TeamCypherX Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 With the new addition of snowfall to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where I live, I have started to wonder about winter caching. Having lived here my whole life, I have all the winter gear, including snowshoes and all the clothing, but I was wondering how to go about caching in the winter. Are there any tricks for finding caches that may be buried in the snow? Is there anything unusual that you find useful in finding caches in the winter? I'm assuming it's exponentially harder than caching in the summer, but since I have the things I need, I would like to give it a shot. Thanks for the input! Robert (Team CypherX) Quote Link to comment
+CYBret Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 Just follow the footprints to the cache! The main thing is to be a little more aware of the weather and your own limitations. I wrote an article a couple years ago about winter caching. I know things are quite a bit more intense up your way but it might be helpful. Bret Quote Link to comment
+VeryLost Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 Things around here (northern Illinois) aren't quite extreme enough to require snowshoes - luckily. The one thing I would recommend for winter caching is an extra dose of caution. I was hunting a cache yesterday (sunny, mid-30s beautiful day for December!) and quit paying attention for just a second. Stepped on a patch of ice on a hillside and took a pretty hard fall. Landed on my hip and shoulder (both tender and bruised today) and wrenched my neck as well. Gonna be stiff for a couple of days. Of course, it didn't keep me from going out again today Just be extra careful out there in the snow, folks! Quote Link to comment
+JDandDD Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 Here in Ontario, we have winter a lot like the OP. Caches range from still easy to impossible. Some get frozen in place, others are buried beneath a couple of feet of snow. In terms of finding caches, do your research by reading the logs and look at the attributes. I try to rule out ones that in any way read that they are low on the ground or likely to be covered in snow. The search itself often requires looking at slight bumps in the snow cover and deducing a stump or a log or someother likely hiding spot and then checking them all out. So its harder and requires work. Lots of good ideas in CYbret's article. In preparing for the search, warmth in layers is essential. Put a second pair of socks in your vehicle so you can change in to a dry pair when you get back. Kicking around in the snow gets in your boots regardless of how much you try to avoid and you want to warm up the extremities quickly. And when walking on the trails, watch every step you take (a hiking pole can really help with balance on icy slope, even gentle ones) and avoid water. You don't want to get wet at all cost, a sure way to get hypothermia. JD Quote Link to comment
+NorthWes Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 Ooohhh - stiff ground, snow (fast travel), and no mosquitos... I love winter caching! Of course, it's dark over half the time and slightly cooler, but hey - in exchange for no bugs it's a grand deal. As a UPr you've got the hardest part behind you (knowing that winter can be enjoyed outdoors...) so get out and have fun. Now I just need time off of the job and to get my family taskings taken care of and I can get back on the trail too... However - benchmarks I mostly leave for no-snow conditions... Quote Link to comment
+usyoopers Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 We were just in Marquette caching on Friday, you can follow our footsteps! The snow really does make things tougher. We read the descriptions and past logs carefully, if it sounds like a micro at ground level...forget that in 3 feet of snow! I don't mind the hiking in snowshoes but we need a few more off the ground caches in our frozen northland!! Quote Link to comment
TeamCypherX Posted December 11, 2006 Author Share Posted December 11, 2006 Great tips, an excellent article. Once school gets out for the semester on the 13th, I'll finally have some time to do more caching. That's assuming it actually cools back down. It is 60 out today and all the snow is melting Quote Link to comment
+flask Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 here's my article: http://geovague.org/Ask-Flask-winter.htm Quote Link to comment
+Team LaLonde Posted December 11, 2006 Share Posted December 11, 2006 We were just in Marquette caching on Friday, you can follow our footsteps! The snow really does make things tougher. We read the descriptions and past logs carefully, if it sounds like a micro at ground level...forget that in 3 feet of snow! I don't mind the hiking in snowshoes but we need a few more off the ground caches in our frozen northland!! We followed your footsteps on Sunday. Nabbed one smiley and a couple of DNFs before Mrs. L. slipped on the ice and bruised her keister. The wet ground turned her jeans into cranky pants so we went home! Quote Link to comment
TinyMoon & The Pumpkin King Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 (edited) During the winter months here in Upstate NY we use a metal detector to find those pesky ammo boxes buried under 6 feet of snow. Ours was a Christmas gift from my parents, who are also avid cachers and who borrow it on occasion! We also carry walking sticks (you poke them into snow drifts and listen for the telltale "thunk-thunk" noise) and folding snow shovels to dig the caches out. There aren't really any footprints to follow if you're looking for the "ammo-box-in-the-woods" caches as nobody around here bothers to look for them during the winter, they either hibernate or only search for the urban micros. I didn't bother mentioning the other equipment we use (skis, snowshoes, thermal undies), I'm sure where you live you've already got these. But grab a metal detector...if you search the threads you'll see that other cachers mention using them also. Edited December 12, 2006 by TinyMoon & The Pumpkin King Quote Link to comment
