Cache Quandary

March 28, 2006

I've been out of town on a camping/fishing trip and returned home late this afternoon. Checking my e-mail I see a number of cachers were out this weekend grabbing the 3 new caches I placed in the 3 Lakes area. I noticed several DNF's on my The Hobbit Hideaway cache. Reading further I see a group of cachers were out and DNFed it and made a temporary ziplock bag cache. Another cacher was kind enough to replace the bag with a real cache.

After reading all this I ran right over to check on the cache and the 50 cal ammobox is in it's original location not 12 inches away!......Hidden much better, but happily still there. What would you suggest I do? This is the first time I've had a cache replaced then multiple people find and log it. Should I delete all the logged finds? Delete only the ones that signed the ziplock bag or just let it slide? The ones that found the replacement container really had no clue as to what was going on. One did comment how the 50 cal box turned into a Lok-n-Lok.

I found it funny that so many did the cache and not one found the ammobox. It was literally 12 inches away. The replacement cache I guess was too easy to find!.......LOL

March 28, 2006

That's too funny! I think I'd just remove the "new" cache and let all the logs slide. (maybe move the old one 12 inches )

Now you have a brand new ready made cache to hide! Not to mention a great story!

March 28, 2006

Ah shoot, GeoRoo!!

I was with the Lajoie5 crowd caching around on Saturday. We were at the Panther Lake cache when we got cold busted by a couple of cachers, w/ the ammo can on the ground and the kiddlets all going over the swag. Although we were embarrassed about our lack of stealth we did take the time to make a couple of new friends - and that's where this whole 'dilema' started.

You see, they had already been to the Hobbit's Hideaway and told us it wasn't there and that other cachers, in the area, that they had talked to said the same thing. So, my friend Janna volunteers up the Ziplock bag (and logbook??) which was all that we had between us.

I'm sorry, GR, that we replaced the cache - but at the time I remember feeling a bit of community pride that between us and the nice cacher with the locknlock we "fixed" your hide until you were able to do it properly.

It's true what they say about hindsight isn't it??

Sassy

2.7k · March 28, 2006

Wow. Inmywoods and I fouind the loc n lok. We thought that was funny since the cache page mentioned an ammo box. We'll go back to the lake and put our log in the real cache next time we are in the area which will be soon since we want to do some fishing.

March 28, 2006

YA! Dittos what EGH! said. Next time we're in the area we'll find and sign the proper logbook.

Left - apologies for replacing a cache not missing.

Took - valuable caching lesson. Just because they didn't find it, doesn't mean it's not there.

March 28, 2006

Funny you posted this GeoRoo. I just had a similar issue with a cache of mine. It seems that months ago someone put a logsheet inside a zip lock bag and placed that near a cache of mine. The actual cache was a bison tube. Well, obviously a zip lock bag is easier to find so over the last few months everyone found the bag, signed the logsheet, even added some loot. Finally, someone complained that it wasn't up to my usual standards so I went out and checked on it and saw the original cache without a single signature since last summer. Serves me right for making a guardrail cache a little tricky to find I guess. It was just one post down from the bag but hidden so no one saw it.

I just posted a note on the cache and took away the bag. Never considered deleting the zip lock bag finds. It's all about the journey not the destination for me.

2.8k · March 28, 2006

Funny you posted this GeoRoo. I just had a similar issue with a cache of mine. It seems that months ago someone put a logsheet inside a zip lock bag and placed that near a cache of mine. The actual cache was a bison tube. Well, obviously a zip lock bag is easier to find so over the last few months everyone found the bag, signed the logsheet, even added some loot. Finally, someone complained that it wasn't up to my usual standards so I went out and checked on it and saw the original cache without a single signature since last summer. Serves me right for making a guardrail cache a little tricky to find I guess. It was just one post down from the bag but hidden so no one saw it.

I just posted a note on the cache and took away the bag. Never considered deleting the zip lock bag finds. It's all about the journey not the destination for me.

I just logged the first 'cache' thingy I found...LOL...

I'll go back and sign the real one tomorrow.

