mvhayes1982

This was pretty close to the last news I expected to read today. Seriously. I figured I'd read about a working warp-drive before I read about new Virtuals being published. Well done, HQ, welllllll done.

The best of forum posts...

It appears that the OP has hidden 5 caches over the last 11 years of caching -- including two multi caches. While one is certainly welcome to complain about the 161M guideline (I personally am a big fan), it seems rather disingenuous to be acting as if you did not know it existed, based on your history with this hobby. Good luck re-working what sounds like a fantastic cache.

Two states away -- My buddy and I found the all too familiar signature of one of the charter members from our hometown right above us as we worked through a geo-art... Got a hold of him and learned we had missed each other by about 2 hours. Small, fascinating world.

I've never had a reaction to poison ivy. I think I'm just one of the lucky ones. As for @kunarion's suggestion to go caching in the winter -- I'm ABSOLUTELY a winter cacher. By mid-november, the only green stuff left in the forests around Louisville is the thorny vines. Makes it easier to a) find the caches and b ) not get caught by the sticker vines. I'm a huge fan.

I come to these forums to find a place where the greatest angst I might encounter is trying to determine if the "newbie" who has hit the ageless arguments just a BIT too close to home (swag, virtuals, webcams, log length, swag, ammo cans vs. film cans, throwdowns) is actually a long time cacher who has created a sock just to start a brand new thread on a topic that has been address 47 times in the 1048 pages of this particular forum page. There is a place and time for debate on the issues presented by the OP (although I think he's totally wrong in what he wants done), but my friendly geocaching forums are NOT the place. I desperately hope that one of our trusty mods (HEY, @Keystone) shows up to close this thread before the angst gets out of control.

For sure. I definitely see AWESOME caches -- with a TFTC. Or a "Cool cache, thanks". It's -- disappointing.

I've bolded an important section of your post. In the States, there is very little land that isn't "private property" or "park lands". Which is why, for every cache, you should seek permission for whoever owns/manages the land where you are placing a cache.

PGC does have a stat for log length. And it is something that I'm focused on. About the same time that I learned that there was a stat for log length was the same time I started hanging out on these forums and learned that TFTC was NOT a well-received log. That there is actually somebody receiving that log who might value what I have to say about their cache. So yeah, I chase that stat on PGC as well. But I chase it with individual logs about my experience with each cache.

So many "long logs" that I find are a copy/paste recap of an entire day of caching. "Me, Cacher1, Cacher2, and Cacher3 (Team ME123) headed down to Louisville to clean up some unfounds. We hit virtuals, ECs, and Mysterys extra hard. Found a few traditionals along the way, including a few oldies. Logs were replaced when needed. Thanks to all the COs for placing these caches for us to find. We will hide some more when we get back home to return the favor. Favorite points will be forthcoming. It was a fantastic day of caching!" I suppose this could land in the "what irks you" thread -- but this is up there for me. I'm hunting through logs for any kind of indication as to the state of this cache, a little nudge in the right direction -- and all I get is a general recap of an entire day of caching. /end rant

To answer your questions: No souvenirs for any eclipses. And generally yes

I hope you can find a way to enjoy the eclipse tomorrow without a little digital picture from Groundspeak.

Perhaps the decline in published Virtuals coincided with the "WOW Factor" requirement that was the band-aid attempt to save Virtuals as a category? I'm not sure the time frame on the Wow Factor guidelines.

Oh goodness. We've found the bottom. We thought it was "TFTC". Then we thought it was "." Then we thought it was "That's another find for me! Thanks for hiding this geocache". But I think "just emoji" logging might actually be the bottom -- and can FOR CERTAIN be blamed on the smartphone app revolution of this hobby.

I believe that was you received was a little push back, and then first-hand information from a VOLUNTEER reviewer that caches are published to "conveniently" fit the schedule of the VOLUNTEER reviewers, many of whom have actual paying jobs and lives that require their time and come before publishing caches. Unlike the Found It = Didn't Find It thread, this thread does indeed invite discussion of the things which irk us. A volunteer reviewer offering up information in an attempt to help you better understand how things work (so that they might irk you less) is far from "smart-alec"... I found it quite beneficial.

Maybe they too realize the lost opportunity of just an instant meta-souvenir instead of some unlockable quest/reward/etc that would involve use of the 4 map piece souvenirs.

It appears that the "Friend League" will continue, with the full spectrum of Week 4 scoring, into at least the near future. So now you can compare your week of caching against your friends' week of caching each week. Could be fun, if you're into the competition side of things.

Hard Agree.

I'm very familiar with several on that list. And I can tell you which ones actually find caches --- and which ones never ever DNF a cache... Should change their name to "Pockets full of Film Cans"

The Low find count on those 2001 geocachers make me chuckle... Also, I've had an epiphany... What if Dave Ulmer had to meet a 10 Find Minimum before he could have hidden the Original Stash???

I wonder where the first LPC was ever placed. Who was it that thought --- "HEY! That's a great place to hide this single Geocache! No way this will be the target of all "the game has gone to heck" angst for the next decade!"

One of the cool things about geocaching is: If you WANT it to be a competition, it absolutely can be. If you DON'T WANT it to be a competition, it absolutely isn't. For me, it is just a hobby. I challenge myself to certain goals/objectives simply to keep myself from falling away in the day to day, to inspire myself to try out different things in this hobby, and to keep it fresh and creative. But I'm not competing against anyone in these goals. It's just ME.

I'd be willing to bet (at least in the US), that they exist to protect PEOPLE from the bolts, not the bolts from anything. Trip and hit your head on a skirt, little bump. Trip and hit your head on an exposed mounting bolt -- possible serious medical attention, and a likely lawsuit against the owner of the exposed bolts.

Just checked my "Friends League" page -- It appears that the week 4 scoring system is going to continue in perpetuity. So each week you can compare your "score" with your friends.

My goodness that looks like the 7th Circle of Kudzu Hades.