro and all of them have difficult and/or terrain ratings that are two or less. The only non micro is a 1/1 ammo can that is in plain site at a visitor center. That is alos my most favorited cache.
I guess my point is, that if the cache is a puzzle or is difficult to get to then your numbers will be low. If it's a park and grab or easy to get to and find then the numbers will be higher. Also, once all of the locals have found your cache, the frequency at which your caches get found will diminish meaning that only visitors to the area or brand new cachers will log finds on your older caches.
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I live just a few miles from N42 W71 so my caches are in N41 N42, W70 W71.
Yeah, mee too. I'm less than a minute south of 48 degrees and a few minutes west of 122 so I'm real close to the 48/122 confluence. Plus my inlaws are real close to the 48/123 confluence and so it's easy for me to spread my degrees around.
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Thought I'd try to post something that I haven't seen before in the Forums...
For those of you that place caches regularly, what are the degrees across which you have placed? I have caches at 47 and 48 degrees North Latitude and 121, 122, and 123 West Longitude. I'm also waiting for a cache to publish (it's an Earth cache) that is at 124 degrees West Longitude.
So how about you? Do you tend to place caches really close to home or do you take pride in spreading your caches out as far as you can? I am from Washington State and I recently found a cache placed by someone in our state down in Mississippi, more than 2000 miles away. That was an EC too so it's not a maintanence issue but I wonder how many cachers place caches far from what they currently call home.
Feel free to share caches that you've placed where you lived and moved away from and how that is working out for you now that you've moved and also the cache. And caches that you've placed at Mom's house a thousand miles away that you maintain when you go home for [insert your holiday of choice here]...
Just one of those things that my mind often wanders into that makes me wonder, thanks for your input.
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Just saw this post/cache. Cool idea... A quick look at GSAK and I'm just shy of 3600 points (quite a bit more than I expected). Unfortunalty I need to scan the waver wire for a couple more specialists. I've got my eye on a couple that should put me over the top... This weekend maybe.
-TWT
How do you get the information from GSAK? I didn't know that favroties were counted on the gpx files...
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Seriously, though, there are ways they can avoid battleshipping, with a bit of programming. Limiting the number of checks a person can make/week, for starters. And making sure they are actually following through and publishing caches with some obvious effort made. The reviewers are still going to see the cache pages and could probably tell if it's a real cache or not.
Reviewers do not have caches put into their queues until the cache is made active, so your last point does not work. The first is problematic, as well, since publication of many tens of caches per week is not unusual. The limitation on the number of tries per week would have to be much lower than that level.
In other words, no, there are not effective ways to reduce battleshipping automatically.
People can battleship with geocheckers already anyway. It doesn't sound like the system is set up to say where a cache is, only that one is too close...
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We are working on the initial features involved in this request. After pressing the "Report new listing" button on the Report a Cache page, the system will check to see if another cache is near the coordinates for the new listing. If so, it will warn the user that the cache is too close to an existing cache.
CAPTCHA will be implemented for cache submission to reduce automated attempts at finding the final coords to nearby multis/mysteries. The feature will also include a link to search nearby geocaches using the coordinates provided. The user can still submit the cache listing after they see the warning.
This, to me, is great news. It will save the reviewers ALOT of time.
I think it will be a disaster. Ever hear of the game battleships? Be a lot of people playing battleships to "solve" mystery caches. They can CAPTCHA 'til the cows come home, some folks are very patient. I will archive my mystery caches if this is implemented.
Really? I think the people smart enough to use this as a technique, can probably solve most puzzles.
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Does anyone believe that they do what they do and change what they change because they LIKE all of this type of feed back?
I'm just askin'... 
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yup, got that too. Must be one of the "updates"....
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From the text that appears when you create a challenge or when a challenge gets archived:
The location of a challenge should be directly related to the action. "Take a picture of yourself with the Eiffel Tower" is location-specific, while "Take pictures of the night sky in Seattle" or "Find this/a geocache" are not.It's not worded very well, since "this geocache" is location specific, but the challenge guidelines do appear to frown upon challenges that require people to "find this geocache" or "find a geocache."
As well, these same guidelines frown upon challenges that require people to go to multiple locations:
There should only be one location where you can complete the challenge.I knew this was going to happen...
From the context of the OP, it appears that they are talking about a Challenge Cache, what you are referring to is a Geocaching Cahllenge.
While Gecaching Challenges (read "Virtual Cache") might frown on a requirement to find caches, Challenge Caches are the opposite. Everyone I've done requires you to find a certian number of caches or caches that fit a specific category, I've got two myself...
