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Ecylram

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Posts posted by Ecylram

  1. This is a very rural area where many of the roads are only used by the local farmers and their guests. In an area such as this, any increase of traffic is noticed. This was not a power trail, the caches were spread over a wide area and were mostly puzzle caches. About 100 people logged them all over the course of the year and many of those traveled in groups. There was a lot of support from the locals, but not everybody.This GeoArt was spread out over nearly 4000 square miles (that isn't a misprint) to prevent this from becoming a 'power trail'.

  2. SwineFlew, I respect that you care enough about the game that you wish to speak out against a perceived 'wrong' within the community. I suppose if I 'knew' what you 'knew' I'd be writing much the same things.

    One difference between us is that you're hundreds of miles from the nearest DGS chapter and I live in an area with a local DGS chapter. As a result I got first hand experience - I attended some of their events, I found some of their caches and I met most of their members.

    I also got to hear all kinds of horror stories about the group that were spread by well-meaning people such as yourself. I knew some of the members and the stories I was hearing didn't match up with what I knew of them. So I starting talking to them and asking questions and guess what, just like in high school a lot of the rumors turned out to be false.

    Last weekend this 'evil' group had an event at an ice cream parlor with the highest ratio of kids to adults I've ever seen at an event. The log book was an oversized paper mâché ice cream cone that the attendees signed. Their event before that was a geocaching decathlon in a park where I got to watch kids having a blast competing against each other. The two events before that were a hike in the mountains and a creative cache event that was won by a non-DGS member.

    A few months ago, I was offered a membership by the local DGS chapter which I accepted and I became privy to their internal conversations and actions. And guess what?? They were exactly as they presented themselves at their events and I saw for myself they weren't doing the things they were getting accused of. The only downside to the experience, and it was significant for me, was losing a very good friend who believed the stories he'd heard passed around.

    So, SwineFlew, I understand you don't get to meet and interact with DGS members in Oregon but please don't smear a large group of geocachers around the country because you believe you've spotted an imperfect member within their group. Even with the best of intentions, the spreading of rumors and innuendo about other geocachers does nothing but harm the greater geocaching community. If you've got a problem with a specific cacher take it up with them or take it to Groundspeak, if need be.

    For those of you who do live near a DGS chapter I encourage you to attend one of their events, talk with them yourselves, and make up your own mind. I suspect what you'll find is a bunch of enthusiastic geocachers who enjoy geocaching and chatting with other geocachers.

  3. So I live in the state where the dirtbags started. I will admit, when I came back to geocaching after a 2 year hiatus, I was told by others who I thought were my friends, to avoid DGS. They were bad people. They were ruining the game, etc. and so on. I prejudged them until I met some of them. Where there other locals who always shunned me and treated me bad, the dirtbags treated me kindly and warmly. They hold great events, do a lot for the caching community, have very good relationships with local officials and know how to have fun....

     

    The DGS is simply a geocaching club. Not a gang, not a bunch of meatheads, but family oriented people who like to have fun while keeping the game light by poking some fund at it and themselves. I cannot say enough nice things about them. They are a great bunch of people whom instead of prejudging, give them a chance and you will see that they are all about fun, no pressure to conform and easy to get along with.

     

    Nthacker's experience is similar to my own. The local DGS chapter started here about 1 1/2 years ago. Shortly after the chapter started up a lot of rumors started getting passed around about them and I didn't like what I heard. There were some very nasty things being said, so I started asking around and, gasp, actually talked with members. It turned out the facts were a lot less 'exciting' than the stories.

    I started attending their local events and found them to be less rigid and more social. I heard less moaning and complaining and more talk about the fun side of geocaching. Unfortunately, I lost one dear geocaching friend who couldn't understand how I could be friendly with 'dirtbaggers'.

     

    Here's the truth about DGS (or at least what I've seen about the local chapter):

     

    They are a group of geocachers that have all the virtues and flaws of any other group of geocachers. The main difference is they tend to be more social, prefer creative caches, and prefer caching in interesting places. Many have families and they are very supportive of each other.

     

    They have a lot of members now so, of course, there are a couple that have an anarchistic bent but most are just people who love the game of geocaching. The local chapter is comprised of a nurse, current and ex-military folks, housewives, small business owners, and many are parents.

