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Waiting Out Muggles


EcoPit

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I got to thinking about a funny potential situation this weekend while caching with my wife. We were sitting along a heavily used bike path along Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline. I had already signed the log, but was waiting for the area to clear out before replacing the cache. (Based on the hiding spot, it would be impossible to do discreetly with anyone watching.) There was a group of people a little ways down the bike path, with bikes, but just standing around, looking our way. I got to thinking--it would be funny if I was waiting for them to leave to put it back, and if they were cachers and were waiting for me to leave to look for it. I don't think they were, as they left soon after that.

 

Has anyone else had that happen though? Have you and other cachers mistaken eachother for muggles and tried waiting eachother out?

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I've had a few times when I've been pretty sure I was in the proximity of other cachers.

 

A couple times it was confirmed when I would go back and read the logs from the caches I logged that day. Another cacher would note that they saw me coming or going to or from the cache on their way in or out.

 

:D

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How about locating a cache placed across the park from the cacher who placed it. We think that this happened a few weeks back. A couple were less than 50 yards from the cache and not paying too much attention to us. I grabbed the cache went to the park bench to log it with my team members. We were reluctant to return the cache to it's location until the couple finished their saturday morning yard work. I was convinced somehow that they were the stashers of the cache. I was then worried that they would muggle the cache. After signing up to watch the cache, I saw that others had found it after I did and was more convinced, but probably just paranoid.

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I was recently at a cache I had already found. Went there with caching buddy who couldn't make it out with me the first time. The cache was gone when we got there. I let him look for it for about 5 minutes and then as he wandered off, I stuck my head in where it should have been and it's gone. It's since been disabled. While we were poking around, another truck pulled up and out come 2 guys with backpacks, computer print outs, GPSr in hand and all. I think "ahhh, fellow cachers." They even stood a few yards away and checked us out. Just as I was about to introduce myself as a fellow addict, one of them announces "here it is!" He then walks over to a historic sign telling about the area. Out from his pack comes a stake with some orange marking tape at the top. He beats the stake in the ground at the base of the sign, adds a posterboard sign at the top of the stake with some tape with some writing on it that I couldn't quite make out. He walks away from the area while his buddy snaps a few digital pics. They pull up the stake, remove the sign, got back in their truck and took off??? Still don't know what game those 2 were playing but they weren't cachers??? :D

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If you're holding a visible GPSr, I don't see why the other cachers wouldn't greet you. We've gotten some blank looks by saying, "Are you looking for the cache?" to people who weren't, but the little yellow eTrex is a dead giveaway.

 

Once, after a geocaching picnic, we were on the trail to a nearby cache, and some people were sitting on the bench where our GPSr was pointing. We walked by, glancing covertly at them -- one of them appeared to be talking on a little silver device. An eTrex Vista, to be exact. Yes, she was doing the my-GPSr-is-a-cell-phone fakeout on other geocachers :ph34r:.

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I was recently at a cache I had already found. Went there with caching buddy who couldn't make it out with me the first time. The cache was gone when we got there. I let him look for it for about 5 minutes and then as he wandered off, I stuck my head in where it should have been and it's gone. It's since been disabled. While we were poking around, another truck pulled up and out come 2 guys with backpacks, computer print outs, GPSr in hand and all. I think "ahhh, fellow cachers." They even stood a few yards away and checked us out. Just as I was about to introduce myself as a fellow addict, one of them announces "here it is!" He then walks over to a historic sign telling about the area. Out from his pack comes a stake with some orange marking tape at the top. He beats the stake in the ground at the base of the sign, adds a posterboard sign at the top of the stake with some tape with some writing on it that I couldn't quite make out. He walks away from the area while his buddy snaps a few digital pics. They pull up the stake, remove the sign, got back in their truck and took off??? Still don't know what game those 2 were playing but they weren't cachers??? :ph34r:

I've heard about a website dedicated to locating, photographing and basically online logging of historic site markers and signs.

 

cant remember the site, but maybe a google will do...

