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Is It Getting There Of The Find For You?


klenger

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I like to hike/walk/cycle for exercise. I've just started Geocaching to provide some additional interest to the activity, but for me, it's getting there that's important, not the find. That being the case, I try to avoid driving up to a cache site, jumping out, finding it, and moving on. I will walk/hike the long way to get there or walk between caches just to make it a more interesting trip.

 

What's your motivation?

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depends on the situation,,bad weather,bad back,in a hurry,have small kids with you,any number of health problems an you like a park an grab also a small micro at a place your going to eat or shop is fun..i guess thats why they make so many different kinds of beer,everyone has different tastes.no complaints with park an grabs here,just look on the map first if you want to avoid these....

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:PWe were out in the freezing rain this last Saturday grabbing all that we could - got @ 50 finds, a bad cold and lost a lot of sleep . . . for SMILIES, you bet!

 

Exercise, that's okay. Caching with friends, that's great! Being up & out in the weather from 3:30 AM until 1:00 AM is fantastic. It's about the numbers, the fun, the comradery and the insanity - you gotta be nuts . . . we are :blink: !!!!

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As the saying goes, "Half the treasure is the hunt, half the treasure is the find."

 

The adventure is what I enjoy most, especially when you push yourself to limits that you haven't acheived before.

 

On my 700th find, I made a 7 mile round trip hike to a 9399 foot peak, complete with 2800 feet elevation gain. The hike itself was one of the best treasures I have ever experienced, while caching.

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I like what folks show me.

 

What interested me in geocaching is the world that I didn't know about. There were so many things I never knew about and I doubt I'd ever see without geocaching. There are some absolutely fascinating places that aren't well advertised. Great history. Great views. Great places to just sit and reflect.

 

And it's not always about the physical that is already there. Sometimes it's the adventure created by someone as pure entertainment. Tube Torcher is the best cache we've ever done that was in this genre of caches. A couple of locals do some excellent ones as well.

 

The only time the hide really comes into play is the finding, retreival, and replacement without muggles catching on. I like caches that are hidden within feet of where hundreds of folks pass every day. Caches that, if they knew about it, they could just reach out and grab it. IMHO, the reason you hide a cache is to hide it from muggles. Then the challenge is to see if you can find it. Creating a tricky hide where it wouldn't be discovered by muggles even if it was a blaze orange 55 gallon drum is just flat-out lame.

 

So, I guess I can say it's both the journey and the destination the drew me, and keeps me, caching.

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The adventure of it all.

 

I am just a gadget geek at heart and the whole idea of this is an adventure. Wether I am using computer maps and programs to create a route, hiking to the cache, searching for that evasive well hidden one - or just looking for a place to park - it is all fun to me.

 

Exploring new places and finding tupperware along the way - just doesn't get better than that.

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The seeking and the places it takes me are why I geocache, which is why I often avoid the caches that are near duplicates - after visiting a few parking lots or stainless steel lampposts where I don't even have to get out of the car, I get a bad case of deja vu no matter what marvels might be in the container.

Edited by ikim & noj
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It's all about the experience, whatever that may be. I really, truly enjoy caches that take me to neat places, scenic views, historical locations, etc. They're always appreciated. However, if I'm out caching with friends, I don't mind doing the "lame" caches - parking lot micros, caches in the middle of nothing interesting, etc. because i'm with friends, and regardless of how lame a cache might be, we're still having a good time. If I'm by myself, I usually stay away from the urban micros or really lame, high-muggle area caches. I just don't like them. But if I'm with a few others, there's a "safety in numbers" factor that kicks in, and it's not as big a deal. So it all depends on the cache and who I'm with. As long as I'm having fun, that's what matters.

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I enjoy the hunt most right up until I spot the cache.

Retrieving the cache and signing the log is rather anti climatic for me.

(Unless the retrieval is part of the "puzzle")

I enjoy the online community aspect of the cache, so signing is a must, otherwise I would probably go on to chase butterflies and rabbits once I spotted the cache.

One of my favorite poem is The Spell of the Yukon, by Robert Service. I think most geocachers could relate to this one. I love the line, "Yet it isn't the gold that I'm wanting, So much as just finding the gold."

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I just started in November. My initial motivation was curiosity. I already hike a lot, for the excercise. A few days ago, I did a night multi-cache where you had to find reflectors with coordinate digits. (One of them turned out to be missing :o). I was standing still for a long time, so the next day my back hurt.

 

Since I started I've found many hiking spots near my home that I've never been to. Now my motivation is to explore my own backyard. I would also like at least 1 FTF. B)

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Having been at this a couple of years now, and having seen a couple thousand caches in 19 states, I am always amused and excited when one surprises me with something - cache or hunt, that I haven't encountered. Thankfully, many do!

 

Further, I can honestly say that I have met very few caches - maybe 5 - that I didn't like in some way, and even less cachers!

 

What I did discover a long while back is that, for me, this game is all about the people!

 

I love geocachers! As a whole this game is played by a diverse and interesting crowd that has some commonalities - a certain psyche seems to be drawn here, whatever it is it has provided me endless pleasure meeting and caching with folks from all over.

 

I haven't cached alone in a year, yet I cache 3 to 4 days a week!

 

Yesterday 3 of us did 19 caches in a small town I had never heard of 60 miles from here...a lovely drive through the forest, caches both traditional and micro at great places, discovered a scenic forest recreation area where we'll host a winter campout - altogether a wonderful day with geocaching friends - you simply can't beat that!

 

To truly enjoy the game I highly recommend, to those who like people at least, becoming involved in your local geocaching association (or starting one if one's not close), attend their events and the events in surrounding states. Soon you'll have a pool of friends you can reach out to anytime you want company on the hunt!

 

Merry Christmas to all!

Ed

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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