     

    But don't take my word for it, attend some DGS events and talk with the members yourself. If you've got a concern, ask them about it.

  4. Sorry for the interruption:

     

    A geocaching Facebook group I help admin was 'disappeared' from Facebook in a glitch that (apparently) took out a number of groups. Since it doesn't look like Facebook will get the group restored, we've created a replacment group that can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/edgecaching.

     

    So, if you were a member of the original page (or even if you're not), that's where you can find the group now.

     

    We now return you to your normal station. :smile:

  5. It's a bug, but there's no need to check the T >= 1 and D >= 1 boxes. If you don't check them, that's the default anyway. Checking them is what is leading to the server error.

     

    Also, please note that the search you are creating is returning *way* more than 500 caches (more like 15,000 or so). That's an unnecessary drain on the server and will return a somewhat unexpected set of results as the query will just return the first 500 it finds in the database meeting the criteria.

     

    I'm no longer able to preview a PQ I've submitted. There is a '1000' where that dialog used to be but no other words.

  6. A good cache is in the eye of the beholder, nevertheless, EDGE is holding our first "Cache of the Month" award. We've selected four finalists that were placed in January, 2012.

     

    We've seen none of the caches, but would like input from anybody here who has found one of the caches. The four nominee's are:

     

    http://coord.info/GC3DYYT- "Your Key To Cache"

     

    http://coord.info/GC3BNZG - The Troublemaking Spy

     

    http://coord.info/GC390AM - Indy's 39 Clues - The Gauntlet

     

    http://coord.info/GC3EE3H - Lesson for Urban Geocaching

     

    Anybody here got some personal insight on any of these caches?

     

     

  7. Awesome caches? We've got a very active geocaching community which gives you a wide variety of caches from which to choose. Here's a few to consider:

     

    http://coord.info/GC1D4DF National Treasure Cache

     

    http://coord.info/GC1CHYK The Da Vinci Cache

     

    http://coord.info/GC1ZAD1 Wymholes (near Monument)

     

    http://coord.info/GC30C82 The Geocacher's Guide to the Galaxy

     

    http://coord.info/GCYWY8 A Comfortable Reading Chair

     

    http://coord.info/GC2954H LINK2LOVE'S TREK CACHE

     

    http://coord.info/GC2VEBH Enchanter - An Adventure Cache (Great for kids)

     

    http://coord.info/GC37QVN Dr... Who?

     

    http://coord.info/GC2P995 Alien Invasion Adventure Challenge

     

    http://coord.info/GC3G0V7 DGS: Lyon's Realm Quest

     

    http://coord.info/GC2ETCH What's your Phobia #3 - Aquaphobia

     

    http://coord.info/GC23XB3 What's your phobia? #2 Achluophobia

     

    You can find a list of 'Extraordinary Caches' for Colorado and many other states at http://EDGEcaching.org.

     

    If you're on Facebook, the Colorado geocaching group has a page at https://www.facebook...ps/64405933894/ (You'll find a lot of helpful people here.)

     

    The EDGEcaching group also has a Facebook page where you can chat with other cachers who search out "Awesome" caches: http://www.facebook.com/groups/edgegc/

  8. At least they got their act together to offer pathtags instead of the travel bugs they used to offer - which could only be tracked on Groundspeak's website.

     

    Frankly I'm surprised they keep pumping so much money into their copycat website. I thought they'd have given up by now, considering how little original content they generate and the high number of GC caches that are archived here but not removed off their listings.

  9. This thread is another reminder to me of how varied this game/sport/activity can be. Each post so far reflects a different view of the geocaching community as seen by the writer.

     

    Cliques - Yes, there are cliques. They may not exist in all areas, but they most certainly exist - groups of individuals who see geocaching in a similar way. Some are 'harmless' and some look like a scene out of 'Heathers'. There ARE childish and sophomoric groups of cachers out there. If you don't have that in your area, I hope it stays that way as it can be very destructive to a community.

     

    "Secret Caches" - Yes, they exist. I know of one that was published a few months ago that is really a pocket cache. The CO carries it with him and allows certain cachers to sign the log as long as they are oblique about how they "made the find". I also know of a cacher who will place a "mystery" cache that is unsolvable. Their friends get the final coordinates and once they've all had a chance then the CO will post a "correction" in the cache description. And, yes, I have it from the horse's mouth that it is done intentionally. Those who know about this will wait on finding those caches until the CO posts their (inevitable) "correction".

