dbrierley

As mentioned earlier, post "needs archived" notes on caches that fall into disrepair without maintenance. For other caches, check the owner profiles to look for inactive owners; try contacting them to see if they are interested in archiving their caches or putting them up for adoption.

If the cache owner doesn't respond to your message, a "needs archived" note would be very appropriate. You would be free to dispose of/recycle the cache as you see fit. Some landowners turn the geocaches over to the police.

Is it GC2HGF2?

A recent thread on Zagg: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=261048

Already being discussed at: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=262031

While archived caches are not searchable in Geocaching.com, some can be found through a bookmark search through Google. Just add this to the query: site:www.geocaching.com/bookmarks "Archived" might be a good keyword to include.

Already being discussed at: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=262031

Check with the tax assessor's office; if it has been surveyed, the assessor will probably know what the ownership status is.

As mentioned earlier, try the local tax assessor's office at the town, city or county level. In the USA there is a directory of government web sites: http://www.statelocalgov.net

Bookmarks seem to be searchable through Google, if this is included along with the keywords in the query: site:www.geocaching.com/bookmarks Example: site:www.geocaching.com/bookmarks puzzles

There's another thread about the badge at: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=238436

Try turning the receiver on in an open area, such as a field or parking lot, for 10 minutes or so. Getting a good signal lock to start can help, sometimes. Are the batteries running low? Some receivers have reception/accuracy problems under low power.

As mentioned earlier, chaining the cache to something might not be a good idea. There do seem to be a number of locked caches. An earlier thread is at: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=256459

Some safety tips regarding bears: American Bear Association (black bears) Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

Using a freezer bag for the trading items is a great idea -- it provides an extra line of defense. Even if a container with a good seal is used, humidity in the container will condense in cool weather.

There's never anything wrong with asking permission. It seems the new manager would have been determined to remove caches regardless of the issue going public. The manager might never get around to it, there are probably other issues that need to be looked at first. Even if the caches are removed, appointed positions don't tend to last long, so a new manager open to geocaching might come along.

An earlier thread on mapping software is at: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=253023 I used Topofusion to average tracks into a trail network and created maps for printing with National Geographic Topo.

Sorry, I was thinking of the English. There's a travel program here in the US called Rick Steve's Europe. One of his programs (programmes) was on the Cotswold region of England; he featured walking tours of the area and mentioned the law about walking across the land. He also mentioned the "Mass Trespass," when people walk the trails in celebration of the law. He even mentioned the "kissing gates" that keep the sheep in.

I think that's one of the differences between UK and US law. I've heard that there is a law in the UK that allows anyone to walk across the land, regardless of ownership (that doesn't mean you can bring your sheep with you, though). US states handle trespass differently and grant exceptions; for example, in Maine, if you do not want to allow hunting on your land you must post "No Hunting" or "No Trespassing" signs. If there are no signs, hunters may assume hunting is allowed. Such signs tend to disappear in Maine.

It will vary from state to state. In Connecticut, there is liability protection at the state level if a private landowner allows public use (such as a hiking trail) on his/her land, but does not charge a fee. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association works with landowners on trails and offers this information: http://www.ctwoodlands.org/recreational-liability If there is a similar organization in your state, you can try checking there.

Every square inch of every state is owned by someone; property rights were among the founding principles of the USA and are part of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. The good news is that much of the land is publicly owned or owned by private parties that allow public access (such as The Nature Conservancy). Some cachers do want you on their land -- they put caches on their own properties for others to enjoy.

I don't condone the use of profanity in the logbooks at all -- it's not age appropriate; I would have scribbled out the word myself. I presented an alternative action for those that may not feel comfortable about scribbling out the word themselves if they find themselves in the situation.

The guidelines say, "Geocaching is a family activity and cache contents should be suitable for all ages." Mentioning the logbook problem in the online log was definitely a good idea; other cachers are forewarned. I don't think the scribble is a big issue, but an alternative would be to follow up the online log with a message to the cache owner. The cacher who posted the critical note should not have done so there; the logs shouldn't be used as a forum.

Then, with more informed opinions, people can decide to add the cache owner's caches to their ignore lists - if they choose.

To the contrary, responsibility includes respect for the property of others, whether it is flowers or the land itself. That respect includes getting permission from the landowner and continues all the way through the finders' actions. Placing a cache without permission is bad enough (if that is the case here); vandalism makes it even worse.