My geocache horror story

[Mishka4406]

I'm very new to geocaching but think it's great fun so far. So this weekend I went to a family reunion where I thought I would intro my family to it. The place we go to is a ski resort in PA. So I took 4 reluctant adults on their first hunt. Not really being familiar with how to find hiking trails to get to the cache I looked at my GPS and saw a straight line from me to the cache. Well I just took that straight line right up the side of a STEEP ski hill. (More like a mountain.) All the way to the bloody top. Of course when we got up there we found a hiking path down that I wish I would have known about first off. The people I took were bitching up a storm the whole way up. So luckily we found that one. Then they were stoked.

Then I took a larger group of people for a second hunt. I didn't do my research very well because I found I didn't have detailed map of the area on my GPS like I thought. It was just short of that area. So we all packed into 2 cars and headed for a state park that was in the area.The GPS was taking us on all sorts of back roads. Around and around until people started getting frustrated with it. I stopped in local gas stations & no one had heard of this trails head. The state park was too big. We abandoned that hunt although it looked like a beautiful hike that would have been great. I would have made the weekend. Instead I have a bruised ego, no cache & no one to go geocache with me any more.

I was just curious if anyone had a horror story of how they introduced people to the sport so that I wouldn't feel so bad.

[+Renegade Knight]

Your second hunt sounds a lot like how I introduced one of the stand out geocachers in the state. If it would have been easy he would have not been intersted. He was dragged in kicking and screaming. His entire family geocaches now.

 

Sometimes half the battle is getting to the cache.

[+TrailGators]

I'm very new to geocaching but think it's great fun so far. So this weekend I went to a family reunion where I thought I would intro my family to it. The place we go to is a ski resort in PA. So I took 4 reluctant adults on their first hunt. Not really being familiar with how to find hiking trails to get to the cache I looked at my GPS and saw a straight line from me to the cache. Well I just took that straight line right up the side of a STEEP ski hill. (More like a mountain.) All the way to the bloody top. Of course when we got up there we found a hiking path down that I wish I would have known about first off. The people I took were bitching up a storm the whole way up. So luckily we found that one. Then they were stoked.

Then I took a larger group of people for a second hunt. I didn't do my research very well because I found I didn't have detailed map of the area on my GPS like I thought. It was just short of that area. So we all packed into 2 cars and headed for a state park that was in the area.The GPS was taking us on all sorts of back roads. Around and around until people started getting frustrated with it. I stopped in local gas stations & no one had heard of this trails head. The state park was too big. We abandoned that hunt although it looked like a beautiful hike that would have been great. I would have made the weekend. Instead I have a bruised ego, no cache & no one to go geocache with me any more.

I was just curious if anyone had a horror story of how they introduced people to the sport so that I wouldn't feel so bad.

The first time I took my daughter along, we did a multi. I punched in a number wrong so we walked an extra two miles.

 

 

I was going to suggest viewing Google maps in hybrid view before you head out. It will save you a lot of time!

[Mishka4406]

Thanks Semper ubi sub ubi

I'll do that.-M

 

I was going to suggest viewing Google maps in hybrid view before you head out. It will save you a lot of time!

[+TrailGators]

Thanks Semper ubi sub ubi

I'll do that.-M

I was going to suggest viewing Google maps in hybrid view before you head out. It will save you a lot of time!

"Semper ubi sub ubi" is my quote....TrailGators is the name and geocaching is my game.... Edited September 4, 2007 by TrailGators

[Mishka4406]

Sorry 'bout that.

 

"Semper ubi sub ubi" is my quote....TrailGators is the name and geocaching is my game....

Edited September 4, 2007 by Mishka4406

[+GreenMountainTreasureHunters]

"Semper ubi sub ubi" is my quote....

 

You weren't in Mrs. Lloyd's Latin class, were you? She was 70 years old, but she thought that was just hilarious.

[TopangaHiker]

A horror story?

Welcome to the world as seen from a satellite where the shortest distance between two points could also be the hardest and steepest if not impossible to travel.

 

Two words: trail map

 

This summer I was in Utah. One day on a hunt the GPSr told me that we were within 300 hundred feet of the cache. There was just one problem. The 300 feet was on a horizontal. The cache was 400 feet up on top of a butte.

Edited September 4, 2007 by TopangaHiker

[+Hose502]

If I get someone new to go geocaching with me, I like to revisit a cache that I've already done. That way, I know what we are getting into and I let them do the searching with the GPSr with the guarantee that we will find it (well, almost guaranteed). If they enjoy that trip, I'll then take them on a run with me for geocaches I haven't found yet.

[+GeoScooter1]

A horror story?

Welcome to the world as seen from a satellite where the shortest distance between two points could also be the hardest and steepest if not impossible to travel.

 

Two words: trail map

 

This summer I was in Utah. One day on a hunt the GPSr told me that we were within 300 hundred feet of the cache. There was just one problem. The 300 feet was on a horizontal. The cache was 400 feet up on top of a butte.

 

Something similar happened to me the other day. I was on a trail looking for a cache and I would see 300' to cache and then it would jump up to 400' or more. This kept happening and then ( I am slow sometimes) I realized that due to the switchbacks on the trail, I would be close then far, then close, then far, etc. There is another one I will need a trail map for because my last best spot indicated it was 300' away and could have only meant straight up! I need to find a better way to get in there.

[+frex3wv]

I wouldn't call it a horror story - but more of an adventure. But have no fear - you'll figure out pretty quickly how to interpret and figure out what the gps is showing you. With alittle trial and error - you will be great at it. Then - go back to those you were with this weekend and say "hey - lets try it again." When THEY find it - all will be forgotten.

