Difficult Cache Idea

[Tahosa and Sons]

I'm in the pre-planning stages of hiding a large multi which will probably easily rank a 5 x 5. The area's

West Side and East Side are quite difficult.

So here is the cache idea. There will be 10 caches involved just to get the final cordinates for the Big One.

40° A B. C D E 105° F G. H I J - All of the letters will have values, and those values will be one value per cache. Due to the location it will probably take about 3 hikes just to find the cache.

[+BlueDeuce]

So what do you want opinions on?

[+sbell111]

It looks like you have it worked out.

Edited January 9, 2007 by sbell111

[+Gator Man]

Looks to me like AB and FG are probably "GIVENS", unless you live near a Major Confluence intersection???

 

GM

[bogleman]

Will this be 10 stages of a single multi or 10 individual caches with codes in each cache to reach the final?

 

5* terrain would be fine and the long hike would be fine – the only thing that would concern me is the 5* difficulty. I would hate to get half way in and not be able to continue cauz I could not find a waypoint/cache. I would still attempt the caches/hike if I lived in the area.

Route looks pretty good; definitely have a great sense of accomplishment when you are done.

[+fox-and-the-hound]

Interesting idea, but would each stage/cache be 5/5 or just the last one? If you're leaving a single number in each cache leading to the big one then don't forget to put the obvious numbers first to avoid cachers skipping ahead to the final cache. What specifically are you looking for opinions on?

[+Woodlit]

Like other cachers mentioned, the 5 star terrain would be great, but a 5 star hide? If it is anything less please mark it as lower, because the numbers *5/5* will attract people from a distance looking for a challenge. If it turned out to be an ammo can in a rock crevice, I would be disappointed to say the least. I'm not even sure what a 5 star hide would look like. Going back to the terrain rating. I think a 5 star means specialized equipment is necessary. Such as scuba or climbing gear. Maybe a 4.5 terrain might be better? Unless it does require gear as such.

As mentioned the AB,FG might be a given, so you might want to consider making it 6 other caches instead of 10.

Good luck with your cache.

[+Ambrosia]

I may be wrong, but I have a feeling that the reason that it's rated as a 5 for difficulty is because you have to go to all the other caches to get the coords for the last, not for the cache hide itself. But I maybe wrong in that. It's impossible to know for sure without input from the OP.

[Tahosa and Sons]

I may be wrong, but I have a feeling that the reason that it's rated as a 5 for difficulty is because you have to go to all the other caches to get the coords for the last, not for the cache hide itself. But I maybe wrong in that. It's impossible to know for sure without input from the OP.

You've guessed it. There are 10 separate caches involved. Each cache will only have one value in it. And when you have found all of the 10 other caches you will know the coords of the new cache. Some of these caches start in town, and have several stages in them. About 8 of the 10 caches involved are multis to begin with. And due to the location of the area, and the way the caches are set up, one could not just do it as one long long loop. They would have to back track more than once and who wants to back track about 2 miles with a 1000 ft. gain.

And it will probably take about 3 to 4 hikes just to get it hid right. And about 3 to 4 hikes just to find it.

[+the hermit crabs]

Looks to me like AB and FG are probably "GIVENS", unless you live near a Major Confluence intersection???

 

GM

And "E" and "J" aren't really critical to have... so you'd really only have to find four of the ten caches.

[+mgbmusic]

Looks to me like AB and FG are probably "GIVENS", unless you live near a Major Confluence intersection???

 

GM

And "E" and "J" aren't really critical to have... so you'd really only have to find four of the ten caches.

 

Right but which of the 10 have those numbers in it. Keep the identity of the numbers hidden until one reaches the cache. EG - don't name the cache "F for 5/5" or something. They would have to arrive at the cache as see F=2 or something." I personally don't like the idea of doing 3-4 separate hikes to get all the numbers. As ponited out, a 5/5 will draw numbers of people from all places who might not want to go out 3-4 times, just because it was placed that way. If you could place all the micros or sub caches in a string of a 20 mile hike, I would still consider that a 5/5. That's just me tho. I would find it if it were in my area, but I definitely wouldn't travel to it to blow 1 or 2 days of hiking for one cache, 5/5 notwithstanding.