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I was recently at a cache I had already found.  Went there with caching buddy who couldn't make it out with me the first time.  The cache was gone when we got there.  I let him look for it for about 5 minutes and then as he wandered off, I stuck my head in where it should have been and it's gone.  It's since been disabled.  While we were poking around, another truck pulled up and out come 2 guys with backpacks, computer print outs, GPSr in hand and all.  I think "ahhh, fellow cachers."  They even stood a few yards away and checked us out.  Just as I was about to introduce myself as a fellow addict, one of them announces "here it is!"  He then walks over to a historic sign telling about the area.  Out from his pack comes a stake with some orange marking tape at the top.  He beats the stake in the ground at the base of the sign, adds a posterboard sign at the top of the stake with some tape with some writing on it that I couldn't  quite make out.  He walks away from the area while his buddy snaps a few digital pics.  They pull up the stake, remove the sign, got back in their truck and took off??? Still don't know what game those 2 were playing but they weren't cachers??? :ph34r:

I've heard about a website dedicated to locating, photographing and basically online logging of historic site markers and signs.

 

cant remember the site, but maybe a google will do...

I found one Markeroni

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We had a trap set for us by the cache owners while we were hunting a multi- I didn't recognize them, because I was too busy trying to admire the buildup of thunderheads while nonchalantly buzzing by the probable location of the 2nd stage coords (I was trying to be inconspicuous). I was trying not to look directly at the person on the phone.

 

log entry:

 

It was the first time my daughter had ever met another geocacher while out on the prowl. I wasn't expecting to see anyone that evening, since the town in question is small. It was a pleasant surprise, after I got over the initial start.

 

I met two more this past weekend; we were all in the same nature preserve and had all hit up the same new cache at one point or another. I was trying to blend in with the vegetation when the second gentleman came by; he and his son actually didn't see me when they passed by the first time, even though I was basically in plain sight. I think I gave them a start when they backtracked and landed in the same vegetation, only to find me there instead. I got a chuckle out of that one.

Edited by sarhound
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I found a very tricky cache in a little city park and was sitting on a nearby park bench after signing the log book. I was just about to return the contents to the cache container when I saw a man and a boy approaching. I said to myself, "I'll just wait until these muggles walk by."

 

So I sat there watching the ducks, looking as "normal" as I could in that place, at dusk, all alone. When they walked behind me on the path, I heard the man say, "How far is it now?"

 

Oooops! I have the cache contents in my hand. :anitongue:

 

So, I asked if they were Geocaching, and they said "Yes."

 

We had a nice visit, then I had them turn their backs while I replaced the cache contents. After that, I got to watch them try to find it without the cache page, the hint, or the past logs.

 

I finally let the father read the entry in my Palm that helped me find the cache . . . and they went right to it.

 

That was a fun encounter. <_<

Edited by Miragee
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Out from his pack comes a stake with some orange marking tape at the top. He beats the stake in the ground at the base of the sign, adds a posterboard sign at the top of the stake with some tape with some writing on it that I couldn't quite make out. He walks away from the area while his buddy snaps a few digital pics. They pull up the stake, remove the sign, got back in their truck and took off??? Still don't know what game those 2 were playing but they weren't cachers???

I think you might have stepped into a time-slip. They were most likely future waymarkers.

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I went to find an Event Cache once and as I showed up to the site there were tons of

muggles hanging all over the place talking and laughing and would not leave for nothing.

Well needless to say I could not search for the cache without being noticed

so I left with a dnf but on the way home I began to wonder? :anitongue:

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We definitely need some sort of secret sign or password.  I don't always carry my GPSr in a visible location, for various reasons.  Wearing an unobtrusive pin or other bit of gear would help.

We already have one that works pretty well:

 

Rock On Cache (GCK7PY)

 

So from now on we should yell "Geocache!"

 

the reply should be "Gesundheit!" and hand them a tissue. :anitongue:

Edited by Jester2112
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I was recently at a cache I had already found. Went there with caching buddy who couldn't make it out with me the first time. The cache was gone when we got there. I let him look for it for about 5 minutes and then as he wandered off, I stuck my head in where it should have been and it's gone. It's since been disabled. While we were poking around, another truck pulled up and out come 2 guys with backpacks, computer print outs, GPSr in hand and all. I think "ahhh, fellow cachers." They even stood a few yards away and checked us out. Just as I was about to introduce myself as a fellow addict, one of them announces "here it is!" He then walks over to a historic sign telling about the area. Out from his pack comes a stake with some orange marking tape at the top. He beats the stake in the ground at the base of the sign, adds a posterboard sign at the top of the stake with some tape with some writing on it that I couldn't quite make out. He walks away from the area while his buddy snaps a few digital pics. They pull up the stake, remove the sign, got back in their truck and took off??? Still don't know what game those 2 were playing but they weren't cachers??? :anitongue:

SNARF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, I don't know if that was it or not, but check out this website.