If the OP is still paying attention, could you clarify what you meant?
They said they were searching the map, since challenges don't show up on maps I'm pretty sure that they were talking about a Challenge Cache...
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i found it.
I'm glad you did. I thought the challenge might have been archived. If I remember correctly, TPTB frown upon challenges that require people to find caches.
huh?
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I think this option already exists by making use of the Collectible status for any owned trackable: If the trackable owner marks their item as Collectible anyone who sees it will have only two log options - "Discovered it" or "Write Note".
MrsB
There is one situation where I can see it as desirable, in the case of a tracking bug. If you want to be able to dip your tracking bug into caches you have to keep it in your inventory, if it is in your collection it is not available to dip into a cache. On the flip side, if it's in your inventory it is then availble for other cachers to grab if they somehow get the tracking number, although I think this would be rare.
Perhaps the OP is talking about being able to keep a bug in your inventory and selecting an option where it can only be discovered.
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Just an FYI for fututre reference. It's usually better to post a question like this in your regional forum for whatever area you live in. People from all over the world read this particular forum and chances are small that any of them are going to know the cache you are talking about without some serious searching. Better to ask the locals in your area that may have done the cache you are referring to. Have Fun!
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Hi everyone. We own 1 cache and it's been a blast for our family to watch and maintain it. But something just came up that I'm not sure how or what I'm supposed to do. I noticed our cache mentions that a trackable was placed in it over a month ago, but it's never moved and it's still supposed to be there. So when we went to check it out today, we confirmed that it wasn't there.
How am I supposed to handle this situation where the cache description notes there is supposed to be a trackable there, but in reality, there's none.
Thanks.
Go to the trackable page and on the right hand side of the page is a drop down window that should be labelled "Mark Iten missiing" Click go to do so. You as the owner of the cache page that the trackable is listed in have a right to do so as the cache owner.
First though, it would be nice for you to check the logs after the one that states that the bug was dropped to see if anyone mentions removing it. If someone does, you can write them a nice note asking them if they removed it and to please log it out of the cache. If they do not respond or otherwise log the tracakble out, you are justified in marking it missing.
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The other reason I delete old DNF reports ... I look at the found-versus-not-found statistics on a given cache as another indicator confirming/contradicting the difficulty rating supplied by the CO. In that case, it seems more reasonable that I should delete a DNF if I find it later.
Your first sentence makes perfect sense to me, but the next one seems to contradict it.
I'm a professor; I contradict myself all the time.
(Which is somewhat stimulating, actually ... learning a new set of cultural conventions is fascinating ...)
So are you a Sociology Professor?
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I'm a little surprised that someone like Keystone or mtn-man have not weighed in on this. Usually when there is a "my cache is not being reviewed" thread they will take a look and see if they can figure out what the problem is. They are both mod/reviewers that can find an unpublished caches and will give there insights as to why they think it's not being published or what the hold up might be. I could be wrong, bu tI think it is true even if the release this cache box is unchecked, you say yours is (and I don't doubt you) so I would think they would be able to find it.
Maybe that's part of the problem. Some weird database issue is keeping the reviewers from seeing it. Maybe if you just copied and pasted the descrition and reposted a new cache it would get released right away...
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I hate those cachers that drive in the carpool lane going 2 MPH less than the speed limit with their toddler in their car seat as the only other occupant of the car just because it's "legal".
Does it only bother you if they are cachers?
No, But I was trying to stay OT...
LOL! Yeah, kind of like those "Any Geocachers That Have a Tatoo That Says, 'MOM'?" threads, huh?
Yeah, you know like the cachers that take more than 10 items in the express line at the grocery store. Those cachers drive me nuts too...
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I have a question to the folks, from where ever, who complain about all these people who get together and scam a co-ftf together. I'm honestly confused. It doesn't seem like you are saying that if one person comes upon one other person they haven't met before that if the share the ftf after 30 mins of looking, then the second person is wrong in claiming the co-ftf?
One thing I (Honestly!) don't understand is I hear all these people in my area speak of how hard it is to get an FTF these days. By the time they get to GZ it's already found and done with. So how can there be this large group of folks who manage to, at a moments notice, all get together and agree that all of them will get Co-ftf? Are they all hanging out beforehand? Are we talking about especially hard caches that take awhile for someone to find? How does it work that all of them are able to get together to work this scam when others can't even see a blank log or another human when they show up 20 mins after publish. I also don't understand how this is the new thing to do among cachers. I've seen as many large ftf parties now as I did when I started (To be fair I haven't been around THAT long.). How do they plan it? Why is it "dreaded"? Why not go, help find the cache, and then not log a Co-FTF. I suppose we FTF'rs are just so repugnant that you can't deign to be around us. I could be wrong. Someone help me with the logic that A) No one can get an FTF around here because people grab them so fast that they are found before they can even arrive and B)There are so many "5 - 10 Person shared FTF's" and Dreaded FTF parties where everyone in the zip code gets an FTF for being in the same park. How do those to things work together?
