ArcticWonder

I agree, people have a way of fowling things up. It does not matter if you are a hunter, fisher, hiker, climber or cacher....when in the woods, have respect for the surroundings. Always be aware of how close to a house you are when planting a cache, and prepare to move the cache if a "new neighborhood" moves in. I look for the damage to the plants to find caches often, sad but true...when planting a cache, it is good to go back the next day and confirm the coordinates. It is easy to be off....and do try to keep on the path as much as possible. Bring a bag for litter to pickup on your way out, leave the area better than you found it. I love to cache, and it would be a shame if "some" people ruined it for all cachers. Where is the campain that teaches people the responsibility of being a cacher?

So last weekend, caching around the neighborhood. ran into a dead bear. Not a big deal had I not had children with me. Next day, Sunday, went to an area that needed litter patrol in the middle of know where. Tunes on, bear spray on one side of me, foot long knife on the other, my dog repeatedly froze in place. Stopped for a sandwich and watched the live bear and cub over the Tanana River. Turned to leave and realized I was being followed by a young moose. It watched me as I watched it. Followed me about a half a mile. Kept one hand on my knife!

Hope I can walk in your shoes someday...we are about six years behind...so I best get started, once the snow melts. You the man Seth!

Thank you for your response...Maybe cause I am so out of the loop..in Alaska, I have a different idea of what it means to geocache. No one guided me on this tour. I read the forums, but I have my own conception of what it means to be a cacher. Maybe just me, I care very much about the idea of being a cacher. It is not just being there, but letting others know that you were there. They may not understand the work it took for you to be there, but they must take home with them the scene of the cache. If the area was beautiful, they will enjoy and remeber it. Understand why the cache was placed there. Twill be a good experience. I started that way and although I am limited by location as to the caches I can find, every one of them is a treasure...dadgum them that don't understand the commitment behind the true cacher.

Are cachers really hurting the environment? I like to think that all cachers carry with them the cache in trash out idea. I saw recent hoopla about the issue, and as much time as I spend removing dead carcuses...bear, dog and porcupine...and picking up litter...gun shell casings, broken bottles, things I dare mention and empty bear cans, I can tell ya, it aint a prettty obsesion, or even noble. You can pick any other "hobby" and I will pick up after them when they leave. Say...the janitor. I am proud to call myself a cacher. I plant creative and fun caches and check on them often, cleaning at almost every cache. No big deal for 71 caches, but that is 71 bags of garbage. I pick up litter now at problem area's on the weekend's...big deal again, right. What do people that slam cacheing do on the weekend's?

I love the way you think. I take pride in what I leave. I also pick up garbage by myself every weekend around caches I have found, when there is not snow, and sometimes when there is. I check on my caches a couple times a year and love the idea of finding a simple, yet real treasure. It is important to not think of cacheing as a "trash in" event.

Caches are small treasures. They record who you are and where you have been, in a world where I don't feel we count. (Elections are over before they count our state.) Caches that have been planted, then not checked on, can become moldy and downright gross. I bring sanitizer and replacement items when I plan a cache. I also get wiery when I pull out moldy items. Consider this when planting a cache, name the cache with a theme in mind. When people find the cache with an obvious idea, they think twice about leaving unrelated items. I check on my caches when the snow melts..

Micro's are disappointing. I like the reward of a pod, and think it is important to feel I found a treasure. I also like creativity in the placement of the cache. I always place a pod where I want someone to stop and look. When they open the pod, I want to know they smiled.

Politics and geocache....no way. The chance to stand out, not take sides...geocache.... Agenda driven, why not just sell your soul. Cachers are so much more.