Anyone met geocacher while checking own cache?

[Gomar]

I was just wondering if anyone was ever checking over their cache(s) and another geocacher came at the same time. What do you tell them?I don't know why, but I'm always checking behind my shoulder to see if someone else would appear while I'm checking my caches... :huh:

[+kd7ctv]

Yep, I have a cache at a place I regularly stay. Note that I am a truck driver and its near a gravel lot I park in when I am in the area. If I see someone over there, I let them finish then go introduce myself and ask how they liked the hide.

Edited September 9, 2007 by kd7ctv

[casinoman]

only once and did I jump as I was not looking over my sholder. I was just replacing the cache after checking for wet and what not and they pop up and ask if I found it. I told them yes but I did hide it and was checking in on it.

[+SimonC_Here]

I met a cache owner whilst looking for their cache.

I surprised her as she was just putting it back.

Still got FTF on it!

 

Simon

[+OwlCacher]

Yep, several times actually.

[+marc923]

I have met only 1 other cacher while out there. And it was when I was checking my own cache. Other than that I never run into anyone.

[+Steinwälzer]

I met two cachers who were just signing the logbook when I was visiting my own cache to drop a coin. They saw me waiting at a distance and asked if I was searching for something, so I told them I was the cache owner. I dropped the coin into the cache, and we had a nice little talk.

 

So far that was the only time I met other cachers "out in the wild".

[+steenroller]

I was coming through town and saw a couple looking for one of my caches. I went around the block and parked and came in from behind. I asked them what they were doing and told them it sounded strange to me, just trying to give them a hard time. Finally could not keep a straight face any longer and introduced myself and we talked for about 20 minutes. Turns out the cache was missing(again) and I replaced it with a different type hide.

[+wesleykey]

I have a cache in my yard, so I will go out and meet caches when they log it. At times I pass along one of my geocoins or a travel bug......

[+runewell]

Early in my caching experience (i.e. only this April) I was looking for a cache in Fort Dodge, IA off a nice path. Someone else at the bottom hill stopped there with his bike and waited for me to make my discovery. Then we said hi and he performed maintenance - with a can of silver spray paint! It's GCYJ8W.

[+wimseyguy]

I have several urban micros hidden near work. I occasionally detour past them to see if I can nail someone in the act of seeking. It's happened a few times.

[+Dgwphotos]

I have met only 1 other cacher while out there. And it was when I was checking my own cache. Other than that I never run into anyone.

 

I have met a few, but it is rare! I have met two while not caching. I don't really chase FTF's, and that is the most common time for geocachers to encounter each other outside of event caches.

[+simpjkee]

I was just wondering if anyone was ever checking over their cache(s) and another geocacher came at the same time. What do you tell them?I don't know why, but I'm always checking behind my shoulder to see if someone else would appear while I'm checking my caches...

 

never happened to me, but I usually cache or maitain late at night so I doubt othr cachers are out and about.

 

BTW, good to see you got your cache up and running again!

[the_lighthouse_gang]

Oh yea. When we went to cheak our own caches we met two geocachers coming back/hunting for our caches.

we just let them look and gave them clues if they needed more help.We were also surprised our caches were so hard!

[Loufus]

That happened to me just today actually. I was making my rounds, checking on my caches, when I saw a group of four people disappear into some bushes next to a sidewalk right next to where my cache was. I spied on them from a distance, then when they were leaving asked them if they had found the cache. They hadn't, so I gave them a hint and they found it pretty quickly. We talked a bit then went our separate ways.

[+Moore9KSUcats]

Several months ago (before Feb 2007, actually) I had checked on a cache on a walking trail I frequent. After I checked on it, I went on with my usual walk. As I came back to the cache area, I saw someone in the area, and it looked like they were holding something (their GPSr). I asked them if they found it, and they acted startled... I told them it was there, and I was the placer. It is a tricky hide, so they needed a bit of help, which I was happy to provide.

 

Meeting other cachers on the trail is fun!

[+scavok]

One of my caches I purposely selected to be very difficult and only a block from my house. Cachers spend more time there since it is more difficult (and it raises my chances of running into them) so I get to stop and chat when I drive wherever.

