Runaround

There used to a cache hidden in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area before the NPS took over and it became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. After the transition the NPS promptly removed the cache and replaced it with a sign at the cache site explaining that geocaching was not permitted in the CVNP and that the cache had been removed. For a while people were virtually logging the cache by posing with the sign for a picture. That prompted the NPS to remove the sign. Unfortunately the cache owner deleted the virtual finds from the cache page.

Read, bike, hike, go birdwatching, music, cooking, build wooden ship models, G scale trains, work on the car, volunteer, F1 racing, woodworking, fantasy football....

Participate in one of the many other hobbies I enjoy. I'm not obsessed with geocaching.

If you're going to chose to break the law, I don't think admitting it in a public place like a cache log is good idea. Besides, many cache owners do the right thing and go out of their way to get permission for a cache. Often the body that gave the permission also monitors the cache page. I'm guessing you would be the log responsible for getting the permission pulled and the cache archived.

Same here. If I see a situation that warrants a SBA, I'll do it without hesitation.

If the sound is necessary, provide a link on the cache page I can click on. The embedded sounds were more than a bit annoying.

If a quality container is used, the bag isn't needed. The wet log books I've seen have been in cheap containers where not even the bag helped.

Disclaimer: I work for Energizer. There are ANSI and IEC standards that dictate the physical size of batteries. The two biggest offenders that cause problems are: 1. Cheap offshore battery manufacturers who don't closely follow the standards or have design issues. 2. Device manufacturers who ignore the standards. The major battery manufacturers are very good at sticking to the standards and working with one another to make sure the standards are reasonable. It's one of the few areas where they all get along. Since batteries may change shape slightly during their service life, the battery designers have to account for this to make sure the battery is always within the standard. Many of the low-cost manufacturers may start out OK but could significantly bulge out of spec due to internal gassing during use. If they have a significant growth problem, they may make the batteries under sized to start with. The batteries could bulge two ways. Either they could bulge around the diameter and become fat or they could bulge at the positive and negative covers and get taller. This second group is the cause of batteries that seem "short" or "loose" to start with. Olympus is notorious among the battery companies. In the owners manual for certain cameras they actually recommend certain battery brands and strongly caution you not to buy others. Why? Some batteries are designed near the high end of the tolerance. The Olympus engineers designed the battery compartment below the maximum battery size tolerance. So what happens? If you put one of the "non-approved" brands into the camera it could get stuck. That's got to be fun for the consumer. Of course the consumer has no idea of the battery standards and that the camera is out of spec. They just blame the battery. The good news is that there is not an issue with the GPS manufacturers. They all are working with the ANSI and IEC standards.

I just got home from a business trip last night and I had my GPS in my carry on. No problems. However, I was forced to check my bag with my toiletries. The only other noticable change was the extra security. The police presence was up dramatically from my outbound flight on Monday.

I can't imagine Miss Manners would bash us for not answering unsolicited inquiries. I feel no obligation to open my door to strangers, talk with people who phone me at random, or reply to unsolicited letters or e-mails. That's the chance you take when you contact strangers. Now if you knew these cachers personally and established some type of relationship beyond a casual "how ya doin'" at an event, then it might be a different story.

Amen to that.

You're welcome. We actually get written requests from people looking to buy these. People like them for storing all sorts of little stuff. It's nice working for Energizer.

Is it any easier to quit AOL today than it was a decade ago? When I dropped them in the very early 90's (back in the 2800 baud days) I called and cancelled my service per the TOU. Unfortunately, the billing didn't stop. I made at least a dozen calls over 3 months yet I still was billed monthly for service I wasn't using. AOL personnel told me it was taken care of but the billing continued. It wasn't until I filed a fraud report with my credit card that the billing stopped. IIRC, they were sued over this behavior.

Here's one source. That's who I used.

