Cache maintenance after the floods

[+MaplessInSeattle]

Has anyone thought about this?

I know of at least two caches that probably no longer exist now.

I'm sure you more experienced local cachers know of a lot more that are gonna be in a bad way after the waters subside a bit.

Are cache owners going to head out and check on caches? Or will it be up to users to find/dnf and then message owners, etc.

 

Are the people who own a lot of caches going to need help checking on their caches?

Just curious.

[+W7WT]

We live on a hill in East Bremerton with good drainage and came thru in good shape. However I am sure there are a lot of cachers that have more things to worry about and take care of than the condition of their caches. I only need 8 more caches to reach 2100 and to reach our goal of finding 500 this year. Like to do that before the end of the year. I have a listing of 15 caches in NK and Bainbridge Island but many of those may be lost. Guess we will have to look for urban caches for a while. Good luck to those less fortunate.

 

UPDATE; Today, the 5th. we looked for the above caches. A few of the caches we couldn't get to because of closed roads and a few we just couldn't find. but we did find 10 amd meet our goal of 2100 and 500 this year. All the caches we found were in good shape. The trails were in good shape except for a homemade log bridge had washed to one side. In the creek it was over, the water was down and easy walked thru with boots.

Edited December 6, 2007 by W7WT

[+Prying Pandora]

The responsible way would be for any cache owners who think some of their caches are damaged or missing to check on them as soon as conditions and opportunity permit. If they know without a visit that they're under water, they should disable them right away. No sense in wasting a cache hunter's time and effort to tell you something you already know.

[Team Misguided]

The responsible way would be for any cache owners who think some of their caches are damaged or missing to check on them as soon as conditions and opportunity permit. If they know without a visit that they're under water, they should disable them right away. No sense in wasting a cache hunter's time and effort to tell you something you already know.

 

Very well said.

 

I'd like to add that it's certainly understandable for any cacher who has suffered flood damage to their home/property to back burner cache maintenance for a bit. I'm sure that all they would need to do is ask and they'd get volunteers to go check on their caches for them.

[+Dgwphotos]

I will probably need to check to see if the path to Meadowridge Night Cache is open. The rest should be good, since the ones near streams are well away from the water.

[+Shop99er]

Last year we found a cache that had been placed along a river. It had flooded the week before and we found the ammo box a good ways from where it was supposed to be....covered in mud and laying in the open.

 

We took the cache and hid it a ways away from where it was supposed to be or where we THOUGHT it was supposed to be...since it had flooded we didn't have a clue. We then contacted the owners, told them where we hid it and let them know that the area they had it in had flooded. It was the only thing we could really think to do.

 

The owners didn't know that the river had risen that high and were glad we had salvaged the box and put it somewhere for them for safe keeping. We'll do the same if we locate another 'floater'.

[+hydnsek]

Yeah, this year isn't any different than any other year....it rains, it floods, we go check on our caches. Last year was worse in some areas.

[IronMaiden]

I'll need to check mine as soon as the water goes down. Right now, it's not under water but it might be by tomorrow.

[+Bluesman63]

Yeah, this year isn't any different than any other year....it rains, it floods, we go check on our caches. Last year was worse in some areas.

 

If the floods don't get you, the wildfires will.

[+MaplessInSeattle]

Ref: 2nd poster. I didn't mean to imply at all that caching should be a priority for those affected by the floods. Obviously there are much more important things than caching.

I just hope that everyone, and everyone's caches come out ok. In that order.

=)

[+-Hawk-]

 

Are cache owners going to head out and check on caches? Or will it be up to users to find/dnf and then message owners, etc.

 

Are the people who own a lot of caches going to need help checking on their caches?

 

 

Good point, and raises my question. Is there any previous finders of my caches, that live in the Port Orchard area, that would be willing to check on the welfare of a few of them for me. I have been in Missouri since Monday the 3rd, and won't be back until the 15th.