 

I have been caught red-handed with my own cache once though. It was on another of my hard ones and it was the other cacher's 3rd trip out to it. Needless to say they got their smiley that time

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I have a cache in my yard, so I will go out and meet caches when they log it. At times I pass along one of my geocoins or a travel bug......

 

There are a couple of local cachers in my area that have geocoin hotels in their yards. Their intent was to have a safe place to keep nice geocoins. In one particular cache they only keep three coins in the cache at any one time and have the rest in the house. Cachers are welcome to send email if there is a specific coin they would like to grab/discover. That, however, didn't stop someone from cleaning out their cache along with a few dozen more coins in a Labor day weekend sweep covering a good portion of western NY and about 25 caches (all of which had coins/TBs previously logged in them).

 

The first cache that I placed is in a park just across from where I live and I have encountered several people searching for it.

[+Trailwalker2]

I was just wondering if anyone was ever checking over their cache(s) and another geocacher came at the same time. What do you tell them?I don't know why, but I'm always checking behind my shoulder to see if someone else would appear while I'm checking my caches...

 

When I was in college I had a small cache on a foot bridge near my apartment, one day walking to school I ran into a cacher looking for it. Said hi introduced myself and kept walking.

[+gramp larry]

I have been caching for only a few months but have run into several fellow cachers (not counting the 5 owners I have met that intentionally placed hides in their yards.) the first cacher I met was in copenhagen in a very busy area requiring stealth. i had determined that the cache was on a bench and sat down at one end to begin my search. and Noticed that a "muggle" sitting on the other end of the bench was trying to replace the cache. the strange part was that as we were chatting we found that my wife was chatting with the other geocachers mother. In london I was doing the GEO walk when I found another doing the geo walk a few feet away, we colabrated and found the cache. here at home I was signing a street lamp cache log while sitting in my car next to the lamp when annother cacher started the search for the cache. Twice i have found myself waiting in line for a cache but did not say anything to the other cachers.

[+boda]

Never have seen anyone while checking our caches, but the reverse was true once - with a twist.

 

We were returning to a cache about 50 miles from home. We had DNF'd it a few months earlier and were back in the area. As we walked to the cache a pickup truck pulled up and parked at the edge of the road. After a few minutes a man got out and sat on some rocks nearby. When asked, he said he was the owner. He was being transferred to the East Coast and was picking up his caches before leaving. When we found the cache, we signed the log; and, for the first time, did not return the cache to where we found it. We just handed it to the owner with our thanks.

 

If he would have been two minutes earlier - we would have had another DNF.

[+meralgia]

We were looking for a cache in a pine tree when a guy walked up and introduced himself as a fellow cacher. He said something like, "Are you sure it's in the pine tree?" I told him that's where my gpsr put me, and he motioned for me to come out of the tree. He said that it was his cache, and he came to check on it (on his way back home). After he redirected us slightly, my son found it quickly. My coords were about 60' off of his. I asked him if he was going to update the coords, but he said that enough people had found it as is, so he was just going to leave it the way it was.

Edited November 16, 2007 by meralgia

[IronMaiden]

This happen to me not once but twice on the same cache on the same day. I and hubby we're going to make sure my cache was okay and low and behold here comes a cacher we knew. They had just found the cache.

 

Then on our way out, here came 2 more cachers looking for my cache. Needless to say we didn't give any hints to them. Just said, hello and have a nice day.

[+FamilyDNA]

A couple of times. From the logs:

 

Old King Kohl

September 26, 2005 by imcaver

Mary had a little lamb, it's fleece was white as snow. They set out one day to see the world a caching they did go. After finding the cache and while signing the log. A big guy rode up on a big black Hog. (Harley that is). Mary wasn't afraid for she knew what to say, cuz the rider was "N" from FamilyDNA. If your going to get caught with the cache in your paw, better by a cacher on a Harley than a guy with the law. (I won't quit my day job.) TFTC.