 

--MGb

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Don't expect many hits.

 

Another option could involve something of a pyramid pattern, where each cache contains half of the coordinates to the next in the series (either lattitude or longitude). It would take sixteen caches to find eight; it would take eight to find the next four...four to find two and two to find the last one. 31 in all, or something along those lines. People would hate you for it if they didn't know what they were getting into.

[+Kit Fox]

Like other cachers mentioned, the 5 star terrain would be great, but a 5 star hide? If it is anything less please mark it as lower, because the numbers *5/5* will attract people from a distance looking for a challenge. If it turned out to be an ammo can in a rock crevice, I would be disappointed to say the least. I'm not even sure what a 5 star hide would look like. Going back to the terrain rating. I think a 5 star means specialized equipment is necessary. Such as scuba or climbing gear. Maybe a 4.5 terrain might be better? Unless it does require gear as such.

As mentioned the AB,FG might be a given, so you might want to consider making it 6 other caches instead of 10.

Good luck with your cache.

 

I'm one of those cachers that subscribe to the theory that the "cumulative value" of all ten caches needed to find the final cache increase the final cache's difficulty level.

 

**** Difficult. A real challenge for the experienced cache hunter - may require special skills or knowledge, or in-depth preparation to find. May require multiple days / trips to complete.

***** Extreme. A serious mental or physical challenge. Requires specialized knowledge, skills, or equipment to find cache.

[+Renegade Knight]

We did an easter egg cache hunt that used a method similar to that. One truly hard stage was Y in XX XX.XYX so I just guessed rather than solve the problem. It got me close enough to find the next step and caught me up to the lead team. As it turns out the lead team had miscopied a critical digit that we had so we combined forces.

 

Splitting up the team to go find stages and get us a jumb on the other teams who were finding stages singly was banned.

 

So that's my comments. Be ready to help someone who miscopied a key coordinate piece. Be ready for a team of several members to form to find the 10 caches to avoid any one person finding all 10. Be ready for someone to say guess a couple of digits because they are willing to look for a spot with a 200' radius.

[+jongoff76]

Look up Caches in Terra Haute IN

 

there is a Dead Mans Chest series of caches there

alot of Fun

 

The final is Dead Mans chest all the others start with DMC to get the clues

[+Cache_advance]

Anyone ever give any thought to the maintenance requirements for this strenuous of a cache? 1000 ft. gain in 2 miles, sound like a real PITA for the OP. My guess it that after a year with one or two logs on it, the cache will deteriorate significantly, and the OP will be none the wiser until he checks on it in 3 more years.

[+ZSandmann]

Anyone ever give any thought to the maintenance requirements for this strenuous of a cache? 1000 ft. gain in 2 miles, sound like a real PITA for the OP. My guess it that after a year with one or two logs on it, the cache will deteriorate significantly, and the OP will be none the wiser until he checks on it in 3 more years.

 

That might be the case for a mild mannered mortal cacher, but you don't know Tahosa very well. He is THE Rocky Mountain Cacher. I lived less than an hours drive from him for going on four years and never scratched the surface of his cache portfolio. IMHO, go for it Tahosa. Some will hunt it and some won't, but if its like your others the journey will be worth it.

[+Kit Fox]

Anyone ever give any thought to the maintenance requirements for this strenuous of a cache? 1000 ft. gain in 2 miles, sound like a real PITA for the OP. My guess it that after a year with one or two logs on it, the cache will deteriorate significantly, and the OP will be none the wiser until he checks on it in 3 more years.

 

I did. My cache Eisen Faust has an elevation gain of 2110 feet in 2.05 miles. In the last 1.05 miles, you gain 1600 feet. I'm not worried about maintenance at all. The cache is a waterproof ammo can, and the log is inside a waterproof bag. The chance of my cache being muggled is very remote.