[+W7WT]

Hi Tim, I will try again, we had a power failure for a few minutes. I don't think you need to worry too much about your caches. Yesterday we did NK and BI and the biggest problem was road closures for mud slides. All of the trails and caches were in good shape. Thanks for congrats on reaching 2100 and 500 this year. The caches on both sides of Hood Canal may have problems because of mud slides. Keep warm in KC

Dick

[+MaplessInSeattle]

Good point, and raises my question. Is there any previous finders of my caches, that live in the Port Orchard area, that would be willing to check on the welfare of a few of them for me. I have been in Missouri since Monday the 3rd, and won't be back until the 15th.

 

This was the original intent of this post, to get those who need help checking on their caches to get it. =)

yay!

[+PastorDIC]

This time of year there is the additional problem of reduced sunlight in getting your caches checked on. I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark on an Express Bus, so as it is, I'm going to have to get out there on the weekend and get some TB's back in caches I've been holding too long.

 

I'll need to check where my caches are, but that is nothing compared to the 20 mile strip of Interstate 5 by Chehalis WA that is still under water. I hope all the cachers up there (as well as everyone else) are still amon the living.

[+Shop99er]

Good point, and raises my question. Is there any previous finders of my caches, that live in the Port Orchard area, that would be willing to check on the welfare of a few of them for me. I have been in Missouri since Monday the 3rd, and won't be back until the 15th.

 

This was the original intent of this post, to get those who need help checking on their caches to get it. =)

yay!

 

Checked and it's still there and is in good condition.

[+-Hawk-]

Good point, and raises my question. Is there any previous finders of my caches, that live in the Port Orchard area, that would be willing to check on the welfare of a few of them for me. I have been in Missouri since Monday the 3rd, and won't be back until the 15th.

 

This was the original intent of this post, to get those who need help checking on their caches to get it. =)

yay!

 

Checked and it's still there and is in good condition.

Thank Ya sir!!

[luckykoi]

I have several caches out by Staircase that may have been impacted but to road to them is closed until April 1st so I won't know until then. I've got one called "coming up rocks" that might be gone I'm not going to drive way up there just to look at it so I'll wait for the next cacher. Three bridges on the Big Creek Trail are gone so I've disabled the cache I had under a bridge up there. My cache in Hoodsport may be gone but probably not. My cache under the goldsbourgh bridge in shelton if not gone is sure to be soaked. The river was up to the bottom of the bridge, I'm going to check on it soon.

[+MaplessInSeattle]

I have several caches out by Staircase that may have been impacted but to road to them is closed until April 1st so I won't know until then. I've got one called "coming up rocks" that might be gone I'm not going to drive way up there just to look at it so I'll wait for the next cacher. Three bridges on the Big Creek Trail are gone so I've disabled the cache I had under a bridge up there. My cache in Hoodsport may be gone but probably not. My cache under the goldsbourgh bridge in shelton if not gone is sure to be soaked. The river was up to the bottom of the bridge, I'm going to check on it soon.

WOW quite the adventurer, Hope they all turn out ok.

[+Difranco]

Do not forget that where I-5 was shutdown around Centralia/Chehalis area... This may require effort from not only cache owners but other cachers as well:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/gmnearest.a...;zm=10&mt=m

 

... thats a lot of a caches!!!

Edited December 17, 2007 by Difranco

[+CurmudgeonlyGal]

Do not forget that where I-5 was shutdown around Centralia/Chehalis area... This may require effort from not only cache owners but other cachers as well:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/gmnearest.a...;zm=10&mt=m

 

... thats a lot of a caches!!!

 

We have a number of 'cache issues' here as well (west of Olympia)... Flooding and an absolutely amazing number of trees down.

 

I'm having a hard time resisting writing DNF logs for a cache I pass by a couple of times a day that is still underwater - two weeks post-flooding.

 

"Thought I'd consider getting the cache today, but as there isn't even a boat ramp for this 'lake' I'm not sure how I'll get there... yet."

 

 

michelle

[+Difranco]

 

We have a number of 'cache issues' here as well (west of Olympia)... Flooding and an absolutely amazing number of trees down.

 

I'm having a hard time resisting writing DNF logs for a cache I pass by a couple of times a day that is still underwater - two weeks post-flooding.

 

"Thought I'd consider getting the cache today, but as there isn't even a boat ramp for this 'lake' I'm not sure how I'll get there... yet."