March 28, 2006

Funny you posted this GeoRoo. I just had a similar issue with a cache of mine. It seems that months ago someone put a logsheet inside a zip lock bag and placed that near a cache of mine. The actual cache was a bison tube. Well, obviously a zip lock bag is easier to find so over the last few months everyone found the bag, signed the logsheet, even added some loot. Finally, someone complained that it wasn't up to my usual standards so I went out and checked on it and saw the original cache without a single signature since last summer. Serves me right for making a guardrail cache a little tricky to find I guess. It was just one post down from the bag but hidden so no one saw it.

I just posted a note on the cache and took away the bag. Never considered deleting the zip lock bag finds. It's all about the journey not the destination for me.

Same for me. I was curious what others thought. I know it's been brought up before how geocaching ethics have gone downhill. I know the ones that signed the temp. ziplock bag and then the replacement cache were within 12 inches of the real cache, so that's close enough for me. I have 60 plus caches out there and I'm afraid I've been shirking my responsibility and haven't been checking the logs the way I should. I'd be curious if any cache owner ever check their logs?

I do appreciate the efforts and speedy replacement of my cache though.....LOL When I saw it reported missing I thought....dadgum, wasn't even out a week and a 50 cal box gone to some kid sneaking around in the woods. All 3 of those caches are in very muggle prone areas, so we'll see how long they last. I know the one on Flowing Lake is in a very high traffic area. That one you are at a disadvantage if you don't fish or have kids with you.

Edit, I don't normally say dadgum!......Can I say dam if I live by a dam?

Edited March 28, 2006 by GeoRoo

March 28, 2006

Funny you posted this GeoRoo. I just had a similar issue with a cache of mine. It seems that months ago someone put a logsheet inside a zip lock bag and placed that near a cache of mine. The actual cache was a bison tube. Well, obviously a zip lock bag is easier to find so over the last few months everyone found the bag, signed the logsheet, even added some loot. Finally, someone complained that it wasn't up to my usual standards so I went out and checked on it and saw the original cache without a single signature since last summer. Serves me right for making a guardrail cache a little tricky to find I guess. It was just one post down from the bag but hidden so no one saw it.

I just posted a note on the cache and took away the bag. Never considered deleting the zip lock bag finds. It's all about the journey not the destination for me.

I just logged the first 'cache' thingy I found...LOL...

I'll go back and sign the real one tomorrow.

Don't worry about going back out and signing the real log. I'm far enough out that there isn't much caching to do other than my caches around here. Unless you want to stop by for a visit or do some fishing.......

March 28, 2006

I would like to make a public appology. I have already sent a personal message to GeoRoo. I'm SO embarrassed! I hated the thought of a new cache being muggled and with the other 2 in the area, I knew people would be looking for the 3rd. WOW, that must be some hidey spot, we looked just to confirm (incorrectly!) it was missing and then set up a temporary.

I will head out promptly and resign.

I hope the gesture is taken in the spirit it was offered.

SO SORRY!

Lajoie 5

March 28, 2006

I will head out promptly and resign.

I understand your feeling of embarasment and offer this word of encouragment. We all make mistakes. We are human afterall. If everyone who made a mistake had to resign, there wouldn't be any one left to play this game. Learn and do differently next time. Keep at it and go out and have fun. Just don't give up because of an honest mistake.

March 28, 2006

oops, another mistake ... re-sign

5.9k · March 28, 2006

<sigh>

March 29, 2006

<sigh>

March 29, 2006

Never mind

Edited March 29, 2006 by Wienerdog

March 29, 2006

Hmmm

Edited March 29, 2006 by Wienerdog

March 29, 2006

Bad Hair day

Edited March 29, 2006 by Wienerdog

5.9k · March 29, 2006

EDIT

Edited March 30, 2006 by Criminal

5.9k · March 29, 2006

EDIT

Edited March 30, 2006 by Criminal

March 29, 2006

I had a similar thing happen to one of my caches.

1.3k · March 29, 2006

oops, another mistake ... re-sign

You are a wimp. Name the time and place.

