Inmountains

Sorry for the bump, but does anyone have one of these for sale??

Thank you so much, Mausebiber, that worked. But I am still wondering if the elevation is available on the Geocaching Website somewhere for a cache?

Maybe I am just getting blind in my old age, but I can't seem to find the geocache elevation on the cache page. I added the Elevation column to GSAK but when I bring in the file, they all state a 0.0F elevation. When I do a Project GC, it shows my the ten highest and the ten lowest elevations, but I do not see where Project GC gets the elevation. Can someone point me in the right direction?

I hate 'bush' hides!

Mudfrog, no contradiction. I have some GREAT caches back in Colorado where I used to live, one of them cost me over $100.00 to create. But I moved to CA after the death of my mother so I encourage others to insert a new log if it needs it. PLUS, I have been back twice in the five years since I left, so I do inspect it when I am there. PLUS, I was the ONLY cacher in that town, so who would I be opening the area up to? On a side note, congrats to MudFrog and Team Sagefox, cachers who started way back in THE Renaissance Era of Geocaching. Although I didn't log a cache until August, 2002, I have been caching since September, 2000. Weren't THOSE THE DAYS!!! Driving 60 miles, one way, just to find ONE cache! Printing out 4 pages per cache!

loNE.r, I agree, IN A PERFECT WORLD. IF the CO would archive the cache, then it opens the area up for a new cache. But what if the CO can't archive the cache for reasons unknown (like being dead) Waiting for a Moderator/Cache Reviewer to archive a cache can take a LONG time. Totally replacing an entire cache is not something I have done very much, maybe less than a dozen times. But fixing a cache with duct tape, glue or bailing wire AND letting the CO know it needs maintenance, is something I have done many, many times.

"You can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear. If it needs maintenance of any form, post a needs maintenance. It can not get any easier. Just do it for the sake of the game! " Actually, you can throw away the pigs ear and replace it with a silk purse. It can not get any easier, just do it for the sake of the game. If the cache is a really neat location and you find a damaged container, AND the CO is unable to replace it, then replace it. I started caching in Colorado and live in California. I have a few great caches but there is no way I can maintain them, so I have encouraged other's to REPLACE the container if it gets damaged since it sees temperatures that range from -25F to 100F. Also, my mother had some wonderful caches and I do my best to maintain them since she DIED in 2010. I was still in Colorado when she passed away so I encouraged other's to replace her damaged caches until I could move to CA and maintain them myself. In a PERFECT world, ALL Cache Owner's would maintain their caches. BUT, REAL LIFE takes place and we need to make adjustments. Maybe a CO is a military member and got deployed overseas for a year. It would be an HONOR to replace her/his cache IF it needed it. Maybe a CO has had a horrible injury or debilitating illness. The list goes on and on. To "NEVER REPLACE" or "ALWAYS REPLACE" is an attribute of the DARK SIDE, dealing in absolutes. Use the Force, my young padawan, aka COMMON SENSE!!!

I received my Estonia Souvenir today, does the happy dance. Found caches there in 2013!!

There is a part of the OP's statement I can understand. The other day, I found a small magnetic cache on the side of a grocery store, it took about 30 seconds to find it. As I am walking back to my truck to get a pen (I parked within 20 feet of the cache so didn't bring my pen), a guy jumps out of his car and yells at me "You're scaring my wife!" So I ask him what I did to scare his wife. He said, "You're sneaking around the side of the store" and I said, "It's one o'clock in the afternoon, I am not sneaking at all". So the part I don't like is the fact that doing caching makes us look like we are up to no good. That is why I carry two Road Crew Vests to put on and I bring much less suspicion. So there is that aspect.

I might be at the extreme other end of the spectrum, but I am quite Liberal with adding new logs. It is just a personal issue but I like writing on a crisp, clean, new log. If the log is good that is there, I sign it. If it is really a crappy cache, I won't add a new log. But if the cache is a quality cache and the log is full or damaged, it doesn't bother me to add a new log sheet. The only time I actually remove a log is if it is a wet, moldy wad of mushy paper. I would guess that 95% of the time, I just add a new log IF it needs it. No harm, no foul. If the CO doesn't like it, they can remove it while doing Cache Maintenance.