 

Do You Snarf?

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This thread is funny to read. Just Sunday we had this happen to us where Turtle Catching Muggles were hanging around. Thinking they were also GC'rs, I asked them if they were geocaching. They just gave me a really blank stare. Summed that up. I guess if you get that look, you might want to just wait them out.

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We definitely need some sort of secret sign or password.  I don't always carry my GPSr in a visible location, for various reasons.  Wearing an unobtrusive pin or other bit of gear would help.

We already have one that works pretty well:

 

Rock On Cache (GCK7PY)

 

So from now on we should yell "Geocache!"

 

the reply should be "Gesundheit!" and hand them a tissue. :anitongue:

thats hilarious!

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We definitely need some sort of secret sign

How's this for a secret sign: a wrap of adhesive tape on the earpiece of our eyeglasses, and

a plastic pocket protector with a 6-inch slide rule protruding from the top.

I saw some cachers this past spring, but didn't initiate any contact because they were a couple of real gomers.

 

I'm working on my level of tolerance. Not up there where it should be, yet. dry.gif

 

Ahhhh, is that what a gomer is??

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I went to a cache called "Lost My Marbles" located in a secluded city park. When I arrivied there were a couple of muggles eating lunch under a picnic shelter. I didn't think much of them and was careful when locating the cache not to give it away. After I signed the log and was on my way back to my truck the guy that was having lunch said "Hey, did you find any of my marbles"? It turned that that he was the one who had hidden the cache. I have met a few other cachers on the trail and always enjoy it.

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I went to a cache called "Lost My Marbles" located in a secluded city park.  When I  arrivied there were a couple of muggles eating lunch under a picnic shelter.  I didn't think much of them and was careful when locating the cache not to give it away.  After I signed the log and was on my way back to my truck the guy that was having lunch said "Hey, did you find any of my marbles"?  It turned that that he was the one who had hidden the cache.  I have met a few other cachers on the trail and always enjoy it.

That is funny! I frequently fish at the park near my cache. I always expect to see someone trying to discreetly look around for it, but never do. Maybe they are waiting at a picnic table for the stupid muggle fisherman to move away from the cache! :unsure:

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Koikeeper picked me up a white construction hard hat. Last weekend we entered a park whose pavillion was filled with picnicers. I put on the hard hat and off we went looking for the 2 caches located in the park. I'm sure we looked official walking around holding our 60Cs. I'm going to put Groundspeak logos on the hat so other geocachers will recognize us .... and Muggles will not have a clue! :unsure: ImpalaBob

 

Oh :huh: Telling anyone you are doing a study on poisonus snakes in the area easily sends them scurrying away from your spot! :D

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We were doing some maintanence on a cache we placed. There was a group of muggles strolling along the trail, back and forth, back and forth, so we were waiting before we put the cache back. Well, it was getting a little warm and one of the muggles took off his jacket to reveal... a geocaching.com T-shirt won at the latest MiGO event! We chatted a bit, they walked farther off, and we put the cache back.

 

I have one of those shirts. I've worn it twice, but it's way too big. If I put it into a cache (not as a trade, just as a give-away) would that be too icky?

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We were doing some maintanence on a cache we placed.  There was a group of muggles strolling along the trail, back and forth, back and forth, so we were waiting before we put the cache back.  Well, it was getting a little warm and one of the muggles took off his jacket to reveal... a geocaching.com T-shirt won at the latest MiGO event!  We chatted a bit, they walked farther off, and we put the cache back.

That is the exact thing I was thinking of. Very funny! :huh: Were they getting frustrated by you hanging around the cache site before it was all figured out?

 

I have one of those shirts.  I've worn it twice, but it's way too big.  If I put it into a cache (not as a trade, just as a give-away) would that be too icky?

 

I do not think I would take a used t-shirt, but a new geocaching t-shirt would be a very cool item (although I do not trade items at caches, so I would not be carrying anything to trade for it <_< ).

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We definitely need some sort of secret sign

How's this for a secret sign: a wrap of adhesive tape on the earpiece of our eyeglasses, and

a plastic pocket protector with a 6-inch slide rule protruding from the top.

Nah... if they WERE cachers, they'd think you were Jeremy!

 

(I usually just wear a CITO tee)

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