How far have you hiked for a cache?

[+Totem Clan]

A lot folks in the forums talk about liking caches that involve some hiking. I have to admit I'm one of them. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to go after some of the more remote cache that are there yet. But I'm wondering what is the longest distance you have hiked to find ONE cache. Just the distance of the hike in, not in and back out. That's the distance measured from your campsite, the parking lot, the point where you left the ATV, whatever, not the total distance traveled from home to get to the cache. Not the distance you walked for a whole chain of caches. Just the distance hiked to find one cache.

 

My longest is just 3 miles. I know that won't stand up as the longest.

[Mr.Yuck]

A lot folks in the forums talk about liking caches that involve some hiking. I have to admit I'm one of them. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to go after some of the more remote cache that are there yet. But I'm wondering what is the longest distance you have hiked to find ONE cache. Just the distance of the hike in, not in and back out. That's the distance measured from your campsite, the parking lot, the point where you left the ATV, whatever, not the total distance traveled from home to get to the cache. Not the distance you walked for a whole chain of caches. Just the distance hiked to find one cache.

 

My longest is just 3 miles. I know that won't stand up as the longest.

 

Gotcha! 3.2. I know that's not going to last either.

[Guyute1210]

Round trip was just over 9.5 miles, so figure just under 5 miles.

[+StarBrand]

7.2 miles one way to cache.

 

 

Found a 5 mile way to get back out.

[+egami]

So far, 1 mile that couldn't be reached by vehicle. I've hiked further for one for the walk, but it didn't require it.

[n0wae]

In northern Colorado if you want to do some hikes check out the caches placed by Tahosa and Sons. I've done several and plan on doing some more this year. I remember this cache as being one of my longest hikes.

[+Miragee]

I placed a cache the other day that is more than three miles one way, and it has just a bit of elevation gain . . .

 

 

That is the profile only of the climb from the bottom of the canyon after hiking in more than a mile from the parking.

 

Out in the desert, the Domelands caches were on a more-than-eight-mile-long loop trail.

 

The hiking caches are the fun caches . . .

[+sbell111]

I walked about ten miles round trip. Strangely enough, it was an urban cache in LA.

[+Snoogans]

Four cache loop is a 10+ mile journey on the Lone Star Trail with 30+ stream crossings and our group took a 1+ mile detour to get the D.B. Cooper puzzle cache.

 

 

At the end of the day a couple track logs read 14.7 miles, but most folks agree that it's probably around 12+ miles to do both in the same day.

 

 

The incentive for this trek is one of the most coveted cache prizes in Texas. People come from all over to get that badge of honor.

 

 

 

I'm a rather large guy at 350 pounds and the fact that I could make the trek has been inspiration for a few others to go ahead and make the trek as well to get their patch.

 

 

Found a 5 mile way to get back out.

 

 

There was a cache on Lake Waco that most folks trekked over 4.5 miles to get to and back and I found an easy brushwhack that made the entire trip just 1.6 miles total.

[+Mule Ears]

Nine miles one way was the longest, but not the toughest by any stretch of the imagination. Elevation gain, terrain and especially vegetation really separate the cakewalk from the deathmarch.

[+DrAwKwArD]

This thread is right up my alley. Longest hike one way to a cache was 5 miles. Although some shorter ones are more memorable to me since they involved 3000+ elevation gains. If you count placing a cache - I hiked 45 miles while placing this one. I believe it's still the highest cache placed in Oregon.

[Uberquandary]

In northern Colorado if you want to do some hikes check out the caches placed by Tahosa and Sons. I've done several and plan on doing some more this year. I remember this cache as being one of my longest hikes.

I liked that one Tahosa and Sons make(s) great hiking caches.

 

But my longest hike was 6 miles in.

[+Metaphor]

23 miles walk, start to finish, so about 12-13 one way, as I came back a slightly different way. I was staying at a friend's house in Wales, had a day to myself, but no transportation. I set out early in the morning from Builth Wells, waliking the roads as they became smaller amd smaller, until I headed along sheep paths to "Llambedr Fell". Then I headed back. Great day, but I was foot-sore at the end. My friend made me go to a faculty party afterwards. Needless to say, I didn't dance, just enjoyed well-earned beers til the wee hours, then slept most of the next day.