+ePeterso2 Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 During the winter months here in Florida, Ol' Man Winter can present some unique challenges to the wayward cache hunter. You'll probably have to trade in your sandals for a pair of docksiders or sneakers, and you may need to dig our your blue jeans from underneath all of your khaki walking shorts. Finally, you might need to bring along a light windbreaker on days when the wind is particularly blustery and the temperatures drop below 72ºF. Quote Link to comment
+Colorado Cacher Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 One pair of Sorel Conquest's, and you can stay outside and play ALL day, with no problem at all. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted December 12, 2006 Share Posted December 12, 2006 During the winter months here in Florida, Ol' Man Winter can present some unique challenges to the wayward cache hunter. You'll probably have to trade in your sandals for a pair of docksiders or sneakers, and you may need to dig our your blue jeans from underneath all of your khaki walking shorts. Finally, you might need to bring along a light windbreaker on days when the wind is particularly blustery and the temperatures drop below 72ºF. That doesn't sound like much fun. Anyway, some caches have a winter friendly attribute, but not all winter friendly caches have that attribute set. You can still find non winter friendly caches but you need a combination of experience and luck. Experience will tell you the kinds of places to look. Look for visual cues above the snow. That lone, large tree among a group of smaller ones. Poke around the base of it. That down tree. Check the well near the roots, then feel along this sides, paying particular attention to the areas where there is a fork. That rock formation. Look for small crevices and caves and poke around in them. A ski or trekking pole is very helpful for this. Quote Link to comment
+purdue1014 Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Ooohhh - stiff ground, snow (fast travel), and no mosquitos... I love winter caching! Of course, it's dark over half the time and slightly cooler, but hey - in exchange for no bugs it's a grand deal. As a **UPr** you've got the hardest part behind you (knowing that winter can be enjoyed outdoors...) so get out and have fun. Now I just need time off of the job and to get my family taskings taken care of and I can get back on the trail too... However - benchmarks I mostly leave for no-snow conditions... "Yooper" Quote Link to comment
Via Con Ardillos Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 One pair of Sorel Conquest's, and you can stay outside and play ALL day, with no problem at all. I too have a nice pair of Sorels. they keep we warm and going all day long. Snowshoes and geocaching = great fun. get a nice poker stick to hear the ammo cans Quote Link to comment
+Cedar Grove Seekers Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Trails are muddy in the spring and fall, too many mosquitos in the summer, love the winter. Quote Link to comment
+Team LaLonde Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 We are quickly learning that placing a cache in the winter is even more challenging than finding one. Last weekend we spent two and a half hours hiking through snow and only made it half way to the proposed site of the cache hide. The ammo can (containing a complete original Sony Playstation) remains in the wilderness but nearly a full mile from it's destination. It will be at least two more weeks before we get back out to finish the hide. I'm sure it will take another day to plant false tracks so the FTF can't walk right to the box. Oh, wait - the bridgeless river and rugged terrain will keep that from happening. Quote Link to comment
+"we two want to play too" Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 We are quickly learning that placing a cache in the winter is even more challenging than finding one. Last weekend we spent two and a half hours hiking through snow and only made it half way to the proposed site of the cache hide. The ammo can (containing a complete original Sony Playstation) remains in the wilderness but nearly a full mile from it's destination. It will be at least two more weeks before we get back out to finish the hide. I'm sure it will take another day to plant false tracks so the FTF can't walk right to the box. Oh, wait - the bridgeless river and rugged terrain will keep that from happening. Oh, oh, oh... I used to be such a big fan of yours. Why do you gotta be so mean? +1 mile hike...in the SNOW!?! Not a fan any more. Now I wanna be you when I grow up!! You have no idea how much you guys make me wish we could move back up Quote Link to comment
+gh patriot Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Sometimes I use pq's found in the last 7 days and sometimes I just go for it and bring extro gloves for when they get drenched from all the digging in the snow. Quote Link to comment
+Team LaLonde Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 We are quickly learning that placing a cache in the winter is even more challenging than finding one. Last weekend we spent two and a half hours hiking through snow and only made it half way to the proposed site of the cache hide. The ammo can (containing a complete original Sony Playstation) remains in the wilderness but nearly a full mile from it's destination. It will be at least two more weeks before we get back out to finish the hide. I'm sure it will take another day to plant false tracks so the FTF can't walk right to the box. Oh, wait - the bridgeless river and rugged terrain will keep that from happening. Oh, oh, oh... I used to be such a big fan of yours. Why do you gotta be so mean? +1 mile hike...in the SNOW!?! Not a fan any more. Now I wanna be you when I grow up!! You have no idea how much you guys make me wish we could move back up It was -15F @ 7:00 this morning. You still want to come back up? Caching is on hold for us right now. As much as we like winter, -15F is too cold for the dogs to be outside for an extended period of time. When you do make it back up here, try one of our newest hides - 'Take Me To The River'. It's not a long hike (less than three hundred feet) but it's quite difficult, especially in the winter. Bring warm, dry clothes and waders might be necessary in the cold months. Quote Link to comment
