Thraxman

We all play the game different, I guess. You may not care for the Longest Slump statistic, but for some of us it is a key feature of the game. I am sad to say I just destroyed an epic slump the other day: 19 days away from the coveted 2.5 kilo-day award and I totally blew it! I don't know if I have it in me to start over on that one.

quote:Originally posted by Jeremy (Admin):Caches that are up one day and gone the next aren't really appropriate for the purpose of the site. However, an event cache is. Look at it this way. A multicache is a series of caches, but only one cache listing exists. An event cache can have multiple caches as well, but they shouldn't be listed separately. There is a fundamental difference between an event and a multi-cache. From my experience, a multi-cache involves a series of waypoints that are meant to be hunted sequentially. Each waypoint MAY have a cache container, or it may not, but they all have clues for the following waypoint. In theory, you cannot find the final cache without finding the other caches. The caches at the events I have attended have all stood independantly of one another. They each stood on their own, and could be hunted in any order. There were each, without question, an individual single-stage cache. The ONLY relation that an event has to being a multi-cache is the fact that you must arrive at the co-ordinates of the event and pick up a sheet of paper with the waypoints to the temporary caches. Viewed this way, an event that has 18 individual temporary caches actually has 18 two stage multi-caches! Allowing one to log only the event as a cache find and not allowing finds for the individual caches featured in the event is the same as allowing a cacher to log a find for arriving at the parking lot of a large state park, but not allowing logs for the 5 individual caches hidden THROUGHOUT the park.

Lil' Otter's ability to lose stuff on the trail is contagious. I was caching with her at the recent WGA picnic, and managed to leave my newest GPSR behind at one of the caches ('DOH!). Anyhow, I finally hunted a couple of her virts last weekend. One I found very interesting, the other didn't thrill me, but admittedly it was of historical interest. I am also excited that she placed 4 virts and one micro within a few miles of my house. Where I live, caches are few and far between. I normally have to drive about 20 miles to hunt one cache, so I am apreciative of her efforts in this area. I can do some caching next weekend without burning 10 gallons of gas! I enjoy all sorts of caches. I am a big fan of the traditional ammo-container-under-fallen-tree style. Micros are fun, and I have enjoyed many virtuals. To me, they simply offer the sport variety.

Sounds like fun! Nothing wrong with one-time caches... although a nice variation on this would be to leave a valuable item in a normal cache for the first time finder... and the cache remains afterwards for others to hunt.

I will have you all know that I am VERY elite. I got my 30 buck charter membership. But if that doesn't convince you all... here is MORE proof: The other weekend, I went to Burger King. I didn't buy the regular Whopper Combo, because I was concerned that my thirst would not be quench by a regular size soft-drink, and I decided having extra fries would be much better than having too FEW french fries. So I purchased the Elite King-Sized Whopper Combo. That same day, I decided to see a movie. Could have went to the matinee for 5 bucks, but I elected to go to the ELITE showing in the evening for 8 bucks. I am thinking of upgrading my GPSR. I now use the little yellow basic eTrex. BUT, being ELITE, I want a different model. One with maps. Yeah. That costs more. Must make me ELITE! OK, now I hope you all realize I am just goofing around here, and doing so to make a point. Paying a little extra for an upgrade is not a gesture of elitism. Heck... the local fire deptartments solicit donations over the phone in this area... if you donate, they send you tickets to some "Legends of Rock" concert. Is that an "elite" concert? I don't think so (especially after seeing the names that were playing... lol). I know of several other area cachers that have purchased charter memberships, and I don't know that any of them did so with the intent of making the bulk of their future caches mocaches. I personally have plans to place a number of caches in the area over the next few weeks. I *MAY* make *ONE* a mocache, and if I do, it will be for a limited time, kind of as a tip of the hat to anyone who bought a membership. And you know what? If I would place a mocache, and someone emailed me, telling me that they donated last year, or bought a bunch of travel bugs and bumper stickers, or just plain don't want to pay to cache but feel that they are the champion of "cache in trash out", or whatever, I'd probably e-mail them the co-ordinates. It is not about elitism, it is about supporting the game. Everyone has their own way of doing that. And I think, based on what I have read in the forums (I am guilty of lurking a lot) that a fair majority are comfortable with the charter membership as a way to do that, myself included. Others will support the game in their own ways, and I don't think many will look down on them for that. I just can't see any of the charter members I know feeling all high-and-mighty because they paid 30 bucks. They did it to support the game, and they liked the little perks. My predictions, and you can mark my words on these: 1) mocaches will never make up more than 15% of all caches, and I'd be surprised if it will ever be that high. And many will be mocaches for only a limited time. 2) Geocaching will NOT splinter as some have predicted due to free cache sites popping up. Face it, this site IS still free, despite what some are trying to convince us (How many caches available to free members? Many thousands? OK.). Navicache is a nice site, but, seriously, this is and always will be THE central geocache database. 3) "Newbies" will remain just as welcome to the sport as ever. I personally was thrilled when, a few months ago, a mother and son found one of my caches as their first find. I bet many people are the same way, and would be reluctant to place any permanent mocaches because of it. Anyhow, it is getting late, sorry about not proof-reading this before posting

quote:Originally posted by pdxmarathonman: I've seen a few caches that don't really seem to be "geocaching" as I understand it. Is the following really a geocache? + Drive to a parking lot at the listed coordinates + Walk for + now continue on + calculate + now walk towards + cache is hidden Any thoughts on whether this is a "legit" geocache? Yup, this is a legit geocache. If you check out the FAQs, you will find that it pretty much fits the description of an "Offset cache". Although I see what you mean about the parking lot as a starting point

quote:Originally posted by pdxmarathonman: I've seen a few caches that don't really seem to be "geocaching" as I understand it. Is the following really a geocache? + Drive to a parking lot at the listed coordinates + Walk for + now continue on + calculate + now walk towards + cache is hidden Any thoughts on whether this is a "legit" geocache? Yup, this is a legit geocache. If you check out the FAQs, you will find that it pretty much fits the description of an "Offset cache". Although I see what you mean about the parking lot as a starting point