Jump to content

I Am A Complete Idiot.


Recommended Posts

I got my first ever FTF tonight. The cache itself was no problem whatsoever. I opened the cache. Signed the log and traded travel bugs.

 

And then I went to put the cache back. This is where the problem started.

 

I couldn't find the lid for it. I looked on top of the small logs in the area. I checked all over the ground. I checked in my pockets. I checked in all the little hidey holes to see if I placed it in there, and the holes on the ground to see if I kicked it in there. No luck whatsoever.

 

The only fortunate thing is one of the travel bugs was in a large Ziploc bag so I could seal the cache in that and replace it in a manner somewhat safe from the elements.

 

Could someone please post a story of greater foolishness so I don't feel so dumb?

Link to comment

A story of greater foolishness, per your request:

 

One of the first caches I ever hunted was located in a town park (the ONLY cache located in that park), about a half-mile from the parking lot. I parked my car, walked to GZ, found the cache, signed in, packed up the cache and re-hid it.

 

I returned to my car, started it up and was prepared to take off when I realized my GPSr was missing. <_<

 

A walk back through the park netted the realization that I had put it IN the cache container. <_<

That's not even the best part. I had initially taken the cache pen.

 

I never admitted that until now. Can you imagine the log?

Took: pen

Left: GPSr

 

:mad:

Link to comment

I started what was supposed to be a relaxing caching afternoon with my daughter. Despite the problems with new roads not being in the Map sourse data base we found the cache, OK even if we went in the back way, we found a trail out that required no bush bashing and should have cut down the "Spider" alarms. Unfortunately the trail turned into a quagmire. Cat, with me as always, headed straight into the goo and sunk up to her snout. she wiggled out only to sink to her belly several times. Kym and I are were meanwhile working along the side staying high and dry,..until she let out a squeal because she had a spider on her shirt. I turned, too quickly, lost my footing and joined Cat in the foul smelling viscous ooze that filled the center of the trail. I landed in the pushup position preserving most of my clothes and none of my dignity, and I thought "not so bad" then I remembered I still had the GPS in my right hand.

Caching cut short, laundry made long. I'll be down by the washer.

Link to comment

:laughing:

Mine's rather tame, but sticks with me every puzzle cache I do:

 

So I set out immediately after doing my first ever pocket query for new caches. I spot one near a nice lookout over Portland with no finds and plug in coords, jump in the Jeep and drive 30 minutes to the site. I get out as the sun was still up...and left well after dark. I searched every spot my GPSr took me, poked in bushes, looked under benches, peered over railings...the whole nine yards. There were easily 10-20 people on and off for the whole 2 hour escapade, and none were searching for a cache.

 

There was a reason for this...

 

I gave up, drove home, and got the gc.com site up. Went to the cache page, and, yes, you guessed it...it was a puzzle cache. I dodged muggles for 2 hours, just for a FTF on a cache that wasn't there. I must have looked mad as a hatter...with the looking high and low, lurking near the steps, checking around corners...and all with my eyes trained on a bright yellow device in my hands.

 

Most embarassing was having to tell my better half why I was gone for 2 hours looking for a cache that wasn't there, and my haste to get my first FTF without going out prepared...at all.

Link to comment
I had initially taken the cache pen

 

Yep, done that a couple times. Of course it's not until you walk a good distance away that you realize that it's in your hand.

 

Then it's setting all your stuff down including your gps to search a wider area, just to have another hunt looking for that exact spot.

Edited by BlueDeuce
Link to comment
I had initially taken the cache pen

Yep, done that a couple times. Of course it's not until you walk a good distance away that you realize that it's in your hand.

i always have a pencil on me. i rarely, if not never use the pen/pencil in the geocache. my pencil always rests on my right ear, and only comes down when i'm signing a log. (there is in fact a groove in my right ear formed around where a pencil should go.) the fun part is when i accidentally leave the pencil at the geocache-- almost the inverse of you'se guy'ses problems. you have to understand, i get really anal when i don't have a pencil on me. i have gone back to cache sites to pick up my pencil...

Link to comment

For a battered and bruised ego... and leg... and elbow... DH kids and I were on our first "more than 3" cache trip in our local area. 6pm, close to dinner and my daughter telling me it was time to go home, we decided on "just one more". After all, it WAS on the way home. It was off a closed road. DH got out and couldn't find it. I took the GPS and searched a little farther and found it under a downed log. Now you have to understand the road is a mountain road, on the edge of the mountain.

 

After we signed the log and the chitlins had done their swag trading, I took the cache back to the hidey spot. Hm, I thought, fastest to go OVER the log to replace it. I didn't realize that the dirt on the other side of the log was very soft and loose. I slid 8 ft down the side of the mountain, putting twin 18" furrows on my left thigh off a branch and hit my elbow on another log on the way down. (DH had no clue what was going on as he was parked beyond the road closed sign.) Climbed back up, headed home, cleaned up a bit then 45 minutes down the mountain to urgent care to get checked out. Nothing broken surprisingly, but I still have the impressive scars on my leg.