+Two Geeks and a GPS Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Operation Ice Walk 2007 Or you could try this! The sister event to this one has not been approved yet but will take place the next day 2 hours further south. Should be a fun weekend if you can get both events in! Quote Link to comment
Dinoprophet Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I was caching on X-country skis yesterday (in the morning, before the weather turned really nasty). It was great! That last 0.3 miles passes in no time when you're so used to hiking it. Quote Link to comment
+TheAlabamaRambler Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Went out for some mid-winter geocaching today... 60°, sunshine, t-shirt weather, but we persevered and found 17 despite the weather. Yeah, winter caching is fine in Alabama! Quote Link to comment
+TheAlabamaRambler Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) deleted double post Edited February 4, 2007 by TheAlabamaRambler Quote Link to comment
+Whistlen Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Me and another guy went out to grab 6 caches and it was only 5! Frozen snow on the ground covering ice spots as well. Got them all safely! Quote Link to comment
+drat19 Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Winter caching rocks....when the temp is between around 15 and 30. Swampy/marshy areas are frozen, no skeeters, no overgrowth. Colder than 15 degrees can be a little tough to take (in my opinion...some other cachers have no problem going down to 0 or 5 degrees). It's been below 0 here in the Twin Cities since Friday...a bit too cold for most cachers' taste even up here. Quote Link to comment
+Totem Clan Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 We moved from Alaska to North Dakota. In Alaska we winter cached all the time. Like Norwest said, the only down fall is the shorter days. Here in ND the winter caching is bit different. The wind is a killer here, literally. The wind chills can be as low as -50. We are due some warm(er) weather beginning at end of this week. Once the weather is no longer too deadly for my kids to be running around in the snow, the caches better watch out. Quote Link to comment
+simplyred Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Winter caching has many advantages. No bugs Bush isn't so thick. no leaves and the frozen lakes make easier hikes to island caches. we've done a good many caches this winter, and alot of them are real tough terrain in the summer, and /or you need a boat. Most people don't seem to cache around here in winter so tracks aren't usually a problem. It snows every other day so that usually covers any tracks anyways. But I don't go out on those real cold days. Quote Link to comment
+gh patriot Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Me and another guy went out to grab 6 caches and it was only 5! Frozen snow on the ground covering ice spots as well. Got them all safely! In the past two days I found 17 caches in a blizzard with temps in the -5 to 0 degree range with windchill at -20 to -30 all with over a foot of new snow. It was fun!!! Quote Link to comment
J'nK Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 All my finds have been this winter. It can be done, sometimes you just have to dig a litlle. Most of the time they are hidden in spots that aren't getting the 6" of snow. Trunk of trees etc.. Boots,gloves,and toque(winter hat for you Americans that don't know what I'm talking about) and you are set. Quote Link to comment
+Team LaLonde Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 (edited) Don't forget about the island caches that become drive-ups. That's a real bonus! Edited February 5, 2007 by Team LaLonde Quote Link to comment
+TheAlabamaRambler Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I like snow better than ice! This ice storm made for a rather memorable caching weekend for this Southern boy! Quote Link to comment
+parker313 Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Here's our winter caching I miss playing in the snow! Quote Link to comment
+CYBret Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 We snagged a 4.5 and 5 star terrain cache yesterday. It wasn't easy, but I don't own a boat. This was fun Bret Quote Link to comment
+Arndtwe Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 holy crap cybret! ive tried this cache before, and quickly realized i needed a boat aswell. i tried in the summer though, but thats wierd to see pics from somewhere ive been. Quote Link to comment
+CYBret Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Come on back! The water's fine! Quote Link to comment
+Arndtwe Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 thanks i think i will within the next three days Quote Link to comment
+AKStafford Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 This is our second winter of caching here in Alaska. I'm usually wearing shorts and running shoes. My wife at least has on jeans, but usually selects flip-flops or fuzzy slippers for her foot wear.. It makes winter caching more challenging. I've been in snow hip deep before. What's bad is when the wind has been blowing, and built up drifts. I carry a little extra weight, (okay, a lot of extra weight...), so I tend to break through the top crust. The broken top crust is like broken glass. My shins stay lacerated all winter, and most of my socks are stained with blood. Our coldest cache was 20 below zero in Fairbanks last year, near the Chena river. We've also done an hour hike through hip deep snow to get to a cache, only to realize the whole hike we were paralell to a nice snow machine trail just 50 feet away. We walked out that way in just minutes. Alaska and caching... A match made in heaven. Unless you are looking for the Spud Cache... then the match was made someplace a lot south of heaven... Quote Link to comment
