cemetaries/abandoned building caches

[+mimi0674]

Some people have said they left caches next to headstones, it seems kind of disrespectful. Also what do you think of having to go into an abandoned house to retrieve a cache? For like a spooky trip. Does anyone have any experiences of old shacks or barns or storm drain stories?

[+Airmapper]

While I have seen it done, placing caches next to headstones is not a good practice. While I'm not certain, I believe the reviewers have been making sure new hides in cemeteries are not placed next to the headstones. As you mentioned, it is disrespectful.

[+Miragee]

I have found caches in cemeteries, but they were towards the outside away from the actual gravesites. The cemeteries were interesting and historical with headstones from more than 100 years ago.

 

There is a series of caches here at "Stone Ruinations." Usually there is just a foundation or a chimney left. These are interesting because it is great to see that hidden history.

 

There are some caches here that take you though large storm drains. Those have been fun, and challenging. They can also be very dangerous as two cachers discovered when they went for the FTF on a day when it was raining . . .

[+briansnat]

No reviewer would knowingly publish a cache next to a headstone. Most reviewers I know ask the hider to make sure the cache is not near a headstone. If you do find a cache right next to a headstone it's fairly likely that the hider lied to the reviewer. The reviewer would be very interested in knowing that.

[+Team Cotati]

Some people have said they left caches next to headstones, it seems kind of disrespectful. Also what do you think of having to go into an abandoned house to retrieve a cache? For like a spooky trip. Does anyone have any experiences of old shacks or barns or storm drain stories?

 

And it IS disrespectful, so don't do it. If you ever encounter such a hide, send that info to the reviewer for the area and they will take corrective action.

[Donald, Daisy and Kids]

Does anyone have any experiences of old shacks or barns or storm drain stories?

 

Many years ago, during a 5 day camp with the boy scouts, we once had an orienteering treasure hunt using compasses and required us to get clues from one leg to take us to the next, and then on to the final spot.

 

One leg of the hunt one clue was placed in a storm water drain.

 

Well, on day 2 of the hunt, there was a fair bit of rain over the next valley from us and the water was delayed by about an hour or 2 from the location of the hint in the storm drain, and 3 of my closest mates were down in that drain at the exact time that the wall of water finally arrived at the location.

 

Thing is that none of even knew that it had rained in the next valley, but the lads sure knew when it hit the location of hint 6, and they were just extremely lucky that my team was close behind them and had some climbing gear with us that we used to rescue them, otherwise they would have all certainly drowned.

 

As with anything, the story's vary in range between 2 and 6mtrs of water, but I personally know one thing: The water was really flowing fast when we got there.

 

Thesedays, I am extremely wary of storm drains, creeks etc etc and I would never attempt any cache that might have the slightest chance of placing us or the kids into that kind of danger.

[Luckless]

When I was a kid I used to run around in abandoned buildings that were falling down. Not a good idea in retrospect. Also I always wanted to go check out old house ruins, but my mother would never let me. She was afraid of me falling through a cover over an old well.

[+Tsmola]

I've done probably 2 or 3 caches near abandoned buildings. Last one I did was just a few weeks ago in Michigan's UP: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...d5-57f5d60c3d8a

 

I've wanted to place one in an abandoned building for some time, but I can't find one on public property close to home that isn't just a foundation. I would ask permission, but when there's just a farmhouse on a small hill next to a field with no houses for a few hundred yards there's no way of telling who the owner is.

[+H2OBob]

Cemeteries are sensitive areas, so reviewers watch them very closely. I would never place a cache near a headstone. Discretely hidden in a tree or bush would be OK, though. I've found several caches near cemeteries, but they have been just outside the boundary, in trees or on the ground. One was near the grave of one of George Washington's drummer boys. A few puzzle caches have required the finder to get numbers and dates off the monuments. Of course, when in a cemetery, you should be respectful of the people resting there, and their relatives. I like to visit the oldest corner of cemeteries. Many interesting stories there.

[+trainlove]

Abandoned buildings can be very dangerous and have lots of broken glass around because there are people other than geocachers that look for interesting spots.

Cemetaries are fun but I hate having to get permission from dead people, lol, so I have not planteed ant caches near any.

[+Renegade Knight]

Some people have said they left caches next to headstones, it seems kind of disrespectful. Also what do you think of having to go into an abandoned house to retrieve a cache? For like a spooky trip. Does anyone have any experiences of old shacks or barns or storm drain stories?

