Krejaton's Krew

Had an odd one this weekend. We were looking for a cache in a row of bushes that was off the ground, they were all between 3' - 6' tall. There was an older woman watching us from across the street. We were looking for about 20 minutes ~only~ at the tops of these 6' bushes. Then the woman comes over towards us, still we are only looking at the tops of these bushes, and she asks if we are looking for our dog. It was all I could do to keep from laughing as I wondered what dog, that could actually hide in these small bushes, would be about the 6' height.

Not in the least. I erased them because I am done with this and sorry I wasted my time posting it in the first place. But thank you for ascribing to me the worst possible motives possible and for publicizing it with such vigor. Was that fun for you? Real proud of that? and the conclusions you jumped to? You have gone a long way to display the worst of these forums and provided me with more reasons to avoid the likes of you and these forums. But please continue to degrade me if that is what sets your heart afire. Here's another revelation to add to the list--I only own a smartphone too! So maybe you can create a big conspiracy theory about that too, I mean a noob, with a *gasp* smartphone who actually dared violate a hiding policy (probably knowingly!!!) and I dared erase a post!?!? Perhaps you could organize a public lynching or maybe just an electronic one...or is that what you were doing with your post? The dead horse of this subject would still appreciate more of your beatings though--so feel free to continue. As for me, I am done, so I gladly give you the last word knowing full well you will take it.

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Sounds like you're saying basic members are not part of the caching community. Not at all. What I mean is that cachers that join our local forum, go to listed events, go on urban runs and join in on our group hikes, eventually become premium members. The topic NEVER comes up during these activities. They just do it. If you came to our monthly Meet and Greets, or joined in on one of of our hikes, NOBODY would look down on you because you are a basic member. What I was trying to convey is that in Southern California, the majority of Geocachers that are actively caching, are premium members. Of course, this is just an observance. I have no statistical evidence. To bring this back on topic, the point I was trying to make is that there are a great number of premium members located in the area of the cache and this was not a reason why cachers were not seeking it. I still think the No Parking and No Trespassing is the issue. To the CO, I apologize for possibly hijacking your topic. I waited six months before hiding my first cache. I though it was the best cache ever. Three months latter, there was six foot high Poison Oak engulfing my cache. I had to go in with full rain gear, in August, 100° temperature, just to retrieve it. It doesn't always work out. You live and you learn. The reason I looked at your cache earlier this week was because of your long and well written post in the thread that was bashing the noobs. From that post, I realized that you are a smart person and you want to be a part of this very exciting activity. I find it great that you want to hide caches and you want to hide caches that are a challenge to find. Just realize that there is a learning curve. I have hidden almost 170 caches and I can honestly say that my first cache was the worst. Thanks for the encouragement, Don. And your rain gear retrieval...I bow to your superior dedication!

While climbing a tree, I came across a nest with 4 baby sparrows. Vicious little beasts!

Uninstall and then reinstall. ^^ Good advice, I have had to myself previously.

And, as it just so happens, he entered the log about 10 minutes after my original post.

Hmmm, but 30 premium members in a week checked it out. I wouldn't think that's a small amount. I understand about the no trespassing issue, but I have found a number of caches on private property, where parking lot signs or on industrial buildings say such or signs are posted. I was on a hunt Thursday where this cache was likely in a few places and there were signs all over saying "No Loitering" and the CO said to look like you aren't loitering. I am not trying to say it is right because of that, just that it seems to be a common happening since likely 1/4 of the caches I have found have been on private property.

Not a liar cache...I worried so much about the coords that we checked it 3 times. Also, the FTF was 2 hours after it was published, so they couldn't be off by much, especially given the details in the description and the give-it-away in the hint.

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If I don't have a pen/pencil I use precious bodily fluids. OH EM GEE! Perhaps that explains the booger I found on a journal recently.

