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W.t.h.! No Wonder My Caches In The Eastern Sierras Are Lonely!


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Or on foot! :(

9021ff1e-6766-47bd-a94e-97322bb112ab.jpg

 

This picture was taken by me 10 days ago, in Lee Vining, California. (BTW - My Fortress of Solitude cache looks down on this gas station from over 1,000 feet above and behind.)

 

The prices were the same in Bridgeport too. :)

 

Here's a little poll....

 

How much higher would gas prices have to be to make you consider stopping caching, or at least seek alternate transportation???

Edited by Snoogans
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I’ve always practiced a conservative caching approach. Auto routing helps greatly as well as picking off a few caches while taking care of chores. A large majority of my cache adventures have taken place within 15-20 miles from home. I try to limit my adventures to about 1x a week unless there is one on the way.

 

The Mini-Urban-Assault-Vehicle gets about 24 mpg, that helps a bit.

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Or on foot! :(

9021ff1e-6766-47bd-a94e-97322bb112ab.jpg

 

This picture was taken by me 10 days ago, in Lee Vining, California. (BTW - My Fortress of Solitude cache looks down on this gas station from over 1,000 feet above and behind.)

 

The prices were the same in Bridgeport too. :)

 

Here's a little poll....

 

How much higher would gas prices have to be to make you consider stopping caching, or at least seek alternate transportation???

 

That's RIDICULOUS! Someone needs to be taken out and shot.

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Lately, the time to cache has been much more expensive than the supplementals. I'm not really sure it could get expensive enough to stop caching. I drive 30+ miles (45 minutes) one way to work. If I'm going to open my wallet that wide to get to work I'm definately not going to complain when it comes time to play.

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Summer of 2003 we drove from central Texas to Washington, D. C. and paid about $1.47 or so the entire way.

 

We are driving from central Texas to Baltimore, MD in August, helping move our oldest. It looks like we will be paying double that, and more. I don't know if we will have much time for geocaching this time, since we are leaving about August 9, and have to be back by August 16... a very fast whirlwind trip (we plan to do the drive in 2 days each way, rather than an easier 3).

 

Our income sure didn't double in the last 3 years..... anyone else?

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That LeeVining Chevron gas station price is misleading!

 

That particular gas station has ALWAYS gouged unsuspecting travellers!

 

There is an old Union76 gas station across the street, about a block away that is always at least $0.20/gallon less! And, if you want really cheap gas on Hwy 395 you fill up at the Indian casino gas station in Bishop!

 

Lone Pine stations and even the Shell gas station at the entrance to June Lake are less!

Edited by The Beacher
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The best burger stand I have ever visited is in Bridgeport, CA. Its worth the price of gas to go.

 

What's the name of that place?

 

BTW- The FAMOUS Whoa Nellie Deli is less than a mile from the pic in the OP. Gas was .25 cents cheaper per gallon too! :)

 

Sad to say, I do not remember the name, but I'd find it again in a heartbeat... it is right on 395 (like everything else in town) on the north side of the road. I do believe it had a generic name with the classic Pepsi sponsored menu signs and such.

 

I graduated from HS several decades ago, and as a result I have only been up and down the 395 corridor fewer times than the number of fingers on my left hand since. I will say that the last time I went by - showing some of my college buddies the area I grew up in and my favorite stops - it was still in business and as good as ever. They all agreed that despite the less than stellar outside appearance, it was in fact the finest burger stand they had ever dined at. The fact that I knew about it and that it was in such a desolate area (they grew up in LA - they consider the Eastern Sierras desolate - they couldn't imagine what the place I live in now is like) absolutely blew them away.

 

After all my travel across the US, I am now considered a countrywide connusieur of burger stands in a few circles. It's not a glamorous title at all, but it at least makes me chuckle when an old friend calls me up at 3 in the afternoon and says "I just landed in Austin and need to get a good meal before checking into my hotel - where should I go to make my stomach happy?"