I don't buy it, especially as there are no examples. The large majority of my FTF's were solo (About 100), the next amount were with 1 other person I did not come with (20-30) and the smallest is with large groups (10-20). I am certainly not in the category of cachers being described. Although I have fully enjoyed most of my FTF parties. If the rule of "FTF's, There Can Be Only One!" had been standard I can think of at least half a dozen situations where two people were within inches of the cache and most likely would have "fought" over the right to sign first. I also would have NEVER become an FTF'r if that had been the case generally. I have enough confrontation in my life at work telling people all their photos and documents are gone forever to want it in my hobby. Also, some of my best caching stories have come out of them.
I really think most of this is along the same line as how Smart Phone cachers are "ruining the game". Longer term cachers seem to think sometimes that if a new cacher is doing it, it must be a fad or the hot new thing and they will never be "real cachers". And if you don't enjoy it, than no one else should either. They should be put in shame for being part of a "dreaded" ftf party. It means that some of the old time cachers may have to talk to one of the plebes. Just a theory.
I also am so sick of people who don't enjoy the FTF game calling it meaningless (BTW You can't make something "more" meaningless). Honestly, what is the true "meaning" of Geocaching? If those folks so strongly argue that it's meaningless then how in the world can you be strongly arguing about it? Makes no sense. Leave it alone. Why do you feel the need to denigrate what other people enjoy when it does no harm to you? Let's take a look at a particular example of the words/phrases "Not real" and "Meaningless".
"Well, when it comes down to it, Christianity/Buddhism/Judaism/Islam is meaningless."
(This is only an example to make a point) Hmmmm. Would that be upsetting to practitioners of any of the above? Probably. Is it upsetting (Or incorrect) to me? Not particularly. As an Atheist, it pretty much is to me. BUT I understand that since I don't care about religion, ergo find it meaningless, I have no reason to point it out to someone who may feel differently. Why?
Because it doesn't harm me at all to do it, and I may be unnecessarily offending/bothering/irritating/slightly upsetting someone for no good reason.
"Well, when it comes down to it, The FTF side game is meaningless."
Same thing. Don't act like the constant "meaningless" is not intended an insult to the people who really enjoy it when you would never do the same with other beliefs.
Even in this thread, notice when I was responded to originally, I attempted to add clarifying information instead of going off of one sentence in someones response or ignoring newer additions to the thread. The reason I do this is because, unlike the vast majority of regular posters here, I am always looking for ways to make myself better understood and to gather information and even to, GASP, change my mind! I don't know why I expect that from people anymore, but I approach (almost) every conversation/debate/argument here like that. Yet every time it ends up as a straight back and forth focusing more on more on a single piece of minutiae getting farther and farther away from enlightenment on the subject at hand. Why not focus on the broader point and information the baths the subject in more daylight? Honestly, I am probably expecting too much, but like a starving man in a barren wasteland, I would be ecstatic for a mere morsel.
I'm sure I'll get flamed now, but my reaction will be more likely to be stop reading these forums (Been close to that one for weeks now) then to read each response with pleasure (The troll response).
Hmm, I may have gone off topic for a moment. To the OP, great question. There, on topic.
TL,DR: I'm too high strung. (But that doesn't mean I'm wrong.)
Very well put and I agree with most of the OT stuff about how people should be treated. I will attempt to respond without sounding as though I am flaming but sometimes that is diffiulct to do.
My original (somewhat aggressive) repsonse was in regard to the statement that the widely held belief in your area is that all FTF's should be shared with all present and that everyone around here feels that way. Even your clarification statement was all inclusuive to all those that enjoy participating in the FTF game. My response was to point out that not everyone feels that way and even those that enjoy going out for FTF's don't feel that way, myself being one of them. Besides the ones that claim not to care (and more than one of them has responded here) there are others that like to go out and get the FTF that don't either 1) becasue as you say, they are so hard to come by, 2) they don't want to share it 3) the effort and gas to get it are too much for the trouble or 4) they simply lack the time to do it.
To the point of the large FTF parties are rare. Yes, the majority of the FTF hunts are going to be solo especially for the relentless FTFers such as yourself and a couple of others, but even your own numbers suggest that they are not uncommon. Subtract out the power trail that you were FTF for on most of them last weekend (which I considered going for myself BTW) and somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-50% of all your FTF's have involved at least one other person.
