Mo Department Of Conservation

[+JohnTee]

After recently placing a geocache White Oak Trace, having my FTF and having it pulled by MODC, I'm exploring some new ideas with the MODC Staff at the Nature Center. (Before anyone jumps on the 'new geocacher' for not getting permission to place a cache . . . permission was obtained from the park superintendent where the nature area is located. Turns out the nature area within County Farm Park is itself is under MODC jurisdiction.)

 

The reason my cache was pulled is that it required the geocacher to make a short jaunt off the trail to the cache and they are very exacting in adhering to a 'stick to the trail' usage. They are otherwise very interested in placing geocaches on the nature center grounds as it could draw people to the area that might not otherwise visit the center. It would also be an additional use of the facilities and they are definitely about encouraging use of MODC areas. With that in mind, there are two avenues we were exploring on the phone.

 

The first is possible locations along the trace that WOULD NOT require the geocacher to leave the trail to find the cache. They are going to look along the trace to see if they can find any possible cache locations. Does 'muggled' come to anyone else's mind? They are open to the idea of something like a 4x4 post with a geocaching labeled lock box mounted along the trail. Clues within the nature center could lead the geocacher to an acceptably placed micro on the nature center grounds, that would contain a combination for the lock box. Another idea would be something like a puzzle cache with a piece of PVC, requiring water, magnet, motor, etc. to reveal a micro.

 

The second avenue is doing some handicaches along the loop of trail that is handicap accessible. Some of the same ideas could be used there.

 

They are also willing to assist with the cost of placing caches.

 

So . . . if anyone has other ideas that would allow placement along the trail, require a GPSr at some point and be muggle-resistant, I would appreciate your thoughts, either in the forum or to my e-mail. The trace is very large and would support multiple cache placements that would still fall under the 580 foot rule.

 

Hmmmm, guess I'll have to do some reading to see how the 580 foot rule applies regarding multi-stage caches. For practicality reasons, may have to have first stages relatively nearby each other, or the handicaches . . .

 

JohnTee

 

One thing at at time. I'll get my special use permit filled out, go visit them and go from there.

[+The Leprechauns]

1. For a relatively plain-language summary of the Cache Saturation Guideline, a/k/a the "528 foot rule" (not 580), see this post in the pinned FAQ thread. There, you will learn that the cache saturation guideline does not apply to stages within the same multicache. You can have two parts of the same multicache 150 feet apart... just keep them away from other caches, and stages of other multicaches.

 

2. In my experience, land manager policies that require caches to be accessible from the trail, or to be within 20 feet of a trail, tend to lead to more damage to the environment by geocachers. This is because everyone will tend to approach the cache using the exact same route. In contrast, if a location 100 feet off the trail is approved by the land manager, odds are that no two geocachers will leave the trail at the exact same point, nor follow the exact same path to ground zero. Fewer social trails = better for the environment.

 

3. In my experience, locked containers in plain sight are too attractive to muggles, particularly of the "male under the age of 18" variety. "Oooh, a locked box in the middle of nowhere. I must open it." Bad idea, IMHO.

 

4. If there is concern about leaving the trail, I'd recommend multicaches that rely on clues gathered along the trail, leading to a final container at the park office. The geocacher would have to present a correct answer card to the park ranger in order to score the logbook to sign. Or, the clues lead to a combination of a locked box just outside the park office -- a spot less prone to muggling.

 

Good luck with your project.

[+Renegade Knight]

Caches along a trail, especially a paved trail in a highly visited park have the issues both you and Lep noted.

 

The key one being Mugglebait. They can be hidden if the trail isn't the garden variety boring trail that most are. It's hard to find great spots.

 

Having said that Lep's #4 solution is probably a good way to make a unworkable trail into something more than just a boring cache on a post. There needs to be some sort of hide or quest involved. Walking up to a post and your GPS saying zero just doesn't sound like fun. Besides it invokes Lep's #3.

[+JohnTee]

Lep and Renegade,

 

Thanks for your input. That's the kind of thing I was needing.

 

I'll have to play with the idea of clues, multi-stages and a final micro cache that has the combination for a lock box by the front of the nature center. I also like the idea of a correct answer card to sign a log.

 

JohnTee