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What Was Your Favorite Find?


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There are a lot of good caches I've done, but there's one that really stands out - the Thousand Steps Cache in Pennsylvania (GC59AF)

 

Basically the hike consists of a walk up the side of a mountain on more than 1000 stone steps that miners put in place decades ago so they could get to work. Once you get to the top, there are just awesome views where you can see for miles. This is one of the definitive Pennsylvania caches, and is on at least 8 "favorite caches" bookmark lists. On the way you pass an old building used by the miners and a number of signs explaining the history. It's really an excellent place to go, and it's a workout getting to the top, but once you're there it's breathtaking. Truly a perfect place for a cache! When I did the cache, I went with (I think) 9 other people, as it's much more fun when done with others.

 

Picking just one cache as the "best" is hard (and I have a bookmark list of my favorites) but this one truly stands out as something unique and very rewarding.

Edited by DocDiTTo
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It's all about location for me. I love to see something fascinating, or at least unusual. I'm relatively new yet, but my favorite so far is "Scattered Remains", (GC331A) a world wars era DuPont gunpowder facility with a history of at least 3 deadly explosions and a lot of structures still standing. And... fire hydrants... in the middle of the woods. Darndest thing I ever saw! What's not to like there?

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Location is a very important element, it's hard to beat a cache that brings you to a scenic vista or secluded waterfall, etc. But once there I enjoy a cache that uses the existing elements of the enviroment to conceal it . Piling a bunch of sticks over an ammo can just doesn't cut it for me anymore.

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In my opinion (not anyone else's and I'm not forcing my opinion to be the opinion of anyone else), there are some characteristics that make a cache a good experience:

  • A decent hike (>=0.25 miles) in a sparsely populated area
  • Nifty little-known history
  • Great scenery
  • Unusual hide (suspended in a tree, on an island that you have to canoe to)
  • Thought-provoking puzzle
  • Cool camo or really neat container
  • Long history of being at that spot (old cache that's been around for a long while)
  • Good theme (and people are sticking to it)

Any one of these characteristics on a cache, and I'll think it's pretty cool. Combine a few, and it scores more points. But if it doesn't have a single one of those characteristics, I'll be asking myself why I was brought here. If I have to ask myself that, I would think the cache was disappointing.

 

As for my favorites - I've got a bookmark list in my profile...

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I've found a lot of good ones. One that really stands out is the NY/NJ Multi State Multi Cache. Its a fairly long (depending on your approach, between 6 and 10 miles) hike over some beautiful, rugged terrain with outstanding views.

 

Right behind that is Edisons Dark Rock. It has several elements I enjoy. History and challenge. Its hidden at the site of Thomas Edison's 1890's iron mining operation. Lots of historic, overgrown foundations and the cache itself is in a narrow mineshaft, cut deep in the hillside. Being claustrophibic, that was a major challenge for me.

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In my opinion (not anyone else's and I'm not forcing my opinion to be the opinion of anyone else), there are some characteristics that make a cache a good experience:

  • A decent hike (>=0.25 miles) in a sparsely populated area
  • Nifty little-known history
  • Great scenery
  • Unusual hide (suspended in a tree, on an island that you have to canoe to)
  • Thought-provoking puzzle
  • Cool camo or really neat container
  • Long history of being at that spot (old cache that's been around for a long while)
  • Good theme (and people are sticking to it)

Any one of these characteristics on a cache, and I'll think it's pretty cool. Combine a few, and it scores more points. But if it doesn't have a single one of those characteristics, I'll be asking myself why I was brought here. If I have to ask myself that, I would think the cache was disappointing.

 

As for my favorites - I've got a bookmark list in my profile...

Interesting test, and as valid as any I've seen before. Just to check its validity, I reviewed the top 8 caches singled out in my "Greatest Cache Hunts" bookmark list (see link below). Four of the eight top caches had three of these characteristics, two caches had four, and two caches had five of Markwell's eight characteristics. Those two caches are both here in the Pittsburgh area. :o

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That is a really tough question to answer. There have been many, many fine caches.

 

Two that really stand out are: Behind the Sun in central Indiana (GCGQVP) and Light It Up in Kenosha, WI (GCMMQJ).

 

Behind the Sun is a favorite because it had a great atmosphere. The entire area was fascinating with much to see and explore. Light it Up was part of a multi-day caching excursion (after visiting my beloved in-laws) that included a side trip to Racine for Kringles and another side trip to find Ghost Stories: Resurrection Mary in the Chicago area.

 

Both are micros, the hide was not particularly difficult on either one. They took me to fascinating places that I would never have gone if it had not been for caching. That is the one thing that "makes" a cache for me, I think--seeing something that I would have overlooked otherwise.