Edited May 3, 2007 by Metaphor

[+Machuco]

My longest hike so far was in the desolation wilderness near Lake Tahoe to a cache called "Super Cache". It was approximatly 4 miles each way and about 1000 foot elevation gain. The hike was well worth it though, it ended at a series of high mountain ponds that you could swim in. Great views too! I loved every minute of the trip.

[+Isonzo Karst]

My longest hikes have been in placing my own caches. About 8.5 from the south approach to Mainline. . The river is so low now that most folks are coming down from the north, wading it and walking 3 or 4 miles, more if they want to get to other caches in the area now.

[crawil]

My longest has been 4 miles with 2,800 foot elevation gain (GCH7GY). If you know me, then just the fact that I survived the walk was impressive. The frustrating part was that we passed another cache on the trail and didn't know it was there! Read the log here.

[+HappyHabanormal]

mine 18.6 round trip up and over 3 friggin mountains

[+Miragee]

My longest hikes have been in placing my own caches. About 8.5 from the south approach to Mainline. . The river is so low now that most folks are coming down from the north, wading it and walking 3 or 4 miles, more if they want to get to other caches in the area now.

Yeah . . . I forgot about one series of caches I placed along a previously "uncached" trail. That day, I walked 4.5 miles before I turned around at the last cache I placed that day.

[the federation]

7.5 miles one way after a missed turn on a multi-cache. The bigger challenge though was Tube Torcher 2 where we had to crawl over 3 miles depending on how many times you had to redo puzzles at the various stages now that is challenge.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Well, that depends on your definition.

Only purpose of the hike to find the cache? Probably about four miles each way.

Cache found while hiking? My sister and I did the Presi Traverse, and found two caches along the way. Crawford Notch, New Hampshire to Lake of the Clouds Hut is 11.5 miles, with about 4000' of climb. We did it in two days!!!! Caches is deservedly rated 1/5. Then we finished the Traverse in another two days, for 24 miles total. We didn't set out with the sole objective to find the cache. It was a bonus on our AT hike/peak bagging expedition.

Hmm... How many 1/5 caches are there???

[+Renegade Knight]

2 Miles for just a cache.

[+Kit Fox]

My longest has been 4 miles with 2,800 foot elevation gain (GCH7GY). If you know me, then just the fact that I survived the walk was impressive. The frustrating part was that we passed another cache on the trail and didn't know it was there! Read the log here.

 

I hiked the same four miles one way, to an elevation of 9399 feet for Scouting's Highest Honour - Mt. Baden-Powell, by showbizkid (my 700th find) Total elevation gain was 2871 feet.

 

I hike over an entire mountain range (one-way) to find Little Willy's Flying Boxcar. I continued down the mountain to place a cache at the 2nd wrecksite C-46A Commando Crash Site. Total distance was 6 miles, with 1879 feet of elevation gain, and a total elevation loss of 3847 feet.

 

Edited May 4, 2007 by Kit Fox

[+Criminal]

So far the longest was 20 mile round trip day-hike for a DNF. The cache owner graciously offered to let me call it a find, but since it wasn’t, I didn’t.

[+Kit Fox]

Nine miles one way was the longest, but not the toughest by any stretch of the imagination. Elevation gain, terrain and especially vegetation really separate the cakewalk from the deathmarch.

 

Miles aren't nearly as hard as total elevation gain, heat index, as well as terrain type. My two most memorable experience were: Return to Scab Island (#900) The heat index of 130 degrees, the rope climbing, the dry canyon, all the brush busting, made for lots of fun.

 

Are You Experienced? by Bmcilvoy, Coyote Clan & Jimi Hendrix, (#1000) was the most intense, as well as most dangerous trip for me.

Edited May 4, 2007 by Kit Fox

[+roirat]

I approximately boated 4 miles on a Lagoon then to a water taxi after the LCM drop me off at a dock on Ebeye, Marshall Islands. Then hiked another 3.5 miles until a land taxi picked me up . I gave the Marshallese driver 30 US dollars to drop me off in Guggeegue Island to Find an Archived geocache named Guggeegue Goodies, At the time of day around 200 PM local time it was 87 degrees F and 76% Relative humidity...what was I thinking thank GOD for bottled water . Never did find it ,but I took some great pictures.