I might be gone a few days... but I will meet you head on anytime. Next week ...Friday?

I don't care if you beat me into the ground (which you won't) I won't let you.

I just know my friends will be there to support me whatever the out come may be. That's all that matters...... friends... do yoiu have any?

Decide on the place... it must be Seattle. I will be there.

Affer April 5th.

Ready....lets go you little criminal!

I'm confused, what are you talking about?

RUMBLE!!!

OK, who wants to submit the event cache?

/Just trying to ease the tension in here.

//Let's not go all "main forum" in the NW people.

1.5k · March 29, 2006

In all fairness, it should be known that Criminal edited out all of WD's points in the post he quoted. If he had left it complete, it would have eliminated all "confusion" about what WD was "talking about".

1.7k · March 29, 2006

Bull, you will make a great JUDGE. I may not be around by the time you have a gray beard and will be wearing a black robe, but I know you will make it. You are one of the truly NICE

people. No, this is not a paid commercial. Dick W7WT

March 29, 2006

I apologize for posting what I did. It was off topic and not an appropriate place for this kind of thing.

March 29, 2006

In all fairness, it should be known that Criminal edited out all of WD's points in the post he quoted. If he had left it complete, it would have eliminated all "confusion" about what WD was "talking about".

Then let WD repost them and if they don't want to then let it drop and let them work it out off line if they want to.

5.9k · March 29, 2006

In all fairness, it should be known that Criminal edited out all of WD's points in the post he quoted. If he had left it complete, it would have eliminated all "confusion" about what WD was "talking about".

Excuse me?!?!?! I edited nothing, I pressed the reply button so what you see is what was posted in the one I replied to. The others were edited by the only person aside from a mod that could edit them.

March 29, 2006

:lol: Okay... it's my fault that this happened. I apologized to Criminal both on this thread and by apersonal email. I usually try to be positive on the forms. I am sorry I reacted the way I did.

Can we please just drop it? Out of respect for the person that started this thread. It's a good topic.

March 29, 2006

Okay with me and now back on topic.

:lol:

GeoRoo - I got a laugh out of it when I first read about your quandary. In my humblest opinion I’d notify the ones that signed the wrong log just to let them know what had happened and let them decide what to do about it. If they chose to not go back and sign your log then so be it, we all play the game in our own way. Thanks for keeping an open mind about it. :huh:

March 29, 2006

They did not sign the logbook in the cache. Delete the posts and tell them to try again. Be nice, but for a "find" I thought you had to sign the logbook in the cache. Not place another cache just because you did not want to log a DNF.

I'm heading back to "Kill this Post". I always show up after the action.

1.4k · March 29, 2006

2.8k · March 29, 2006

They did not sign the logbook in the cache. Delete the posts and tell them to try again. Be nice, but for a "find" I thought you had to sign the logbook in the cache. Not place another cache just because you did not want to log a DNF.

I'm heading back to "Kill this Post". I always show up after the action.

Ummm...wrong.

I did sign a log book in a cache that I found at the correct location (OK, 12" from the correct location). The fact that it was a replacement cache for one that someone thought stolen is what is in question, if I'm not wrong.

Now, having said that, I changed my 'find' to a 'note' the instant I knew it was the wrong book and I'll only change it back after I go back and sign the real log.

Thanks for your... never mind, self edited because this post has enough OT enough already

3.8k · March 29, 2006

I want to know how the OP hides an ammo box so that folks can't find it when the are 12 inches from it. I need that cammo technique.

2.8k · March 30, 2006

I want to know how the OP hides an ammo box so that folks can't find it when the are 12 inches from it. I need that cammo technique.

He's a dasterdly fellow, that GeoRoo...wicked! Evil! :unsure:

March 30, 2006

I've been away for some time (military tdy), but this seem like something fun to drop my .02 on and make my return to the forums, I hiked to the top of Skyline ridge in the middle of winter (wearing snowshoes as well) for some of GeoRoo's caches, I did not find one but thought I was at the right spot, I emailed him and I was close, but none the less I did not find the cache and was not given credit for a find. I think it’s great that you all "found a cache" but realistically it was not the one you were seeking. For that matter I could really drive my numbers up if I took a plastic bag and log book with me everywhere I went. I bet I could reach a 1000 in no time. But alas as you can see from my stats numbers don’t mean a whole lot to me. So to summarize no you should not get credit for a cache you did not find.

