Painting rocks

[Luckless]

Okay I believe the rules say not to deface any property in the area of the hide, even rocks, by painting on anything. I was just wondering if I could bring a rock from home that I've painted the coordinates on for a multi. Technically it doesn't seem I would be defacing any of their property if the rock came from my garden. What's the general consensus?

[+denali7]

Go for it!

[Dale_Lynn]

Okay I believe the rules say not to deface any property in the area of the hide, even rocks, by painting on anything. I was just wondering if I could bring a rock from home that I've painted the coordinates on for a multi. Technically it doesn't seem I would be defacing any of their property if the rock came from my garden. What's the general consensus?

 

Its still a painted rock, no matter what the source is.... IF you want to follow the rules, its a no-no...

 

Personally I WOULD RATHER NOT SEE IT...

 

Dale

[+conradv]

I don't see it being any worse than an artificial container with a slip of paper with coordinates inside it.

[+SG-MIN]

I posted a thread several months ago about placing a sticker on a stop sign. I was told by one reviewer it was legal (actually advised to do it), and another reviewer would not allow it. (in case you are wondering, I ended up using a magnet). You can view the thread here.

 

 

Anyway, I was advised in that thread to use a rock with the coords written on it. Just passing on some collective wisdom.

 

 

I am all for it.

[+Renegade Knight]

Sounds good to me. I've got a stack of rock's I've painted for a cache that I'll get to one of these days. Nobody has broken down my door to arrest me for painting them in the past two years. Placing the cache itself won't change anything.

[+ADKcachers]

Painted rocks and trees no, painted, artificial plastic or ammo can, yes. We're afloat in a sea of contradiction.

[+Prime Suspect]

The appearance of defacement it there, whether or not the rock was originally there. The message it sends it the same - geocachers deface the environment. Do us all a favor, and come up with something else.

[+briansnat]

The appearance of defacement it there, whether or not the rock was originally there. The message it sends it the same - geocachers deface the environment. Do us all a favor, and come up with something else.

 

PS is right. If a park ranger decides to check on the cache he might not realize that you brought the rocks from home. Other finders may not know that either and think its a grand idea and paint existing rocks for their next cache.

 

If you must use a painted rock, I would note that fact on your cache page. Say something like "Note: The objects used to provide coordinates came from my own backyard. I did not deface any existing natural objects to place this cache"

Edited September 27, 2006 by briansnat

[+Renegade Knight]

The appearance of defacement it there, whether or not the rock was originally there. The message it sends it the same - geocachers deface the environment. Do us all a favor, and come up with something else.

Good thing I used clear paint.

 

ADKcache, the sea of contradition is from the different viewpoints. I'm fairly simple. If you did nothing wrong, you did nothing wrong and shouldn't have to worry about it. That's how it should be, however PrimeSuspect points out the other reality that it doesn't matter that my rock is fine, what matters is what the park ranger thinks and if he gets bent that I defaced his rocks even though I didn't the damage is done and geocaching as a whole takes a beating. Meanwhile BrianSnat points out the middle ground and says that it would be a good idea to head the trouble off at the pass and point out that your painted rocks were provided by you and not defaced park rocks.

 

Here are some painted rocks for everones enjoyment.

Edited September 27, 2006 by Renegade Knight

[Luckless]

Well I wasn't planning on painting the whole rock- just writing the coordinates on the underside so that geocachers would have to be clever enough to turn it over-(only rock in area).

Basically it would just look like a rock to anyone passing by.

As a camper and hiker I was always taught to leave an area in as close to the natural environment as I found it- or better even-CITO

Probably wouldn't use one where a park ranger might be involved or else I'd ask if it was okay.

Edited September 27, 2006 by Luckless

[+Big Max]

Growing up in the West it was a Right of Passage to paint your graduation year on the side of a mountain.

[+5winters]

The appearance of defacement it there, whether or not the rock was originally there. The message it sends it the same - geocachers deface the environment. Do us all a favor, and come up with something else.

Good thing I used clear paint.

 

ADKcache, the sea of contradition is from the different viewpoints. I'm fairly simple. If you did nothing wrong, you did nothing wrong and shouldn't have to worry about it. That's how it should be, however PrimeSuspect points out the other reality that it doesn't matter that my rock is fine, what matters is what the park ranger thinks and if he gets bent that I defaced his rocks even though I didn't the damage is done and geocaching as a whole takes a beating. Meanwhile BrianSnat points out the middle ground and says that it would be a good idea to head the trouble off at the pass and point out that your painted rocks were provided by you and not defaced park rocks.

 

Here are some painted rocks for everones enjoyment.

 

I just saw an old TV news news piece on that hill in Arco last night. An old guy said they used to light tractor tires on fire and see how far they could roll them down the hill

 

On Topic a rock with coords on it out on public land no problem for me but in a state park or sensitive natural area would probably be a no.

[+Bad_CRC]

the silly part (to me) is that I wouldn't have a problem with it at all

 

 

if the rock was turned upside down so the coordinates were only seen by someone turning the rock over.

 

 

if the coords were visible to everyone, I would think it was awful, since it is just as bad as litter in my opinion.

 

 

seems kind of weird when I think about it, but I see a clear difference in whether the paint is seen by everyone or only by those who are actively searching for it.

[+horlacher]

I see no problem with it if the coordinates are hidden. I really don't think that its any different than an actual cache container sitting there with the coordinates in it, that could be considered garbage by some and not natural, more not natural than a rock with a painted message on the bottom. Thats just my opinion.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Well I wasn't planning on painting the whole rock- just writing the coordinates on the underside so that geocachers would have to be clever enough to turn it over-(only rock in area).

Basically it would just look like a rock to anyone passing by.

As a camper and hiker I was always taught to leave an area in as close to the natural environment as I found it- or better even-CITO

Probably wouldn't use one where a park ranger might be involved or else I'd ask if it was okay.

 

Go for it, based on your description.

 

Painting it blaze orange or writing "Luckless was here!" on it is far different, and far more unacceptable, than painting a white rock brown or green to make it blend in, or writing the coords on the bottom.

 

Beware the extremists with spurious arguments - painting a rock in the forest and slapping a sticker on a stop sign are not in any way related!

 

Groundspeak, by the way, sells fake rocks for containers, if that helps you any.

 

Ed

[+nfa]

I would think that as long as you get an endorsement from P.E.T.R (People for the Ethical Treatment of Rocks), you should be fine...

 

Jamie - NFA

[+Kit Fox]

I have painted a rock with invisible paint, only visible with ultraviolet light. How does this fit into the argument?

[+fox-and-the-hound]

What? Someone painted a rock?!! That's a sin against nature itself. Death to all evil painters of rocks and their dispicable ways...

 

Seriously though, we wondered about this when we encountered it for the first time, too. The key seemed to be blending with the environment and not disturbing others with our presence. Like hiding caches, hiding the evil messages in the darkness where they belong should suffice. I would definitely be upset if an area was defaced and the natural harmony was ruined, but man has been painting, chiseling and stacking rocks since the beginning of time so why freak out at this point?

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Heaven forbid we should disturb a rock

[+SG-MIN]

Here are some painted rocks for everones enjoyment.

 

Is that Arco??

 

Edited: If I would have read on, I would have seen the answer. I used to work up near Salmon and Challis.

Edited September 28, 2006 by SG-MIN

[+monkeynuts16]

Here's an idea make a rock from concrete, while it's still wet write the co-ords in it with a stick like you did as a kid on a wet sidewalk.