What To Do?

[+teambeener]

Here's the situation: About a wk and a half ago, I went to find a multicache (GCPNRD) that had a couple of tbs that had languished for a couple of months. Plus I wanted to trade a DVD. I posted a DNF on my first trip b/c I couldn't find the first stage. I went back again last wk and spent another hour looking. When I still couldn't find it, I posted a note that though I by no means considered my lack of finding it an indication that it for sure was gone, perhaps it may have gone missing. It looked like the area had been recently mowed and a lot of brush cut away.

 

I got a couple of emails from folks (not the owner) providing me hints. Then I got one from someone who had found it previously and gone to check and had confirmed that the first stage was indeed missing. I also got a note from one of the TB owners who said it would be awesome if I could somehow find their stuck bug and get it moving again. THEN, I got an email from somone who told me they could supply me w/ the correct coords to the second stage, thus allowing me to bypass the first one altogether.

 

I have sent a couple of emails to the cache owner indicating that the first stage has been confirmed missing and asking for the coords to the second, but no replies.

 

My question: Should I take the coords for the second stage, do the cache, rescue the bugs and trade a DVD, or do I need to wait for permission from the owner? I haven't told the owner about access to the coords for the second stage, as I'm not sure how he'd feel about that. However, now that I've alerted him that the first is missing, he'd certainly know if I all of a sudden found the rest of the stages.

 

So what do I do?

[+briansnat]

My question: Should I take the coords for the second stage, do the cache, rescue the bugs and trade a DVD

 

Go ahead and rescue the bug. Leave it up to your conscious whether you should log a find or just a note.

[+sept1c_tank]

Go to the cache and log it with a note explaining your actions and rescue the bugs, if that's really what you want to do.

 

Personally, If I went to the cache myself, I would log it as a find; I know there are those who will scream cheating and integrity.

[nobby.nobbs]

i'd go along with the previous, you've trie your best and so i'd miss out stage one and use the given co-ords then log as find. not like you're doing it from armchair. you are going out to find it.

[4wheelin_fool]

I haven't told the owner about access to the coords for the second stage, as I'm not sure how he'd feel about that. However, now that I've alerted him that the first is missing, he'd certainly know if I all of a sudden found the rest of the stages. 

You dont have to hide your actions from the owner. Do what you feel is best, and post a find, communicating exactly what you did, and why. If the first part is indeed missing, I dont think he will mind you skipping it. The worst scenario is that he might go out and check the first stage and find it is still there and ask that you change your "find" to a "note". But I doubt that would even happen. Go save the bugs.

[CoyoteRed]

I'm not going to get into the nuances of simple coords in the environment versus hideous puzzles, but one solution is to implore to one of the geocachers who has found it to retrieve the TBs and either move them along or hand them off to you.

 

See, this gets the hikers moving and allows you to wait until the cache is repaired.

 

Some folks might say, "well, it's no big deal to get the coords what were written on the first marker from someone else." That may very well be. I wouldn't have a problem with it. But what if the first stage is a really hard puzzle to figure out before you can move on? Someone just giving you the answer would be cheating. I mean, other folks had to figure it out, why shouldn't you? Doesn't matter if it's not available right now.

 

Okay, those two are fairly clear cut, but where do you draw the line? See what I mean?

 

That's where the alternate solution comes in.

 

Ultimately it's up to you and how you feel about it. If you feel it's alright to get help from a previous finder, then that's what you'll do. If not, I've provided at least one solution so you can still achieve your goal.

[ATMouse]

Part of the issue here for me is that you've tried to contact the owner and gotten no reply. It's a game - it's your part as cache owner to make sure all the pieces are in place.

 

It is the cache owner's responsibility to check on missing sections of his/her cache. I've gone spastic when I've gotten a DNF on a cache of mine when I can't run right out and check on it.

Edited November 16, 2005 by ATMouse

[magellan315]

Go for it. I've rescued more than my share of travel bugs who have been stuck in caches for extended periods of time. I do it because I hope that someone would do it for me if it was one of my TBs.

[+teambeener]

Thanks! Given what I know about the stages of the cache and the reason for its name, I think it'll still be cool to do the rest of it and I'm certain that there is no puzzle associated w/ it. So I'll be doing it and posting a note (once again) to let the owner know that the first stage is gone.

[ParentsofSAM]

We have done this cache. The 3rd stage we could not find the first 2 times we looked for it. We never heard back from the owner before we found it on our own with a hint from another cacher. We have emailed the owner about a couple of his other caches and sometimes it takes a while for him to back to you (he travels for his job). We do not have the coords fro the other stages, so sorry we can't help you there. But the final cache is a neighbor to this one GCKA6Q. Good Luck finding this one...it is pretty cool.

[+Yamahammer]

You've done all the work. You rec'd no help from the owner or anything else for that matter. Go get the TB's and log it as a find. Get your smiles on .