Remember When?

[+El Diablo]

Remember when Jeremy would personally answer your emails? How about the first Geocaching hat that went on sale...Green sold out. Or when TB's replaced hitch hikers ??? There is a lot of history that we have been through in a short period of time.

 

I remember my first event. One person showed up.

 

You fill in the next.

 

El Diablo

[+Isonzo Karst]

I remember when you could list a puzzle or bonus cache and have folks email you for coords. And when there was a locationless for benchmarks.

[+sledgehampster]

I remember when the NEAREST caches to me were both 17.9 miles away. Iron Horse -GC89, while Pilcher's Pond -GC302. How about those low GC#s...

Edited March 13, 2006 by sledgehampster

[+Allen_L]

Jeremy approved my first geocache GC569 "The Brushy Mountain Cache" which will be 5 years old on March 25th. And yes Jeremy directly answered a question I had. I also remember when there were only 5 gecocaches within 50 miles of me, now there are 616 active geocaches with that same 50 miles.

[+The Leprechauns]

In 2002, finding 100 caches earned you a forum thread where lots of stories were shared about epic hikes up the sides of mountains and across treacherous swamps.

 

Now, finding 100 caches is called "a busy Saturday."

[Tahosa and Sons]

Can you remember when you could change the type of cache it was. Ok the event is now over and lets make this a ? Cache and keep it going.

[+Runaround]

In order to find the 20 nearest caches to my home coords it involved 3 or 4 solid weekends and 10-15 miles of hiking to find ammo boxes. Some were as far as 50 miles away. None were in parking lots and only one was within .1 miles of the nearest parking.

 

Now the 20 closest caches are less than 2 miles away, can all be found in under 2-3 hours, and might involve a total of .5 miles in walking. Only one is an ammo can. The rest are micro's and small containers. Except for two, the rest are within 100' of the car or less. The two exceptions are about .15 miles from the car.

 

I miss the old days.

[Cape Cod Cacher]

Remember When: cache logs were 2-3 excited paragraphs long? Now it's TNLN, TFTC and some people debate whether "it's worth their time" to even sign on-line.

Mapping software was a road atlas?

The thought of leaving a 35mm film canister in a parking lot and calling it a cache was unfathomable?

Downloading information meant you actually read the cache description.

 

And yes, J approved a couple of my caches.

[robertlipe]

I suppose I qualify as an old timer.

 

I remember when I first found this site in Dec of '01 while looking for information about my first GPS. I recall pulling up the list of nearest caches within 100 miles and being blown away at the thought of navigating to all 89 spots - and that most of those 89 spots sounded genuinely interesting to visit.

 

That same 100 mile circle has 2,859 caches this morning.

 

I remember two names that kept coming up in the logs. There was this JoGPS dude that had some crazy number (100-ish?) of finds, but they were all over the midsouth so I couldn't really tell where he was from, but I was amazed. There was Murrcat that had found 27 of the ones in Middle TN and only in Middle TN, so I knew she was local-ish. On about my second day of caching - in 15 degree weather, and still wearing a neck collar from my spinal surgery the morning of 9/11 - actually bumping in to her in the woods at a cache site. Imaging the odds of meeting somone on the trail!

 

Back in the old days, we didn't have pocket queries. We had three ring binders of printed cache pages.

[+drat19]

In 2002, finding 100 caches earned you a forum thread where lots of stories were shared about epic hikes up the sides of mountains and across treacherous swamps.

 

Now, finding 100 caches is called "a busy Saturday."

 

AMEN!!

 

In order to find the 20 nearest caches to my home coords it involved 3 or 4 solid weekends and 10-15 miles of hiking to find ammo boxes. Some were as far as 50 miles away. None were in parking lots and only one was within .1 miles of the nearest parking.

 

Now the 20 closest caches are less than 2 miles away, can all be found in under 2-3 hours, and might involve a total of .5 miles in walking. Only one is an ammo can. The rest are micro's and small containers. Except for two, the rest are within 100' of the car or less. The two exceptions are about .15 miles from the car.

 

I miss the old days.

 

AMEN again!!!

[+ThePropers]

I remember when a new Walmart could be built and it would be more than a week before there was a micro in the parking lot.

[+clearpath]

Reminiscing about a sport that is only 5 years old? Hell, I've got lent in my bellybutton older than this sport ...

[+StarBrand]

My first hide was out for 7 weeks before being found. Number 2 and 3 were out for over 4 weeks. I had a hide that was 75 miles from the next nearest one (for a while). Within 100 miles of home there were 5 - now there are almost 200. I used to look at Buxley's maps and drool over finding one that popped up 150 miles away that sounded neat. Now I rarely look at anything other than my PQ's and Google earth. A trip to visit my folks 800 miles away included me hitting all 15 or so caches that existed along the route. 30+ of the first 50 I found were in ammo cans. Sigh......