     

    My advice to the OP and those who come across this is to simply ignore it. Everybody caches differently and if you get caught up in what "others" are doing you're going to lose the joy of geocaching. If the Mystery cache really is a "secret cache" or "pocket cache" just ignore it and move on to something else. It isn't worth getting stressed over.

  10. Well...since joining the Facebook group, I was roped into helping the team build a website for EDGE and it just went live.

     

    The goal is to build an online resource to help all cachers build and place creative/cool caches.The website is young now, with only a few posts, but we hope to grow the library over time.

     

    The website can be found at http://edgecaching.org/.

     

    As an example of what's to come, here is an article on using electricity in caches: http://edgecaching.org/?q=node/15

  11. It is not a bandwagon. At least not for me. I've long said that caches don't need to live forever. And Mingo isn't any different. Unless it can be shown that the hole wasn't filled in because of permission issues I think the cache should be archived and locked. I say locked to prevent it from becoming a zombie cache. Someone has gone to a lot of effort to prevent the replacement of the cache. If it was the land manager or a representative there of it is arrogant and possibly illegal for the cache to be replaced. It is possible that it is not the land manager, but still it should be on the COs shoulders to show it isn't.

     

    Hole was NOT filled in because of permission issues. Kansas DOT, the property owner, looked at the site and said they didn't have any problems with the cache being there.

     

    The hole was filled in by a vandal and someone repaired the damage done by the vandal. The cache is now in it's original location with a similar container and log book to the original - even down to the markings on the container. Any finder looking for the cache will find a cache and a log book that match the description on the caches web page. There is no reason to archive the cache as it is in good order.

  12. I saw this news item come up last week:

     

    Suspected Berthoud cemetery bomb actually geocache wrapped in duct tape

    Police and a bomb squad were called to Greenlawn Cemetery for three hours today to inspect a suspicious package wrapped in duct tape.

     

    "It looked to be a homemade explosive," said Berthoud Police officer Scott Bonner. "It turned out to be one of those geocaches with a bunch of necklaces and trinkets."

     

    I tracked down the cache GC code and notified the Cache Owner. Here's what the CO reported:

     

    Visited GZ today and found the cache in it's proper place (?)...Looked in the log book and discovered that Elsie's Cache was indeed the cache in the news article! Aparently after the "Nothern Colorado Bomb Squad" figured out that it was a cache instead of a bomb they signed the logbook and put the cache back in its hiding place! All ends well! :)

    Gotta love happy endings!

  13. In your opinion, does the use of a tool to sign the log make a cache a 5-star difficulty even if it was easy to sign the log?

     

    Real World Examples...

     

    Cache 'A', now archived, had a 5/1 rating. It garnered a large number of DNF's and most of the finds involved the utlization of the 'Phone-a-Friend' network. In that instance I felt the 5-star rating was valid.

     

    Cache 'B' had a 5/x rating due to a 'special tool' being required to sign the log. The tool was provided and instructions for its use were also included. Most of those who signed the log did not use or need the special tool to complete the task. I would have rated this cache a 1.5/1.5 and several others commented the same in private conversations.

     

    When I first started I had heard that a special tool requirement makes the cache a five-star difficulty. However, the guidelines only mention special tools ratings in this context:

     

    Extremely challenging terrain Requires specialized equipment (boat, 4WD, rock climbing, SCUBA, etc.) or is otherwise extremely difficult.

    Do you consider the use of a tool warrants a 5-star difficulty or just in cases where the challenge is 'Extreme'?

     

    (Please do not reference any identifiable caches in this discussion.)

  14. That's my point exactly. Around here not only do you carry guns you often use them and not for people. They are as you said tools. You use them around the ranch just like a hammer of an chain saw.

     

    I was taught how to use a firearm at about 5 years old and was expected to use it. I never wanted to 'play' with my father's weapons any more than I want to 'play' with the table saw in his shop. They were both tools that could hurt you if misuseed.

    Yes we would go shooting, but that was to improve my skill not to go blast something.

     

    There seems to be a culture divide that seperates people when comes to firarms. Many hate the sight of them and think they are wrong in any way. Some think that they are bling and status symbols. Other that they are toys and just for sport. Then there is the ever shrinking group that see them as just an object that you need in your life to make better and easier.

