Help save some Masachusetts Geo-history

[+Clan Delaney]

Sheep Pasture (GCBE2) is about to be archived. The owner is unreachable and the clock is now ticking down. This was the 75th cache placed in Massachusetts, with 135 visits since it was placed... well worth saving. I'm looking for any volunteer who's willing to adopt this cache in order to save it from extinction. Preferably, it should be someone who has found the cache, since it should be replaced as close to the original hide as possible, but this isn't 100% necessary.

 

If anyone is interested, you would need to visit the cache soon and perform the needed maintenance, then post a note to the cache page stating that you wish to adopt it. Also, if you could contact me as well, I'd greatly appreciate it. Reply to this topic, my GC profile... it will all end up in my email inbox.

 

I'd hate to see this old cache and small piece of Mass Geo-history disappear. I'd adopt it myself, but it's a bit too far outside of my sphere of influence and I had to come to grips awhile ago that I can't personally save them all. As an incentive, and if you wish, whoever does adopt this cache has the opportunity to log my MadMin Volunteer geocoin. (I only take it out on occasions like this.)

 

Thanks in advance.

[+WeatherednBoston]

From looking at that cache...then at the owners profile. It seems he has atleast 2 very new caches. Odd that he in unreachable. He even just adopted a cache in the same town...3 days ago.

 

I wonder what the story is...really would be sad to lose such an old cache.

 

And....if he works at HP I would like to ask him a question about something totally unrelated to geocaching

Edited April 17, 2007 by WeatherednBoston

[+Clan Delaney]

From looking at that cache...then at the owners profile. It seems he has atleast 2 very new caches. Odd that he in unreachable. He even just adopted a cache in the same town...3 days ago.

 

I wonder what the story is...really would be sad to lose such an old cache.

 

And....if he works at HP I would like to ask him a question about something totally unrelated to geocaching

 

I admit, that is... a puzzling situation. Perhaps they've just given up on it? It happens. A cacher need not leave the game entirely to lose their caches to archiving. They need only to give up on maintaining them and fail to respond to emails from their reveiwer. It has been a month since MadMin posted the last reviewer note, though.

 

I've contacted halhal, the cacher whose cache he adopted, to see if hp is still reachable. Who knows, it could just be an email quirk.

 

edit: spelling

Edited April 17, 2007 by Clan Delaney

[+Mopar]

I agree something smells like low tide here.

The cache owner has logged in within the last 2 days, and even just adopted a local cache placed by someone from California so they are not inactive. Because they are active cachers (despite giving up on maint and ignoring emails) I don't believe an adoption can be forced upon this cache. Perhaps HP has the cache listed elsewhere and doesnt care about the GC.com listing? I think according to Groundspeak's rules HP would have to approve of the adoption since they are still active on the site.

Something else that Madmin might want to look into. It seems HP and HalHal (the person from cali who placed the MA cache that HP just adopted) seem to have some connection. The only MA caches HalHal has done are HP's, And in Hal's log's he mentions he's visiting his sister who lives locally. Perhaps HP=HalHal's sister? Maybe HP has quit caching, but HalHal needed her to adopt the cache he dumped on his last visit so it would be approved? Something to check into.

[+Clan Delaney]

I agree it does seem like a bit of a mire, and adopting a cache out from under an active cacher just feels wrong. We shall see. There's still time.

[+Speedy38]

Ok , i think these two people are the same people ... i have had comunication with this halhal person from California.

 

It all started when i posted a note on an unfound cache and looked at the profile and the owner was from California ( halhal ) and the cache was in Masschusetts .. Well I inquired on the cache page and didn't contact the owner ...said something like " is it still here , the owner doesn't live in the area and was wondering how this got approved ...etc. etc."

 

I recieved this email after posting to the cache page inquiring about this cache Birt Memorial and mind you , i was not angry , just confused.

 

I don't know why you are so angry about a simple cache. I'd expect

more from a

> seasoned cacher such as yourself. Did you go look for it? Could you

not find it?

> Looks like things are under control -- I finally figured out on how

to transfer

> the cache to HP correctly. If you had questions, you could have sent

me an email

> via the web site.

>

> Anyway, I'll just assume it wasn't such a good day for you. Sorry to

have been a

> source of confusion and irritation for you.

>

> Hal Huntley (halhal)

_____________________________

 

Sooo I replied back and said something like it wasn't an issue with you or the cache , just how it was approved and since the owner was on Vacation from California when it was placed ... ( how was i supposed to know what was going on ) seemed like it was a mistake in the approval or something .. whatever .. i waited to hear back from thsi Halhal ... here is what i got ..