 

Roirat

[+TrailGators]

I've done 8-12 mile hikes for caches a handfull of times. I agree with Kit Fox that elevation gain and heat really add difficulty, but I'm not sure what the ratio is. All I know is that for every 10 degrees, I need to double the amount of water I bring. You do not want to run out! One of my more memorable hikes was when we took the tram up San Jacinto and then hiked 12.5 miles roundtrip to the top. I put a virtual up there because it was such a great hike and a great view. The elevation gain was about 2500 feet, but what I remember the most is how rubbery my legs felt coming down. Coming down puts a lot of force on your legs from the momentum. I also remember getting a headache from the altitude because I stupidly ran out of water. But it was fun and we'll always remember doing it!

Edited May 4, 2007 by TrailGators

[+Too Tall John]

My longest and my toughest were two different hikes. The one I'll remember longer was the toughest. 3+ miles one way, mostly on snowshoes, with a significant elevation change (topo map's in the car or I'd look it up). The downhill on the snowshoes was the worst part. My caching partner went home after that cache, I went on for the longest mile hike I've ever crawled to gather 2 more caches.

 

Hurt for 'most a week...

 

 

It was great!

[+jackrock]

Around 10 miles for the Four Cache Loop. As Snoogans pointed out, a coveted patch is the prize at the end of the trek. Many do this one as a group, I am one of those that did it alone (unless you count my geodog). It was a blast, I love hiking to caches (which is why there are so many in town I haven't even looked for yet).

[+res2100]

4 of us hiked 52.3km (longer than a marathon) one way. About 20+ people started. It was an event cache and there was a cache to mark the end of the hike.

[+Totem Clan]

I agree with Kit Fox that elevation gain and heat really add difficulty, but I'm not sure what the ratio is.

No joke. I can hike all day up here on flat lands and feel great at the end of the day. When I was stationed in Arizona I would hike up the mountains there. You start in the desert in the heat and the climb up and up. By midday your legs are on fire.

Terrain matters too. In Alaska many times across the flat valleys and meadows it can be tiring because of the the muskeg. Imagine trying to walk on a giant sponge covered in waist to head high grass and reeds, while trying to watch the snags and mud holes. But hey a bad hiking in Alaska beats a good day anywhere else.

[+C&C+COMPANY]

10 miles a 20 mile round trip

[+bthomas]

Let's see.

 

Ranboze and I probably hiked 18 miles and 9000 feet (5 miles through 1-3 feet of new snow) for a STF attempt on Part 2 of the Virt, OPERATION HIGH DESERT ADVENTURE NO.2, http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...45-77561e6d6c61 . Part 1 was another 1 mile and about 1500 feet in Death Valley. Ended up as a "Post Note" due to snow.

 

Our longest FTF hike was last summer on the 4 year old virt Split Mtn, http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...e6-215776bcf089 . Probably 9 miles and a 8000 foot climb in the Sierra.

 

But our longest hike to geocache is Mt Whitney, at 22 miles and 6500 feet climb. The ammo can is GC75C3 Peak-a-boo Whitney and the virt is GC151D Muir Was Here http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...da-9253706a22c5 .

http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/b3756c...44bae47a4b4.jpg

 

Coinicidentally, re C-46A Commando mentioned above, I was within 0.17 miles of it last month, but could not believe how steep it was to get down there; opted to reclimb to the other wreck and return to the highway http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...b9-7c69903a2c35 .

[+briansnat]

7 1/2 miles one way for a single cache.

 

I've done longer hikes but those involved several caches.

[+TrailGators]

I agree with Kit Fox that elevation gain and heat really add difficulty, but I'm not sure what the ratio is.

No joke. I can hike all day up here on flat lands and feel great at the end of the day. When I was stationed in Arizona I would hike up the mountains there. You start in the desert in the heat and the climb up and up. By midday your legs are on fire.

Terrain matters too. In Alaska many times across the flat valleys and meadows it can be tiring because of the the muskeg. Imagine trying to walk on a giant sponge covered in waist to head high grass and reeds, while trying to watch the snags and mud holes. But hey a bad hiking in Alaska beats a good day anywhere else.

I would love to hike up there someday! Another thing that makes it tough is hiking in sand. I've gone on a few long hikes in the desert and when you are getting tired you do not enjoy hitting a long patch of deep sand...

