Mike & Jess

That is a very nice looking camp. It is actually nicer then most of my backpack camping sites. Someone put a lot of work into it.

Kind of nice of them to leave them like that for a bit in case this happened. Yeah, I hate when COs do that. A CO near here just archived 21 caches (not all of their active caches, but most of them), with all the archive logs saying "Removed". Some of the caches are only a month or two old, and almost all of the ones that have been out longer have favourite points in the double-digits. Would it be too much to ask for a brief explanation of why they're being archived? Just a simple "Can no longer maintain", "Family situation is preventing me from maintaining this", "I'm bored of owning caches", etc. We've done a few adoptions because of this in our area. I put up a number of mine for adoption because I had relocated 50 miles outside of town and wanted to drop a few caches so I could populate some virgin grounds. Unfortunately, the guy that adopted some of mine archived them and collected the containers so he could use them for his own caches.

What exactly would you be reserving? There are no proximity guidelines for events as far as other caches go. What they don't allow is "event stacking", which is usually done by the same individual or organization. In other words, you can't hold an hour long event, each hour for five hours at the same location, or in very close proximity to each other, and call it five events. They want you to make that a single event. There was a complaint a year or so ago that a reviewer would not publish an event because there was already an event being held on the other side of town. They were by different people and were not related in any way. I don't remember how that shook out in the end, but it's not something that typically comes up. I was just wondering about it as I have a couple draft pages for events that will be going for review shortly. One in particular I started (cords and date) and now it looks like another cacher will host this event instead. If it does act like a normal cache draft, I'll have to kill mine. If not, I'll leave it and modify the date and time for another M&G event later on.

Nope. The only thing close to that is an audit log on PMO caches: http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=122 A common suggestion is to post a note on the cache page asking for the watchers to identify themselves to you. Here's a recent thread asking for the ability to know who the watchers are: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=302329 As history shows, this is not going to happen. B. Thanks for the note. I always thought I could. The cache in question isn't a PMO cache, so that might not work. If I owned a PMO cache, I might be able to dig and look to see if a backdoor existed.

That should probably read "Caches are usually not buried". Or, perhaps "Caches are never buried, unless you name them Mingo". In that case, there's always the fourth paragraph on the Geocache Listing Requirements/Guidelines page: "Please be advised that there is no precedent for placing geocaches. This means that the past publication of a similar geocache in and of itself is not a valid justification for the publication of a new geocache. If a geocache has been published and violates any guidelines listed below, you are encouraged to report it. However, if the geocache was placed prior to the date when a guideline was issued or updated, the geocache is likely to be grandfathered and allowed to stand as is." The use of the term "never" and the concept of "grandfathering" is bound to cause confusion. Very true. The catch all rule can be good and bad at the same time. Luckly we have some great reviewers. A couple new ones in the area, but I think we've broken them in for the most part.

Ya, no hunting stand. It's a patch of bush surrounded by houses. The items in the "shack" where typical of squatters (empty food cans, etc). It's fairly common for squatters here to remove their tarp and take it with them. I'll see if I can dig up the photos of the other sites I have found. I think I've got photos of 5 or 6 camps total (seen a few more, but don't always have a camera biking).

Thought you could simply click on the (x) watching this cache to get a list if you owned it. Is there a way to see who's watching a cache if you are the CO?

I had a kind of odd conversation this afternoon with a squatter (not in the woods either), and it got me thinking about the number of squatter camps I have come across geocaching and or mtn biking. I actually had to archive my first cache because GZ was where they built their camp. I'm actually kind of proud that it was the most elaborate camp I have seen, at my cache (Close to Home). Of all the camps I have come across, I've been lucky enough to never actually meet the owner or owners. Has anyone else run into these camps? Ever met the tenants? Here is a shot of the camp at our first cache.

Thanks for the links. I knew I had seen this discussion, but hadn't had the time to dig them up (pun intended )

I wasn't really sure how to title this one. With all the local issues going on (we have a few trouble makers in the caching community), I'm looking to make sure there is zero issues with any of my new cache containers I plan to put out. For containers that are half in the ground or more (fake sprinkler head for example), would this be considered burried or not? I am not planning on using this paricular container exampled. It was just the first container that came to mind that would be a good example of what I was asking.

Does this draft page (space reservation) apply to events?

Thanks for posting the TB page. RES2100's event was a kick in the butt for me. Found out about it the morning of the event. Really wanted to go, but couldn't get up there in time to make the event (quads where at my parent's place, west of Lively). The other info pages I think I've grabbed and posted in the Northern Ontario Geocachers's thread listed above (will double check). As a side note, http://coord.info/GC3XCHD can be added once it gets published (too far out to be published at this time). I have the draft page together and am hoping to have a little something special together for this event (no promises I'll be successful).

I did not know that. Was there twice and didn't see a tag (wasn't looking). Do you know the GC number for it's page?

Posting up on forums like this is the first thing. I could suggest putting together a nice little (non-advertising style) write up about the route, accommidations, etc, and share it with a few different forums. Be prepared to field a log of questions from the various forums if you do this. I'm a big backpacker but a bit far north. Edit: Lose the black background on the site. Black background on a website doesn't sell as well as a light background.