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My favorite was the site of a wrecked B-23 bomber in the mountians north of Boise.

 

It had most componants that make for a great cache. Decent hike in, fantastic scenery, big ol container with quality swag, wildlife, a landmark at the end rich in history and I did it with a great group of cachers.

 

What more could a guy ask for?

 

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As much as I am a stickler for following rules, regulations and guidelines, my favorite cache violated all of these (and was archived therefore). It required hiking about ten blocks on an abandoned (though still private property) elevated rail line. Sliding on one's belly under barricades was probably clue enough. (And, yes, there are several web pages devoted to the adventures of hiking here.) Oh, well. After more than 780 finds, this was still my favorite cace!

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It varies.

 

After a bad day of caching with numerouse skunks and where we are tired and thirsty it's nice to end the day on a Walmark micro. We get a find to end the day on a positive note, then get to stop in for a beverage to sate our thirst.

 

However caches in cool spots, or a scenic hike (8 miles in sage brush isn't any more fun than a quarter mile) or a cool thought provoking technical hide that had us scratching our head. Sure we will hate it until we find it, then we will appreciate the inspiration that went into it. Sometimes like BadAndy noted it's not the cache, it's who you are with.

 

I can't give you a set rule on what makes a great cache any more than I could tell you what makes a woman attractive because there is so much worthy variatin and just when I think I see a pattern something else from outside my experience comes along and makes me smile.

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We are newbies, but my favorite so far is Smoke On The Water (GCJK3P)

We were visiting from out of town & wouldn't have even seen this park if we hadn't been caching. It was a nice secluded spot so muggles weren't a problem. The co-ords were dead on. There was no doubt the hide was there, but boy did we have to use our brains & keep our wits about us to find this. And when we did......... It was awesome!! :unsure:

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So far it would have to be Cary Mountain (GC6114) cache. This multi-in-the-mountains takes you up steep ascents, through deep woods, over streams and to glorious drop-offs. Wildlife everywhere you look and beautiful scenery from four points of the mountain and all along the trails. Well planned and placed caches with a final cache full of quality swag and great logs. What more could you ask for other than another cacher to share it with? B)

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While I am quite new at this it seems to me that it is all about location. Wal-Mart parking lot micro's just do not do it for me. I like a cache that is somewhere that you would not see otherwise. Some place that people will say "Wow that was such a cool location." Thats all i need.

 

Scare Force One

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We have found some outstanding caches but there was this one experience for us that i'll never forget. Here are some of words that i would use to describe it,,, cold, wet, tired, miserable, frustrated, skeeter bitten, dumbfounded, i could go on but i won't. Here's the weird part, after close to a thousand caches later, it's still my favorite cache of all! B)

 

Kincade Lake

 

By the way, this cache has at least 4 of Markwell's good cache quality attributes as well! :ph34r:

Edited by Mudfrog
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I too do bookmark lists of favorite caches. Some are in great places, some are challenging, tricky ,clever hides, some are ordinary caches logged as milestones or logged in special circumstances. Lots of things make a cache a favorite.

 

So far the all time favorite is The Journal Finding it required about 9 hours in the field, 9 miles of hiking, multiple puzzling and it's in a beautiful location. What more could you want. :rolleyes:

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Markwell's list is fits my criteria to a tee.

 

 

My first found cache was a fake piece of dog excrement (still memorable for me.)

 

My favorite hike to caches:

Find # 600 Burnt Offering

Find # 700 Scouting's Highest Honour - Mt. Baden-Powell

Best puzzle cache and find #800 The Dragonfly Scroll.

 

I also have a bookmark of caches that fit my criteria, but I'm not able to seek them at this time. Here are a couple of examples

 

GC6B91

GC1169 (Project Ape Cache)

GC6B2

GC83C6 Anasazi Ruins

GCB41 Wild Horse Homelands Confluence

GCGG27 Cool Place (learned about the hunt for this location in the forums) Oregon Hell Hole

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My favorite find is GCQFZ3 where we found a 6 month German Shepherd puppy that had been left behind. My wife and I had made a picnic lunch that day and we ended up feeding all of our sandwiches and our water to the puppy. She was very sweet and crawled into our laps when we sat down at the table. We had no way of taking her anywhere so we called animal control and they picked her up. I called them a couple days later to see if they were going to adopt her out. They said that they didn't adopt to the public and if nobody claimed her in 5 days she would be put down. We couldn't allow this to happen because she was so sweet and playful so we picked her up and now we have our very own geo-hound! Her name is Henrietta. She recieved a clean bill of health from the vet and she is doing great and seems very happy.

fa427147-5921-48ce-9f39-9747a7122b32.jpg

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