I didn't read all the threads, but the ones I read, I did not see anyone request RUSSIA. I live in California and have more Russian Caches than Canada or Mexico, combined! Talk about a fun place to cache, you really get the 'suspicious eye' when you go poking around in the bushes!

"The OP is a power cacher who hides power trails of caches, and doesn't want to maintain those PT caches. Your original reply may have inadvertently supported his argument/reprimand that other people should take care of his cache hides. " Lone.R Less than 15% of my cache finds are Power Trails. My uncle, age 75, came out this summer and wanted to do a power trail. So I took him out and did around 150 of the Route 66 and 302 of the H.E.L.L. power trail. He had a blast. And we had a good time, I am not sure how much longer he will be able to cache or how much longer I will have him in my life as he had a small stroke at the beginning of the year. I found my first cache in August, 2002, in Durango, CO and have since found caches in 17 states and 12 countries, including Russia, Norway, Germany, The Netherlands, etc.... I have found the OLDEST cache, Mingo. I have found the Original Cache Plaque. I have found and hidden caches at over 13,000 feet elevation. I know a LOT about caching, and enjoy helping my fellow cacher. I also replaced a cache of mine, YESTERDAY! Look at https://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC2A0KE&title=bayfield-has-bridges-3&guid=ec3cb9b9-f19c-474d-8330-2d2bb3e5d0d8. About 200 finds and 58 Favorites. I have two short urban power trails, one has 10 caches, and one has 14 caches. Not exactly a true POWER TRAIL, but a fun little walk that takes a hour or two. And I maintain them meticulously.

"...knowingly leave stinking boxes of rubbish...." I am NOT talking about poor caches, or cheaply hidden caches. I found a great cache this summer that had not been found in over two years. Needless to say, the log was wet, so I replaced it, NO BIG DEAL. And I let the owner know, a great fellow cacher. Not only did I replace the log, I replaced it with a WATERPROOF paper log. Some of you remind me of the story of the "Good Samaritan" and you guys are the so called "Religious Leaders" who don't want to help. As for me and my house, we will HELP our fellow man! WOW has the caching community CHANGED in the last 13 years, and NOT for the better!

A wet log does not mean it is a crappy cache. Maybe a previous finder didn't tighten the lid all the way or cross threaded the lid. I am not trying to relieve the CO of their responsibility. Of course the CO is responsible. But that doesn't mean that we can't be an occasional help. Maybe if more people would STOP saying, "It's not my job" and start saying "How can I help?" The world might become a better place!

While I agree that cache maintenance is important, and I try to do my best, I think that all cachers should carry a few extra logs with them. I always have ten or more in my kit. I have replaced hundreds of logs over the years. Damaged logs, full logs, stupid logs ( store receipts, food boxes, etc...) get replaced by me all the time. So instead of posting "needs new log" or "log is full", lets see a lot more "replaced log" in the cache notes! Thank you!

I was wondering if Groundspeak keeps a record of the reported amount of trash that Geocachers have picked up during CITO events? I did one event and I know we did a little over a ton of trash!

Whether there is an "agenda" or not, if the cache is gone AND the Cache Owner is no longer active, just log the "NEEDS ARCHIVED." There is a high probability that the CO doesn't even open his/her emails from Geocaching if they are no longer active.

I came across this announcement on Geocaching.com but cannot find a date for when it came out: "In our effort to inspire outdoor play through Geocaching, we are often faced with decisions about what to focus on next, and what to focus on less. It is through these decisions that we explore opportunities to grow the global game of geocaching. Occasionally, during this process, we are faced with the reality that certain ideas don't catch on as we had hoped. In these situations we owe it to ourselves and to you to make tough decisions about the future of every project and the resources to be applied to each. Sometimes, as a result, cool features must become casualties. In this spirit, we have decided to retire Geocaching Challenges. On an office wall here at HQ is a sign that reads, "Let's make better mistakes tomorrow." By accepting that we will sometimes get it wrong, we can allow ourselves to learn from and imagine new opportunities in the world of Geocaching. Our hope is we can take the lessons from Challenges and create better tools to guide you on your next adventure." I hope this was NOT a recent announcement, Challenge Caches, to me, ARE THE MOST FUN thing in our sport/hobby!

