Jump to content

Winter Caching


TeamCypherX

Recommended Posts

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)

Link to comment

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 :rolleyes:

 

Just be extra careful out there in the snow, folks!

Link to comment

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

Link to comment

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...

Link to comment

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!!

Link to comment

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!

Link to comment

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 by TinyMoon & The Pumpkin King
Link to comment

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.

Link to comment

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.

Link to comment

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" :(

Link to comment

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. :huh:

Link to comment

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. :cool:

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 :cool:

Link to comment

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. :D

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 :huh:

 

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.

Link to comment

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.

Link to comment

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.

Link to comment

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.

Link to comment

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!!!

Link to comment

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.

Link to comment

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...

Link to comment

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!

Link to comment

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.

Link to comment

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. <_<

Link to comment

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!

bf9.jpg

Link to comment

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.

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...