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archeological and dangerous caches...?


the fotog

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Sorry I haven't posted much here other then some crazy caches but that should change... Any way I've been doing some thinking. I like to go out to places that people have either never been or haven't been to in what could be centuries. These cool places are what drive me out into the heat, up and down sheer cliffs, and off into the sunset.

This brings me to my quandary. Should I post some of these finds and share them with world? Not really my first choice but I think history is for everyone and should be seen and felt. On the other hand I'm afraid of people coming in and spoiling such places.

Now the other aspect. It's real hard to get out to some of these places. I mean you are going to be taking your life in your hands, need some specialized gear, and I wouldn't dought the possibility of needing extrication if your not carefull and plan ahead well.

Because some of these places are so hard to get to is why I've not posted them all ready. Thinking about their fragility keeps their secret with me and just a few others. Should I share them with the world or not?

 

Example.

I found a cave that was ocupied by a soldier under the comand of General Patton. Many people deserted when they were out here from what I understand. In the cave I found an alice pack, some boots, personal items, a radio...

 

The other day I was out checking on a cache when I found a fire pit that was most likely used by horse thiefs that used these canyons quite a bit.

 

Walking in the midle of no where I came across a fish trap. it still had some mechanical workings. There hasn't been water in the area I found this for close to 500+ years...

 

I know I should probably tell the authorities about these places but then I couldn't go back and enjoy 'em then... So don't give me no gosh darn flack about that...

 

 

And mods if this has been covered in some other part of the forums I apoligize for ther repost, I swear I used the search button first...

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My selfish nature tells me "post caches there" because I would LOVE to find stuff like that but in reality i understand why such sites are not generally published.

 

I fear that it would only be the FTF or possibly a few afterwards that would see what you see as it would soon be plundered.

 

All in all it is probably best to give the information to local archaeologists.

 

Perhaps you could look into joining a local university archaelogical team or something. My wife, who is an archaeology buff, has said in the past that many of these organizations are begging for volunteers.

 

History IS for everybody. That is why it is important to preserve what we reasonably can.

 

It is a shame that in many cases the only way to preserve it is to keep it away from the general public.

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It's best if you were to notify your local university's archeology department. If you found these spots you can bet that someone else will eventually and they may be looted before anybody has a chance to study them.

 

If you don't want to do that, then keep it a secret. I'm sure most geocachers (myself included) would love to hunt a cache that would take them to these places and I'm sure most geocachers would treat them with respect.

But the chance of someone telling someone and finally the wrong person learning of it is too great and the site could be endangered.

 

Looting of archaeological sites is a major problem. Please don't do anything that would increase the chance of this happening.

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I'm cool with the 5 star terrain caches being posted, but i'm one of those cachers that know from experience (from my own hides) that not all cachers are honest, or cache with integrity. Your special spots won't be so special after they have been posted on the internet. People will take these items as souveniers.

 

There are some exceptions like areas so remote that it takes the most hardcore adventurers to access the spots. A great example of unspoiled locations with a geocache is the mining spot called Beveridge used in virtual cache Operation High Desert Adventure and OPERATION HIGH DESERT ADVENTURE NO.2

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The problem is that geocachers are a pretty diverse cross-section of the general population, as are most any other group you can identify. I can tell you that I would LOVE to search for such caches, and to see such areas, and would never dream of looting or damaging the area. And I wouldn't at all mind the challenge of getting there. Most others on the forums will probably say the same, and we're not being dishonest at all. BUT it cannot be denied that there are those who lack this ethic. When you publish coordinates to a web page, the whole world has access to it. So as sad as it is, you really have to plan for the lowest common denominator.

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I would probably reject all-well maybe most- of the sites you listed as good places for caches. Yes I'd loved to explore them for the reasons you mention, but I don't think that bringing people to those areas is a good idea because it will probably lead to the area being trampled and possibly wrecked. It seems like there are better means of sharing your finds with others. Perhaps a write up in, let's say, a history magazine or local nature magazine (without disclosing the location) would allow you to share your findings with others. Don't write off the authorities so quick. Like you, they want to preserve and enjoy the history. Coming from a college town there are lots of professors here that would love discussing finds like that. Did you have a bad experience with authorities?