*** Please note I did do a search of the topic and found nothing specifically related, so forgive me if this has been covered under a different title. Please feel free to redirect me if it has been covered*** There is a number of caches around me from one cacher who seems to have checked out. His caches have all fallen into the "Needs Maintenance" realm and I checked his stats page and he hasn't found a cache in almost 600 days and found 3 since 2008. So what is the protocol to letting geocache.com know that these need to be archived? Do they automatically know once someone files a "Needs Maintenance" on them? TIA

My seven found, in the last hour, say you are wrong. Signed, An Improper GPS'r First of all, I'm not anti-smartphone. That's what I used to "find" a handful of virtuals in Washington DC a week or so ago. However, your response doesn't disprove what barreseaclaid wrote. There are clearly a lot of caches out there that can be found without an accurate GPS receiver. I have found a lot of caches where I was pretty certain where the container was hidden before I even left my vehicle. There are also a lot of cache that are not found often (i.e. Shelter III in Indianapolis with 216 DNFs and only 4 finds) that have been sought by many seasoned cachers with expensive consumer handheld GPS receivers. Finding seven caches in an hour is more of an indication of the difficulty of the hide and proximity to each other. You are correct that my finds yesterday don't disprove his statement, but here's what does: when I use my smartphone, it almost always gets me within 6' of a cache. I could be wrong but isn't THAT really the mark of a viable GPS device? While I have under 100 finds, the vast majority were found not by ceaseless hunting across 40' swaths of land but looking in close proximity of where my smartphone guided me. Of those that I logged as DNF, I have noticed a bunch have now been archived as MIA. Nope, I just don't have a flashy GPS that I can show off and make sure everyone around sees to "prove" that I am an uber-cacher and I am sure my ego necessarily suffers because of it. But, as I see it, the purpose of a GPS device, ANY GPS device, is to get your to within a close proximity of the cache--as close as possible. My experience has shown that to be absolutely the case with my smartphone. I am not talking about getting me within 25' of an LPH so that if I search the nearby ones in a parking lots I will likely discover it. Rarely am I more than 6' from a cache. I would be the first to research and plop down my $150-$250 if I was struggling to find caches and was convinced that my HTC GPS just wasn't cutting it. But when my find rate is high and I seem to have only occasional DNF issues (which is par for the course), then why waste my hard earned money just to be one of the cool kids? Perhaps my junk smartphone can't find Shelter III in Indy (never been to Indy to try, so I can't say...have you?), but I wasn't trying to make my 7-in-one-hour the benchmark for smartphone feasibility--just pointing out that it can get me close enough to my destination to make my geocaching a success. Furthermore, the $100+ I saved will certainly buy me a lot of gas (well, some gas) to find more caches and buy ice cream to share with my kids afterwards as we talk about our finds. As for me, I would take the latter, but to each their own. You find success and (hopefully) have boatloads of fun with your GPS device--fantastic-- but so do I and I saved $100+ doing it. Hmmm that gives me an idea! Maybe I could start a new cool kids club where smartphone users look down our noses on those that blew their money on a GPS device they really didn't need! Nah! I prefer to spend my time and energy having fun finding caches with my daughters...can't wait for school to end!

My seven found, in the last hour, say you are wrong. Signed, An Improper GPS'r

Wow, boatloads of elitism going on here. Full disclosure: I am a noob (5 months in), a smartphone cacher, found 40 caches and placed one. So I guess I am the ultimate pariah. After reading this thread, I am even beginning to despise myself at this point. Then again, though noobs obviously aren't as skilled or seasoned, we have an interest and an eagerness that might be better serve with encouragement rather than rejection and belittling. I have tried to be a positive member of the geocaching community, fixing broken caches when I could, giving better than I got, taking time to search for an interesting place to hide my first cache, talking to others to make sure I am not breeching etiquette, etc. But if it makes some feel better whip out the holier-than-thou 'tude, and be the cool kids, so be it. I don't need your approval to play or enjoy caching...thankfully. No doubt some incoming noobs will be a drag on the community, but perhaps this condescending outlook of some might be the greater problem in the community. I would rather play with someone excited to learn and enjoy the hunt then some jaded player who looks down on me because I have yet to spend $350 on the latest and greatest GPS device and my finds have not yet reached into the thousands. But, then again, I am just a noob with a Smartphone.