You seem to want examples. I feel that the point above is enough to prove FTF parties are far from rare and I've been reluctant to provide them becasue I didn't feel it necessary to drag others into our debate but if it will help I will provide three. There are plenty of others easily found with a small amount of searching; just read the first few logs of a few different caches.
The first is the example I spoke of before, where Co-FTF was claimed (but not granted by the CO) by someone that arrived after the cache was found but claimed it because it had not been replaced. The second is an example where others had been at the location searching for more than 10 minutes when another cacher arrived, was there for barely a minute when the cache was found by the others, but still claimed Co-FTF. The third(complete with pictures) is an example where to your point, they were all there happily searching together, eliminating other areas and a Co-FTF could be justified for all of them.
My original response was to point out that not everyone feels the way you and the others you have encountered and shared an FTF with do. My response was curt and somewhat in your face and for that I apologize. You seemed to be speaking for all of us that cache around here and like to get FTF's and it was that I was taking exception to. If you had said somthing like, "those that I have encountered at group FTF's usually agree to a Co-FTF once the cache is found", then my response would have been different; something more along the lines of, "I don't care for this practice." From your original and even clarifying statement I interpretated it as you speaking for me and I prefer to do that myself.
I really don't care what others do, and I am even still willing to share with others that are there if I find it first, I've done it before just as others have shared with me. The provided examples are where I would draw the line but the reality is, it really doesn't matter what I think. More recently I have practiced if I am there with a group and did not make the find myself, then I do not claim the Co-FTF. If I am the one that finds it while others are there then I am happy to say you can claim it too if you want. I'm not such a jerk that I'm going to tell someone I won't share but if the FTF prize is nice, I'm going to take it.
It's not completely meaningless to me, becasue I enjoy hunting for them and tracking how many I've got, but as others have said, there is no stat tracked by Groundspeak, anyone can claim it and check the little FTF box in GSAK and post their FTF's on their profile page. Some use that stat as a badge and as proof of relevance, perhaps posting it on your profile alone (mine included) is a form of that. Others use their counts as evidence of why their arguments are the correct one, I'm not trying to do that. I'm just saying what my opinion is on the subject and that I am not alone. Perhaps, if we meet at an event, we can still be civil and discuss (debate) the matter further. I hold no ill will.
***edit to fix link***
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(Keep in mind, ratings are highly subjective)
I'd go 2/2. The hole might not be obvious to everyone (sounds like it wasn't to you) and even if it is, some might not consider a likely spot if it is not reachable w/o assitance. If the only way to get to it is to climb something (be that a stool, the tree itself, or someones shoulders) then it's at least a two.
My rule of thumb is 1 obatainable while seated in a wheel chair, 1.5 can be done on crutches. If neither of those apply then it's at least a 2.
just my $0.02
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Lets stop arguing about what is done in Seattle. Its just one region of the world and this is a national topic. Obviously a few folks here in Seattle disagree, but I am just arguing saying in my experience and the people I personally talk to about it. Yes, there are some exceptions, some are in this thread.
I guess your request to stop arguing about what happens in Seattle applies to everyone but you?
)
I'm just askin'... 
Muggle city worker
in General geocaching topics
Posted
Had several more correspondence since my initial post.
Her reply, just about 15 minutes after I sent my last note:
My Reponse:
And then she wrote back again:
The cache is a decon container that was in the low hanging branches of a Douglas Fir, clipped to a branch with a carbiener(sp?). The area itslef is a grassy open area with several trees in it across the street from a park. It is open access, about 200 feet wide from the side walk to an embankment that drops down about 60 feet or so to some railraod tracks and then a river and open water on the other side of th tracks. The tree that the cache was placed in is about 100 feet from both the sidewalk and the embankment. There are no time restrictions or access restrictions on being in the grass and so it never occured to me to ask for permision, although I will certainly inquire about it when I go to pick the container up in the next few days.
It doesn't sound to me as though she was telling me she removed it from a lack of permission. She didn't understand that the cache was not supposed to be laying on the ground, thought thats where I left it and decided it was probably not a good way to hide it, and she would be right. Lucikly I put a log book and note in the cache that enabled her to track me down which she did.
I'm still just amazed at the due diligence that this person followed through with. Most other times I think it would have gotten a couple of DNF's, I would have gone to check on it, discovered it really was missing and then just written it off as city maintanence workers and replaced the container. All in all I can't htink of a better way that this could have happened...