 

I haven't heard of caches placed near headstones. A creek running through the Cemetaries or a magnetic holder on the iron fence surroung it, yes.

 

An abandoned house that's been used by the public for as long as anyone can remember is fair game. In my area there are cabins left behind by trappers, or other folks who were squatting that more than fit the bill.

 

Storm Drains...Crawled through a 24" corregated metal pipe once that went several hundred feet through an embankment that I didn't want to climb. Not fun. My knees were not thanking me for the experience.

[+stepshep]

If you decide to place a cache in a cemetary make sure you don't put the game in jeopardy as it already has been:

http://www.scstatehouse.net/sess116_2005-2006/bills/3777.htm

http://www.gowt.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t...asc&start=0

 

But I do enjoy finding Spirit Quests, they take me to very interesting areas I normally wouldn't visit.

[+Team Cotati]

While I have seen it done, placing caches next to headstones is not a good practice. While I'm not certain, I believe the reviewers have been making sure new hides in cemeteries are not placed next to the headstones. As you mentioned, it is disrespectful.

 

I am curious, how do the reviewers accomplsh this?

[+stepshep]

While I have seen it done, placing caches next to headstones is not a good practice. While I'm not certain, I believe the reviewers have been making sure new hides in cemeteries are not placed next to the headstones. As you mentioned, it is disrespectful.

 

I am curious, how do the reviewers accomplsh this?

 

Well I guess they could always ask if it was on a headstone or not.

[crawil]

Some people have said they left caches next to headstones, it seems kind of disrespectful. Also what do you think of having to go into an abandoned house to retrieve a cache? For like a spooky trip. Does anyone have any experiences of old shacks or barns or storm drain stories?

Here's a cache site we found in Northern AZ - GCH824.

There was some broken glass but we let our 6-year-old help in the hunt. I felt more in danger of the nesting ravens pooping on me than anything else! It was one of our most memorable caches of our vacation.

[+SMOKEATERLT]

My family and I are very new to geocaching, but the idea of going to a cache in a spooky old house sounds like fun. But I would like to add another word of caution. As a firefighter in a smaller community we have been hering from surrounding areas that illegal drug labs have been being set up in some of the more secluded abandend buildings. Dont want to discourage anyone, just want everyone to be safe. Just keep an eye out and a nose for that matter. Most drug labs give off bad oders. Just a caution! everyone have fun, be safe and enjoy. And thanks to everyone who sets up these caches it has been great fun for my family and I, we are even getting friends interested now.

[+whistler & co.]

While I have seen it done, placing caches next to headstones is not a good practice. While I'm not certain, I believe the reviewers have been making sure new hides in cemeteries are not placed next to the headstones. As you mentioned, it is disrespectful.

 

I am curious, how do the reviewers accomplsh this?

 

I would think Google Earth would be a way to tell, but that would depend on where your cache is. Here in Northeast PA, about all you can tell from looking at Goodle Earth is if it's in the city or the county or (maybe) in the middle of a lake (if the lake is really big).

[+Lotho]

I have found a cache that was in a graveyard, but the graveyard was incorporated into a lovely church. I didnt feel i disrespected the dead as there were paths around the site and the cache was hidden in a tree where no graves were too near. It was one of my favorite cache, actually.

[Mr.Yuck]

Cemeteries are sensitive areas, so reviewers watch them very closely. I would never place a cache near a headstone. Discretely hidden in a tree or bush would be OK, though. I've found several caches near cemeteries, but they have been just outside the boundary, in trees or on the ground. One was near the grave of one of George Washington's drummer boys. A few puzzle caches have required the finder to get numbers and dates off the monuments. Of course, when in a cemetery, you should be respectful of the people resting there, and their relatives. I like to visit the oldest corner of cemeteries. Many interesting stories there.

 

I like cemetery caches, and I'm guessing I've done almost 100. I can think of three that were distastefully placed near headstones, but I believe they all pre-dated "The South Carolina incident", as referenced by others.

 

Here are some relatively recent thoughts by a Pennsylvania reviewer, in the Northeast Forum. Sounds like he pretty much asks the hider about the hiding spot every time.

 

But note different standards are used in different places.

Edited July 27, 2007 by TheWhiteUrkel

[Cascade Reviewer]

While I have seen it done, placing caches next to headstones is not a good practice. While I'm not certain, I believe the reviewers have been making sure new hides in cemeteries are not placed next to the headstones. As you mentioned, it is disrespectful.

 

I am curious, how do the reviewers accomplsh this?