 

And for the record - I have done a bunch of caches "the hard way" and my wife reminds me of it from time to time and we get a good laugh out of it - and I get to give her props for finding the right way to the cache - and that can never hurt.

Edited September 5, 2007 by frex3wv

[+Team Crime Scene]

Sometimes the Horror is not the hike. Here's my Story.

 

.Here’s where our story begins:

I get to the lonely parking lot and walk right up to the cache bushes. Hmm looks like a clearing on the other side. I walk around and dive in. Found the cache easily and placed my hand on the disposed hot water heater. By the time I realize the lawnmower sound I’m hearing is coming form inside the hot water heater I’m already covered in bees. Yes Bees. I dropped my GPS and the opened cache container on the ground and ran like my a** is on fire. I scrambled back to the parking lot to regroup knocking bees off me the whole way. I got stung 9 times that I counted.

 

How can this be that “I” found the bees? The cache has already been logged. I am not one to believe in Luck good or bad. Nor am I superstitious. So the explanation I came up with is when the others logged the cache in the afternoon the bees must have been out humping flowers and molesting orange blossoms.

 

O.K. I’m not leaving my GPS and the scattered cache contents. I’m thinking “What do I know about bees?” Hmmm stay calm and they won’t sting. Yea that’s it. I make my way into the trees for a second time and get stung twice. Ughh…I’d like to meet the guy that come up with that idea. I’d shake his hand then put a boot in his a**. Wait till they settle? Yea, yea that’s the better idea.

 

I waited about 15 minutes and headed back in a third time (I’m a sucker I know). Grabbed all the contents and the GPS and headed out. I only got stung once this time. As I sat on the curb signing the logbook thinking is this all worth it? The answer came to me as yes. Although others might not think so and I certainly didn’t want anyone experience the wrath of the bees. I’m just glad the Crime Scene kids were not with me on this one. I called lorriebird for Flossmoors number and informed him of the cache circumstances. He was unavailable at the time. I was unaware of protocol so I moved the cache a semi safe distance from the bees and left a message. When I got the call from Flossmoor about the cache he let me know that I had done the right thing with the cache.

 

To date I’ve completed 391 caches including a few of the roughest terrain caches in the world right here in our backyard. I have not been bitten by a snake, gator, panther or a cougar (2 and four legged) I have had run ins with ants but this is the first bee attack.

 

Took my pride and dignity with me and left my signature on the log. It's all about the smiley!!!

 

I think My throat is tightening up. If I die, let it be known I want a “Viking” funeral.

 

Cache on,

 

TCS

[+Team Cotati]

I'm very new to geocaching but think it's great fun so far. So this weekend I went to a family reunion where I thought I would intro my family to it. The place we go to is a ski resort in PA. So I took 4 reluctant adults on their first hunt. Not really being familiar with how to find hiking trails to get to the cache I looked at my GPS and saw a straight line from me to the cache. Well I just took that straight line right up the side of a STEEP ski hill. (More like a mountain.) All the way to the bloody top. Of course when we got up there we found a hiking path down that I wish I would have known about first off. The people I took were bitching up a storm the whole way up. So luckily we found that one. Then they were stoked.

Then I took a larger group of people for a second hunt. I didn't do my research very well because I found I didn't have detailed map of the area on my GPS like I thought. It was just short of that area. So we all packed into 2 cars and headed for a state park that was in the area.The GPS was taking us on all sorts of back roads. Around and around until people started getting frustrated with it. I stopped in local gas stations & no one had heard of this trails head. The state park was too big. We abandoned that hunt although it looked like a beautiful hike that would have been great. I would have made the weekend. Instead I have a bruised ego, no cache & no one to go geocache with me any more.

I was just curious if anyone had a horror story of how they introduced people to the sport so that I wouldn't feel so bad.

 

Pretty gutsy move for 5 finds and two months. At that stage I was still introducing MYSELF to the game.

[tossedsalad]

"Semper ubi sub ubi" is my quote....

 

You weren't in Mrs. Lloyd's Latin class, were you? She was 70 years old, but she thought that was just hilarious.

 

So what does it mean? The Latin translator I tried gives me nonsense.

[tossedsalad]

"Semper ubi sub ubi" is my quote....

 

You weren't in Mrs. Lloyd's Latin class, were you? She was 70 years old, but she thought that was just hilarious.

 

So what does it mean? The Latin translator I tried gives me nonsense.

 

Oh, nevermind...

[+simpjkee]

It's not a horror story at all. I enjoyed every minute of it, but I did something very similar to what you did. You can read my blog about it. Just click "12 Mi. Caching Hike in Portland, Oregon" in my sig.

Edited September 5, 2007 by simpjkee

[Mishka4406]

Wow that sounds like a great adventure. I love hikes like that. I live in Ohio. It's pretty much flat. I love the challenge of steep hills. Thanks for sharing Josh.-M

 

It's not a horror story at all. I enjoyed every minute of it, but I did something very similar to what you did. You can read my blog about it. Just click "12 Mi. Caching Hike in Portland, Oregon" in my sig.

[+Rontro]

I have introduced a couple of people to Geocaching. No horror stories. in fact all had a great time. My sister and her husband went out and bought a GPSr the next week.

 

I had the hints with me just in case and made sure I knew the area we were going to.

[GPS-Hermit]

I take the same approach to Geocaching as I do whitewater - They have to beg me to go - that way it's their fault if they don't like it. Usually they know they will.

 

Only 2 bad ones - 13 bees stings had to run down steep hill to escape the little tiny yellow jackets. The other one was due to putting in wrong Co-ords and ending up in no-where land full of man eating briars and getting back to the car just as all light disappeared. I could have spent the night out there in a bad way, but didn't.

[+ADKcachers]

Sounds like the unbearable part was your whining compatriots.