 

Elverta's New End

August 27, 2006 by rnlorna

After searching a few minutes, I found this clever cache. As I was signing the log I heard a car drive up, but not away. I wondered if I would meet another cacher there, but it turned out to be Deb from FamilyDNA (the cache owner) checking out who was checking out her cache. Nice to see you again. I was planning on dropping Pandora's Key TB, but left it at home. TFTC, and the impromptu visit.

[+FourRiverRatz]

I think I have you all beat on this one..

 

while changing our cache container to an ammo can, some people were coming up the trail...they seemed like cachers to us..though when they saw us they veered off another direction. We hollered to them and had a conversation from a ways away..here they were going to place on in this spot, and we beat them by a week or so. We traded geocaching names and went on our way. Well, I figured I had herd wrong, because the one cacher used my maiden name or something like it as his handle...Its not a common name, so I figured I had heard wrong. I waited until he logged, and looked him up through his profile etc, and figured out that he was a son of one of my cousins, though we had never met because of bad blood between his mother and father.

 

it was kind of funny...the things you find at caches!! lol

[+joranda]

I do when I check on the ones close to my house. It's a good way of meeting new people.

[+Wazat]

I once had a cacher come up to my area from the coast and he contacted me for help on a cache, not my own, he mentioned that he was going to attempt one of my caches after that located at a local nursery and tee garden. So I told the wife that we must go and meet up with him as I had not yet met the said cacher. We got there before him and sort of ambled around till I saw him arrive. You can see a cacher from a mile away. So we decided to do the muggle thing as he was not aware that we would be there. He walked right past us on his search GPS in hand and definitely looking out of place. We let him get near the cache site and went over to look at some thing nearby. I was quite sure he was aware that we were nearby and thought it best to wait a little further off for him to find and replace the cache. He was very quick at that bit. When we turned round he was on his way back down the path on his way to his car. I could not keep it in any longer and had to introduce ourselves. We had a good laugh as he really thought we were muggles and he didn't think he would be able to hide the cache again until we had left. It was quite fun to do this from the muggles perspective.

[+fairyhoney]

I DID. I was on my way to work and saw a guy with a motorcycle close to him. He was looking down into his hand (GPSr) and looked puzzled. Well, I was stopped at the stop sign and rolled down my window. I suggested he look over by the Cedar . I was So tickled that someone was attempting my cache that I was more than happy to help out.

[The_Brownies]

I have ran into a number of cachers when I was out in the bush, and we then team up to find the cache. Generally the cachers I have ran into are newbies, but every now and then I'll run into a few vets like myself.

[+JustKeely]

This happened to me yesterday! I was walking with my kids and dog out to replace a cache container on one in the woods, and I saw some people headed down to one of my caches on the way to the woods. I stopped on the way back from my maintenance run and introduced myself, and ended up helping them find it. They were brand new at the game, it was their first cache, and I was glad I was there because otherwise they might have gone home with a DNF and a bad impression of the game. That cache happens to be a well camoed micro that takes even me a few minutes to find! I invited them to one of our local events, which I also would not have had a chance to do personally otherwise because they still haven't logged their find online.

[+mvigor]

There are a couple of local cachers in my area that have geocoin hotels in their yards. Their intent was to have a safe place to keep nice geocoins. In one particular cache they only keep three coins in the cache at any one time and have the rest in the house. Cachers are welcome to send email if there is a specific coin they would like to grab/discover. That, however, didn't stop someone from cleaning out their cache along with a few dozen more coins in a Labor day weekend sweep covering a good portion of western NY and about 25 caches (all of which had coins/TBs previously logged in them).

 

What is the problem with somebody sweeping through your area and moving all the travelers out of town? That's the point of trackable items.

[+scuba dude]

There are a couple of local cachers in my area that have geocoin hotels in their yards. Their intent was to have a safe place to keep nice geocoins. In one particular cache they only keep three coins in the cache at any one time and have the rest in the house. Cachers are welcome to send email if there is a specific coin they would like to grab/discover. That, however, didn't stop someone from cleaning out their cache along with a few dozen more coins in a Labor day weekend sweep covering a good portion of western NY and about 25 caches (all of which had coins/TBs previously logged in them).