Of course Reviewers have to assume that the coordinates given are correct. Using certain satellite maps you can usually tell if the cache is in a wooded area or by the edge of the cemetery, etc. I always ask the hider to tell me what the container is, how it is hidden, and how close it is in feet to the nearest headstone.

 

After a cemetery cache is published, I'll usually keep it on a bookmark list for a while to make sure is sounds like the cache was placed where they told me it was, and that there aren't problems with the cache in general.

[+Harry Dolphin]

I do not like cemetery caches. My personal opinion (to which I am entitled!) If you want to tromp on graves, that's your prerogative. "Oh, look! He died in 1851!" And my prerogative to ignore them!

My point of argument is that, since this is a sensitive area to many geocachers, cache owner should clearly label such caches as "This is a cemetery cache." And not "This is a Tri-State Point" (which it was not!), or "I found someting interesting back here". Maybe you are interested in tromping on graves. I am not, and find them very offensive. So, please warn people beforehand "This is a cemetery cache", so I, and many like me, can "Ignore" it.

[+whistler & co.]

I have never encountered a cemetery cache that I felt was distastefully done, with the exception of one that seemed a bit odd. The container was a huge tupperware and was sitting out in the open on the (mowed) grass directly behind a gravestone in the last row of the cemetery. Obviously, the groundskeeper was aware of it, because he would have to move it in order to mow. I assume the people whose relative's stone it sheletered behind were aware of it as well. It was a modern stone and probably the deceased had relatives who were still among the living.

 

We enjoy cemetery caches because we like looking at interesting tombstones, both old and new, and because they are safe for the kids to hunt in. Also, I am always looking for a winged skull on a stone, but I seriously doubt I will ever find one in this neck of the woods!

[+Trucker Lee]

I personally see no problem with a cemetary cache, if the hider uses a little thought in placement and cachers do same in finding. I would consider anything hidden on a marker out of bounds, as well as hidden so access requires the crossing of graves, climbing on markers, or special equipment, such as ladders or ropes, brought in. Fortunately, I've yet to find any such violations of common sense yet.

 

As to abandoned buildings, again common sense on the part of all is required. I would not advocate anyone place a cache where users would unknowingly walk into a hazardous situation, such as rotted floors, drug havens, unsecured ladders or stairs. If the desire is to bring cachers to see a unique feature, but entry into the building would subject them to peril without warning, it would be wrong. For instance, the oldest well in a county is covered by a roof with a cupola of unique architecture or materials. However, getting to the cupola requires one to lay out flat over rotted boards incapable of supporting weight. Here, placing the logbook in the cupola would be wrong, as we have now knowingly caused others to place themselves into a hazardous position. "LASSIE, GET HELP!". A cache here could be placed nearby and a warning to stay off the well cover included in cache page and in cache.

 

That said, it is no litmus test. There are some caches that through their novelty and difficulty do require you to use special equipment and knowledge. But the pages on these are completely upfront (all that I've seen), some research and thought is required, and most would be scared away by the challenge and preparation required. These are not simply walk into the woods and jump on the rotted board type caches, and are in a class unto themselves. Due to the necessity of preparation, research, and special equipment, one would not unknowingly be endangering themselves, just the requirements indicate acceptance of the hazards.

[+Miragee]

<snip>

 

We enjoy cemetery caches because we like looking at interesting tombstones, both old and new, and because they are safe for the kids to hunt in. Also, I am always looking for a winged skull on a stone, but I seriously doubt I will ever find one in this neck of the woods!

I have enjoyed the cemetery caches I have found. A fun "Virtual" took me to the grave of a "A truly great Human Being" and I also found the grave of the infamous cannibal of Colorado. I got to see incredibly interesting tombstones in the shape of trees in an old cemetary in Southwestern Colorado.

 

 

It is interesting how our culture has changed over the years in regards to cemeteries. There was an great, informative program on PBS a while ago about cemeteries and how they evolved from "family plots" into developed "parks" that offered a place for recreation. I can't find a link to the program itself, but this is a synopsis.

A Cemetery Special

 

This celebration of cemeteries across America takes an unusual and informative look at graves, monuments, family plots, sculpture, and the way cemeteries interconnect with many aspects of modern American culture. Traveling from Key West to central Alaska, the program features examples of burial grounds as special sites where history and art are preserved, where flowers and trees can be important attractions, where people make pilgrimages to the final resting places of the famous and the familial, and where old and new traditions often combine in fascinating ways.