Team OPJim

I've placed over 120 caches. I tried the new way once: it would be fine if I was a newbie but is a little tiresome for someone experienced. I have to agree that we should be given the option for "expert" ie- the old system if we want it.

Two logs that made my day. The first isn't even my cache, but it is so cool that I feel compelled to repeat it here. "FTF!! But, OH what a day it was. Started the drive in on Telegraph Canyon Rd, Then on to Ajax Mine Rd. The driving was fairly easy going in my Tacoma. Got to the Orphan Boy Mine Rd turn off to head South, and my concience told me to stop there and hike the rest of the way. I've never been one to may much attention to that little voice in my head. so I drove in a ways. Not too bad. Found a spot to park, and walked the last 1/4 mile or so to the cache. Found the cache easily enough and signed the log. Took a few pictures, then headed back to the truck. This is where the day starts getting interesting. On the way out towards Ajax Mine Rd., I got the left front tire caught in a runoff wash out an the side of the road, as I was just getting the tire clear of that, I felt the left rear go over the edge. After that, it was gravity that took over, and I could'nt do anything about it. As the tires caught during the siways slide, over she went, finally landing on the roof in the creek bed. After kicking out some of the already broken glass, and getting out of the truck, I checked my phone, and I had NO cell signal, and an almost dead battery. So I fished my pack out, and a few other belongings, marked a waypoint for the truck, and headed up the road to a high spot, about 1 1/2 mi, to try and get signal. Called 911, gave them my coords, and waited. After about an hour and a half, and no sign of help, I called 911 back, and stayed on the line with them. About 15-20 min later, I spotted the DPS helicopter. After they finally found a spot to land, they loaded me up and flew me into Superior, to be met by an ambulance. I did not realise how banged up or injured I was, or could have been, because of the adrenilan rush I was on. Once in superior, it was decided that it would be best if I was flown to a neurological trauma center. So, I got a second helicopter ride to Scottsdale. Fortunatly, nothing was broken. Just beat up a bunch. And the let me go home after a few hours. Now we just need to figure out how to get my truck out of that canyon. 2008 Toyota Pickup Truck (Totaled) - Close to $30,000 Medical bills/LifeFlight Fees - close to $30,000 Vehicle Extraction/ Towing Fees - $4,800 Getting the FTF and a Smiley - Priceless Took - nothing, Left - nothing(except my truck, in the canyon) and signed the log. Dipping my personal TB for the mileage and the adventure. This will most probably be my MOST MEMORABLE cache ever. Thanks *Update - June 1, 09* The truck has been recovered. It took the towing company 10 hours, 3 guys, and 3 trucks. They could not get the 24' flatbed in anywhere near, and had to upright it, and drag it out with thier huge 4wd truck." The second is on one of my caches. YOu have to feel good about one like this. "Well my hat is off to you. I can officially crown you owner of the most and best views from caches in Payson!!! I left at four this afternoon and came off the hill in the dark. The hides were absolutely brilliant. Great first container! The last hide is wonderful. I am glad you and I think alike. I walked right to the only large cedar I could find on the east side of the ridge, climbed around sat down and said " hmm- iwould hide a cache right here." Amazingly that is right where it was. The rock placement for camoflage was absolutely incredible. I placed them all back with exquisite care because I can appreciate the effort it takes to find and arrange those rocks just so. Found a rattlesnake in the dark on the way out from the final cache, luckily he sang REALLY loud so he saved us both from a miserable afternoon. Moved the TB from stage three to stage five. I must have missed the other TB. Don't know how, but did not see it. I was in a real hurry a stage four, so I might not have seen it. Can't say enough about what an amazing series this is. Lots of work and scouting. I always love the ones on top of hills and mountains and this does not disappoint. The sunset was beautiful and the bulls were bugling like crazy as I went after stage 5. What a great day caching. Thanks so much for this multistage- Probably the best Payson has to offer! T: Coin out of Stage 5 L: TB from stage 3 to stage 5. Thanks again!"

I know the area well, as I placed several caches on the Boulder Loop Trail. As for Flatiron & Mrs. Wrangler, after they made the following post on http://coord.info/GC2R9KJ, no one even looked for this cache until November (myself included). They are absolutely correct, Table Mountain is full of rattlesnake condos: "Myself and AJ.JR were going to go after the two Table Mtn. caches today, but after encountering a large and long rattler near the parking area, we decided to do them on a cooler day. The rock ledges on this hill are snake "condos" and hopefully we'll get to these in the fall. Thanks." Their post above suggests another encounter: surely you intend to share it?