 

The worst part was standing in the living room, waiting for DH to take me to urgent care, cradling my injured elbow, blotting the blood dripping down my leg and having my 5 yr old DD tell me: "See Mom, you should have listened to me!" :(

Link to comment

I got my first ever FTF tonight. The cache itself was no problem whatsoever. I opened the cache. Signed the log and traded travel bugs.

 

And then I went to put the cache back. This is where the problem started.

 

I couldn't find the lid for it. I looked on top of the small logs in the area. I checked all over the ground. I checked in my pockets. I checked in all the little hidey holes to see if I placed it in there, and the holes on the ground to see if I kicked it in there. No luck whatsoever.

 

The only fortunate thing is one of the travel bugs was in a large Ziploc bag so I could seal the cache in that and replace it in a manner somewhat safe from the elements.

 

Could someone please post a story of greater foolishness so I don't feel so dumb?

:lol: deet-a-dee :ph34r:

Link to comment

A story of greater foolishness, per your request:

 

One of the first caches I ever hunted was located in a town park (the ONLY cache located in that park), about a half-mile from the parking lot. I parked my car, walked to GZ, found the cache, signed in, packed up the cache and re-hid it.

 

I returned to my car, started it up and was prepared to take off when I realized my GPSr was missing. :huh:

 

A walk back through the park netted the realization that I had put it IN the cache container. :blink:

That's not even the best part. I had initially taken the cache pen.

 

I never admitted that until now. Can you imagine the log?

Took: pen

Left: GPSr

:blink:

 

Well at least you traded up. :blink:

 

There are truly great stories here. I have got to come up with a story of my own.

 

Jim

Kc8bdr

Link to comment

I spent half an hour last night solving a six part puzzel cache. Got up early this morning (I work nights) and drove 20 miles to find the cache. my trusty etrex took me to within 20 feet - of the parking cords I loaded in instead of the cache cords. I was so peed off at my self I went home and mowed the grass as a punishment. Cladius.

Link to comment

I went for two caches one day when I didn't have all day to search. I found the first one after a lot of bushwacking, then went after the second one hoping to finish pretty quickly because I was running out of time. I found it, signed the sheet of paper and left. When I got home to log the finds on the site I realized the second one was actually a multi and not a micro as I had thought. Oops...

Link to comment

Just last weekend I had my own taste of being a complete idiot. Since I was pretty familiar with how to get to the general area of the Geocache I decided to stash my GPS receiver inside my bag until I arrived at the designated parking spot. Confident with my plan I stepped out of my vehicle, reached inside my bag, and quickly disovered that my GPS receiver was still sitting at home the entire time! <_<

Link to comment

Had a couple of DNF on one of my caches (now archived) I left the house armed with a replacement cache (if needed), telling my better where I was off to.

Drove the 5 miles to the area, walked to the cache location and spent 30 mins looking for the tree the cache was hidden in, I couldn't locate the tree!!!

Returning home, I stormed thru the livingroom towards the computer and gps, wife looked up and started to say something, but I cut her off by saying "Don't say a word!"

Armed with the gps and info for the cache, I headed for the door muttering to her as I passed " Can't believe I can't find my own cache!"

Link to comment

Had a couple of DNF on one of my caches (now archived) I left the house armed with a replacement cache (if needed), telling my better where I was off to.

Drove the 5 miles to the area, walked to the cache location and spent 30 mins looking for the tree the cache was hidden in, I couldn't locate the tree!!!

Returning home, I stormed thru the livingroom towards the computer and gps, wife looked up and started to say something, but I cut her off by saying "Don't say a word!"

Armed with the gps and info for the cache, I headed for the door muttering to her as I passed " Can't believe I can't find my own cache!"

 

I had that happen once too! Fortunately, the gps was in the truck a short walk away. :P

Link to comment

I started what was supposed to be a relaxing caching afternoon with my daughter. Despite the problems with new roads not being in the Map sourse data base we found the cache, OK even if we went in the back way, we found a trail out that required no bush bashing and should have cut down the "Spider" alarms. Unfortunately the trail turned into a quagmire. Cat, with me as always, headed straight into the goo and sunk up to her snout. she wiggled out only to sink to her belly several times. Kym and I are were meanwhile working along the side staying high and dry,..until she let out a squeal because she had a spider on her shirt. I turned, too quickly, lost my footing and joined Cat in the foul smelling viscous ooze that filled the center of the trail. I landed in the pushup position preserving most of my clothes and none of my dignity, and I thought "not so bad" then I remembered I still had the GPS in my right hand.