 

___

I can understand the issue, but she didn't approve the cache right

away; she said since I was "on vacation" I needed an adopter before

getting it approved. W hen I placed the cache and made the original

description, I wrote that it should be adopted by someone local since I'm a

ways away. I was hoping some early finder would be willing to adopt it

like Bigrock95 was willing to do. Since I had found two of HP's caches

a few years ago, I asked him if he'd be willing to adopt it and he was

willing. I told MadMin about HP's willingness and she approved the

cache. Unfortunately, I messed up on the adoption link and then I had to

get to church, so it was a few hours later that I got around to trying

again. It really was done according to the book -- only the book took

a bit longer to write than expected.

 

I think I may suggest something to geocaching.com in the forums to

figure a way we can place caches that we think might be a neat location

when we are traveling that can be quickly adopted by some willing local

cacher. I'd bet there are a fair number of people willing to adopt a

cache like that. It would be neat to have the traveling cache placer be

able to see the fruits of their placement by having someone who finds it

(or just sees the posting) take it on.

 

Since it's adopted now and you know the story, would you be willing to

modify your post?

 

Regards,

 

Hal Huntley

 

___________

 

So I deleted my post since then .. but whatever , that is not the issue ..... what i think is that HP and Halhal are the same person. Dont' know ,,, but it is weird and it should be looked at ....

 

If i was closer to the cache in question in the Clan's original post I would adopt ... but it is to far out of my area to maintain.

[+Clan Delaney]

Things are moving right along. I've heard from halhal and should hear from hp soon.

[+g-o-cashers]

Things are moving right along. I've heard from halhal and should hear from hp soon.

 

CD, if you need help with adopting this cache let me know. It's a neat cache, kids love it because you get to walk among the sheep. It is in a very muggle-prone spot, so I'm surprised it has lasted as long as it has.

 

hp is a semi-active cacher. I'm hoping they'll take care of replacing the cache but if you think it isn't going to be saved let me know.

 

GO$Rs

[+Clan Delaney]

Things are moving right along. I've heard from halhal and should hear from hp soon.

 

CD, if you need help with adopting this cache let me know. It's a neat cache, kids love it because you get to walk among the sheep. It is in a very muggle-prone spot, so I'm surprised it has lasted as long as it has.

 

hp is a semi-active cacher. I'm hoping they'll take care of replacing the cache but if you think it isn't going to be saved let me know.

 

GO$Rs

Thanks! About a month ago, babyjogger contacted me with an interest to adopting this one as a last resort. I talked with him yesterday and he's still game, but admits that he's not as close to it as he'd like to be, and finds with less time than we'd all prefer to have to spend geocaching. In a nutshell, we're looking for the one cacher for whom adopting and maintaining this cache will be the most convenient, or, least inconvenient. With recent developments though, that cacher may just end up being the owner! That would be ideal.

[+Mopar]

Here's a viable, though less then optimal solution.

Someone just go and maintain the cache for HP/HalHal/whoever.

Post that it's be fixed. Notify the reviewer. Problem solved and the cache lives on.

Sure, you don't get to own the listing, but the warm fuzzies from preserving a historical cache should be enough, no?

[+halhal]

It's interesting to be browsing the forums about a year later and see the discussion with me so prominently in it.

 

Let me clear up a few things about the situation. I am Hal Huntley and I do live in California. I have relatives in the Lincoln area and I visit there from time to time. I found a neat hiding place for a cache about a year ago in April and decided to put something there, create the cache and worry about who could adopt it later on. When I submitted it, the reviewer said it had to sponsored by someone local -- that made some sense to me. I looked at the few caches that I had found while visiting and saw they happened to be owned by "HP". So I sent a message by way of the geocaching site and asked him if he'd be willing to adopt the cache. He said he'd be willing to adopt it and we started the process that is documented in the messages above.

 

I have never met HP nor do I know who he is (other than a geocacher). We have communicated only via email. Clan Delaney contacted me asking if I knew how to contact HP. I replied that we had exchanged emails and passed the contact info for Clan Delaney on to HP. HP's answer was something along the lines that Sheep Pasture had a good run and must rest in peace. The whole point is a bit moot now -- the general rules of inactive caches has taken effect and Sheep Pasture is now archived. I guess someone just needs to get permission to use that pasture again and a similar cache can be put there. It would be neat if someone would do that -- I have that listed as my most memorable cache.

 

So, HP and "halhal" are not the same person

 

HP has not modified my original page for Birt Memorial at all... it looks to others that I'm still the "owner" on the web page. I have a watch on the cache and enjoy seeing the comments. Officially, I still haven't found the cache yet -- and I guess I never will

 

Hal