Dj Storm

One of my personal goals is to find at least a cache on every page of listings for my country. I hope to accomplish this goal for the 10 years anniversary of Geocaching (May 2010).

My goal is a little bit different: to FTF caches that are out-of-the-beaten-path, caches that no other cacher is likely to hunt for. I then watch these caches to see how much time passes before the STF is logged. The average time between publishing and my FTF is 59 days. The average time between my FTF and the second find is 199 days, and rising. Out of my 12 FTF's, only 5 have been logged by the STF.

I am the only geocacher in my city of ~300,000 inhabitants. No caches published within city limits. No caches published within county limits. I think I'm the only geocacher in my region. There are a few others, but they work farther away, and come home only during holidays. There are 5 caches within 100km (62 miles) of my house. My fastest FTF was 8 days after publishing. My closest unfound cache is a micro in a crowded place, roundtrip is 272km (169 miles).

The idea has some value, but not if waiting a year before publishing. I call it "testing the location": find a great spot in the outbacks, place a container at said location, wait 1-2 weeks. Go back, and if the container wasn't muggled by wild animals, is in good shape and the experience of searching for it hasn't diminished, then fill it up with swag+logbook and publish it. Sometimes caches that were published for a long time on other sites are crosslisted on GC. You might think that's a new cache, and find an old cache with some history. I found such a cache (was FTF!), 23 days after publishing, but 741 days (2+ years) after placement.

A puzzle cache should be close to its posted coordinates. If the request was to subtract your sum from the posted coordinates, subtracting 15.721 minutes will bring you 18 miles (29 kilometers) away from the posted coordinates. Most probably is the sum of the last two digits of the year (521), which is little over half mile (less than 1 km) from the posted coordinates. *Note: I thought immediately that your sum (in the tens of thousands) was wrong, but wouldn't thought about adding the last two digits. My best guess was to add each digit in each year, like 1+9+6+5+next year's digits+..., ending up with a smaller number (probably 160 or 169), a number that is also feasible.

I travel by public transport only (trains or planes), and use public transportation in destination cities. My family doesn't cache, and if I'm with someone else the hunt usually ends with a DNF. What I do is look for some regular traditionals within the city limits, not disabled and without a streak of DNF's. Because of their sizes these usually are in unpopulated parks. I go alone to search for those either early in the morning or late in the evening. The reason why I look for regulars is moving trackables. When I carry a trackable on a long trip, I want to place it in a cache, and because of my limited time I can't afford searching in busy areas, or searching for smalls in which the TB's won't fit. If I stay in a town longer, and my agenda isn't full, then I will search for other caches that look interesting from the description and logs, that require a long hike or have a high terrain rating.

I can imagine the online log: "Found the cache easily, searched 30 minutes for the logbook". You could host an event in that cache!

On my 48th find on a cache nearly 2000 km from my home, I met another geocacher searching for his 11th find 8000+ km from his home. Beat that! How we met: I passed him near GZ, and saw a Garmin-like device in his hand. Went away a little, and watched him being busy near GZ, then approached saying hello and showing my GPSr. We found that cache and the next one together. Another funny story: I went for a FTF on a cache, 8 days after publishing. Found the cache, signed the log, traded and rehid it. The cache was about 25m from a monument, but invisible because of terrain. While leaving the cache area, I heard a girl behind me shouting "I found it! I found it!". My first reaction was "I beat someone on the FTF by 5 minutes, 8 days after placement - what are the odds?", and looked back to see/greet those cachers. The girl wasn't after the cache, she just found her backpack that she left near the monument.

The effort necessary to find a cache has two parts: 1- research effort - reading the cache page, solving the puzzle (where applicable), doing other things (like obtaining a hiking permit); 2- hunting effort - driving to the trailhead/parking, walking to GZ, searching, opening, logging and replacing the cache, walking back and driving home. I split the cachers in three groups: 1- Independent locals - they can go to any cache they want 2- Less then independent locals (cachers with non-cacher spouses/kids, cachers without a car, kids who need a parent to drive them, etc). 3- Visitors When you place a cache, think about how these groups view your cache: Locals will usually do the research; an active cacher will read the description of the 2-3 caches published each week in his "caching zone". They will estimate the hunting effort, and if the "reward" is worth the effort, they will search it. The reward can be the adventure, view, smiley, ftf, cleaning up their area, etc. The effort for independent cachers is smaller than that of less than independent ones. Visitors have entirely different criteria when looking for caches. When there are hundreds of caches within the city limits, they won't read the description for all of those. They usually have a limited time for caching, and some constraints might further limit their options. They will ignore some cache categories from the start (puzzles, multis, difficulty 5 caches, caches with recent DNF's, etc). They might ignore caches with long descriptions (unfortunately). After this quick research, they decide which caches are worth searching for. Some tourists (myself included) prefer to visit a museum or some other attractions instead of searching the busy sidewalks for micros, but will find time to look for a nice cache in a nice park, if they noticed said cache during their research.

