PlantAKiss

I don’t particularly care about souvenirs but I did put some extra effort into this promo because it was “planetary.” Normally I just have my own “special days” I want to log a cache for. I got further than I thought I would since I don’t have a lot of free time to cache. And I solved a Puzzle (which I normally ignore)! (It was an easy one :-/ ). I wonder how this promotion was viewed by GS. Was there an uptick in caching activity? More activity on Mystery or Earthcaches? More cheating than normal (hard to judge that I guess). I got far enough to wave at Starman in his red Tesla as he drives through space. :-D

By doing cache maintenance. My caches don’t get found often because they are old timers, but I still check on them regularly.

In that case, I would hope one of a few things: 1) the cache finder would understand something is wrong if they found a T3.5 just laying on the ground and notify CO that something is off 2) CO does cache maintenance and puts the cache back in place or 3) readjusts the placement and then edits his/her listing to reflect any D/T differences. I personally don’t feel a CO owes anything to another cacher’s stats or grid. You owe only to reasonably accurately reflect what a cacher will encounter when hunting for your cache. Hunt. Find. Log. Have fun. :-)

The cache ratings should accurately reflect the difficulty/terrain of the cache. If something about the cache changes and they need to be adjusted, then adjust them. It’s about the actual cache, not other people’s statistics.

You have too many caches when...you can’t maintain them. Strings of comments on wet logbooks, water in caches, logbooks full, NM logs, broken containers... I see that a lot. I use the NM logs but people seem reluctant to do that.

Interesting survey. I didn’t think the photos were ambiguous. I wish terms were consistent using the original ones. I’ve never understood why the app changed it. That’s just confusing. As is “activity” instead of “logs.” Which is why I finally abandoned the GC app. I think it’s awful. Wonder if the survey results will be posted? I think some people use “small” instead of “micro” on purpose. I’ve been to many “small” caches hoping to drop a TB only to find it’s a match-stick container...

Well, this crash lands my Planetary Pursuits. :-( I only have a few hours left to get caches. I never expected to get very far since my caching time is very limited, but I was hoping to squeeze in a multi and maybe a few more today. If only this happened tomorrow. Lol Thank you to all the people working hard to fix this issue. I know you’re not happy either.

Same here. Bad timing...my last day to grab some caches.

I wish I were better at puzzles. But because I’m not, they are frustrating to me and therefore not fun. I see all the cacher’s who figure them out and then I try, don’t get it and feel stupid. I mostly avoid them but I do peck at a couple hoping that one day lightning will strike and I will see the light... I will say I was stoked to figure out one I had been working on for a while! Fist-pump moment! (And then the heartbreak—the cache was in someone’s yard!!! Noooooo!!!! I don’t do caches in people’s yards! Internal battle...and finally decided I figured out that dang puzzle and damned if I was not gonna get that smiley! So I had a miserable but successful hunt molesting someone’s shrubbery while an old lady across the street was yelling “M’am, did you lose a caaaaaaat??! M’am, did you lose a caaaaaaaaat??!” I signed the log and fled! Puzzle smiley earned! I wish there were more beginner-intermediate level puzzle caches. Most I’ve seen are oriented to the puzzle masters.

I guess this is the one bright spot to not being able to partipate for a while. I hope all the bugs have been worked out by the time I get to go caching.

I know where all the caches are there...they are all mine. :-)

Yes, the info was in that. It says you can move a stage less than 528 ft. That's a lot more than I thought. Awesome...I can keep the new placement. I was using "change stage placement", not "update geocache coordinates." Thank you so much!

I've looked for the answer to this but can't find it. I seem to remember in the old guidelines (which I think was a little meatier with information) some info on moving a stage of a multi. I THINK there was something about a limit as to how far a stage can be relocated without having to resubmit it as a new cache. I had Stage 1 of a multi go missing --first time in 11 years . I don't know who moved it (muggle?), but it makes me hesitant to replace as I had it. So I'm looking for another spot that is close but less eyes on it. I found a really great spot but I think it was about 140 feet away. I CAN find some place closer but it wouldn't be as perfect. So what is the distance rule about shifting a stage in a multi? I want this multi to be at its best before the new promotion since there MIGHT be more cachers coming. My caches don't get found too often now because all the locals have pretty much done them. Thanks for your input!

Water, small but bright flashlight, pen, thin gloves, tweezers, knife, swag, nature-friendly toilette paper, bandana, hikey pokey pole. In my car I keep a bottle of soapy wash water and a bottle of clean rinse water in case I accidentally get into poison ivy. If you remove PI oils within a few hours you won't get the itches. Recently, to honor the life of Faye Hanson of Nanaimo, B.C., I added a space blanket and compass with whistle to my light bag. Both are no trouble to carry and can save your life if something unexpectedly bad happens. That's my basic stuff. I have more detailed stuff in a larger bag for when I'd be away from my car for a while.