1.7k · March 30, 2006

But if you are traveling through how would you know that the cache you found was not the original planted by the owner. We will be traveling from Bremerton, WA back to Illinois this summer and will cache on the way to and on the way back. We will have some 250 caches we will look for. I am sure that in some of our travels we may have found the wrong cache but I never go back through to check. If it is a local cache then I would probably try to correct it. Dick, W7WT

March 30, 2006

But if you are traveling through how would you know that the cache you found was not the original planted by the owner. We will be traveling from Bremerton, WA back to Illinois this summer and will cache on the way to and on the way back. We will have some 250 caches we will look for. I am sure that in some of our travels we may have found the wrong cache but I never go back through to check. If it is a local cache then I would probably try to correct it. Dick, W7WT

That is my point as well and just because someone doesn't agree with how I play the game doesn't mean I have to play by their rules, if the cache owner is okay with it then to me that is the final answer.

Having said that I would do like Allanon did, change it to a note till I had the chance to find this apparently evil hide.

After reading how people were only a foot away from an ammo can and not see it I really want to do this one now.

March 30, 2006

We're new cachers and learn alot about caching by reading in the forums. Some stuff TODO and lots of stuff NOT to do, but what I'm getting from this thread in particular is:

Friends don't let friends replace caches.

I'm going to go out this afternoon and re-SIGN the cache logbook in question - until then mentally subtract one from my numbers. What do I care anyway?? I cache for the journey, but some of yuze are a bit more about the numbers than you like to admit, methinks.

1.7k · March 30, 2006

We're new cachers and learn alot about caching by reading in the forums. Some stuff TODO and lots of stuff NOT to do, but what I'm getting from this thread in particular is:

Friends don't let friends replace caches.

I'm going to go out this afternoon and re-SIGN the cache logbook in question - until then mentally subtract one from my numbers. What do I care anyway?? I cache for the journey, but some of yuze are a bit more about the numbers than you like to admit, methinks.

Of course NUMBERS count. On your profile page you say "Personal Best: 33 caches in one day

achieved 12/26/05." You are to be congratuated on that. Best my wife and I ever did was 17 in one day from Bremerton to Astoria. But I would guess we are twice your age. Dick, W7WT

March 31, 2006

Wow, looks like I missed all the fireworks! I appreciate all the comments. I think all of the cachers involved have either contacted me with plans of redoing the cache or have changed it to a note. I think it's clear that the majority of cachers don't scrutinize every single numbered find to the nth degree. Like Stump said in an earlier post.....it's the journey not the destination

Defender1, if you want to log my Skyline View cache go ahead. Your buddies both did, so if you saw the cache and couldn't retrieve it I have no problem with that. If memory serves me your e-mail didn't give me any indication you had found it. If I'm mistaken by all means log it.

2.8k · March 31, 2006

Wow, looks like I missed all the fireworks! I appreciate all the comments. I think all of the cachers involved have either contacted me with plans of redoing the cache or have changed it to a note...

I visited the site again today and found the ammo box. Much more hidden than the replacement cache was...very clever!

Then I went and visited the one at Lake Roesiger. :grin:

March 31, 2006

We're new cachers and learn alot about caching by reading in the forums. Some stuff TODO and lots of stuff NOT to do, but what I'm getting from this thread in particular is:

Friends don't let friends replace caches.

I'm going to go out this afternoon and re-SIGN the cache logbook in question - until then mentally subtract one from my numbers. What do I care anyway?? I cache for the journey, but some of yuze are a bit more about the numbers than you like to admit, methinks.