When someone does some blatant, clever cheating and it's allowed, I'm embarrassed to have come. I've taken a hiatus from events, due mainly to the fact that “prizes” seem to bring out the worst in people and then I feel like an accomplice. Typically, everyone pitches in for an event. But consider excluding the event coordinator's family from at least the bigger prizes. I can't stand how prizes have become the focus for some. I'm all about the bragging rights. The prizes... if I can't pass off my winning ticket to someone near by, I'll either ask that the prize be given to someone else, or add it to my collection to give away at my next event (or donnate to an event). It's unfortunate that we had to seal the envelops for our poker runs. We had been able to use the same cards and containers for 4 events without having to replace them. I won't say cheating is common, but there tends to be at least one cacher or group in every area that will stir trouble.

They have been "in" for the several decades I have played them. And with alcohol they are even better. The first time I had heard about poker runs was back in the early 80's. Attended two, one via snow mobile and the other via motorcycles (as a passenger for both, was a kid then). Was basically the same ideas as the geocaching events, where you traveled via map to various check points to obtain your cards. Wasn't much alcohol consumed at the ending event, but there was still some. Poker runs for events are easy to setup and cheap for the host. 5+ containers, 5+ packs of playing cards (dollar store), and business card envelops (office supply store). Put the playing cards in the envelop and number the envelop so you can later identify which cache each card was from (helps prevent someone getting all their cards at one cache). Toss a deck of envelopped cards into each container, hide and go. Our first couple events, we where able to reuse the cards as we didn't seal the envelops. After a bit of cheating by one team, I've had to seal the cards or look for alternative means of distributing the cards.

This is a very important piece I forgot to include in my OP. I try to make sure there is plenty of time before everyone heads out to the games and plenty afterwards for chatting. The plenty of time at the end before the closing is also good in case there are some slower cachers. Gives them a chance to get back and still meet other cachers.

At the geocaching events I've been at that have done this, playing cards are put into envelops and placed in the event caches. Cachers pick an envelop from each cache and when they return to the event area, the person who obtains the best poker hand gets the prizes, in order of highest and to lowest (or however the host decides to play it). Basically its picking cards from each cache and discovering your hand at the event closing. Alternatively, I have seen where a piece of paper was retrieved from each cache, and exchanged at the event close for envelops with cards in them. This helps resolve cheaping (exchanging cards, etc) in the field.

With the number of events we've attended, I thought I'd start a quick thread to share the lessons learned (both good and bad) with others to help bring up the enjoyment level and reduce the frustrations. I'm also looking for other lessons learned which can make an event better, and or things to watch out for. In no particular order.... - Alternative games If you are doing a poker run, or other type of cache find challenge, have a couple local games which the cachers can enjoy. Some may not be physically fit enough to find all the poker hand caches, so games like closest to the pin or similar add to the event and give those cachers something they can enjoy (as well as those who can complete the event finds). - Stick to the schedule Be clear on the scheduling and make sure to stick to it. If you have instruction sheets going out to the cachers, include the scheduling on or with it. If cachers venture off the grounds to do other caches, or something else, and miss the closing events (in full or part), it will not fall back on the event host(s) or others. It's really hard to keep track of event cachers and a roll call should not be required. - Group Photos If you are looking to get a group photo of those attending your event, get the photo at the beginning of your event closing. Once he prizes start being handed out, cachers will start to leave. - Bigger Ticket Prizes This can be a touchy issue. Try to be very clear as to how you plan to award any really big ticket prizes. I personally had received a load of flack almost a year after the fact because my wife and I decided to raffle off a GPS as a door prize instead of giving it to the top place on our challenge. Even though it is your event, and your prizes to decide how to distribute them, there can and will be someone who might complain up to 9 months after the fact that they were cheated out of a prize they were expecting. If anyone else has any lessons learned or tips and tricks, please add them.

another thing is to check the owner other hides what do they use as containers on those if there are of the same difficultly could give you a hint especially if they developed a pattern of the same style of hiding placement The bolded text is what I would suggest. It's hard to break old habbits and if you do a few of this CO's other caches, you'll get a feel for thier style. The Container might be different then what locals are use to. Sounds like one of the locals here. He bought a cantainer from an out of town shop. A couple locals found it with some effort. Some out of town cachers found it right away as they had seen this container type before.

I had this same issue a year or two ago. The Reviewer had given me the name of the cache I was having issues with, so I was able to contact the CO and ask them approximately how far my cords was from their stages. Funny enough, in the dense bush, I was only about 10ft from their final. Sometimes that's true, sometimes it is simply not possible for any of a variety of reasons, and yet other times the hiding spot is unique enough that moving the location would change the hide completely. Very true. My example above... The original location was a great spot (hollowed out tree, large enough for a child along a river bank). The alternative location was nothing compaired to the first spot and in my mind, looked like a toss in the bush cache.

Someone beat me to the answer. Create a draft page for a cache with the cords of the event, but don't submit it for review. When someone goes to place a cacher there, it'll show up in the reviewer's proximity check. As for events... I don't think you can reserve the area to keep out an event. I have a special event page already created and sitting in draft because it's too early to publish it. I don't think I can keep another cacher from turning around and doing an event at the same location before or on the same day as my event if they manage to get theirs submitted ahead of me (within the 3 month limit).

If he has any good caches left that are not archived, ask the CO to adopt if you want to aquire them. The archive and replace with a new page, I personally might not bother going back to a cache I already found, just to knock it off the list again.

Too late!!! I do think I will like the touch screen aspect, how is the accuracy of the Dakota? When you can keep your gloves on and simply reach from the handlebars and touch the screen to zoom in, or change from map to compass or trip computer...

Other then the changing job, that is us exactly. Going to leave the two trackables I've been sitting on for a year or so at the event this weekend.