Caching cut short, laundry made long. I'll be down by the washer.

That is a good story and a laugh.:anitongue:

Link to comment

I was up a steep hill (~ 60% grade) and my daughter was down below on the trail wanting to do a trade so I had to bring the cache down to her. She was about 40-50 ft below me. I was coming down and decided at one point to toss this ammo box about 3 ft lower past a tricky spot onto a nice soft pile of pine needles. The cache landed on the needles but didn't stop. It took off like a rocket down the hill rolling.... and rollling... there's the trail... oh it still didn't stop there... rollling... ooo.... rollling... nothing, no sound. I eyed were it was and came down. Daughter was not concerned about the hard metal object that flew past her to the bottom of the gulch. I brought it back up to the trail. The coffee mug that was wedged inside didn't even crack. :anitongue:

Link to comment

Lost my work pager on a lunch time cache. At least I *think* I lost it out there. Multi stage cache with bushwhacking over some really hilly terrain and waist high grasses. Looked around for it but this would be like finding a needle in a hay stack.

 

Naturally the pager is on "silent" mode. The really weird part is, the holster went AWOL too.

Link to comment

My most embarrassing moment happened just three days ago, when I was hiding my latest cache. I found a likely looking patch of tall grass, thick enough to conceal the cache along the side of a small footpath. Happily concealed the cache, marked the coords on the GPS, and carried on exploring the area. I found an even better place in short order, and decided to move it...

 

I quickly realized just how many likely looking patches of tall grass there were within a twenty foot circle, which was the accuracy rating on my GPS at that point. I hadn't stepped away more then 500 feet, and less then five minutes before... but it still took me nearly ten minutes to find my own, newly hidden cache!

 

I rehid it.

Link to comment

My most embarrassing moment happened just three days ago, when I was hiding my latest cache. I found a likely looking patch of tall grass, thick enough to conceal the cache along the side of a small footpath. Happily concealed the cache, marked the coords on the GPS, and carried on exploring the area. I found an even better place in short order, and decided to move it...

 

I quickly realized just how many likely looking patches of tall grass there were within a twenty foot circle, which was the accuracy rating on my GPS at that point. I hadn't stepped away more then 500 feet, and less then five minutes before... but it still took me nearly ten minutes to find my own, newly hidden cache!

 

I rehid it.

 

That ain't no biggie. I can sit down a pencil 1 foot away then have to spend 5 minutes looking for it.

Link to comment

Lost my work pager on a lunch time cache. At least I *think* I lost it out there. Multi stage cache with bushwhacking over some really hilly terrain and waist high grasses. Looked around for it but this would be like finding a needle in a hay stack.

 

Naturally the pager is on "silent" mode. The really weird part is, the holster went AWOL too.

 

Looked around for it but this would be like finding a needle in a hay stack.

 

And how would this be different than looking for one of the micros placed at that location? :laughing:

Link to comment

i had a blonde moment today, found the cache, traded items, hiked halfway to the next cache, then realised i didn't drop the geocoin, and the rest of the caches in the park were nano's, so hiked back, dropped the coin, got to almost the same point when i realised i'd left my sunglasses (i get migraines in bright light) so back i went for the third time, couldn't find them anywhere and then realised the were pushed up on the top of my head the whole time !!

 

kate

Edited by kati3l3unny
Link to comment

I input the wrong coords into my GPS, by hand, yesterday...causing me to miss a new england event. Of course, I neither brought the sheet with me, nor DLed it to GSAK....simply plugged & went. Finally got home, after 2 hrs of driving around, & figured out my mistake.

 

weve done that before and had to stop into a library and use the computer to correct my mistake.

Link to comment

Mine is not really embarrasing, but kind of stupid. I walked back into a wooded area and my GPS said the cache was over a small bluff, maybe 8-10' high that was climbable. I sat my can of Dr Pepper down and climbed down. Looked all over for 15-20 minutes before giving up. Climbed back up figuring on a DNF. Walked over to my drink and saw the cache...18" from where I set the drink down. It was about 85 and humid in those woods and I had been out in the boat fishing for 3 or 4 days and really wanted to get home to an AC and I realised I had wasted all sorts of time.

Link to comment

Our first cache attempt was for one hidden 9 feet into the woods and just north of a rock. We looked all over for it, really frustrating since there were several rocks. (Thus our name...What rock?) We moved over to another rock group, got more frustrated and went back to the car. There was now a truck parked by us.