I've been all over the world with my GPSr and never had a problem at security except in Jakarta. The guy working there wanted to check out my Garmin as he was looking to upgrade hs own unit. I was expecting some official line of questioning when he pulled it out to look it over. Then he asked "How's the satellite lock under tree cover?" and "What cables did it come with?" The only problem I've had stateside was with a cranky Continental flight attendent who thought my CSx looked to much like a radio. TB's should be OK depending on what's attached to the tag. I don't remember if it was here or in a local forum but someone had a church key attached to a tag confiscated by TSA. Another cacher had an issue with a railroad spike.

For a day trip, I'd recommend any of the caches hidden by the Cleveland Metroparks provided you like longer walks. All of this years "official" caches involve 1 to 2 mile round trip hikes. Plus, they are good jumping off points to other nearby caching. Take a Journey on the Sugar Bush Loop Trail (GCTC62) is a nice 2 mile walk through the woods but the trail can be muddy if we get a lot of rain, like this week. Journey Through the Woods by Rocky River NC (GCVTQ1) is a nice walk with some great scenic views and a nice nature center. Just watch out for the stairs. You need to earn the scenic view. A Journey in Brecksville Reservation (GCTNYA) is a nice loop hike with some varied terrain. The zoo cache is great but if you have just one day in the area it may not be the optimal choice. Admission to the zoo is $9 per person. To make it worth the money, you'll probably want to spend at least several hours there. If you don't care about numbers, you will have a fun day. If numbers are your game, it will cramp your style. If you really like LPC's, micros, and cemeteries, you won't be disappointed. Just filter out the big stuff in GSAK. You'll still be left with hundreds of caches to hunt.

I've been lucky enough (largely due to business travel) to have cached in 28 states and 4 countries outside of the US. There is a tremendous amount of local variation. Some areas are swarming with park and grabs. Other areas are nothing but long hikes. Some areas are full of micros. Some areas have very few. The one thing that always makes me chuckle is the difference in terrain ratings. In a relatively flat areas you can find a 2 mile round trip hike on a well maintained trail with no elevation change rated as 3-4 stars. Go to a mountainous or hilly area and a 3 mile hike on a narrow, rocky trail with an 800' elevation gain could be rated as 2 stars.

Between my own archived caches and those I monitor on behalf of the Cleveland Metroparks, I'm watching more than 30 archived caches. In a busy month I see 1-2 logs on these caches. None of these have yet to raise my suspicion. It appears to be an isolated problem best resolved between the cache owner, TPTB, or the local reviewer. I don't see the need for a new feature.

I used that model for 3 or 4 years for caching until it died. I went the Spinner/Plucker route but Cachemate is a nice alternative.

Hollow logs tend to fall apart eventually. I guess a geocache hidden in one may hasten that, but you really can't blame geocachers. Unfortunately in this case it can only be blamed on geocachers. The nature of the damage is completely unnatural. I've spent enough time in the woods to recognize mother nature in action versus the hand of man.

My personal experience tells me there could be some truth in that article. I'm a geocaching volunteer for the Cleveland Metroparks. One of the caches I monitor was placed in a large hollow log. Now that large hollow log is a smashed up pile of wood. The cache is now hidden under some bark and remaining pieces of the log. This is the second cache in 3 years that had the hiding spot meet the same fate. I've also seen other areas get worked over fairly well by geocachers. It's very frustrating. I'm convinced most geocachers are good land stewarts but there is a large enough segment of the caching population that doesn't seem to care that makes us all look bad.

Recently I worked with two friends on a puzzle cache that required you to answer obscure trivia questions. I knew about a third of the answers. Friend A also knew a third. The same as friend B. We then compared notes and each found the cache on our own. I guess that makes us all 2/3 cheaters?

Sounds like the kind of jerk who also measures a cacher by A) the amount they spent on their GPSr and the number of finds they have.

Everyone has a different comfort level. I don't see where the cache owner has to warn of every potential risk, especially if they aren't uncomfortable in the area. If you're looking for an urban cache and you drive into a area where you don't feel safe, don't leave the car. Abandon the cache hunt and add the cache to your ignore list. If you're out on the trail, turn around and head away from the area. Abandon the cache hunt and add the cache to your ignore list.

It's a trail that wasn't purposely built by the land managers. They developed after repeated use by park visitors.