 

What is the problem with somebody sweeping through your area and moving all the travelers out of town? That's the point of trackable items.

 

Probably becuase not all these people would place the coins into a new cache. Every area has it's coin theives. I know we have/had one here. When ever I see a coin dropped into a local cache, I try to move it quickly so it doesn't wind up in someone's personal collection (like so many before). These people are drawn to multi-coin caches like a moth to a flame.

 

Maybe we should place some of those hunter's motion cameras to take pics of everyone who comes to geocoin caches!

 

SD

[+SwampFox4Christ]

Yesterday (2/11/08) a fellow spent several hours looking for a cache that I had just put out (GC18GVX) andsaidhe had found a polished stone on the trail, I was worried it had been muggled. I sent him a hint, and he only searched around the nearest one before writing me back about how he couldn't find it. I was so sure that it must of been muggled that I accidently put him 30ft closer to it, at which point I stopped. He and the wife & kid kept looking and did find it, intact. Seems that I have a hole in my pocket from a recent motorcycle wreck and the little stone escaped. He claimed the FTF, which I think is fine because he did spend about 3 or 4 hours looking on his hands and knee's for his 1st FTF On the way out I widened the path to it, to help kids who usually seem to take to such things like water in a groove.

 

We talked for about 30min, and then bailed. He's now the only person on my friend list, as I've only caching sense 01/01/2008 so its kinda nice, I think

 

The day before that I bumped into a cacher checking one I put in on my property (GC18GVG) which is funny because I showed him how the puzzle worked and he still left the FTF to one who did not have one, I think that was kinda noble, as the puzzle gave the dead-on coords..

[finder72]

As I was going to check my coords,(they were off), when I met a cacher coming down the road. We introduced ourselves. He couldn't find the cache so he walked back with me using his GPS. Sure enough, they were off. He "found" it with a little help, signed the log and was off. We would have had a cup of coffee but the time was not there.

[+geo_phil]

I hid my first cache a few weeks ago. It was published late on a Friday but I was worried that the Coords were a little off so I went down early on Saturday to double check them.

 

As I approached the cache there was a couple there pulling it out of it's hiding place!

 

I just walked on by as if I was a muggle (although a very happy muggle!)

[+tsunrisebey]

I was headed out to one of my multi-caches to do some maint. (drop loot). I always bring my Border Collie with me who is pretty protective (wouldn't bite but she can growl like a wolf). Anyhow, I just finished climbing to the top of the mountain and 'Dakota' ran ahead of me to the final waypoint (she has all the caches memorized). The cache sits out on a rock outcropping that overlooks the valley but you have to negotiate some pretty large boulders and trees and round a few corners. I couldn't see Dakota but I knew she'd be waiting for me there. A few moments later I heard this loud growling and I immediately thought she stumbled upon a mountain lion but quickly heard a guys voice saying "hey, hey". I felt bad for him cause I'm sure he was startled, so I called my dog off and she came trotting back. A few moments later the cacher came around the boulders...

 

After chatting for a few minutes, he went back to look for the final stage while I waited. That was my first and last time I've ever seen anyone on the trail while geocaching, let alone while checking my own cache.

[cloudyboy]

in my very first cache i meet a cacher actually he meet me and he find the cache before me

[+doingitoldschool]

I saw cachers by one of my two hides - First Baptist Church - and went and had a chat with them before they finished the find. Good folks, and it's always fun to meet other cachers

[murtmurt]

I was just wondering if anyone was ever checking over their cache(s) and another geocacher came at the same time. What do you tell them?I don't know why, but I'm always checking behind my shoulder to see if someone else would appear while I'm checking my caches...

 

Well, One when I was showing my friend what geocaching is (by checking my own at the same time) an old couple came. There I was, with the cache in my hands explaining about gps, logbooks etc when they searched for it, right next to me! I asked them if they were looking for something, and they said that they was looking for the box i had in my hands. We stood there talking for a while . It is always nice to meet others while searching for a cache.