"Here in the forums, I'm abrasive like a possum." Oh my god, I laughed so hard. I don't think I'll ever forget that. I hate possums. They ARE abrasive! I was just thinking of posting a question about NM logs so this is interesting. I DO leave NMs because it's supposed to be a way for a CO to get a heads up that something is wrong and they need to check on it. Even owners that do maintenance checks can not know something has happened. So I see it as a helpful thing. And if a cache isn't maintained, then its SUPPOSED to be archived. I was just looking at a cache listing out in the woods that had FIVE NMs posted and countless logs stating the container (a plastic bucket) had disintegrated, the log baggie was split open. Cache dated to 2006, CO hasn't logged in since 2015. And the cache is still active... Saw another with a string of 9 DNFs...no owner maintenance or NM. So...why do people make comments about cache condition in their logs and not post a NM? Fear of offending the CO? Or don't know about or understand the feature and what the purpose is? I posted a NM once and the owner left a huffy page note about being tired of being told to check on her cache..."This isn't fun any more!" (placed in a flood plain and trash dump with rusted tin cans and broken beer bottles) so she archived it. Got the impression her comment was throwing shade at me because I put a NM. I do see owners with a high number of cache hides that do not maintain their caches but I know that doesn't apply to all. Personally its hard for me to understand how someone can maintain hundreds of caches. But I'm not SuperCacher (obviously)!

I like to commemorate “special occasions” with a smiley so I did log a find today for Pi Day. Sadly, I had to resort to an LPC. :-/ But I don’t do it for a souvenir. Instead of pie I celebrated with mashed potatoes with spicy gravy at Popeyes. :-D

Yes, I was referring to cache descriptions that describe the cache container and location. But cache logs revealing the hide are just as bad.

I guess I’m Old School (or maybe just old) but I DO read cache descriptions. That’s part of the geocaching experience. I do not read hints unless it’s a last resort or I’m super short on time. I don’t typically do high-muggle caches but sometimes I read those hints so I can just get it done fast and get out. I also enjoy reading previous logs. There are some funny ones out there. Of course most logs these days are crappy but there are still cacher’s out there that tell good stories. The descriptions that never fail to surprise me are the ones that describe the container and tell you where it is. ??? I don’t get that at all—isn’t the whole point that’s its a hunt for something you don’t quite know know what and where? “Container is a bison tube hanging on a small cedar tree 15 feet off the trail.” I would reeeaaaaally love it if those kinds of explicit descriptions were put in the hint so as not to take take the fun out of of it. I’ll bet pirates didn’t have maps to the booty that said “Arrrggg...Ye will find the Gold Dubloons in a camo-painted Wooden Chest buried 10 feet from the crooked tree under 5 feet of sand.”

These replies are making me smile too. :-) A lot of common themes here. - A nice hike or bushwhack through the woods! - Ammo cans! Or at least a container that is dry and can hold swag and TBs. - Walking up and and putting my hand on a difficult hide within minutes (rare but so awesome when it happens). - Caches that are creative and/or have thought behind them. - Finding a really hard cache I’ve DNFed (multiple times) without getting help or hints. The find is sweeeeet when you’ve worked for it. - Interesting swag—I don’t cache for swag of course but I remember The Good Ol’ Days when caches could have some pretty cool stuff in it and it was fun to look through. Now it just cheap kid junk. - A nice log on my caches. - And ^5 to L0ne.r on the fungi finds! Extra bonus! - Being taken to a new place, good view, cool object, etc. You deal with the crappy stuff and savor all the good times. :-)

I discovered I have 2 Mary Hyde souvenirs and I don't even know how I got them. I thought you had to be in some sort of "friends group" so I didn't pay any attention to it.

Just yesterday I found only my 2nd virt on a caching run to Charlottesville. I was excited because it marked my 400th find and I wanted it to be something special. All the other caches we'd found were uninspired micros or smalls. So I was afraid my 400th find wouldn't be anything to remember. I was saved by coming across a 2003 virtual! (Waiting for confirmation from CO to log.) A nice old virt is a treat to find! [Oh...I just remembered it's my 3rd virt but I only have one listed in my stats. :-/ ? ]

I hate yard caches. I've only done 3. Two I was dragged there by a friend who doesn't care. The only one I voluntarily did was because I had solved my first hard (for me) puzzle cache and I was stoked!!!! Then crushed when I found out it was in a yard! So I bit the bullet and went to find it determined to earn my puzzle smiley. I hit someone's mailbox with my car (no damage) and then had an old lady yelling at me from across the street "Hey, are you looking for a cat? Are you looking for a cat??!" I found the cache and fled!! Ugh!!

I'm often out alone in a large forest and I'm always concerned about coming up on a homeless person living out there. There is a chair someone sets up. I had a cop tell me homeless people set up camps in all kinds of wooded areas. There are a dozen or so caches in that forest.

My goal is pretty simple--not to break any bones while out caching like I did last year. If I can do that, I'll be doing pretty good! I'd also like to get better at puzzles.

I'm sentimental so I want it kept safe for historical purposes. I'm afraid if put back in place it would get stolen again. It's such a rare cache and a great story of recovery. I'm also unemployed and available if GS needs a proofreader. "Czech Rebuplic". :-D :-D :-D