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Having First Cache Published

Bear Paughs

By Bear Paughs
in How do I...?

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Bear Paughs

+Bear Paughs

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I finally got around to placing my first cache. I live in an area where it is difficult to find a good spot for a cache -- either they're taken, nothing special about it, permission won't be granted, or I don't know the area exists. So finally I found the perfect spot and placed a cache that I hope will be well received by the local cachers. My 8 and 10 year old boys came up with the cache name and theme and helped with shopping for swag. We're also launching their first TBs, plus a green jeep.

 

So for the last few days I've found myself checking the website every few hours to see if it's been published yet. I came back from the track tonight to find that it had been and I'm excited for tomorrow to come to see what happens when people start finding the cache and what their impressions are. I'm giddy like a school girl! My husband just keeps rolling his eyes and teasing me about how cheesily excited I am. Is it this way for everyone?

 

What was it like for you when your first cache was published?

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GreyingJay

+GreyingJay

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My first cache was for an event, so in accordance with the event it had instructions not to search for it until the Friday at 6:00pm. When I submitted it, I too waited excited (and checked every few hours) to see if it had been approved.

 

When Friday came, at 6:00 I took a casual stroll around in the park I had hidden it in (and since I was very new to geocaching, nobody knew who I was -- I was counting on looking like a muggle so I could watch people try to find my cache!) Sure enough, a family came walking briskly through the park, clutching an electronic device and sheet of paper discreetly in their hands. That was fun! What was not so fun was when I passed them again a few minutes later, they looked disappointed and were talking to each other about giving up. That's when I introduced myself and helped them out a little bit.

 

Unfortunately those first few logs were DNF's, which was very discouraging for me. Apparently I was a little bit too avant-garde for some people ;) Our area cachers were so used to seeing waypoints tagged on Dymo plastic or copper tags attached to trees. Mine were written on little birdhouses tied to the trees. At the event dinner the next day, I had conversations with people that sounded like this:

 

"Jay, I couldn't even find your first waypoint!"

"Really? They should all be there..."

"I searched everywhere! It's that tree with the little birdhouse on it, right?"

"Yeah... that's the one..."

"I checked all over it, there was nothing there!"

"Did you look at the birdhouse?"

"No, I .... OH!"

 

;)

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Wild Thing 73

+Wild Thing 73

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Posted

I finally got around to placing my first cache. I live in an area where it is difficult to find a good spot for a cache -- either they're taken, nothing special about it, permission won't be granted, or I don't know the area exists. So finally I found the perfect spot and placed a cache that I hope will be well received by the local cachers. My 8 and 10 year old boys came up with the cache name and theme and helped with shopping for swag. We're also launching their first TBs, plus a green jeep.

 

So for the last few days I've found myself checking the website every few hours to see if it's been published yet. I came back from the track tonight to find that it had been and I'm excited for tomorrow to come to see what happens when people start finding the cache and what their impressions are. I'm giddy like a school girl! My husband just keeps rolling his eyes and teasing me about how cheesily excited I am. Is it this way for everyone?

 

What was it like for you when your first cache was published?

Like "King of the hill"

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Bear Paughs

+Bear Paughs

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I am happy to report that my cache has had a bunch of visitors and even better I got a lot of nice comments in the logs about my hide. Whew! I was nervous! Besides the jeep we started from the cache, two others were dropped and picked up through the course of the day yesterday, plus a geocoin and some other TBs. It's had its share of action already, and the boys have been having so much fun reading the logs! Their TBs were both picked up and moved to the next state, and have had pictures posted, too. Very fun and happy couple of days in our house! Now we can't wait to find another good spot for our next one!

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Wile E. Dragonfly

+Wile E. Dragonfly

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My first placement was a memorial cache to my dog who had passed last year. It was a very long, thoughtful event planning and placing this cache and the process of getting it approved was hard on my nerves. :huh: However, after it was published (the reviewer really was very nice and helpful), the reviews that the finders have given it were so wonderful... It has meant a lot to me that my effort to remember my pal has resulted in such a good cacheing experience for others. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...46-4bc287bce760

 

My most recent placement still hasn't been approved, but it's only been a day so no biggie. I'm much more relaxed about this one. The main excitement is seeing how hard it will be for people to find it... it is a bit elfy (evil little fiend), to which I am quite proud. Not everyone can look at a piece of 99 cent glass at a craft store and see a cool cache in the making! Ya, it's the posts of the finders that make the game... I can't wait to see these! :huh:

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Wile E. Dragonfly

+Wile E. Dragonfly

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:laughing: Why would you want to turn off the emails? :rolleyes:

 

That's the best part of placing a cache! :ph34r:

 

Besides, if something goes wrong, like it gets muggled or critters eat a hole in the container, you won't know until you check the cache page. I don't know if it is possible to shut the emails off, but if it is, I wouldn't think it would be a good idea...

Edited by Wile E. Dragonfly
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Wile E. Dragonfly

+Wile E. Dragonfly

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You won't get that many emails, really, and after reading the rave reports of another well placed cache and putting another notch on the belt, being harrassed by a few people telling you how wonderful of a hide it is won't bother you as much as you thought it would. :D

 

The big thing to remember is to take it slow... You've not found that many caches yet (compared to many others, neither have I) so take some time, find some great hides and get the feel for what constitutes an OK cache verses a fabulous cache. Trust me, there are those in my area who have placed a ton, but the notes posted by finders are boring - mainly because the hide was boring. Those cachers have gained a reputation of placing just to place (some would call it microspew) and in general, we avoid their caches. Then, there are others who are known for their thoughtful placements and the posts of finders are generally as good as the cache is. Those are the caches that we look for most...

 

Oh, and yes, I'm currently glowing. Why? Two annoying emails telling me about my latest hide! :)

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GreyingJay

+GreyingJay

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I would definitely second the suggestion to hold off on cache placements until you've had some experience. Not to insult any newbies, by any means, it's simply an objective statement that it would be good to see how other people generally do caches, first, before putting in your own.

 

For example, take my first hide. Shortly after you begin caching, you start looking at everything with new eyes: "That would be a great cache spot!" So one day I walked through a neighborhood park, virtually in my backyard, and while I was walking along the paved, stroller friendly, definitely urban pathway, I saw a real neat spot that just "had" to have a cache.

 

I have come to learn that, generally speaking, if you can see a "great cache spot" from the trail, then... it's not a great cache spot. Simply because all kinds of muggles, bored teenagers, etc. will also come check out the spot, inevitably.

 

That first cache was a multi. The park is rather linear, and the cache hide was roughly in the middle. My waypoints were at one end of the park, working its way through the length of the park, then doubled back to the half-way mark to get the final cache. Those waypoints were 200-250 m apart (hey, it was a small park).

 

I have come to learn that, generally speaking, multis shouldn't be multis just for the sake of being multis (unless it's some kind of puzzle) -- stages should be used to, say, bring you down a trail that you enjoyed. Not make busy-work for the finders.

 

I could go on, but you get my point. I had tons of newbie enthusiasm and ideas (still do), but having now done a pile of caches, I would have done that cache very differently now (probably even more deviously :ph34r: )

 

All this to say -- yes, save your ideas, so that they'll be refined and ready to be an AWESOME cache, not just a "good" one. ;)

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