[+GeoShif]

Now this is a funny one:

On my first Geocache I put it in a local park but I changed my mind about the location, I switched the co-ords and I accidently got it published, when I noticed I biked as fast as I could from the park to get to the cache, I then took the cache and I rode to the new co-ords. Then I saw these elderly couple making there way down. I am only eleven I explained the error and I asked them to go take like a ten minute walk they understood! so then I was frantlicly searching for a good location, I found it and by coincidence it was right where I put the co-ords. Everything was OK

These coupole are soon approaching their 8,000 cache!

 

GeoShif

[+Lake_People]

I'm a law enforcement officer and was patrolling, in uniform and in my marked vehicle, near an area where I had a cache placed. I saw some people who were obviously looking for it and stopped to say hi. They were pretty freaked out for a moment, stuttering to explain what they were doing. I quickly let them off the hook and said I was the cache owner. They were pretty releived and we had a nice visit.

[+Mongoriller]

Yeah, a few days ago, I was riding my bike down a pier to see one of my caches, and I saw two people walking their dog. I saw the man look down at something, but I didn't know what it was, so I kept biking. On my way back, I saw them looking around and knew that they were geocaching. I told them that I was the cache owner, and they found it, and called me back and wanted me to replace it so they didn't drop it in the river.

[+KvPhoto]

I have a cache that is on my way home so MissV checks on it daily. One day we were coming home and saw a woman hanging around the area. We decided to sit on the wall at the top of the hill and watch to see if she'd find it. Well, long story short, it took over an hour and muggle intereference but she was about to give up and walked away. I now debated about telling her she had been right on top of it the whole time or leave it be! I felt bad knowing how much time she had spent there so I ran down and walked past just saying 'go back, it's right where you were standing for the last half hour.' She looked at me strange and I said it again. She then laughed and asked if I was the owner to which I fessed up to and she told me she was Woodstrider. I walked back with her and the muggle, who she had now educated, and did not give it all away but she wound up finding it.

I have to admit its fun meeting other cachers along the way.

[+crevis79]

I placed a cache in my home town where the MWGB was last year. The cache was muggled a few days before the event.

 

I got a new container out before the event, and ran into a few cachers that were in town early for the event.

 

I asked them to turn around and not peek as I placed the new container.

 

After finding the container, we talked for probably 10-15 minutes about the MWGB and the history of the cacher area. Great to meet some cacher, and had great fun forcing them to turn around while I placed the cache.

[+nameless301]

The other way around for me. I was searching for the cache and the owner came up and talked to me.

[+ncranger4201]

We were cought RED HANDED looking for a local cachers hide on our 3rd cache in the bottom of loading dock of an old deserted warehouse.

[+busterbabes]

Just last week i was going to replace a full log on a cache of mine.. Pulled into parking area and there was a car that had just pulled up right before me. I knew what they were doing just because of the area the cache is located, jumped out and said "I know what youre doing!" LOL

Turns out I had met skeeter a while back, but always wanted to meet her mom, annieptigger (she is a "tiggerific" log writer, and a great person). We had a nice chat and talked about caches we had all done, and we brainstormed on a new cache container they were going to place. I LOVE impromptu run-ins with other cachers!

[+WRASTRO]

Just last week i was going to replace a full log on a cache of mine.. Pulled into parking area and there was a car that had just pulled up right before me. I knew what they were doing just because of the area the cache is located, jumped out and said "I know what youre doing!" LOL

Turns out I had met skeeter a while back, but always wanted to meet her mom, annieptigger (she is a "tiggerific" log writer, and a great person). We had a nice chat and talked about caches we had all done, and we brainstormed on a new cache container they were going to place. I LOVE impromptu run-ins with other cachers!

But did you ever replace the full log?

[Murus]

When we found the first cache, we met the owner. It was a big surprise, and he was very kind, he explained a lot of things, what we didn't know, he had a lot of experiences. WE were very happy about this meeting. :-)

[+Dgwphotos]

I have a cache fairly close to my home, and I try to keep an eye out for possible cachers when I am home. I've met the FTF (whom I've met before), the STF, and one of the later finders, so far.