 

I get thank you letters a week later for giving the best possible advice in those dire emergencies.

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That LeeVining Chevron gas station price is misleading!

 

That particular gas station has ALWAYS gouged unsuspecting travellers!

 

There is an old Union76 gas station across the street, about a block away that is always at least $0.20/gallon less! And, if you want really cheap gas on Hwy 395 you fill up at the Indian casino gas station in Bishop!

 

Lone Pine stations and even the Shell gas station at the entrance to June Lake are less!

 

I always :) at that Lee Vining Chevron as they ALWAYS charge significantly higher than the market price. During the $1 per gallon days, they often charged close or over $2. During the $2 per gallon days, $3. Old news. :)

 

Of course, this is the forums so we are supposed to play along and fuel the controversy. :(

 

If people were smart, they'd go around the corner and go to the Mobil station and get some great eats at the Whoa, Nellie Deli.

Edited by budd-rdc
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Wait till you see the Chevron prices as Stovepipe Wells!

 

There sure are a lot of us here tonight that have been through Lee Vining. I say just buy the gas (but not at the Chevron) and go visit Snoogans Frog Cache on the north side of the lake. Then you'll forget all about the gas prices because there is a naked guy standing next to the frog.

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We bought a geo car... 36 mpg highway, well ok, we really bought it for Dave's commute to work but it does make a sweet little geo car. We just started so there are still a lot of caches close, if we take the family with us its still probably a tenth of the price of going to the movies! Geocaching has to be one of the cheapest hobbies going besides watching tv.. but wait.. the cable bill is 60 a month.. thats a lot of gas. Wonder if the kids will notice they only have 4 channels... Gas is hovering around 3 bucks a gallon here so far...

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It has already effected my caching style. First of all the majority of my caching is done while on the road working. The company I work for pays the gas so there is no pain

:(

 

When caching while I am home we have started caching in groups and taking turns furnishing the caching vehicle. Actually its a lot more fun in a group anyway.

 

<_<

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(BTW - My Fortress of Solitude cache looks down on this gas station from over 1,000 feet above and behind.)

 

At those prices it may get very lonely at the Fortress of Solitude. Paid $2.86 for Diesel and $2.93 for gas over the weekend. Like others, my motorcycle is getting used more and more. 50 mpg in town vs 13 mpg for my pickup, the gas savings alone more than makes the payment...and I only have one left! :rolleyes:

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I haven't gone out just to cache in over a month - our gas was anywhere from 3.17 (good) to 3.39 (ouch!) over the last few months, and I found one place about 6 miles south that is currently 3.09 (wow!)...we have been riding bikes as much as possible, but with one 6 year old not willing to learn quickly, it gets hard to "run to the store" on a bike!

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but wait.. the cable bill is 60 a month.. thats a lot of gas. Wonder if the kids will notice they only have 4 channels... Gas is hovering around 3 bucks a gallon here so far...

 

Nah.. after a while they won't care. We have 5 children ranging from 1 - 10 yrs old. A while ago we tinkered with the budget and decided to kill the satellite subscription. We did Netflix (cheap subscription) to fill in gaps. NBC is our only clear channel, PBS & CBS, are okay.. FOX & ABC are only if absolutely desperate! Eventually they all grew tired of PBS (except the oldest likes antique roadshow).. I know we grew tired of most of what's offered and went on to other hobbies. At this point I'd pay $60 to NOT have that satellite/cable in our home. The benefits are worth it. (Of course we are quirky Christian homeschool folks :) )

 

We've been adding geocaching to what we're already doing. While camping in WV we visited a few located in the state park. In our area here in SC there appear to be quite a few. Visiting family takes us up I-77 so we'll add that in with our trips. Overall tho, hunting a few caches while out with the family is worth it. I don't think we'd make a long trip for just one cache.. but would travel a bit to look for 2 or 3.

 

Bridget

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Gas prices have cut out our caching to only those around a place we already have to travel to. Last winter and summer if we woke up and felt like caching we went. With today’s prices we no longer just go caching to go caching. Other task must be fulfilled to justify the cost.