Last year I found a cache where I thought I was FTF (pristine logbook), and logged online as such; later found out that the cache is crosslisted on another site, and a local logged it as found with a 1000+ words log, describing everything from preparing the hike, hiking, happenings during the hike, finding the cache, and what changed since he last hiked those trails. On another cache I was STF (the FTF never logged online), I found out that I'm really third o find, since the same guy logged it online on the other site, also with a long log, and with no mention in the physical logbook. When you find a cache, please write something in the logbook. You may delay logging online for a couple of days (I'm guilty of that, too), but at least write your name in the logbook. And yes, I'm a FTF hound, with 20%+ of my finds being FTF's. (My fastest FTF was 8 days after publishing, my slowest - 273 days).

Sometimes even cache owners don't know the difference between log types. Two recent stories from my holiday: I logged a DNF on a micro, where I didn't really felt like searching thoroughly. My log stated that I searched for about 5 minutes. Some of the previous found it logs told a story of 3-4 caches searching for 15-30 minutes all over the place until finally finding it. After my log, the owner (with several hundred finds and dozens of hides) disabled the cache (without any message). I sent him an email, saying my DNF doesn't mean the cache is not there, and he shouldn't disable a cache just because of a DNF from a newbie. No answer, the cache is still disabled. Another cache was behind a gated property; I walked around, then bushwhacked about 350m, found the cache near a road (the road was used by joggers and bicycle riders), went back on the road and found the gate again. Posted a needs maintenance saying now the area is off limits, but some uses might be allowed. The owner posted a note, saying that that is a public road across a private property, and the land owner must allow public transit according to state laws. I felt somewhat guilty of posting a NM, and told the owner to put that information on the cache page, and to post a "performed maintenance" log to clear the "needs maintenance" attribute. The owner (hundreds of finds, dozens hides) thanked me, but did not follow my recommendations. I guess there are areas where only "found it" logs are posted, any other log type disorients the cache owner. I looked through my DNF's, and on an urban cache (in the same area as the two examples above), my DNF is the only one against 65 found it logs.

It is possible that the area got trashed after the cache disappeared. When I search for a cache in the wilderness I always thread lightly, at least I try. Sometimes, when I traveled a long distance for a cache and I have time to search, if the hints don't help, I start looking in places less likely to hide the cache, on a larger area around GZ. If the cache is no longer there, after two hours of searching the area shows signs of trampling, no matter how careful I am.

Sometimes I know where I am and can find my way out, other times not so much. It depends on the situation that brought me to that place. For example, if a friend drives me to a location I don't know and I have no idea of the "map" of the area, and I don't expect having to find my way back, I "shut down" my sensors (or more likely I don't power them up). If later I have to drive myself back, I have difficulties remembering where I am and in what direction should I go, especially at night. If I walk with said friend to that location, even if I don't expect having to find my way back and I don't pay attention to the surroundings, I can walk back without problems. If I know that I'll go back alone, then I look at the surroundings and memorize landmarks, to be able to walk back on the same roads. When I hike in unfamiliar territory, without maps, compass, GPSr (I did that a few times), I use the sun to approximate the north, and by approximating the distances and headings I traveled I can say in which direction is the starting point. Two examples that happened to me, when I didn't knew my way out, but eventually found it: In a city I didn't knew, I went to the railway station using public transit; Because I had 2.5 hours until my train's departure, I started walking without a target. I walked about 6km during the next 90 minutes, taking 3 left turns (that would bring me back to the starting point, or so I thought). The kicker was that the streets weren't straight, having been laid out 5 centuries ago. They were almost straight, intersecting at almost 90 degrees, but forming a pentagon instead of a square. When I saw I wasn't arriving where I wanted, I traveled back on the way I come, and arrived to the train station just in time. The second time I was hiking in unfamiliar territory, without a map; I looked at a satellite view before I left, that was all. I was in a valley, but had the impression that I'm in the next one, and wanted to reach the trail on the ridge. My GPSr (a basic Etrex without maps) had difficulties locking even on 3 satellites, and since the information it gave me conflicted with where I thought I am, discarded it as a fluke. The sky was cloudy, I couldn't see the sun given the deep valley, the trees and clouds, so I discarded that reference as well. Found a trail and walked up the hill, then once on top I could see the terrain around me. Even without being there before, I realized I'm on another ridge, mostly because I trusted now my GPSr (and the sun, now visible, confirmed the cardinal directions on the GPSr). I continued my hike and returned to the starting point on another trail; had I not been able to sort out my location, I would have returned on the same trail I walked in.