Five characteristics of a rattlesnake bite victim (usually): 1. Male 2. Missing teeth 3. Tattoos 4. Alcohol on Board 5. Bite on the hand or arm Several years ago we were hiking near Woods Canyon Lake. I was in front. I suddenly heard my girls gasp. I turned around and had just stepped over the top of a Black Timber Rattler, which are a particularly aggressive form of rattlesnake. Fortunately for me, he was pretty slow and stupid. From the bulge just below his head I suspect he had just finished eating a rodent, which is why he didn't come after me. Some local cachers (Roadrunners) seem to find a snake every few weeks. I don't see as many, but there are areas I avoid when it is warm. I actually prefer to cache above the Mogollon Rim in the Summer (they are still there but not as plentiful) and below the rim in the winter when it is cold. I also have snake gaiters but use them more for brush than snakebites.

I can't find the original topic for all the replies about speed limits and left lanes

I've seen rattlesnakes a couple times while caching. It's one of the reasons I like going out during winter because I don't have to worry about stepping on one (live in Arizona). Here's a funny log from a local cache GC16BRV: "OK, what to say about this little cache. Rattlesnakes and shear ledges? So I am about to crawl out onto the ledge where I am sure the cache is hidden. Then there is this buzzing sound nearby. Just a rattler under a rock along my path. He's in a bit more protected location than me so I cant move him, but so log as he rattles I know where he is. Keep throwing rocks to keep him honest while edging along to find the cache. Move the rocks away from the cache, throw a rock at the snake, get the log out so sign, throw a rock at the snake, sign the log, throw a rock, rehide, throw a rock, inch my way back, throw a rock. Just your average drive by cache. "TFTH

Generally I do log, but occasionally I don't on the second or third try at a cache when I've confirmed with the CO that the cache is there but I'm too thick to find it.

...I don't think Groundspeak have anything to do with setting "milestones" ... They do on the Statistics tab on the profile page, where it identifies milestones every 100 caches up to 1000, but then it seems to be every 1000 from there on. As stated, I was referring to the Statistics tab on my geocaching profile page.

I agree that milestones should occur every 100 finds. Why is 5 finds a milestone, but 1100 (or 11,000 if whats is above is true) not considered a milestone?

Second Worst: ziplock bag. Worse: A ziplock bag used to hold elastics for braces. Both were planted in AZ mountains, where it snows in the winter and gets into the 100s in the summer.

It might be a problem with that particular software program. I use Easy GPS; www.easygps.com. It also helps to be a premium member, which allows you to create a "pocket Query" of caches in an area and download them all at once.

This is great! For my real answer, being up to 110 placed now: 1. Mudbloods: people who set up accounts so they can find ammocans and steal them. 2. Blood Traitors: people who take travel bugs and don't log them so they disappear. I've stopped releasing them into the wild because of this. 3. People who assume that if they couldn't find the cache that it is missing and post notes to that affect (especially when they have less than 100 finds). 4. Cache finders who note that "your coordinates were off by 20 feet" (on a hillside in the forest). 5. I'm fine with TFTC. It is much better than the cut and paste drivel that is generic and says nothing about the cache in particular. 6. Those who think that they have a right to find the cache and I have an obligation to place it so they can find it easily. I will admit I really like it when I've made a significant effort to place a worthwhile cache, and appreciation of the hide/views/hike is expressed. Forgive the Harry Potter reference, but from geocaching standpoint I'm the heir of Slytherin

I just browsed through your multis, and I couldn't figure out which one it is, so I'll ask. Did you make sure your final coordinates were listed as a hidden waypoint? If not, the reviewers would have no way to know where your final was. There are a lot of old caches around here where this is the case, so we end up with caches being as close as tens of meters apart. BTW, nice area you have there! Those look some great multis. I did list all the waypoints, I don't know why the reviewer approved this other one being reinstated, but decided that to raise a fuss would alienate the other cache owner. Being in a small town it is better to get along than to get my way.

