Power Trails

[+Foinavon]

Every few days I run a pocket query of all the new caches (i.e. less than 7 days old) near me. Well I ran it today and of the nearest 30 to my home coordinates 23 of them were members of power trails. They do seem to be very popular yet when I speak to people at events not many people seem to have a good word for them and when geocacheuk.com is working the power trail caches seem to have quite a low rating compared to others. Why are they so popular then? Its it really just the statistics?

 

Instead of the usual "Everyone plays the game in their own way ..." , "If you don't like them don't do them ...."

responses I would quite welcome some power trail enthusiasts to come on and tell me what I am missing, (and its difficult to ignore them when they clog up your PQs, puzzle and multi dislikers can easily exclude these but unfortunately its not the case for power trail sceptics!).

 

For myself I have never done one in full but I have picked four or five of some of the power trails in the North West. Now amongst this lot there are a few really good hides but I think their impact is often spoiled by having a generic cache page, and a (sometimes) boring title (something trial number 13), and a series of pointless micros nearby who's sole purpose seems to be to tempt you to the good cache. Then the good cache instead of getting the proper log it deserves will get "6/18 TFTC".

 

Another interesting point. Is it just a British thing? I spent some time in Australia last year and I went to an event and met some Aussie cachers, we compared caching or ("Kay shing" as they insist on saying) in our respective countries and I mentioned power trails. I got blank looks so I had to explain what they were. It did lead me to wonder if this was why a few pommie cachers seem to have emigrated there recently.

[+pklong]

Individually caches in a series can be uninspiring but they can add up to a fun trip. I like them because there is no chance of spending half a days caching, finding all the stages in a multi but getting to the end and no sign of the cache (seems to happen to me at about 50% of the multi's around here). Together they can make a nice trip and because they are so popular you stand a good chance of bumping into other loonies^W cachers en-route.

 

I recently did a power trail in which every cache was a novelty hide and one was on an island in the middle of a pond. I had a great day out!

[+Jonovich]

Can you define what a Power Trail is for me please? I've heard the phrase and indeed, even done and placed some caches that are within walking distance of one another and have a common cause - but are these Power trails?

 

Cheers,

 

Jon.

Edited January 18, 2008 by Dakar4x4

[+pklong]

Can you define what a Power Trail is for me please? I've heard the phrase and indeed, even done and placed some caches that are within walking distance of one another and have a common cause - but are these Power trails?

 

Cheers,

 

Jon.

 

I would say a series of three or more caches where is hide is less than half a mile from the last, maybe extend that to a mile if they are drive-bys.

[+*mouse*]

I did some power trails last summer. The draw for me was purely the numbers and the fact I could find so many caches in one go. What was also nice was the fact I didn't have to keep driving somewhere and park up - I could just walk to the next cache.

 

The trails I chose also took me to a part of the UK I wouldn't have visited in a million years if it wasn't for the caches, and the place and people were lovely, so I'm really glad I avoided the usual tourist destinations and headed somewhere a bit different.

 

The disadvantages for me were the number of micros (I personally prefer bigger containers) and the fact that I was completely cached out afterwards. I found over 100 caches in five days because of the trails, but only 11 during the following 4 months!!

[+Foinavon]

Can you define what a Power Trail is for me please? I've heard the phrase and indeed, even done and placed some caches that are within walking distance of one another and have a common cause - but are these Power trails?

 

Cheers,

 

Jon.

 

I had a little look at the caches that you have placed. I don't think "Nano's north of Luffenham" qualifies as a power trail because.

 

(1) You have commendably made each cache page different.

(2) They are not in a line.

(3) There is a puzzle involved.

 

So its a series not a power trail In other words the reason these caches have been places is the location, rather than to fill in gaps.

 

As an aside I used to have relatives in Market Deeping, its a shame I no longer do as that looks a nice little series. I know the area quite well but unfortunately they moved just before I took up caching!

[+Jonovich]

 

I had a little look at the caches that you have placed. I don't think "Nano's north of Luffenham" qualifies as a power trail because.