[+drat19]

Reminiscing about a sport that is only 5 years old? Hell, I've got lent in my bellybutton older than this sport ...

Well, I have 2 comments about your post:

 

(1) Yeah, and look how things have evolved in 5 years. Go figure.

 

(2) Lent? I know we're in the middle of Lent right now, but I didn't think your bellybutton was part of the equation.

[+BigWhiteTruck]

(2) Lent? I know we're in the middle of Lent right now, but I didn't think your bellybutton was part of the equation.

 

How belly buttons relate to Lent:

Lent is an observation of Jesus fasting for 40 days in the desert.

Jesus was the third person to be created by God, and the first one to have a belly button.

 

Back on topic:

 

In the almost two years that I have suffered this obsession enjoyed this hobby, caching hasn't changed much, except micros seem to be more and more the norm. There were 500 caches within 42 miles of my home, now there are 500 within 20 miles. My first cache was a micro in a bush near a church that I had been to only a couple weeks prior for a wedding. That first impression spoiled me for a while, and only recently have I come to have a bias towards better caches, like ammo cans in the woods. I hid one micro because there really was no way to hide something better in that spot, and one that was a magnetic sign with log heet on the back slapped to a transformer box because I thought it was clever. My third was a nice ammo can in a good spot in the woods packed with good swag and marked well. All my other hides going forward will be just as good or better.

I also have a much greater appreciation for the outdoors than I had before, and love using maps and compasses as well as my gps. I have made hiking staffs, maps, bought tons of stuff, spent money on things I never would have believed 2 years ago, and spent more time in places I never would have been.

 

So in two years, the sport has not changed too much, but the sport sure has changed me, so there is my evolution of caching.

[+JoGPS]

remember finding 18 caches in 2001 in one weekend in the corner of AR, TN and MS and got three hate email telling me I had cheated saying there was no way any one could do that, times have changed

 

JOE

[+drat19]

remember finding 18 caches in 2001 in one weekend in the corner of AR, TN and MS and got three hate email telling me I had cheated saying there was no way any one could do that, times have changed

That's funny, I have a similar story. In '03, I had my first 2-week business stint in the Twin Cities of MN. I spent every one of my evenings after work caching. I snagged 61 caches over those 2 weeks, evenings only. The local cachers all started buzzing about me on their boards, "Who is this guy from Biloxi and what's he doing getting every cache on this side of town in just 2 weeks?"

 

One local cacher commented, "Geez, you got more caches in 2 weeks than I've gotten in almost a year since I started." Again, this was in '03. The punchline: That cacher now has over 2000 finds. The additional punchline: I don't. (See my post on the Finally Playing How I Want thread for more on that.)

Edited March 13, 2006 by drat19

[robertlipe]

I was only asked to produce gas receipts once.

That was back in the days when 120 finds (solo, thank you very much) required plane tickets and a long weekend.

 

(At least four times I've gotten on an airplane with the sole intention of caching my destination.)

[+9Key]

The thought of leaving a 35mm film canister in a parking lot and calling it a cache was unfathomable?

No kidding!

Just had my 4 year anniversary Saturday and celebrated by finding *one* ammo can cache. Went home and had a beer.