I found a cache today that I did not even know was there until I went to lunch. Most of my caches are "on the fly", I just don't like planning. I would guess that over half my finds are "just because I was in the area." And as narc said, most days that I have multiple finds, I go to one that I planned, and then do a "nearest cache" search to see what else I can grab. The most planning I do is when I figure out a puzzle cache or am trying to complete a challenge. Even then, I grab caches that I had not planned on grabbing.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending my first CITO event, cleaning up the Jetty between Seal Beach and Alamitos Bay, in Southern California. As most of you can imagine, the amount of trash that washes into the Pacific Ocean in the Los Angeles area is measured in the MILLIONS of TONS! We had around 40 folks there, working for an hour, and I am sure we topped 1,000 pounds of garbage picked up. It felt good to give back to the community in this way. Certain groups, such as the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, etc... also do clean up and we all appreciate their work. But it is a shame that so much trash gets put into our oceans. I wish we could have more events like this to help clean up our communities. There was another thread where I made a semi-joke about the affect Geocachers have on the environment is about as much of an effect as a Butterfly Burp has on the environment. If I put out a "pound of plastic" and pick up "100 pounds of trash", have I had a positive or negative affect on the environment? Plus the fact that I PICK UP every pound of plastic I put out when I archive the cache. I have had discussions with Forest Rangers who do not like geocaching, and when I ask why, they said they don't want to see trash strewn all over the forest. So I politely ask them if they have ever seen a Geocache spilled out and strewn all over the forest and every time they say NO. And when I ask them if they have seen trash strewn all over by backpackers, hunters, fishermen, campers, hikers, mountain bikers, prospectors, etc..., they always say yes. I try to tell them that Geocachers actually PICK UP more trash than we ever leave behind (at least most of us do). So THANK YOU to all who attended a CITO event and remember, we can pick up trash any and every day we are in the field.

Older than dirt here, I remember caching with a sextant, compass and slide rule. Well, almost, it was a little yellow eTrex. I had a fifty mile radius cleared around my house, all six caches! I have no idea how many folks I got interested in caching, but it is quite a few. My biggest benefit is watching others get out of their house and having fun outside! If you look at my stats, the first few years I had few finds as I was living at 7,300 feet elevation up in the Rockies. Nearest cache searches were 60 or 70 miles away! But those finds were awesome! Deep in the forests, high, over 13,000 feet, up in the mountains! I don't know how to gauge my value other than some good stories from way back when. My mother was an ardent cacher and I had the pleasure of taking her out three days before she passed. I had to bring the cache to her in the car but the smile on her face when she signed the log was priceless! My only advice is to have fun! When it stops being fun, stop doing it.

The main reason for the short notice is SANITY! If Groundspeak would have given a week's notice, can you imagine how many challenge caches would have been submitted? That 1% would have turned into 90% for a week! Groundspeak would have spent the entire year with appeals on one weeks worth of submissions. Groundspeak probably has been trying to fix and clarify challenges for many months and it became necessary to slam on the brakes and put it in the garage. The fix requires more than just "bailing wire, duct tape and WD40!" All I request is to NOT eliminate challenges, they are a fun part of our hobby!

I am unclear why someone is posting about plastic containers and yet has ZERO finds on their profile? Is it a busy cacher who wants to remain anonymous so they created a new account? Is it someone who just likes to troll the internet and cause trouble? As far as how much damage is being done to the environment by plastic geocaching containers, it would probably rate somewhere between the damage done by flea farts and the damage done by butterfly burps!

"Take me to the old search" is an OUTSTANDING addition to the website. It is small, but that old search screen is so needed. I tried an archived cache search via the GC and it came right up! THAT is a good thing!

Someone with over 64,000 finds and only SIX hides! Talk about NOT giving back to your hobby! Sheeesh!