Not being shy, we asked if they were geocachers. They kindly showed us how to find the cache. It was just north of the rock, 9 feet into the woods; one of the rocks we had actually stood on. It was under a few sticks, with a small rock on top of the pile. I have a degree in earth science. I should have noticed that rocks aren't naturally found setting on top of sticks. :huh:

Link to comment

Our first cache attempt was for one hidden 9 feet into the woods and just north of a rock. We looked all over for it, really frustrating since there were several rocks. (Thus our name...What rock?) We moved over to another rock group, got more frustrated and went back to the car. There was now a truck parked by us.

Not being shy, we asked if they were geocachers. They kindly showed us how to find the cache. It was just north of the rock, 9 feet into the woods; one of the rocks we had actually stood on. It was under a few sticks, with a small rock on top of the pile. I have a degree in earth science. I should have noticed that rocks aren't naturally found setting on top of sticks. :laughing:

 

*grins evilly* You're invited to come find my caches whenever you're in the neighborhood!

Link to comment

Our first cache attempt was for one hidden 9 feet into the woods and just north of a rock. We looked all over for it, really frustrating since there were several rocks. (Thus our name...What rock?) We moved over to another rock group, got more frustrated and went back to the car. There was now a truck parked by us.

Not being shy, we asked if they were geocachers. They kindly showed us how to find the cache. It was just north of the rock, 9 feet into the woods; one of the rocks we had actually stood on. It was under a few sticks, with a small rock on top of the pile. I have a degree in earth science. I should have noticed that rocks aren't naturally found setting on top of sticks. :blink:

 

*grins evilly* You're invited to come find my caches whenever you're in the neighborhood!

:o Took a peek at yours. The two newest gave me a headache! Hope to get up that way caching someday.

Link to comment

Our first cache attempt was for one hidden 9 feet into the woods and just north of a rock. We looked all over for it, really frustrating since there were several rocks. (Thus our name...What rock?) We moved over to another rock group, got more frustrated and went back to the car. There was now a truck parked by us.

Not being shy, we asked if they were geocachers. They kindly showed us how to find the cache. It was just north of the rock, 9 feet into the woods; one of the rocks we had actually stood on. It was under a few sticks, with a small rock on top of the pile. I have a degree in earth science. I should have noticed that rocks aren't naturally found setting on top of sticks. :huh:

 

*grins evilly* You're invited to come find my caches whenever you're in the neighborhood!

:blink: Took a peek at yours. The two newest gave me a headache! Hope to get up that way caching someday.

 

I had to do /something/ special for my 10th cache. Another rock pile would have been boring. :blink:

Link to comment

Here's the log from one I found yesturday:

 

----

November 16 by His_little_lamb (31 found)

DO NOT FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE!!!

I didn't read the cache page. Looking at my gps I got as close on road as was possible and saw that it looked like this cache was on private property. Having found other caches that cachers planted on their property I desided to risk it. I walked though a swampy area found the cache near the trail and realized I had been wrong. But still needing to get back to my car I went back the way I had come. I encounter the property owner who had been worried when she saw a strange car parked by the road and some stranger wandering around in her property. I explained what I had been doing (she'd never heard of geocaching before) and apologized many times. (I'd even missed the posted no-tresspassing signs!) The woman told me that she wouldn't press charges but that she had already called the police when she first noticed me and had given them my liscense plate number. I wasn't sure what to do, whether I needed to wait for the police or what. She couldn't stay, she had a meeting to get to. I didn't end up waiting on the police (she had called the non-emergency number and thought it might be a while before they showed up). But I gave her the web adress for geocaching.com and my cell phone number.

Because of my own foolishness this was my worst geocaching experience.

FIND THIS CACHE THE RIGHT WAY, GO BY THE TRAIL, NOT THROUGH PRIVATE PROPERTY!!!!

------

Link to comment

one of my first finds was about a mile deep into a dense park.

 

I managed to find the cache, but the unusually twisty trails took me all over, and I had a heckuva time finding my car back.

 

Eventually I did make it back to my car.

 

I wrote a log that it would be a good idea to waypoint the car as you left for that cache.

 

 

Went back to the cache with my girlfriend a few days later so she could find it,

 

I forgot to waypoint my car again.

 

We eventually found the cache, dropped off our first found travelbug, and even with no waypoint, we again eventually wandered back to the car.

 

We got home, I go to log the travelbug, and what do you know, you need to know the NUMBERS on it to log it.

 

she was tired, so she went home.

 

I went back to the park a THIRD time, climbed the hills, hiked to the cache, found the travelbug, wrote down the numbers and put it back again.

 

I hadn't waypointed my car.

 

but this time, I didn't need to because I could find it blindfolded. :anicute:

Link to comment

While looking for a cache near a small creek and our gps going wacky, I was convinced the cache was on the other side of the creek. I waded across the creek, climbed the STEEP bank and looked where I was sure it was. Suddenly the wife started laughing at me as she found the cache on her side of the creek. To add insult to injury, I ended up getting into poison ivy also.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...