 

(1) You have commendably made each cache page different.

(2) They are not in a line.

(3) There is a puzzle involved.

 

So its a series not a power trail In other words the reason these caches have been places is the location, rather than to fill in gaps.

 

As an aside I used to have relatives in Market Deeping, its a shame I no longer do as that looks a nice little series. I know the area quite well but unfortunately they moved just before I took up caching!

 

Thanks for that! Let me know if you do head over at any time, I'm always up for a swift drink and natter about all things caching at the "Nag and Bag" ;-)

 

I have no experience of a Power Trail then in order to comment further... however I will make the effort to do one and see how it feels.

 

J

Edited January 18, 2008 by Dakar4x4

[markandlynn]

Cache Saturation

 

The reviewers use a rule of thumb that caches placed within .10 miles (528 feet or 161 metres) of another cache may not be published on the site. This is an arbitrary distance and is just a guideline, but the ultimate goal is to reduce the number of caches hidden in a particular area and to reduce confusion that might otherwise result when one cache is found while looking for another. On the same note, don't go cache crazy and hide a cache every 600 feet just because you can. If you want to create a series of caches (sometimes called a “Power Trail”), the reviewer may require you to create a multi-cache, if the waypoints are close together. A series of caches that are generally intended to be found as a group are good candidates for submission as a single multicache.

 

The cache saturation guideline applies to all physical stages of multicaches and mystery/puzzle caches, as well as any other stages entered as “stages of a multicache.” The guideline does NOT apply to event caches, earthcaches, grandfathered virtual and webcam caches, stages of multicaches or puzzle caches entered as “question to answer” or “reference point,” or to any “bogus” posted coordinates for a puzzle cache. Within a single multicache or mystery/puzzle cache, there is no minimum required distance between waypoints.

 

The word 35mm crops up a lot as well as the words drive by and they are ussually set at D and T of 1.5 or below.

 

They are all about boosting find counts which is why find counts are useless for comparing cachers.

 

Im glad the ignore this listing function exists on the site as "they" say if you dont like em ignore em and the site allows you to do this.

 

Have a look at a major US city for some really high cache density spots they do have the LPC (Lamp Post Cache) something we in the UK dont

[+The HERB5]

they do have the LPC (Lamp Post Cache) something we in the UK dont

Why did you have to say that

[Lactodorum]

As far as I'm concerned a "Power Trail" is a series of similar caches, often but not always, micros hidden fairly close to each other and designed to be completed in a single visit. A common feature is a simple "cut'n'paste" description. There's usually around 6 or more although there's no set figure.

 

It's not a UK phenomenon although the UK review team have always been very much more lenient than many reviewers in other parts of the world when considering series of caches which is perhaps why you see them here.

 

From a personal perspective I have strong reservations about power trails but I try not to let that influence me when reviewing caches. Only in the most extreme examples (e.g. 30 or more ) do I question things.

 

 

And Nebias, don't worry about lamp post caches in the UK, ours are constructed differently and don't have the removable "skirts" that the American ones do. Phew!

[markandlynn]

they do have the LPC (Lamp Post Cache) something we in the UK dont

Why did you have to say that

 

It s OK ours are made differently there's no skirt to lift.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YET !

[+Lost in Space]

..........don't worry about lamp post caches in the UK, ours are constructed differently and don't have the removable "skirts" that the American ones do. Phew!

 

Come on Dad, I have been with you on many a cache in the US when lifting a skirt brought a smile to your face.......

[+Cushie Butterfield]

How do I search for a power trail in my area?

[markandlynn]

How do I search for a power trail in my area?

Google maps is the easiest id guess.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/gmnearest.a...amp;lng=1.05217

 

Zoom out find a dense cluster and zoom back in

 

I used one of your caches as the centre point.

[+mongoose39uk]

OK I am guilty I LIKE power trails.