I can identify. I am about 5 months into Geocaching with my 2 daughters (14 and 12) and we initially got frustrated with DNF's (did not finds). But we kept at it, checked on these forums for tips and tricks and are now having a lot more success. A few things to try that have worked wonders for me: * Read the comments before you head to a cache -- We found this out the (very) hard way. We hiked about a mile up a hill and could not find the cache. Only then did I think to read the comments and people were talking about how it had been muggled. Grrrr. The comments will let you know if it has been found recently (always a good sign) and provide clues to its location. * Use your brain and your senses -- The GPS device can lead you to the promised land, but YOU have to find it. Think, look, feel, search. Try to put yourself into the mild of a twisted geocacher so that you can ascertain where they would locate it. Touch stuff! I found a cache recent that utterly stumped my girls simply because I was touching all around and that thing that shouldn't have moved DID. Think: magnets! * Learn the ropes -- Our first cache was in a parking lot. We had no idea what we were doing or looking for and we wandered around like lost puppies. The GPS said we were within a meter but there was no container here! After searching for 20+ minutes, I chanced to lift up the cover at the base of a lightpost and VOILA! Now we know one of the favorite spots of cachers, so when we are in a parking lot, our eyes are on the lookout for a LPH (lampost hide). We recently found our second fence post hide. Those don't trick us anymore either. * Lean on the community -- Especially early on, I contacted a few folks seeking some help. One was a cache owner but I also contacted a couple folks who had recently found a cache we could not locate. All were helpful and friendly. If you can't find one, contact the last person to find it and see if they can provide guidance. * Tools of the trade -- if you haven't already, it is time to build a couple tool bags. In one (let your kids carry this) put some small trinkets and prizes to swap with stuff you find in caches. They will love this. In the second, place some tools, including a hammer, pliers, screwdriver, pencils, spare journal logs, candy (more on this later),etc, so that those stubborn fence post lids can't stand between you and victory. * To the victor -- the goal in geocaching is not to find the caches. It's to have fun. As a parent, if you want to keep doing this, you need to "sell" it to your kids by having fun. Sure, finding the cache gives a sense of victory and enjoyment, but so does exploring new places, even at locations we have been to many times before. A well-timed candy bar doesn't hurt either. Or how about frozen yogurt afterwards to celebrate. Do it every time. That starts a Pavolvian reaction for your kids, that each time they geocache, they find cool stuff and get sweets --> WIN! Bottom line: set the kids up for a fun and successful time by being prepared and have a game plan. Enjoy!

What browser are you using? I was having the same issue using Chrome...try IE.

Hi from So Cali, I started geocaching with my daughters (14 and 12) about 2 months ago and we have become hooked. We have already had some great times seeking. We are already planning to hide our first cache. ~krejaton

Welcome SK. My daughters and I are rather new to geocaching as well but we have been having a blast at it. If you have an Android phone, get the c:geo app (it's free) and you can choose live map, which will find your location and the caches around you or go to Nearby which will list nearby caches. From either of those, you can then store them in your phone. Pull up a cache listing, read the description and clues and then hit the compass and it will tell you automatically which direction to go and how far. Keep honing in and stop when you can't drive any nearer. Now comes the hard/fun part--locating the cache. Keep looking! Look inside of whatever is near, look under, around, behind or on top of any objects nearby. Don't underestimate these people! Some make fake rocks contain the caches and one twisted sole put a fake bunny with a cache inside far down a hole. Above all, have fun.

(((NOTE: Be nice, my first post)) YES...today! I am new at this hobby (3 days!) and was in Palm Springs for the CUE Conference--mostly IT types (read: nerds & geeks). At lunch, I just happened to check and I see that there are two right around my location. I zeroed in on one in a rock/cactus garden across the street and am trying to look as inconspicuous as possible--I mean who wants to be looked down upon like the biggest geek at a geek conference??? Anyway, I focused in on the statue of a woman and her child and as I was copping a feel searching all over on the woman statue, I hear a shuffling behind me and, to my horror, two women from the conference gaped at me and hurried past giving me the "stare of destruction". My humiliation lasted only until I found the cache!