 

~~~~

I remember JoGPS making a cache run through Dallas and we all thought he was a sock puppet since no one could find that many caches in a weekend (50 maybe?). I even went to check the logs on a couple of my caches.

Edited March 13, 2006 by 9Key

[vagabond]

I remember the first day I went caching in San Diego County,I had to drive 30 miles to the nearest caches

and spent a funfilled morning in Penasquitos canyon doing 2 caches. And meeting a group of cachers on my first cache. And then not being able to cache for a month on the account of rain, and my 2nd caching trip drivng about a 100 miles round trip to do six caches that took all day

6 monthes later going to our first get together in San Diego County

[+wimseyguy]

I guess 3.5 years qualifies me to add to this thread. I remember when events only had 15-20 attendees and you knew everyone there, and who was going to be there. Last night I attended one about an hour from home along with at least 60 others, and knew maybe 30% of the cachers there. I think it's great that so many new players are discovering this great sport.

I remember when the forums were full of sincere, decent requests for help or advice, and so were the replies; and the threads weren't full of gripes and complaints. I've heard that other websites promise only fantastic high quality caches will be listed-but I haven't seen the advantages of going elsewhere to play.

[+JaySTE]

This guy approved my first cache which will be 5 years old in a few months. I plan on returning to it this year to celebrate it's fifth birthday by replacing the container with something more robust like an ammo can.

Back when I placed this cache, I would get caches more than 20 miles away showing up on the first (and only) page of results.

 

JayST

Edited March 13, 2006 by JayST

[+Moose Mob]

This thread made me realize that it was 2 years ago today that I found my first geocache.

 

Happy Birthday to Me!

[+Night Stalker]

I remember being 10th on the list of the most caches found in one day with 26. It took more than 14 hours. we started when it was dark and found the last 3 caches by flashlight. It also including driving 250 miles.

 

I also remember that when I had problems finding caches the cache owners would email me clues without my requesting them. Back then the owners wanted you to find their caches. I also remember finding caches that did not have Mctoys in them.

 

[+CYBret]

I found my 100th cache 1 year to the day after I found my first. And that was considered pretty quick.

 

I remember the day both BruceS and CCCooperAgency hit their 1000th. That was a pretty big deal back then.

 

I remember my first pocket queries had about 230 caches in them. I remember when I had to finally stop storing all my old finds on the GPS along with the new caches.

 

I remember when PQ's finally got up to the full 500 here and one day--after a heavy caching trip--my next PQ only turned up 498.

 

I remember finding my first micro...it was months after I had started caching and I thought it was a very unique idea.

 

Bret

[+sbell111]

When I started, there were three caches within 30 miles of me. One was already destroyed but still listed. One is still in place. I remember how exciting it was when a new cache was placed in the area. I think this anticipation is what drove my quest for the numbers early on. I've since become burned out and don't cache very often. I blame it on my accident, but the truth is, I was slowing down before my wreck. Interestingly (or not), I did not turn into a 'cache snob'. For me its about when I'm in the mood to go geocaching, not about searching for the elusive 'good' one. If I'm in the mood, I'll go find the nearest one to wherever I am.

 

I used to cache obsessively whenever I went out of town. Now, I rarely cache when I'm on the road.

[+briansnat]

The top 10 cachers in the world in Dec. 2001 (two months after I joined):

 

Show Me the Cache 296

erik 274

denali 266

CCCooperAgency 238

stayfloopy 234

Gumby&Pokey 231

bunkerdave 228

Dhobby1 220

bent_twigs 213

BruceS 213

 

And there were only 59 cachers with 100 or more finds at that time.

 

25 caches in a day generated a Forum thread with some posters who were indcredulous at the thought.

[+Renegade Knight]

My days fall short of old timer. The first generation of cachers had paved the way by leaving caches and then quitting soon after us second generation cachers came along. A few of them came back when there was finally something for them to do.

[+CYBret]

25 caches in a day generated a Forum thread with some posters who were indcredulous at the thought.

 

I remember this thread quite well.

 

I know SlvrBack. He still doesn't believe it can be done.

 

Bret

[+Markwell]

<old timer voice>

 

First event I hosted in 2001 (one of the first events) 70 people showed up.

 

I had a pre-travel bug hitchhiker. My first hitchhiker is ID=232 - and he is WELL traveled.

 

My first big multi hunt day was August of 2001. I was happy that I found a group of 8 that could be done in a single day in a huge loop around Chicago. At the end I said I hoped that there would be 8 more to do the next time I wanted to. Now I think there are 8 within 3 miles of my house.

 

I remember when I could read every thread in every sub-category.

[+The Leprechauns]

I remember back when Markwell knew every forum thread, and guided countless newbies to learn the ropes by answering questions and helpfully referring them back to prior discussions.

 

Good to see that *some* things haven't changed!

[+W7WT]

I remember giving detailed information on how to get to my cache site and then would send a e-mail to every finder thanking them for visiting my cache. Also when I was able to find three caches in one day. Boy that was great. Dick, W7WT

[gm100guy]

I remember when I posted a picture of the area of my second cache in 2001 and Groundspeak staff thought it was a great view from cache by looking at the picture.

 

gm100guy

[+vesole]

Well, I started in Aug of 01 started as Papaw and Caleb, unfortunately for me he's gotten older and now has more interests like girls, xbox ans ps2(still caches with me a little just to keep an old man happy) we even found some caches in Tennessee before Joegps because there were no more in the Huntsville, Al to find. We'd found all three and placed one. I remember when Joegps showed me paperless caching and wow has that taken off

 

