WalruZ
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Posts posted by WalruZ
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I wholeheartedly support the desire to protect this area from development.
Particularly since the examiner (which has local editions down the penninsula) ran an article recently about the fellow who developed Foster City. His solution to the affordable housing crunch? Develop the whole San Mateo Coast. Best quote: "Birds don't vote".
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Let me ask you a question,
If I decided to log my placed cache about 250 times because I could and not have to worry about the owner deleating my posts would that be ok? Simply because the rules were loose? because it "is left up to individual cacher discretion to play the game as they see fit."
Let me respond...
First of all, you could do such a thing and nothing would probably happen to you - Geocaching.com doesn't have a referee that verifies the validity of each find. That is why GC refrains from elevating the importance of find counts by implementing any sort of leaderboard. It is a slippery slope that they wisely refrain from going near.
In particular, logging a TB in and out of a cache doesn't break any 'rule'. It doesn't move the TB like it 'should', and it does increase the owner's TB find count without them expending any particular effort or contribution, but so what? TB find counts don't 'count' for anything . On top of that, most geocachers don't care. Everyone knows that many (but not all) of the top TB finders use some sort of 'capture and release' strategy to get their numbers up - therefore those numbers - which don't mean anything anyway - are worthless. Should anyone try to use them for bragging rights they would be hooted down, or more likely just ignored.
The rules of Geocaching, such as they are, are 'enforced' by social peer pressure. The GeoCaching hard-core know which of their members play by lax versions of the rules - it's a prime topic of gossip and supposition. High-numbers cachers go to great lengths to keep their noses clean, since not doing so destroys the foundation of their standing with their peers.
Anyone who 'cheats' without this social network around them is in a particularly odd place. Doing so would be like cheating at solitare.
In summary. TB finds don't "count". No harm, no foul.
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My ten year-old daughter did the loop with me today
fwiw, you found the jawbone at Atahualpa - I took a picture of it there. One other thing to notice is the stone ankh someone made next to the trail as you hike up and away from the stairway to the sky.
To really challange her, go all the way to the top. There is a sighting post up there with tubes that point to different bay area landmarks - you can see the Altmont pass, for example. It is one of the highest spots in the east bay hills.
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I don't really respect non hiders much. my personal opinion.
I guess I feel a bit the same.
I can sort of understand that, but...
I know a local who has crested 2k finds (yes) without a single hide.
I also know, or have found caches of, 2 or 3 locals who have relatively small numbers of finds ( <300) and who hide absolutely indiscriminately. Never saw a bush or a guardrail or a roadside tree that they didn't like. Most of them barely one step up from litter.
I have a lot more respect for the 1st cacher than the ones in the other group.
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What you've got working here is liberal guilt (I know, I am one.) Guilt that you, evil dirty bad human you, shouldn't be out there despoiling beautiful virginal mother nature, who is way too good for hamhanded filthy louses like... people.
Get over it. People are, and should be part of nature too. A trail doesn't despoil the landscape. Your car does.
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Yesterday I did Inca Gold, on the slopes of Mission Peak. I highly recommend it, especially to you not-quite-local cachers who consider Fremont to be nothing but a cheap tart filled with easy micros. Because of the theme and execution I particularly recommend you bring along any teen / pre-teen with stamina that you know. Girls in particular will have fun decoding the clues left behind by the mysterious Isabelle de Corazon Tereso.
The series is a 2-3 hour loop from the Stanford Trailhead (Stanford Ave, 2 block N of the 1st I680 Mission exit when headed north.) Head for Necklace of Tears first. Bring paper to take good notes. Trust your notes. The coords are all good.
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I'm noticing that the SF Presidio area has mostly virtuals in it, but there are a couple of older regular caches there also. I believe this is part of the GGNRA, rather than a NF, so cache placements should be within the rules, right?
I tried to find out if a cache at the old sutro baths would be acceptable - there appears to be legal access from the street north of sutro park. Haven't received an answer yet and have heard conflicting opinions from cachers I have talked to about it. Apparently the ban is not just an NF ban, but an NP ban, raising the question - is GGNRA an NP? Best bet is to just hide it and see what they do.
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I had one of those moments today too. I found myself beating the bushes next to some play equiptment filled with screaming shouting children. Never mind attracting attention (I don't care), it was hot and I couldn't find the dadgum thing and it just wasn't fun. I bagged it and went home, 0 for 1.
But I'll be out again soon. One thing I know is that if you have a bad time caching somewhere, go somewhere else. If you're trying to 'clean out' a pocket of your area, just pick somewhere further away and do a few caches there. I cache in 4 or 5 distinct areas around the san francisco bay, and when one sort of fails me, another one picks me up again.
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the most important thing to do is to have your feet measured & fitted by a professional. imo, the brand of boot is completely secondary to that.
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Howdy Folks,
I hardly post but something unusual has happened. Somebody left a poor idea of a joke in my cache called "Why?"
I am not familiar with the "herb" but I did recognize the reefer papers. It could be this dried plant is from a nearby tree but even so, this kind of joke is a bad idea. I am astonished muggles found this. Even more curious, I found a rusty shovel nearby that I had not seen before. (I have no idea what thats about)
In the meantime, I am thinking I should shut the cache site down and move it to an entirely new location six miles away. Can I change the coords, or should I resubmit for a new approval?
