G0ldNugget

This happened to a series of my caches along a road that was hit by fire and flood. I couldn't even check to see if the caches were still there until the road was reopened. I would think a NM or WN is appropriate to let the CO know there is a problem with the cache location. A DNF without reaching GZ and actually searching for the cache doesn't feel right to me. I Disabled the series until the road was fixed and I could check on their condition. Turns out three were fine and one got archived. But it took quite awhile and the Reviewer was patient. Having pics helped.

I realize ALs are pretty new and GS has been careful about handing them out, but eventually some will become obsolete and unplayable. They don't require a lot of maintenance but most will eventually need editing of some kind. I've had one published for a year and already had to change one of the questions due to changes at one location. What is the process for reporting ALs that NM or NA? Once they are published will they languish on our maps forever, leaving it to the players to sort through the playable ones by rating or reviews?

Not all ALs are "effortless" and most have some educational component to them. My AL requires more time and effort than my traditional caches (10 miles of windy roads and about 1-2 hours to complete.) 40/41 players who started the lab have finished it. I guarantee that when players earn those similes they feel like they have had a real adventure and learned some local history. If other ALs are 'effortless', then blame COs who throw together a "fast five" and the players who seek them out. If the Adventures could be downloaded ahead of time, allowing for more rural experiences where cell service is lacking, COs could create more adventurous adventures. I have another AL credit waiting and have scouted several great AL locations I wanted to do, but the spotty cell reception made the location impossible and I'm not willing to create just another urban walking tour.

Why do we think this is cool? Then I remembered this:

Awkward encounters between geocachers and the public or the police isn't uncommon. Poking around on busy corners, neighborhoods or industrial parks always feels like suspicious eyes are on me. I would encourage prospective COs to choose cache locations wisely. Give players time and space to find your hide by selecting spots that offer a bit of privacy, cars not whizzing by just feet from GZ and no caches in residential neighborhoods. Dozens of new caches have popped up around here in the last few months by the same CO. Every single one is along a busy road, behind an HVAC unit in an industrial park or in a residential neighborhood. The CO went to some trouble to create and publish all these, many of the containers are decorated and generally well done. But they are in the most awful locations and I generally avoid them. Just because you can hide one there, doesn't mean you should hide one there.

I came across this article about an African American geocacher. He has been stopped by the police while geocaching seven times in the last six months. https://www.npr.org/2021/07/11/1009560739/geocaching-while-black-outdoor-pastime-reveals-racism-and-bias

That looks interesting! Wish I could try it but I use Linux. 🐧

My husband and I were grabbing a series of caches along a rural dirt road in a neighboring county. We had collected perhaps half of them when we heard a gunshot in the distance. I thought maybe hunting going on somewhere nearby? After a few minutes, a guy pulled up on a quad with a great big shot gun across his lap. We knew we must look pretty suspicious, in the middle of nowhere, along a random dirt road, staring at a random tree. We explained that we were geocaching and he seemed unimpressed. He said he was looking for someone in a white pickup that had dumped trash in the road. We cut our caching adventure short and headed for the highway. Indeed there was a huge pile of trash in the road ahead, and nearby was an angry looking lady on another quad holding a rifle. I'm really glad we weren't driving a white pickup and I doubt I'll be going back for the rest of the series.

Theres construction going on at one of my AL locations and the question/answer is inaccessible for now. This is a 10 mile long adventure and I wanted players to be able to complete the series. So during construction I give players both the question and answer. Geofencing assures they made it to the general area thats good enough for me.

There are not many ALs around this rural area. I created one and have another credit waiting. I've had a few ideas for my next AL but for various reasons, none has worked out. For example, I wanted to do a tour of historic downtown bars and taverns but two of the five are closed after Covid. Perhaps after they reopen I can still make this work. Anyway, I appreciate that the time limit was removed so now I can wait to find just the right series of places with a good story to tell and reliable cell service.

I would say No, don't try to unarchve them now. It smells like another way to get around a clear suspension that "applies to you personally in every way." Just wait the month and don't push it. Perhaps reflect on why this disciplinary action was taken and use the opportunity to get all your submissions in compliance instead of looking for a loophole to allow you to publish another hide while suspended.