 

How would the cache degrade, if he uses a good container?

 

[Tahosa and Sons]

Anyone ever give any thought to the maintenance requirements for this strenuous of a cache? 1000 ft. gain in 2 miles, sound like a real PITA for the OP. My guess it that after a year with one or two logs on it, the cache will deteriorate significantly, and the OP will be none the wiser until he checks on it in 3 more years.

 

Cache_advance:

 

I have thought of the maintenance requirements for all the caches I have on that mountain, and the other ones that I have on other mountains. I visit each cache at least 3 times in the summer months when I'm doing patrols as a volunteer for the USFS. And if there is not a lot of snow they even get visited in the winter.

 

I'm about 27 years older than you and don't find it a PITA to do hikes of 8 or more miles with elevation gains over 3,000 ft. in a single day. Some days I get lazy and pack in a tent and stay back in there for a day or two.

 

And the caches have not degraded over the years, only one in the back country has been muggled.

 

So if you ever leave my old stomping grounds and come to CO, I'll give you a backcountry tour.

[+carleenp]

Anyone ever give any thought to the maintenance requirements for this strenuous of a cache? 1000 ft. gain in 2 miles, sound like a real PITA for the OP. My guess it that after a year with one or two logs on it, the cache will deteriorate significantly, and the OP will be none the wiser until he checks on it in 3 more years.

 

I will vouch for Tahosa on this one! He places solid containers and as he just mentioned, he doesn't mind hiking to do maintenance and checks.

 

And definitely take him up on the backcountry tour if you ever get the chance! It rocks!

[+Cache_advance]

Perhaps and apology is in order for this one... but please understand my skepticism when it comes to the vast majority of cachers when it comes to exteme caches like this. I still stand by my original statement in that I think MOST cachers would fail to carry out the neccesary maintenance for this type of cache.

 

*Tips my hat to the OP on this one. You're a better cacher than I*

[+Kit Fox]

Perhaps and apology is in order for this one... but please understand my skepticism when it comes to the vast majority of cachers when it comes to exteme caches like this. I still stand by my original statement in that I think MOST cachers would fail to carry out the neccesary maintenance for this type of cache.

 

*Tips my hat to the OP on this one. You're a better cacher than I*

 

You'll still didn't give an explanation why a remote cache, in an ammo box, would need maintenance.

[Tahosa and Sons]

Perhaps and apology is in order for this one... but please understand my skepticism when it comes to the vast majority of cachers when it comes to exteme caches like this. I still stand by my original statement in that I think MOST cachers would fail to carry out the neccesary maintenance for this type of cache.

 

*Tips my hat to the OP on this one. You're a better cacher than I*

No apology needed, your skepticism is understandable. For I know for a fact that there a lot of un- maintained caches out there. But when one uses a good ammo box and puts it in a rock crevice the life span of that cache will probably go beyond my years on this globe. And that is when my sons get my caches in my will.

I'm not a better cacher, just a cacher that believes in Quality not Quantity.

[+Wyld Goose Chasers]

If i may add my 2 cents, if you end up utilizing the mesurment of "pacing" in your puzzle, please use the standard form used by land surveyors whom gave use the measurment long back when man first decided draw maps. Its not 1 pace = 1 foot, or even1 step.

but rather 1 pace is one full step with left/right foot then the other. this should be about 5 feet. taller cachers has to take slower short step, shorter cachers, longer step.

You can practice with a tape measure, or just get a good rough idea of distance in feet and devide by 5, and then you can call it a pace.

 

sorry for the rant, but if i said my cache was 50 feet away you dont expect it to be 50 yards or meters away.

[Tahosa and Sons]

B U M P

Well its been two years since I started this thread. So here is the update.

The CACHE idea finally became a reality last summer. But it took a few other dedicated cachers efforts to assist in the hide and maintain the cache idea. Which I'm very thankful for.

Edited January 14, 2009 by Tahosa and Sons

[+9Key]

I added it to my watchlist. I doubt I'll ever get up there, but the logs and pictures are great.