EcoPit

I have just discovered bookmark lists, and I think they are fantastic. One thing I wish they had though: a chackmark next to caches you have found, similar to those in the lists generated when you use the seek feature. Any thoughts?

That makes sense. Also, I was thinking about it last night, and geocaching probably got more advertising through Fox out of the deal than the movie got through geocaching. That Jeremy is so clever.

I see. Well, it is their game, so they make the rules. I never saw it.

Thank you for the explanations (and the link to Markwell's FAQ--that explained it very well), but I am so disappointed. I was expecting something cool, but it is nothing but a Hollywood marketing ploy? Doesn't that violate the policy of no commercial advertising in caches?

What are Project APE Caches? I checked out the cache page for a couple of them, but it was not apparent to me what makes them different from regular caches.

You peed on a poor turtle? That's awful!

I have a new funny story about meeting other geocachers. I was caching with my sister and her husband, NikiJohn, yesterday when we ran into other cachers, cachestation and Dee, at a cache. I had met others while caching before, but my companions never had. I saw them first, and knew they were geocaching (I had found the cache last week, it was not very close to the trail, and they were standing right at it), so I said "there are geocachers at the cache." My sister just froze, and after a few seconds worriedly asked "what do we do?" It was priceless. I told her "we go say hi." So, we went on in and introduced ourselves. They were great folks, and we had a nice chat about geocaching.

Wiz - Looking at the puzzle in your post I was like "what the...?" and if I saw it as a puzzle cache I would move one. When I checked out the cache page though, there was just enough explanation to hook me but keep it challenging. Very cool cache. It must have taken lots of prep work too. Great work!

That would work. I would go [if it were nearby].

Wiz - No need to apologize, there was no offense taken. The intended humor, while obvious in my head (as few things are, really), was not so readily apparent in the post. And, all my conversations with the cache owner have occured behind the scenes, so you could not know. I just wanted to explain because I didn't want you to think I was giving up that easily, and without even contacting the owner or posting a note or DNF.

Ok, that's a poor excuse. I'm sorry, but it is. 1) you didn't even log a DNF, so the owner can't check it if it's missing because he/she wont know (forgive me if you sent an email) 2) look at all the other DNFs that are there; it appears to be a very hard cache to find 3) did you confirm the coordinates (I know that's not exactly a reason, but what the heck?) I did email the owner directly. I sent him all of my coordinates and calculations, and he told me what number I have wrong, so I am recalculating. He is very friendly and willing to help people with the cache. (My family had already emailed him because there was arguement over an earlier number.) After I heard from him I posted a DNF so others could read it. (I swear to you that I posted the DNF before reading your forum post.) So, I completely agree with everything you say in your three points, and had already done it. It was just behind the scenes, where you could not see, so I understand your questioning me. As for my comment about ignoring puzzles, that was a joke. Obviously it was, or I would not have emailed the owner for help in completing the cache. I would have just walked away. I suppose sometimes humor that would be obvious if people were speaking face-to-face can be lost when something is just typed. I know that is what those smilies are for, but for some reason that I can't explain I just hate those things and will not use them. Anyhow, I hope that explains it all.

I had a similar situation two weeks ago. I did a cache that had no TBs listed on the page, but there was one in there when I opened up the cache. He had his mission written on a card, and I could help him along on it, so I picked him up. When I got home I checked his page; he was supposedly in a nearby cache. I checked that cache listing and someone had logged in the cache and said they picked him up. Then I checked the page for the cache I had just found and that same person had logged it and indicated they left the TB. So, I guessed they just did not know TB protocol. (Although it was the very first TB I picked up, and I figured it out, not that I am bragging or anything.) I decided to notify the TB owner and let them contact the cacher. I probably would have done it this way in your situation as well, but in my situation I thought it was especially appropriate because the person would need the TB code to log it, and I was not comfortable sending that out.