By the way, I left a Jeep TB there last night but I may move this cache by 5:00 today.
Cheers,
GeoWomyn_SF_CA
PS: "Why" oh "Why?" do people do this ?
I visited Why? this morning. (oddly, there are 3 other caches named 'Why?') Anyway, at the cache site I initially stopped where the beer bottles were scattered about. I looked around a little and could see the cache from there. So, that's why.
I had not been up to that particular spot in quite a while. it looks like someone was using the shovel (and a crowbar, you saw that, right?) to dig the foundation of a summer home under the tree. Notice how things are stacked up on the north side of the tree. I wouldn't worry too much, EBRP has ways of dealing with people who try to take up permanent residence.
The 'herb' (if that's what it was) was gone by the time I got there. Someone probably just left it as a 'tokin' gesture.
I moved the cache about 12 feet, out from under the tree. It should be easy to find with the new hint, and pretty hard to find by accident.
The log book is a true work of art. I encourage my fellow cachers to try this one, then keep on going to "Man on a Mission".
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Given where I'm pretty sure it is (I've been saving it), you could probably get away with just relocating it at the cache site - there are plenty of potential hiding places there, and that's what I would do. When I looked at the area I decided the best spot was out at the edge of the tree line rather than further inside. Once it's moved anyone who goes up there at night will assume it's gone. AFA herb goes, I can't imagine anyone continually restocking your cache with it. It wasn't muggled. Move it a little first, you can always move it a lot later.
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1000! - Congratulations Bob. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I'm right on your tail! (sorta)
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I think Groundspeak should pick a day of the year and declare it "Approver Appreciation Day". GeoCaching organizations around the country could fete their local approver with awards and small tokens of their appreciation. I've met my local approver, and he could use a little appreciation.
I suggest June 21 - the summer solstice. Longest GeoCaching day of the year.
Yes I'm serious, and why not?
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Hemlock is busy. or something. Westcostadmin has been approving 'easy' caches. SoCal admin and some other admins have been helping out.
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humph. I still haven't done San Bruno. If you see anything about which days it's closed, please post.
This happened to libraries too. My local branch library went from being open every day to only 2 days per week.
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By the way, it would appear that someone is on the verge of crossing the 2000 find line.
I had a great time caching with him and his son Sunday - hope to be able to do so again sometime. It's a good thing he only got one flat tire or they might still be out there!
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So yesterday I did the new woods road caches. I wasn't sure about the density going in, but the actual experience was good. What I think made it work is that they were on an uphill slope. The caches really both 'pulled' me uphill and gave me breaks as I climbed. I think on level ground the spacing would have to be increased, perhaps to .20 or .25. Conversely, if you're populating a steep slope I would try packing them in as close as you can.
I really appreciate the work that went into these. Kudos!
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How can you close the out-of-doors due to "budget cuts"? What do they stop supplying - sunshine?
Although this is probably legit, it sometimes is not. "We're closed due to budget cuts" can also mean, "go yell at the county supervisors until we get the money we want."
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WOW!
Only one other Bay Area geocacher has a higher overall average daily find rate. All other things being equal, Wow will eventually be #2 on the board.
Some of you guys, your ashes are going on the mantle in an ammo can.
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I agree that the Magellan holds a lock much better in trees.
I can always tell when I'm looking for a cache hidden by a Magellan owner - it's under thick tree cover.
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For most caching I use smaller lights for stealth, usually a CMG Infinity Ultra LED in white or red.
I'm sort of with Naz on this. The answer depends on where and how you cache at night. Much of my caching is urban or semi-urban, and I try to do as much as possible without the flashlight even on. I have some off-brand LED that is the size of an AA battery that I carry on a coard around my neck. If I need to see something I'll turn it on, but that's it. If I need to go hands free I hold the end nubbin in my teeth.
IMO, charging around some neighborhood with a huge-a** flashlight or (god forbid) a headlamp will just get the cops called on you. Swinging some bright flashlight beam around just alerts people to your presence. A dim flashlight is not necessarily a bad thing. You don't need that much light to find a geocache. My advice is to do some night caching and see what your style is, then look for a flashlight to fit it. You might find, as I have, that stealth is more important than illumination.
Out in the woods it's a different matter, but I would always at least pack an LED flashlight as backup because of their excellent battery life.
FWIW, another cardinal rule of night-caching that I've developed is to not try to park as close as you can to the cache site. Find non-descript on-street parking that is further away, then walk to the trailhead or the site.
And yes, basic black (head to toe) is always in fashion.
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Once you're on the trail, you shouldn't still be reading the manual.
That probably also applies to "The Complete Idiots Guide to Sex", which is also available from the same publisher.
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SF Bay Area geocachers
in West and Southwest
Posted
I had lunch with Marky while he was suffering from that case. His arms were completely red and cracked, from the hands up to... I dunno. Not just bumps or blisters, the entire skin area was red and cracked like a dry creek bottom.
The worst I ever heard was possibly legend. Fellow exposes much of self to poison oak. Then takes bath. Oil floats to top of bathwater. He is completely covered in oil as he gets out of the bath.