 

$3.09 in central WI..

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Welcome to my world. This is one thing the brits have bigger than yanks. We pay £4.50 per gallon so that is $8. 24!!! nice hey. I also drive 20 miles to work and back. My husband drives between 500 and 1000 miles per week for work, so we clock up some miles. I am exhausting my local caches and need to start putting in some milage to achieve any more. I am going to try to find them while I am out and about doing other things. It is hard to justify going far just for a cache.

Last year we had blockades at fuel depots and service stations ran out of fuel as truck drivers and taxi's etc protested. As an essential worker I was able to get fuel but it made peopole think twice abiut using their cars. Its a shame though because they soon forget what happened and use their car for pointless journeys, despite the costs.

I vote for alternative fuel research.........chip fat odour is not that unpleasant!

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Fuel in Quebec is about $1.20 per LITER.

 

3.78 Liters per gallon so that's... $4.54/gallon, regular unleaded.

 

I *suspect*, if fuel went to, say, $20/gallon ($5.00/Liter ish), cache OWNERS would devote some more effort to make caches that were bike, hike or canoe friendly rather than ones you need a car to easily get to.

 

Perhaps they'd put a bunch of them in proximity if there were a car ride involved so you could do a batch of them at a time, saving on total fuel.

 

That said, it would take a lot to stop me. I don't subscribe to cable TV (there's $50-100/month saved) and I only work about 5km from my apartment. I'd probably start riding my bike to work and save the fuel for recreational car use before I gave up finding caches by car. (I've done about half of my 25 finds by bike or foot alone)

 

Chris

Edited by af895
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I realize gas prices here have been relatively low for quite a while now compared to a lot of other places in the world, but please explain to me how Mobil/Exxon can post a 10 billion dollar profit report for for the last quarters earnings and yet they tell us they aren't in control of the prices???? Thats 10,000,000,000.00 in the last 3 months............ Don't get me wrong , I understand a company has to make a profit to stay alive. I just think maybe they are a bit TOO profitable......... at whose expense???? Us poor saps that are barely scraping by because folks are cutting back spending because the gas pump is sucking such a HUGE chunk of their monthly income. I sure haven't seen my prices be able to increase like gas prices......

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My home town. Rural, but certainly not out back Australia. Price around $6.75 Australian per gallon. Bought a diesel 4 wheel drive last year. The same week. diesel exceeded petrol prices for the first time in history, and now rapidly increasing the differential. Most caches now over 100 miles away. Give up caching? Never! Might have to give up taking the dog and wife out for a drive to the beach, however.

Edited by Mr Walker
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Or on foot! B)

9021ff1e-6766-47bd-a94e-97322bb112ab.jpg

 

This picture was taken by me 10 days ago, in Lee Vining, California. (BTW - My Fortress of Solitude cache looks down on this gas station from over 1,000 feet above and behind.)

 

The prices were the same in Bridgeport too. :blink:

 

Here's a little poll....

 

How much higher would gas prices have to be to make you consider stopping caching, or at least seek alternate transportation???

We just finished a 4800 mile road trip. At no time did we pay over $3.50 for a gallon of gas. In fact, the only gas over $3.00 was in California. It started right at $3.00 a gallon in Northern California and got more and more expensive the further south we went.

 

The prices are still outrageous and forced (I'm sure that'll get KBI in here :P ) us to only take one trip this summer. Last year we had planned two, but gas prices and other factors prevented that. This year's trip was planned much better and budgeted for $3.50 a gallon. It was nice that we didn't ever hit that price.

 

The cheapest gas, BTW, was in Wyoming, at $2.67 a gallon.

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oh god watch out KBI will be along any minute LOL. <_<:blink:

 

i love the companies over here that maon that they make no profit on the forecourt selling petrol to us.

 

it is true but only becuase the part of the company that refines the stuff charges so much and makes all the profits. how dumb do they think we are?

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