 

P.S. Don't worry about extreme caches- most people won't do them anyway- just be sure to let people know on the cache page what they are up against, be sure to mention the correct terrain and difficulty rating and anything they will need to get there (special equipment ). I would have no problem putting warnings, lots of warnings (ex. dangerous animals, unsure footing, etc.) and disclaimers on the page that the hunt for the cache might be a little trecherous and to proceed at their own risk. Of course if it is too dangerous I'd probably not list it. I don't like people getting hurt, but there are cachers adept at extreme sports and I'd let them know on the cache page that the listing was geared for them.

Edited by Luckless
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Sorry I haven't posted much here other then some crazy caches but that should change... Any way I've been doing some thinking. I like to go out to places that people have either never been or haven't been to in what could be centuries. These cool places are what drive me out into the heat, up and down sheer cliffs, and off into the sunset.

This brings me to my quandary. Should I post some of these finds and share them with world? Not really my first choice but I think history is for everyone and should be seen and felt. On the other hand I'm afraid of people coming in and spoiling such places.

Now the other aspect. It's real hard to get out to some of these places. I mean you are going to be taking your life in your hands, need some specialized gear, and I wouldn't dought the possibility of needing extrication if your not carefull and plan ahead well.

Because some of these places are so hard to get to is why I've not posted them all ready. Thinking about their fragility keeps their secret with me and just a few others. Should I share them with the world or not?

 

Example.

I found a cave that was ocupied by a soldier under the comand of General Patton. Many people deserted when they were out here from what I understand. In the cave I found an alice pack, some boots, personal items, a radio...

 

The other day I was out checking on a cache when I found a fire pit that was most likely used by horse thiefs that used these canyons quite a bit.

 

Walking in the midle of no where I came across a fish trap. it still had some mechanical workings. There hasn't been water in the area I found this for close to 500+ years...

 

I know I should probably tell the authorities about these places but then I couldn't go back and enjoy 'em then... So don't give me no gosh darn flack about that...

 

 

And mods if this has been covered in some other part of the forums I apoligize for ther repost, I swear I used the search button first...

 

You actually have a valid concern IMHO.

After reading a thread about how some folks "disguise" their caches, I cannot help but think that "leave only footprints" is in jeopardy in a couple instances.

 

If folks have a problem finding a cache, and then think "well, some folks are disguising them as natural features now", then I can see a potential for a bit of destruction. If you've a cache in a beautiful spot, do you really want to invite folks to "toss" the place like an FBI search?

 

I will most likely NOT put a cache on/under/near artifact areas like the OP describes. However, I will attempt to put them in picturesqe spots. As such, you can rest assured that these will be able to be found without "tampering" with the location to any visible extent. (Of course, I'd assume that other folks on hunts would have the peace of mind to leave the location as they found it. Well, except on garbage-out hunts of course!)

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Thanks a lot for all of your thoughts and concerns. I knew asking the general members was a good idea. That and now it seems I'm not alone... That and now I know there are others out there with a world wide audience but choose to keep their secrets. I think I will do the same.

However I'm still at a conundrum with the whole tell the authorities thing. See out here the Bighorn sheep have ruined a lot of the desert for us. Yes that's right. Those inbred sheep that are along the side of Hwy 111 have closed huge portions of the mountains around here. I'm just afraid that some of my finds might cause more restrictions if I tell the authorities.

So I think I'll take some advice given here and see if I can find some archaeological groups to volunteer for. Maybe If I knew that these places could be enjoyed by future generations, and protected from the uncoof types, then I'm cool sharing. Besides with the whole world has been mapped by satellites, so I'm not the only one who knows of these locations...

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