I remember how proud Caleb and I were when we finally passed Chevy 406 for the # 1 spot in Alabama with 142 caches found that's after a year and a half of caching.

 

I frequently cache with Keymaker now but he has in excess of 3000 and I just passed 1170. I hate to see the numbers only type caches but I do understand them and as Keymaker says any cache is a good cache.

 

I even have a ftf in the UK this is truly a great sport, met lots of great people and it's very addictive so

 

Keep on Geocaching

[+mtn-man]

I remember back when I wasn't considered an old timer.

 

 

Boy, that was a long time ago.

So many caches. I remember most of them. I have seen some beautiful places.

 

I look forward to the next five years. I'll be a dinosaur at that time.

[+carleenp]

I remember back when I wasn't considered an old timer.

 

 

Boy, that was a long time ago.

So many caches. I remember most of them. I have seen some beautiful places.

 

I look forward to the next five years. I'll be a dinosaur at that time.

 

I remember when I was a newbie and we didn't have a local cache reviewer because Nebraska had only around 200 caches total and this really experienced and nice person called Mtn-Man listed my cache.

Edited March 14, 2006 by carleenp

[+Markwell]

What a co-inky-dinky that this thread was started on the fifth anniversary of my first cache find.

[+El Diablo]

What a co-inky-dinky that this thread was started on the fifth anniversary of my first cache find.

 

Going off topic on my own thread.

More importantly, this is the 5th year that you've been a great part of Geocaching. Through out the years you've been a teacher and a steward of this game/hobby/sport. Thank You!

 

El Diablo

[+CYBret]

I remember when I was a newbie and we didn't have a local cache reviewer because Nebraska had only around 200 caches total and this really experienced and nice person called Mtn-Man listed my cache.

 

I remember when people used to think Carleen was a guy named Carl Neep.

 

Bret

[+W7WT]

I remember back when I wasn't considered an old timer.

 

 

Boy, that was a long time ago.

So many caches. I remember most of them. I have seen some beautiful places.

 

I look forward to the next five years. I'll be a dinosaur at that time.

 

STOP THAT KIND OF TALK!! You are beginning to make me feel old.

 

Dick, W7WT

[+Deermark]

I remember when Show Me The Cache was the world leader with 239 caches and I thought he was an animal. Of course he still is an animal.

 

I remember when I put in my zip code and the last cache on my first page was almost 100 miles away.

 

I remember when almost all the caches were in the woods.

 

I remember when my nephew Kepnfit used to sit in my backseat with a lap full of maps to help me navigate the backroads of Indiana.

 

I remember when Daggy and I put out a puzzle cache. We called it a puzzle cache because it contained only puzzles.

 

I remember going to Nashville, TN and Daggy found 78 in one day and she was the leader in the world for caches found in a day. That lasted about 2 weeks. She found 2 more than me that day because she was a premium member and I wasn't and we did two members only caches.

 

I remember when it tooks hours to plan a caching trip because I would try to transfer the cache location onto a paper map for easier navigating. I would also put the printed pages in order to make it easier to goto the next one.

 

I remember hitting my 1000th at GeoWoodstock One.

 

I remember people looking at me like I was stupid when I told them about Geocaching. Well they still do that now don't they.

 

I loved the old times but the present isn't too shabby either.

 

Deermark

[+wimseyguy]

I remember when Show Me The Cache was the world leader with 239 caches and I thought he was an animal. Of course he still is an animal.

Actually we thought he was some eccentric homeless guy the first time we met him. It was at the ferry landing in JAX a few days before GW3, and when we started looking for this cache some guy starts talking all kinda crazy stuff to us and keeping us from really looking for the cache; but only for a few minutes.

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

I can remember when using a cell phone to contact a fellow cacher for a hint while you were at the cache site was unheard of. I can also remember when 'tele-caching' was just considered bad form. (Of course, I still think it is.) It seems to be the norm in some places now.

 

Keep on Caching! - Kewaneh

[+Moose Mob]

3/13 was my 2 year anniversary of my first find. Does that qualify me as an old timer?

[+Allen_L]

3/13 was my 2 year anniversary of my first find. Does that qualify me as an old timer?

Nope

[+Ambrosia]

I'm old enough to not remember most things anymore.

 

What were we talking about?

[+4leafclover]

I remember when Show Me The Cache was the world leader with 239 caches and I thought he was an animal. Of course he still is an animal.

Actually we thought he was some eccentric homeless guy the first time we met him. It was at the ferry landing in JAX a few days before GW3, and when we started looking for this cache some guy starts talking all kinda crazy stuff to us and keeping us from really looking for the cache; but only for a few minutes.

 

I like SMTC. He's a sweet guy.

[+Geo Dee]

I remember JoGPS making a cache run through Dallas and we all thought he was a sock puppet since no one could find that many caches in a weekend (50 maybe?). I even went to check the logs on a couple of my caches.

I think it was 63 finds that weekend. I drove and Joe directed. They were honest finds, too. My only contributions were to tell Joe which caches were overrated, underrated or easy multis. And about 10 of those finds were new for me so I was a happy camper.

[+fizzymagic]

3/13 was my 2 year anniversary of my first find. Does that qualify me as an old timer?

3/16 is my 4th anniversary, and I don't consider myself an old-timer.

[Nudecacher]

I remember when Nudecacher was worth multiple topics in the forums instead of just a passing comment.

 

Nudecacher