I found the opposite to be true: Start with remote, regular size caches. City caches tend to be micros, well hidden to prevent accidental finding. Also, tall buildings "shadow" a big part of the sky, so your GPSr will be less precise. Searching in an urban environment while trying not to be noticed is difficult. Remote caches tend to be larger, usually hidden under "unusual piles of sticks", rocks, in tree holes, etc. There's rarely someone nearby, you can search without trying to be stealthy. You should read the cache description, sometimes clues are given. Many caches have hints, (some of them cryptic, some of them plain give-aways), read (and decrypt) the hints either on the field when you fail finding the cache, or even at home before starting the hunt.

I'm in a similar situation. There are only 5 caches within 100km of my house, and I don't have a car. I use public transportation to travel to and from cache locations. Hunting for a cache usually takes a full day, and needs more than trivial preparation. This caching mode might not please someone used to drive to cache locations, but every hunt will be remembered. The obstacles are: - you have to do some research, to find the bus/train stop(s) closest to the cache. - you have to find the bus/train schedules between your location and the location researched above. - you have to plan the caching day: leaving time, arriving time, time to travel from bus stop to cache location (sometimes a few kilometers), searching, returning in time for transport back home; it gets trickier when you have to change transport 2 or 3 times. You should have a "Plan B" ready, in case you miss the last bus/train. You can use a taxi the same way I use public transportation, for one or both legs of the trip. Go to the nearest town, and from there walk to the cache location, make the find, walk back, and take another cab home. If the cache is "in the middle of nowhere", ask the driver to stop about 500m-1km (about half mile) from the cache, and walk the rest of the distance. Check Google Earth before, so you know where will you stop. If your time is too valuable to be wasted by walking to and from caches, then you must find a trustworthy driver. You won't be able to hide what you're doing from someone waiting for you a few yards away; you'll have to tell them "the secret".

At least there won't be too many muggles in the area.

I "play" a little differently, my question is: "What is the longest time between your find and the Cacher after you" ? For me, it is 1 year 8 months, still counting. The cache was my first FTF, 9 months after publishing, and the only log after mine is a maintenance log.

So far it does look like your winning (technically), but Happy Bubbles is in a sadly unique position as both the caches in their 10 mile radius belong to her/him. I'm in the middle of nowhere, with 0 caches in a 10 miles radius; actually, the closest cache is 33.7 miles away. In a 50 miles radius, there are 3 caches (4 in a 60 miles radius - found all 4, none of those are mine).

I don't like the "#3 of 27 for the day" logs, but those still contain more information than a "TFTC". When I hunt more than one cache, I add on every log a link to previous log and one to next log. Those who want to track my route, can read all my logs for the day, including DNF's and notes. I try to upload pictures for every cache I seek; not photos of the GPSr, but photos of the view, area, cache contents or anything interesting seen near the cache location.

I matched online against physical logs once, and found 2 bogus logs, 1 double log, several group logs with individual logs online, some physical logs with notes online, and a few who never logged online. Total: 70 physical logs, 70 online found it logs.

Two other situations: 1. Event cache, found by attendees, later published on GC; the attendees who found the cache, log it, backdating their log to the event date - a few days before the publishing date. 2. Cache that was listed on another site, now crosslisted on GC. Finders may log their found here, in this case the finds may be several months or even years before the publishing date. Look at the difference between "date placed" and "date published".

I have competition! Since I started geocaching 2.5 years ago, only 2 (!!) caches were placed within 50 miles from my house (and a third one 54 miles away). And one of those two is hidden in a tree, in an urban park in the middle of a town. You need to either climb the tree, or need two persons, one sitting/standing on the shoulders of the other, to retrieve the cache. "Stealth required", yeah, right!

If the difficulty is in solving the puzzle, not in finding it, then I think it's OK to say something like: "That is a Sudoku puzzle, read here how to solve it". If the puzzle is not so obvious, then I will say something like: "It uses a classical cipher. Read here about classical ciphers, follow the links, it's one of the ciphers described there". If the puzzle is a tricky one, it might be OK to say something like: "Read the cache description again and again; the owner left several clues hidden in the text." If the puzzle has a difficulty above 4, or the challenge consist in finding the puzzle, then I give no hints, not even by private message.

Caches along the AT have been archived at the request of the NPS. Read here: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=204080 The topic of caches accessible from the AT has been brought up after that, in this short thread: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=208469 Your best option would be to contact polskikrol and the other guys planning to walk this spring the NJ segment; discussion in this thread: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=208162

Ditto, try to place a regular, if the hiding place is big enough for it.