Around here it's not unusual for puzzle caches to go a year or more between finds. Add a short hike and it's guaranteed to be lonely. I accept this fact and tried to make my cache worth the extra effort by placing a loaded regular in a great location. Math isn't my thing and I'm not good at cryptic ciphers or obscure patterns. I've struggled through some tough puzzles but I prefer the ones that don't feel intimidating to math-phobes. It took me about 2 weeks to put this puzzle cache together (GC8R87T), from the vague idea, creating the puzzle and clues and finally, scouting the location and preparing the cache. I tried to make a puzzle that was fun to solve, even for folks who don't usually attempt puzzle caches.

When all else fails, I try to leave my mark of some kind on the physical log (in this case, my initials scratched with a stick) and mention it in the online log. I believe this should be acceptable even to the most finicky CO.

A big Thank You to the Northern California volunteers that work behind the scenes to keep the game going and don't get much credit for their time and effort. So kudos to Nomex, RedHiker and TOTTcho for your years of dedication to the geocaching community. Thank You!

I had the same problem with a few of my hides along a canyon road that was hit by fire and flood. I disabled the caches while maintenance was going on but I had no control over the speed of the work. Luckily, the Reviewer was willing to work with me and three caches were eventually re-enabled and two were archived.

What deserves a favorite varies with each player and situation. For me, the secret sauce is 'surprise and delight' and this is what I try to deliver in some form with all my hides.

I used this simple online tool to create a gpx file for an AL: http://www.gcgpx.cz/

Found it!

I had to look up Biltema Angel caches as I had never heard this term before. Heres a brief explanation: "What are Biltema Angel Caches? More and more often one reads that a geocache is a biltema cache. But what exactly is a Biltema Cache? The Biltema Caches, which are also called fishing caches or Sweden caches, are geoaches that hang at a certain height. Often these boxes are mounted higher than 5 meters or even at a height of 10 meters. These can be taken down with a fishing rod... ...These hinges are several conical, extendable rods which can be extended to a length of up to 15 meters. A hook or magnet is then attached to the tip of such a fishing rod in order to fish the can at this height. https://www.geo-discount.ch/blog/was-sind-biltema-angel-caches/

I like your idea but as other posters have mentioned, newbies don't do puzzles. Heck lots of experienced players don't do puzzles either. My awesome puzzle cache is one of my loneliest hides. Combined with a short hike, it will never acquire a geo-trail. But newbies do like easy series along an easy trail or an accessible country road. How about an educational series, with each cache a short lesson in geocaching rules and etiquette? Simple finds, perhaps each an example of some kind of hide or container. (This is a bison tube. This is what makes a good waterproof container, etc...) Anyway, there's lots of new players around here and I think its a good idea. They especially love to post pics of their adorable kids finding the cache, including pics of the container and the location. How do you delete a log like that?

My AL is somewhere between the standard city walking tour and the aforementioned widely spaced locations. Mine is a 10 mile long drive through local history on a windy country road and I make that clear in the description. It features a drive through beautiful country with stops in historic and little known scenic spots. I wanted it to feel like an actual 'adventure'. But I get complaints that it is too long or the road is too windy, especially when compared to the 'fast five' ALs nearby. If AL COs are expanding their ideas to include more distant and 'adventurous' adventures, I guess that's a good thing. Spreading them out over long distances may be the AL equivalent to the CO who loves to make impossibly hard puzzle caches that almost no one can solve. Some variety is certainly needed in the game. Not everything should be an urban walking tour and an easy +5.

27 Hides, 7 Archived.

As an AL CO, I would like the notifications and logging to be similar to regular geocaches. Putting a good AL together is a lot of work, and like a normal cache CO, feedback from players is the only reward. When someone finds one of my caches, the notification can make my day. I won't know if someone has finished my AL unless I log into the website and check the Leaderboard numbers. Its a thankless process, and not all players finish or leave a log. COs should also have some control over the logs as they do in the regular game and players should be able to leave feedback like a DNF or Write Note to let the CO know if there is a problem with the question or connectivity or whatever. I realize this is a beta and changes are coming. I appreciate the recent updates to the app and maps. But I agree with the Parent Post. More info and control by the COs would be nice.

How about a Puzzle cache themed event? Players could collaborate on solutions or share strategies for solving the tough ones. Perhaps share some unique or fun puzzle ideas. This could be especially helpful to beginners who are intimidated by this cache type and have no idea where to begin. Perhaps it could drive some traffic to those under appreciated local puzzles that only get found once a year. You could even coordinate the timing with the release of a new puzzle cache that is solvable by a method covered in your meeting.

Watching live from northern California. Looking forward to logging this special TB and knowing my name will be up there, on Perseverance (with about 10 million others' names) for millennia to come. If you want your name on the next mission to Mars, you can sign up here. https://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/