Winter Caching

[+Roving Rangies]

Does anyone else have the same problem as we are having.

 

We have 3 caches out in the countryside, one a farm location, one on a byway by a wooded bird sanctuary, and one caahe at another wooded bird santuary.

 

I lived in London for many years before moving to the countryside...Yes! the place that has unrestricted mud everywhere and not in cultivated gardens...Anyway, it seems that although the caches are placed very near by good tracks, people have a problem with mud! (Not deep welly loosing stuff, but surface mud)

 

Does anyone else have problems with the stuff, or is it me being me?

[+kbootb]

Not sure what problems you have, but it was a very slippery surface mud today. I had a few 'ice rink' moments and can feel a few twinged muscles.

[+macroderma]

It was OK today - all the mud was frozen

[+Roving Rangies]

I think people should realise that mud becomes hard dried dirt and dust in summer, but due to the nature of the rain falling on it and the absortion of water, it turns readily to mud, surface mud or otherwise. I mean to say, are we in the depth of winter?

 

If someone caches in the winter months, in the countryside, then they should except that mud is out there ready to get them, in some form or the other.

 

Should a message of this "cache has mud in winter" be put on all countryside caches?

[+adambro]

I would have thought that anyone who goes out into the countryside in winter would be expecting to find some mud.

[+Moote]

Mud and Winter, will I never would have thought that!

[+plymplodders]

Much prefer knee high mud to working out puzzle caches.

 

Pete

[+Stuey]

Much prefer knee high mud to working out puzzle caches.

Oh I don't know.... They each have their merits

 

Countryside = Mud (sometimes)

Town = Pavement (sometimes)

 

It's a funny old game, lol

[team tisri]

Sounds like you just need to add a note saying "might be muddy". I've given up on a couple of caches because they were muddier than I was prepared for (although they did warn of mud I thought I'd be OK in my summer-weight trainers).

 

There's always a few people who will complain about anything.

[adrianjohn]

I like my hidden caches to have mud at any time of the year!!!!

[+dysdera]

Never liked mud much, always prefered slade.........whatever floats your boat I guess!

[+Alice Band]

We need mud! Like most 6 year old boys my son magnetically attracts mud. I dont feel I've been out caching without a ton of mud in my hallway

A local cache to me says "Please bring your finest disposable walking boots if wet"

[nobby.nobbs]

if it's in the country and people are suprised to see mud then they shouldn't be allowed out unaccompanied!

 

saying which care should be taken placing as if it's really muddy at a cache site then excess erosion will take place due to all the extra traffic to and from the cache.

[+Just Roger]

Having lived in the country all my life the only ***TROUBLE*** I've ever had with mud while caching is on two occasions, both of which were ploughed fields over which the footpaths had not been re-instated as they should have been.

 

My wellies live in the boot of the car all winter and I almost automatically put them on for any non-urban cache.

[+Kitty Hawk]

Never liked mud much, always prefered slade..

Tiger Feet was OK, but on the whole I agree.

 

I went out to do a cache yesterday becuase I thought it would be muddy, it wasn't muddy enough - nothing that would give a 7 year old much fun anyway, he was after a welly losing experience.

Edited January 29, 2006 by Kitty Hawk

[+kbootb]

Locally there are two areas that do merit an extra warning on mud.

 

Firstly it's on the edge of London - so bear in mind most people go for a walk in the forest in their finest slingbacks. To be serious this is often city dwellers first foray into the great outdoors and they are simply not prepared for what they will be walking through.

 

Secondly the local geology of London clay etc results in 'springs' which create completely knee deep mud. However, it's not always visible as the water is coming from underneath. So it's completely covered with leaf fall. You can be walking along quite happily and suddenly, next step, no solid ground and you're up to your knees. This is all at the top an area about a hundred feet higher than the surrounding ground. Of course, us experienced cachers will note the change in vegetation and never be caught out like that

[+Laughalot]

I did this one last year and had great fun with mud and sludge - Catch Cromwell Jump Jump - it's a great cache to do and some of the logs make interesting and entertaining reading. (sorry don't know how to get it to be a link)

 

Laughalot []

[+kbootb]

Quote from my cache description.