 

michelle

 

I'm considering going to the dollar store picking up some memo books / ziplock bags and doing some 'random acts cache maintenance' down Centralia/Chehalis way. I'm sure many of the cache owners have more important things to worry about than cache status.

[+EraSeek]

Repaired one of my caches on the Snohomish. It had only floated about 50' away. No biggie, but I was amazed it was still around. It is now 7' up.

If I had time I think your random act of kindness would be a really cool thing to do for those down south.

[+ironman114]

I checked on 6 caches in the Hoodsport area last week. I'm happy to say all of them were just fine. The first waypoint for one is missing but it may have been missing before the storm. The final is posted in one of the logs cause it seems to go missing regularly, so I was able to find it..

 

It took me 45-60 minutes to go 1/4 mile because of all the downed trees. Both foot bridges also had trees on them. Check my Found It and DNF logs for pics of the damage:

 

Pooh Sticks

 

I took a short cut on one on the big creek trail and although several bridges down lower on the trail were damaged or gone the one at the cache was just fine along with the cache.

Edited December 19, 2007 by ironman114

[+MaplessInSeattle]

Just wanted to say it's very encouraging to see the attitude and help of you guys. =)

[+CurmudgeonlyGal]

 

We have a number of 'cache issues' here as well (west of Olympia)... Flooding and an absolutely amazing number of trees down.

 

I'm having a hard time resisting writing DNF logs for a cache I pass by a couple of times a day that is still underwater - two weeks post-flooding.

 

"Thought I'd consider getting the cache today, but as there isn't even a boat ramp for this 'lake' I'm not sure how I'll get there... yet."

 

michelle

 

I'm considering going to the dollar store picking up some memo books / ziplock bags and doing some 'random acts cache maintenance' down Centralia/Chehalis way. I'm sure many of the cache owners have more important things to worry about than cache status.

 

I would agree with that (and as an aside, I am totally joking about doing the above... although a little levity around here at the moment is always a good thing - 50mph winds and lots of rain on the slate for tonight/tomorrow...)

 

Most people have temporarily disabled those caches that are still impossible to get to as we wait for things to back off enough to check them out. As mentioned above, water levels are still incredibly high in spots and as the rain keeps falling, it's getting tougher to even speculate when it might possible to do maintenance runs.

 

 

michelle

[IronMaiden]

My Webpage: Duck Am I Blind?

 

We checked out my cache that is near the Chehalis River. We were surprised to see the path way is blocked.

 

You have to climb over the debris to get to the cache. Hey, if I can climb it anybody can Who knows when the Dept. of Wildlife will get the path reopened.

 

The best surprise of all was the fact that the cache container the I hid was still in place and dry . Even though the water was over 11 feet in the cache area. It might a lame micro but it's a darn good one.

 

Check out the pics in the gallery. You'll see what I mean

[+hydnsek]

My Webpage: Duck Am I Blind?

 

We checked out my cache that is near the Chehalis River. We were surprised to see the path way is blocked.

 

You have to climb over the debris to get to the cache. Hey, if I can climb it anybody can Who knows when the Dept. of Wildlife will get the path reopened.

 

The best surprise of all was the fact that the cache container the I hid was still in place and dry . Even though the water was over 11 feet in the cache area. It might a lame micro but it's a darn good one.

 

Check out the pics in the gallery. You'll see what I mean

Nice pics, glad to hear the cache is A-OK!

 

Alas, your link was broken. Here's the cache page: Duck! Am I Blind?

[IronMaiden]

My Webpage: Duck Am I Blind?

 

We checked out my cache that is near the Chehalis River. We were surprised to see the path way is blocked.

 

You have to climb over the debris to get to the cache. Hey, if I can climb it anybody can Who knows when the Dept. of Wildlife will get the path reopened.

 

The best surprise of all was the fact that the cache container the I hid was still in place and dry . Even though the water was over 11 feet in the cache area. It might a lame micro but it's a darn good one.

 

Check out the pics in the gallery. You'll see what I mean

Nice pics, glad to hear the cache is A-OK!

 

Alas, your link was broken. Here's the cache page: Duck! Am I Blind?

 

Thanx for fixing that for me. I had to many things to do this morning until I got back to the forums.