[+Jennifer&Dean]

About 6 miles one way to Black Mountain Survivor, all uphill. It was a hot September day and one of my favorite memories due to the friends who joined us. Plus, we told my brother it was only 2.81 miles to the cache and he didn't figure out that we were telling him the distance crow-flight until the end when we figured out the 12 miles total distance. He was a bit miffed but very proud of making a 12 mile hike.

[+Bad_CRC]

3.4 miles last november

 

not too many places around here without parking nearby.

[+GRANPA ALEX]

My longest was the 11 mile loop trail in the Smoky Mountains National Forest at Floyd VA . . . five caches along the trail that were just out of the park on private property by permission - great hike & well done caches . . . one was the final of a multi that began out of the park. When I finished, I was finished!!!

Edited May 5, 2007 by GRANPA ALEX

[+Lacomo]

I'm very new at this stuff, only been doing it for about a week now so I don't have any long ones. 1 mile one way is my fartherest but I'm sure I'll be adding to that because I'm hooked. Good thing they say you're never too old to learn. I'm 64 years old and trying to figure this stuff out.

[+yumitori]

We've done a few that were 24+ mile round trip hikes for a single cache, including one or two that we remain the only finders of. Numerous others that were over 10 miles round trip.

 

Come to Montana; the caching's fine...

[+weeds19]

I would much rather spend a day hiking ten miles to a cache than finding 25 in a city. The other day I drove 3 hrs, biked 8 miles and hiked 8 miles to get to a cache at Turkey Creek hot springs. A wonderful spot to spend the day.

 

I've also placed a cache that requires ~80 miles of hiking and 26,000 feet of elevation gain. Just a walk in the park for Hercules! Keep placing those hiking caches, they're the ones that people remember.

[+Kabuthunk]

I did about 30km's of biking... 15km one way, 15 back. Does that count? It's not hiking... but it's not powered by a car or other motorized vehicle...

 

For straight hiking... I think 3km one way is my longest.

[+Tervas]

This brings summer 2003 in my mind, here me and my pal canoed about 20 kilometers upstream (Calm and easy river) and then hiked to cache and back, tracklog of the hike was 21 kilometers (filling a couple of blanks with straigth line).

A couple of days later I made my longest hike for a cache:

Tried to come near (abt 2.5 km) with car but the forest cut has been completed and the bridge was torn down ...

So I walked 11 kilometers through forest roads, 3 km up to the hill, crossed two rivers (waist deep) on my way and found it! And did I sweat! The temperature was 26C when I left the car and 31C! when I finally got back.

The cache itself was easy to find, I saw it from 62 meters distance. Left a poor quality map of the area and added another plastic bag to protect the log book.

Tracklog: Cartographic Length = 14450.372 m per direction.

 

Edit:

Almost forgot last summer It took two days from parking place to the cache site, no accurate tracklog available but it was about 35 kilometers walk to the cache site and got NF

Walked alone around the lake.

Edited May 7, 2007 by Tervas

[+radioscout]

Something between 35 or 40 km. It was a 15 km multi stage cache but I had to do some detours because parts of the area were temporarily closed.

[+Jhwk]

twenty miles, to help out Myotis and reestablish this little jewel of a cache, and the only 5/5 in Missouri.

 

Every step was worth it.

[+carleenp]

For one cache: about 10 miles. On a route that got several: about 14 miles.

[+sTeamTraen]

My longest is just a 9-mile round trip, but with 2300 feet up and 2300 feet down... and I did it in 2½ hours.

[XC_Tracker]

We tried a 28 mile round trip hike about a month ago and walked the last two miles in 2 foot of snow. We ended up not finding the cache since it was 4 feet below the snow line, but it was a great day for us to just be out and enjoy the trail. We'll try it again this summer once the snow is gone, but we have some more caches that are close to 30 mile hikes and they are at lower elevations, so we will be after those first. Gotta love the long hikes!

[+CYBret]

For one cache: about 10 miles. On a route that got several: about 14 miles.

It was more like 12 the way I did it.

 

That's probably the longest, but there were more difficult ones...like Silver Peak.

 

You remember that one too...uhh...right Carleen?

 

Bret

[+vortexecho]

5 miles no car incuded

[+CoMotion]

In Seoul was the longest - almost 9 miles round trip from the subway station with lots of ups and downs.