 

Park at the head of Flash Lane at N51º 40.375 W 0º05.662 in Strayfield Road. Don't try driving along Flash Lane, there is no parking. The walk along Flash Lane has good GPS reception all the way but pretty muddy in winter.

 

And from one of the logs

 

Parked in Flash Lane for this one, but blimey it was muddy thought the car would get stuck driving back up the hill!!

 

Need I say more?

[+Learned Gerbil]

I think that a bit of common sense is needed. There are several caches near me in the London Suburbs only a few hundred yards from houses which are very muddy despite being in maintained parkland. Clearly they need some mud warnings as unlkess yo uwere familar wit hthe area close to the cache you wouldn't know. Real rural caches would seem to be a different matter.

[+Nellies Knackers]

I sometimes make a comment about the mud level in logs but would not expect anything different out and about in the countryside,after all we couldn't live without the stuff.

[adrianjohn]

Went out to put one of my caches back in place after giving it some TLC this evening, you should have seen the state of my boots when I got back to my car. If anyone else had been wearing them I would have made you walk home. Mud, I cold hardly lift my feet at one point.

[+BareClawz]

Having been raised in the country mud is a way of life.

Having lived in London for several years I prefer walking in the mud, those pavements are too dangerous for me. The slightest distraction and you can guarantee thats where the pavement will be uneven and a trip hazzard!

At least with mud you know where you stand, or sit.

 

*. .* Clawz

[+mafiu]

Well I thouroughly enjoyed the blistering muddiness of the cache I did yesterday, so did the kids. I put that it was muddy in the logs, but that wasnt a complaint.

 

It was uncomfortably cold as well. Maybe the owners should put that on the cache page (When the temperature is low, you may well get cold doing this cache..)

 

There was a problem with the mud though, I spent so much time cleaning it off all the boots this afternoon I didnt get chance to go out on a cache

 

Maf

[+Woody's Wanderers]

It's not just 7 yr olds who love mud! This 35 yr old still loves mud and gets told off for leading our lovely white dog astray!

 

In the London suburbd you have dual problems - London Clay (which makes the best mud!), or chalky high ground (which is deadly when wet!)

 

The world is now divided into 2 types of cacher (like there are 2 types of cyclist!) -

 

Geocachers and;

 

Fair weather cachers!

 

If you can't stand the mud, stay out of the country (or wait till the summer). No bother, as long as you love caching.

Edited January 30, 2006 by Woody's Wanderers

[+rufty tufty boys]

Out cacheing with Littlest RTB wouldn't be the same if he didn't find some mud to fall in (funny he seems to be able to stand up the rest of the time.

 

But before you all smirk consider the "dangers" identified by the H&S People:

 

If it can happen to a postie it can happen to you!!!

 

 

 

Edited due to really poor typing

Edited January 30, 2006 by rufty tufty boys

[+Roving Rangies]

Out cacheing with Littlest RTB wouldn't be the same if he didn't find some mud to fall in (funny he seems to be able to stand up the rest of the time.

 

But before you all smirk consider the "dangers" identified by the H&S People:

 

If it can happen to a postie it can happen to you!!!

 

 

 

Edited due to really poor typing

There are rules and concerns in everything, but even wrapping someone in cotton wool could be fatal! Next it will be dangerous to breath...hang on? I think it is already. Well not to breath anyway, as this can cause DEATH!

[JackiePenn]

What this boils down to (and other silly caching quirks of this nature) is that Geocache listing are screaming out for an additional attribute under the Special Equipment section....

 

"Average IQ or above with a dose of common sense - REQUIRED - NOT REQUIRED - N/A"

Edited January 30, 2006 by stonefisk