    This reflects my experience as well as I grew up in a rural area. The firearms were 'tools' and one could be found in the truck just as we often had a chainsaw or ax in the truck as well. We were taught all the rules about safe gun handling and would ridicule any friend who violated one of the rules. As we got older, a 22 rifle was a standard coming-of-age gift. In our house, and our friends houses, there were guns that were valued bacause "dad' or "mom' or "grandpa" had gotten it as a kid and they were appreciated for their historical value & craftsmanship.

     

    In college, I moved to the "big city" to pick up a couple of college degrees. One of the biggest culture shocks was how differently guns were viewed. Instead of being considered a 'tool' or some 'inanimate object', such as a jack. For many, I found, guns were an 'evil' object that caused bad things to happen. They took on an anthropomorphic quality. What once was a normal part of conversation became "the thing that darest not speak its name".

     

    Today, I'm not a "gun nut" or a hunter. If I'm in someone's home and I see a rifle I'll admire the craftsmanship - perhaps asking for the story behind it (there's always a story). If a fellow geocacher has a gun for self-defense I consider it akin to owning a fire extinguisher or home insurance.

     

    For my part, I'm a big guy with a martial arts background. My primary source of self-defense is just not putting myself into dangerous situations (people who've seen me cache can laugh at that statement :rolleyes: ). I do carry a knife (and know how to fight with one) but I don't consider it of much self-defense use for the kind of caching I typically do. It's a tool.

     

    Culture test: My first thought when I saw the picture of the cacher carrying an AR was "man, that's a lot of extra weight to have carried on that hike". :lol:

  15. Best weapon is the brain, and knowing how to use it.

     

    There are other 'tools' of course, but the true weapon is still the brain.

    Just remember that whatever 'tool' you have, can be taken away by another.

     

    As far as animals go, the best defense is to let them know you are there, long before you happen onto them and spook 'em.

    Sure, there are animals (a cougar, a grizzly bear and a few others) that occasionally go against the grain, but mostly they leave, knowing you are coming.

     

    Somebody 'having' to kill a snake has always sort of set me back on my heels. I know that there are aggressive snakes out there, but just how many are truly aggressive enough to attack offensively as opposed to defensively? Then, just what are your chances of actually encountering one of them? There are simple ways to avert (most) snake attacks. I am not a snake-lover, but I just don't understand why killing of the critter is so foremost in many people's minds.

     

    I am a licensed carrier, have been for 40+ years, and a firearms instructor. I rarely carry.

    I have a 5½ ft. staff, that beats any weapon outside of a firearm; given the proper circumstances, it also beats a firearm. It has been a trusted companion for nearly the time I have been licensed to carry. It is ironwood (eastern U.S.) and nearly indestructible.

    Practice for its' use is absolutely necessary. If you don't practice, don't rely on it.

    SIDE-NOTE: It would not fend off the aforementioned cougar or grizzly. :( It does wonders on a human 'animal' and most all others.

     

    I'll second Clan's post as well. I thought this was very well written.

     

    For those who disregard 'sticks': I've got many years of training that included regular work with 'sticks', from Arnis sticks to Jo's (short staff) & Bo's (long staff). With someone who knows what they are doing, they're excellent tools and should not be underestimated.

  16. There are three key elements that make up a cache in my mind. Location, Hide and Container. As these elements change, the original cache become less like itself and more like a new placement. Changing two of these elements should result in re-listing of the cache. For that reason, changing the container size really isn't acceptable as the physical location isn't that spectacular (the main reason for bring a player there by 2012 standards).

     

    The cache is whatever the cache owner wishes to make of it. Kansas stasher, like many CO's, are more focused on the location than the container. It's their choice.

  17. I feel your pain. You live in what might be the most cache-dense area in the world.

     

    There are still locations available but it takes more creativity. As someone who lives in a very cache dense area as well I'd suggest:

    • Setup notifications of caches being archived in your area and have caches ready to deploy.
    • Use GSAK and the Google Earth Circles macro to help identify open spots.
    • Get to know your local cachers. Some with LOTS of hides are willing to archive an older cache if you'll place something interesting.
    • Expand your area a little bit on where you're willing to place a cache.

    Good luck!

     

     

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