Curious. The reason I thought otherwise is from experience. There was a cache placed on a hilltop nearby, which I found. It was then archived. A year later I placed a multicache with the final on the same hillside, but about 300 feet away. Six months later (or 18 months after the cache was archived) it was unarchived, moved 20 feet, with a different sized container AND a different name. When I went to seek it, I found that is was clearly less than 528 feet from my multicache final. Given that a reviewer allowed a new cache (albeit listed as unarchived) to be placed so close to my final stage, I assumed that the proximity rule didn't apply to multicaches. FYI, I removed my final stage and moved it. I was irritated that a stolen and archived cache could be restored months after I placed a cache there.

There may be other people's unpublished caches, stages of multicaches, or actual locations of puzzle caches. You can't do much about the first (though Reviewers will push those people to hurry up and get theirs published or archive them when someone like yourself has to be denied). If you see any multis or mysterys/puzzles within a couple miles of your home it might be good to do those and record the coords for your records. As has been noted, since your cache is not published yet just edit the cache page to reflect the new location you're trying for. This intrigues me. My impression was that the reviewers don't deny caches based on the presence of another cache with unpublished coordinates (stage of a multi or unknown cache). Is there anyone who can illuminate this issue further?

The proper way to deal with a cache that you think is inappropriately placed is as follows: 1. send an email to the CO about the cache. If you cannot resolve the issue or they don't respond... 2. contact the reviewer. Using the logs to post personal snide comments is never appropriate, and the CO has every right to delete them as such. I have deleted several that I found slanderous, insulting, or simply deceptive, followed by a note that they can re-log their find if they will be civil in doing so. It appears that the account in question has been locked. I am sorry that someone is being such a git about geocaching and only hope he doesn't move anywhere near my caches.

I agree in general that COs should maintain their caches. However there is a big difference between maintaining an Lpc you pass on the way to work everyday and the one you hid at the end of a 5 mile hike I truly believe that gs needs to require training and experience prior to allowing cache placement. I think 50-100 finds and a short training course on cache placement that could be a video with a short quiz I also agree that geocaching is not a civil right and expecting that caches will always be there is not reasonable

Agree that moving it slightly, and making it a premium member cache can both reduce the likelihood of being muggled. I also no longer state that I have hidden an ammocan, after having several ammocans stolen.

EVen experienced cachers log DNFs. I don't think that two is that many. I agree that you should check on it, but I recommend taking a replacement with you just in case. Also, recheck the coordinates when you get there. After 3, consider archiving. The only time I have ever archived a cache without looking for it first was after a devastating forest fire tore through the area.

So I've found the PQ, but there is another problem. For several hours after making a new PQ, it doesn't come up on my iphone. This is a problem if I make a new query right before going out to find caches. It means I have to generate the queries at least a day in advance, which also means that they may not contain a newly published cache.

I agree with all on the following: 1. Unless you are deliberately trying to make the cache difficult, a hint is a really good thing. As stated above, hints can help you know where to look, say ground vs. trees vs rocks vs on top vs beneath the cliff. 2. In addition to hints, I find that a good description, especially in the woods can be helpful. My feeling for a cache that requires a hike/climb/effort to get there is that the GPS is only good to about 20 feet, then you need something else to zero in. saying "it's in the rocks" is only helpful if the aren't 500 potential rocks to look under. 3. Absolutely do NOT put meaningless comments in the hint section: "take water" "great hike" Examples of really good hints: "remember to CITO" cache was attached to a bottlecap on the ground "barking up the wrong tree" cache was attached to tree trunk and looked like bark I agree with the comment about a good beating for the "email me" hint Finally, if the hint is a spoiler picture, say so in the body of the listing. I hate getting out somewhere with no cell reception, and realizing that the only clue I have is a picture I can't access without going home first.

Food a bad idea. I've seen a number of caches opened and ravaged by animals. They even managed to open one of my ammocans after someone put food inside, and everything but the can was dispersed. I recommend arranging to meet the CO if you want to give them jam.

My record is 19. They were all rural, most required some hiking, none were park and grabs. I think this is much more fun than 100 LPCs in the city.

Rattlesnakes, especially the black timber rattler. Had a bull charge me because I was coming near his "herd" but wearing a red shirt may have been part of the problem. Guys with beer (not all guys and not all guys who drink beer, but you get the idea). Skunks and scorpions are a concern, but haven't seen any. While I've had no issue, my friend 321Kaboom has several encounters with Javelina (a wild pig with teeth).

The program works fine, but I can't use the feature to retrieve trackables. I get error messages to try later.......several weeks later no change.