After spending six years downstate my wife and I are also now living about .5 miles from our high school. Of course, that is because we are living with her parents... We specifically moved back to be near family, and in the fall will be moving into our own home in the same area. I do not like it here as much as I remember, but between family and plenty of good caches it makes for a decent place to live.

I disagree, its his puzzle its no different then going to find a 5* Difficulty cache that you have to decode or decrypt the cache page. He could simply make it a 5* Difficulty. Keep up the good work!! Of course, it is his cache and he can do it any way he pleases. But he asked for our opinions on it, which is what I gave. I didn't say he had to change it, and I did say it is a neat idea and I would try it regardless.

I have to agree with CompuCash--I am not sure five minutes is enough time. It is a very neat idea though. I would do it if it were in my area.

I spent all my time at The Kite and didn't find the thing. Maybe I should start ignoring puzzles... It got me thinking though, that with some puzzles there is a large amount of error in the final coordinates if many calculations and/or coordinates were used to get them. This greatly increases the search radius, which could be a bad thing in nature preserves where you are not supposed to go far from the trail, trampling delicate wildlife. I will have to keep that in mind for my puzzles.

That is it for me. It isn't that I would not ask the owner, but my sister and brother-in-law, who originally introduced geocaching to me, often run out and do caches before I can, so of course I am more comfortable asking them than someone I do not know. (Although I have rarely asked for any kind of hint.) If they had not done a cahe yet, and I needed help, I would contact the owner.

I had no idea so many people disliked puzzle caches. I always read the pages of the puzzles in an area I will cache in. Tonight, in fact, I am going out to try to find two local puzzle caches (The Kite and The Cache Hunter) I have been working on for many weeks. One had me furious at times, but once I had it figured out I was enjoying it. (We'll see how I feel tonight, depending on whether I find them or not.) Other puzzles I do not even try after looking at the page. There have been a couple caches linked in this topic that are just long strings of binary numbers. I do not know what that means, and I have no interest in even trying them. I am glad those puzzles are there, because I know there are people who enjoy figuring them out, but they are just not for me. Other puzzles I have looked at and had no interest in, but I think they enrich the game. To give some validity to my name I am planning a couple puzzle caches for some local forest preserves in which knowledge of the biology/ecology/natural history of the preserve is required to solve for the coordinates. It will be basic info. that a lot of people probably know, and everyone else can easily find. I am sure many will pass on doing the caches, but I am sure some will try them and, hopefully, enjoy them and maybe even learn a little something. If there is one thing I have learned in these forums it is that there are almost as many different reasons people play this game as there are cachers. I am not going to try making a cache that interests everyone. If even one person appreciates a cache I place then I will be happy.

Good point. Hopefully I will never encounter it again, but that is probably the best way to handle it if I do.

Just like Polk Street Bandits, I have been lurking for a few months but am trying to get involved now. My wife and sister say I should not come into the forums because I only tell them about threads that make me angry, but there is a lot of great stuff here. Thank you to all the regular posters for all the great info. you share.

I was trying to find a few more caches in Champaign, IL earlier this spring before moving back up to Chicago, and came across two that were empty except for a piece of paper which read "You have been plundered by the geocache pirate." (See Pipi's Linear Motion Hideout and Just for Laughs) So, someone was going around and stealing all the items, and even the logbooks, out of caches. And, it was clearly not a muggle who accidentally stumbled on a single cache. This jerk must check the website and use a gps to go find the caches. Isn't that terrible? Has anyone encountered this anywhere else?

xafwodahs, if it is such a problem for you then stop geocaching or move somewhere else. Those cachers go to all the trouble to place caches for others' enjoyment, and you can only complain. Feel free to not visit my current or any future caches.

DanOCan: Evolution is non-directional, and does not mean "improve" or "advance", only change. As to the thread, what I have learned from this is that I should only hide micros. To me, the fun in caching is finding the thing, and in exploring new and interesting natural areas. I never trade items, and I don't want people ripping in to me because I don't keep my cache stocked with crap that is not an important part of the hobby to me. If you want to complain about people leaving garbage, fine, but don't criticize cache owners.