johninvandergrift

I've got some photos to take and now a place to put them. What a great thread!

I've never found a Christmas tree in the woods. If I did I would leave it there. It doesn't seem very nice to take one after someone obviously went through all the trouble of decorating it. Now that's funny. I don't care who you are, that's funny. You were kidding? Right?

"Be prepared. Tell people where you are going and carry the basic supplies." Learned by many thru geocaching. That's the point I'm trying to make.

A geocacher would never get lost looking for a Christmas Tree. Refering to news story about father and children lost while looking for a Christmas tree. I was wondering whether others have the same opinion. Geocaching has given me a better sense of direction and preparedness in traveling wooded areas. Even without taking the GPS along, which no Geocacher would have ever done, outdoor experience would have served this family well.

More than likely a "signature item". In my area I see a little red dog cut out stuck to the inside of the cache lid. "red dog one".

yup! Thanks.

I have a micro with a full log sheet. Just replaced it. Anyone have a problem with me scanning the full log I removed and adding it to the cache on the site?

Do the nice men in the white jackets know that you have access to a computer? Did they take your shoe strings and everything sharp from you?

Just wondering...are "Moving Caches" acceptable today?

Thank you for clearing that up. I didn't think receivers could be tracked. News article was unclear/uneducated.

I second the motion for "gaggle". All in favor?

I guess the case is closed. This thread can be closed at any time.

purple-kv, It was never my intention to call anyone out in the forums. You state in one of your posts that I confronted you publicly. I did not. My original post makes no reference to you or the cache in question. Seeing that you had never made a post in a forum until now, I think you should be thanking the fellow cacher that no doubt thought it important to contact and call you out. I never meant to disrespect you. I read your log of this cache that indicated a change to my cache site. I went to the cache site. It had been altered to a point that it did not represent "my hide". That frustrated me. Being relatively new to geocaching I went to others for perspective (Forums). Read all the posts, it's been pointed out by some that I am at fault for the hide. Others feel differently. Both sides have been reflected here in postings. Attempts at humourous banter aside, I've learned from this and I hope others have too. If you wanted to question my log entry and cache condition you could have e-mailed me and I would have gladly told you. I don't feel this needed to be brought to this fourm especially since I did NOT alter the site. Something which you assuded I did. I said in my log that I had to lift up a heavy object (rock) to get the cache out. I never said I overturned any rocks just used a stick to lift it up enough to get the cache free. I overturned no rocks. I placed the cache back under the rock it was under when I found it. I just didn't lift the rock up to wedge it back under. Therefore, the hide was moved to the left a couple inches so the cache would fit in there. Then you also said, "I'm done now. Time to get on with my life. At least until that cacher places a hide near me. " How appropriate was that? Yes I see you are new to caching and have found 19 cache and hid 7. Maybe you need to think and ask before you assume. I even contacted a former finder who tells me the cache was not stuck under a rock when he found it either. I have been caching since 7/2005 and have nearly 800 finds and have never had a problem. I always replace the cache as I found it, thats only right. However, I do get many e-mails of thanks as I almost always carry a cache Rx kit with me and have fixed up more problem caches that I can remember. BTW - Just because I have not posted in here before doesn't mean I don't read the forum from time to time. I am not posting any further on this subject. Case closed! I don't understand it, but I accept the fact that your reality is different than mine.

purple-kv, It was never my intention to call anyone out in the forums. You state in one of your posts that I confronted you publicly. I did not. My original post makes no reference to you or the cache in question. Seeing that you had never made a post in a forum until now, I think you should be thanking the fellow cacher that no doubt thought it important to contact and call you out. I never meant to disrespect you. I read your log of this cache that indicated a change to my cache site. I went to the cache site. It had been altered to a point that it did not represent "my hide". That frustrated me. Being relatively new to geocaching I went to others for perspective (Forums). Read all the posts, it's been pointed out by some that I am at fault for the hide. Others feel differently. Both sides have been reflected here in postings. Attempts at humourous banter aside, I've learned from this and I hope others have too.

Someone has to go first. What about ABC's of GPS ?

Hider should have known that could happen. Not your fault. Still haven't destroyed one myself yet, but, I'm still pretty knew. Maybe someday.

More appropriate log would have been "Took an eyeball and angel pin. Left 2 carabineers, purple pen and a pile of rocks where your cache was. TFTC" I'm done now. Time to get on with my life. At least until that cacher places a hide near me

Perhaps it would be helpful if you explained how the site was 'irreparably altered'. If you could also explain the method of hide and how the cacher was supposed to remove the cache, it would help. Would this be acceptable behavior?No it wouldn't, but you haven't yet explained how moving a rock equates to chopping down a cherry tree. Take a walk in the woods. Nature has a way of creating little "hiding places". I always look for the darkness you see when a crevis is deep enough that you can't see into it from a distance. They don't look man made or forced into a scene. This hide was one of those locations. A natural rock formation with a space beneath similar to a small cave. I didn't have to move a thing for this hide. My small container fit inside and out of sight less than a foot from the opening. No sticks or piled rocks to give away its location. Just as the tree example above, I made no alteration to what was there by natures hand. Cutting down a tree or levering a 300 lb rock out of the way are no different here. If one looked into the opening it would have been seen. Others had seen it in its hiding place while walking toward it if the light was right. As I make no claim to be mother nature......this site was irreparably altered.

Would this be acceptable behavior?

Yes. You are missing something. The cache site was irreparably altered. This can not be acceptable to you. Can it?

By no means do I think this was done with any malice in mind. WHY it was done is what I'm trying to figure out and discuss here.

Would this log be looked upon with favor? "Cache was stuck in the hollow tree. I couldn't get it out so I cut the tree down. I didn't think it should be stuck in that tree. I placed it beside the fallen tree. It is well hidden." I see no difference to what was done to my cache.

If your angst is based on the fact that they poked your cache with their stick, I think you are getting upset over nothing. Many people cache this way. My angst is based on the fact that my cache hidden beneath a natural rock formation has been reduced to a very obvious pile of rocks. To me, that change is a big one. That is NOT my hide. My angst is also based on my failed attempt at reparing the site to where it had been prior to this cachers visit.

Interpretation online is tricky - we tend to read into a log things that may not have been intended by the author. Instead of assuming your interpretation did you ask the cacher who wrote it for clarification? Better yet, did you go check on your cache to see its current status? Did his comment that the rock was crushing down on the cache so hard that a lever needed to be used to free the cache make you wonder if something was wrong with your hide when he found it? I interpret the log to read that he found a cache with a problem and fixed it as best he could! My interpretation in the OP was after visiting the site. I am certain that the cache only became stuck after it was pushed there by the finder. There was never a reason to move such large and obviously heavy rocks. Others had recently found it with no problems.

Cache had this description Please replace cache set-up EXACTLY as found and try not to disturb the area too much for the next cacher!! Didn't help here.