Of course NUMBERS count. On your profile page you say "Personal Best: 33 caches in one day

achieved 12/26/05." You are to be congratuated on that. Best my wife and I ever did was 17 in one day from Bremerton to Astoria. But I would guess we are twice your age. Dick, W7WT

Actually, I'm glad you asked about that Dick. I'm terrible about keeping our profile page up to date. There has been on at least three occasions that we have bested that 33 caches in a day. Currently, our personal best is 48 caches in White Rock. But see, numbers matter less to us than the FUN that caching is so I can barely be bothered to keep the numbers current. Also, add 3 possibly 4 to our FTF's - can't keep those numbers current either.

In truth the real reason we/she/I replaced the precious cache had more to do with the current Hermit's Quest for Gold and less about being able to accept the horrors of a DNF.

I'm just sayin, In case anybody cares for the facts instead of broad assumptions.

:grin:

7.3k · March 31, 2006

We're new cachers and learn alot about caching by reading in the forums. Some stuff TODO and lots of stuff NOT to do, but what I'm getting from this thread in particular is:

Friends don't let friends replace caches.

I'm going to go out this afternoon and re-SIGN the cache logbook in question - until then mentally subtract one from my numbers. What do I care anyway?? I cache for the journey, but some of yuze are a bit more about the numbers than you like to admit, methinks.

Of course NUMBERS count. On your profile page you say "Personal Best: 33 caches in one day

achieved 12/26/05." You are to be congratuated on that. Best my wife and I ever did was 17 in one day from Bremerton to Astoria. But I would guess we are twice your age. Dick, W7WT

Actually, I'm glad you asked about that Dick. I'm terrible about keeping our profile page up to date. There has been on at least three occasions that we have bested that 33 caches in a day. Currently, our personal best is 48 caches in White Rock. But see, numbers matter less to us than the FUN that caching is so I can barely be bothered to keep the numbers current. Also, add 3 possibly 4 to our FTF's - can't keep those numbers current either.

In truth the real reason we/she/I replaced the precious cache had more to do with the current Hermit's Quest for Gold and less about being able to accept the horrors of a DNF.

I'm just sayin, In case anybody cares for the facts instead of broad assumptions.

Well, now. Actually in light of these new facts this whole issue suddenly starts to make sense. That's almost worse than it being a numbers issue.

9.2k · March 31, 2006

That's a shame that you'll lose a day's place in the game because you did not find the cache you submitted to fulfill one of the entry requirements. But, it's all about having fun, right?

March 31, 2006

Well, now. Actually in light of these new facts this whole issue suddenly starts to make sense. That's almost worse than it being a numbers issue.

Fine, I'll take that. I don't mind being hated as long as it's for the right reason.

<sigh>

7.3k · March 31, 2006

Well, now. Actually in light of these new facts this whole issue suddenly starts to make sense. That's almost worse than it being a numbers issue.

Fine, I'll take that. I don't mind being hated as long as it's for the right reason.

<sigh>

I never said that I hated you. :grin:

March 31, 2006

I never said that I hated you.

I'm sorry, Ambrosia, I didn't mean you. I meant the people worried about the legitimacy of my numbers.

That's a shame that you'll lose a day's place in the game because you did not find the cache you submitted to fulfill one of the entry requirements. But, it's all about having fun, right?

Whatever. I've never played before and I made a mistake. Wouldn't be the first time, but thanks for being a peach and reminding me.

9.5k · March 31, 2006

Reminds me of a hot potato game played a couple years back...

March 31, 2006

Reminds me of a hot potato game played a couple years back...

I thought we were never to speak of that again. :grin:

2.8k · March 31, 2006

...What would you suggest I do? This is the first time I've had a cache replaced then multiple people find and log it. Should I delete all the logged finds? Delete only the ones that signed the ziplock bag or just let it slide? The ones that found the replacement container really had no clue as to what was going on...

...I think all of the cachers involved have either contacted me with plans of redoing the cache or have changed it to a note. I think it's clear that the majority of cachers don't scrutinize every single numbered find to the nth degree...

how about...since the original question has been answered...this thread gets locked and we move on?

7.3k · March 31, 2006

I never said that I hated you.

I'm sorry, Ambrosia, I didn't mean you.

OK.

Edited March 31, 2006 by Ambrosia

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