+treasure_hunter Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 Yesterday.... me and rangerroad were out caching in our area! The temperature ranged from (22ºF-26ºF) the wind chill was about (-1ºF). It was also snowing. We attempted some caches that we had trouble retrieving the containers. The ground was frozen solid and if the cache was covered with sticks and leaves, it made it really hard to break it free. But hey... think of it this way, in the winter months and cold season, there aren't many people out in the park, so it makes caching there easier! Quote Link to comment
+Two Geeks and a GPS Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 (edited) A scene from Operation Ice Walk 2007......yes, the cache is down there! A scene from Operation Ice Walk 2007....Part Deux Operation Ice Walk 2007...Part Deux Operation Ice Walk 2007 Taking a Swim at Higgins Lake Edit: to add links Edited February 28, 2007 by Two Geeks and a GPS Quote Link to comment
+Two Geeks and a GPS Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 The link to Operation Ice Walk 2007 isn't working?! Quote Link to comment
smokingpipe Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Caching in Northerern B.C. gets pretty interesting sometimes. I carry a fold up shovel in my pack for digging up caches buries under the snow. The temp can be really cold at times and the weather is crazy here. But I love caching so much that nothing stops me. I carry my GPS inside on my coat close to my body temp so the battery last. I was reading that eXplorist 500 that they are good between -10* to what ever it was. But I never had a problem when temp pass -20*. I just keep my unit warm and use it quickly and put it back next to my body. Yes, I carry a compass and maps as well, just in case. Quote Link to comment
+Two Geeks and a GPS Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 I just keep my unit warm and use it quickly and put it back next to my body. No comment! Yes, I am 36 going on 12! Quote Link to comment
Dinoprophet Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 (edited) For your information, all you warm-climate clowns, we have beaches in Michigan, too. I was on one this past weekend: That stuff was fun to walk on, and awesome to see. Edited February 28, 2007 by Dinoprophet Quote Link to comment
+SGT red jeep Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Like Northwes and Totem Clan, I too spent time caching in Alaska. It is an amazing adventure persuing a cache on snowshoes or cross country skies. Look for caches with the winter friendly symbol or descriptions. I actually found it easier to negotiate the Alaskan wilderness in the winter with the proper footwear than it was in the summer. Devil's club, mosquitoes, swampy bogs and bears can be a hinderance to your geocaching adventure. Snow, frozen ground, and frozen lakes can actually make it easier to get to some caches as long as they are placed a little ways off the ground. It may be cheating but I looked for the caches found after the last snowfall and went after them. Back in Eastern Montana, the snowfall isn't that much of a problem but the wind and cold can take all the fun out of the hunt. Quote Link to comment
X-isle Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Where winter geocaching means more caution in those upper states, down here in Oklahoma, it means safer geocaching. Yes, safer. We seldom get more than a dusting of snow. But summer down here not only brings severe heat, but snakes and critters. With winter, we can stomp around in relative safety. I just ordered some new snake proof boots for this spring and summer. We are inundated with copperheads and cottonmouths and rattlesnakes, when it gets warm. As a matter of fact, sneaking up on them and touching them quickly is another favorite past time of the native population down here. The snakes and tarantulas are litterally everywhere. I expect to find many this summer, sitting on top of caches. The dang bigfoots are getting outta hand too! Quote Link to comment
GPS-Hermit Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 I had a problem climbing a steep dirt bank because the ground was frozen so hard my boots would not grip well. I was really surprized at my lack of traction. If you fall down in the winter on frozen ground it is like falling in the road. The ground is hard as a brick. So be very careful on the steep stuff. I actually had trouble getting back up the bank. Walking long distances on super frozen dirt can be hard on the ankles. I recently bought a new pair of ski gloves that have a place to insert a hand warmer. I think I will try that out and see how it does. They are pretty warm without the insert but why not be toasty if the time out is long. Tree climbs that you reach for to get support may break off quite easy. Cache container can be brittle and break up. GPS gets alot better signal without the leaves. Batteries don't do as well if you are getting out in Zero weather. Mine did work fine at 4 de-freeze. My watch will stop at about zero. I suggest that anyone read the army survival manual - it is on the Internet and has alot of really good stuff to know in there. Cold weather thinking is a must. One of my goals is to learn to make fire without any matches. this requires knowlegde and practice. Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
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.