 

I like a good walk that strangely is my main reason for doing them. They do not have to be listed as a power trail; I will often clump together a group of caches on the edge of the Peak District and look to get a ten to 15 mile walk out of them. It’s far better for me to do one drive to an area there and back: than to have to keep jumping in and out of the car for a short walk, though I do enjoy this as well sometimes.

 

The North West does seem to have a large number of power trails and yes they do tend to get a generic cut and paste log (though that can be said about quite few of the truly terrible none power trail caches in the area).

 

I also like to get numbers (guilty as charged).

 

I particularly dislike ones slung out for events where they are behind some random rock at the side of the road surrounded by rubbish.

 

Wickers Hike could be said to be a power trail, it is a dadgum good walk though.

 

Like many other cache types there are good ones and bad ones.

 

Generic cache pages, there are loads of these about on all types of caches and I have to say that’s down to the placer not the type of cache.

 

As for people at events not having a good word for them, take a look at their logs, they still do them.

 

Like many others I prejudge some caches by the label in front of them. Off your trolley makes me cringe. Motorway Mayhem also has this effect, though I have done some good ones.

 

As for selling the idea to anyone else that power trails are good, why should I. I happen to like them (though not all of them). Other people don’t fair play.

 

amazes me that it edits out d*a*m*n but lest bugger through

Edited January 18, 2008 by mongoose39uk

[SlytherinAlex]

And Nebias, don't worry about lamp post caches in the UK, ours are constructed differently and don't have the removable "skirts" that the American ones do. Phew!

I went off those caches a couple of years ago when I lifted a lampost skirt in a Target car park in Orlando and there was a wasps nest in there.

 

a.

[+macroderma]

I really don't understand the problem. If you don't like them don't do them!

 

Are the various canal series caches power trails? Ridgeway Run?

 

I like the towpath ones as it is a chance for a quite long walk/bike ride with the reward of a lot of finds and usually a trip through some nice countryside. It is a lot easier to persuade kids to take a longer walk if there is a trail of caches to follow with relatively short gaps

 

Would I ride 5 miles up a towpath for a single cache and then ride back? Probably not

 

There are some parts of the UK with very high cache densities yet somehow they are not sniffily dismissed as power trails - in effect they are.

[+stonefielders]

I'm OK with power trails

However I don't like the distorting effect they have in luring cachers away from the more challenging or innovative caches, just to get their numbers.

 

We put out a Harry Potter series recently with 7 micros plus a final puzzle in a 3k walk round a reservoir

We have a Dora the Explorer Moorland Adventure multi with 1 cache but 3 stages in a much nicer 3k walk round a reservoir

 

Needless to say the one with the 8 caches has already had more traffic than the Dora cache ever had.

 

If I cared about getting lots of people to do my caches, I wouldn't ever bother putting out a multi & instead make each stage an individual cache, at least 161m apart.

 

As it is I don't care & think the structure of a multi is better suited to following a short trail

 

Unfortunately cachers are now expecting more than just 1 cache on a circuit as a result of the rise of the power trail.

[+mongoose39uk]

 

Unfortunately cachers are now expecting more than just 1 cache on a circuit as a result of the rise of the power trail.

 

I don't think thats really true, many people always linked them up where possible.

[+rutson]

 

I went off those caches a couple of years ago when I lifted a lampost skirt in a Target car park in Orlando and there was a wasps nest in there.

 

a.

 

Opening a thread about power trails is a bit like opening a wasps nest

[+macroderma]

I'm OK with power trails

However I don't like the distorting effect they have in luring cachers away from the more challenging or innovative caches, just to get their numbers.

 

We put out a Harry Potter series recently with 7 micros plus a final puzzle in a 3k walk round a reservoir

We have a Dora the Explorer Moorland Adventure multi with 1 cache but 3 stages in a much nicer 3k walk round a reservoir

 

Needless to say the one with the 8 caches has already had more traffic than the Dora cache ever had.

 

If I cared about getting lots of people to do my caches, I wouldn't ever bother putting out a multi & instead make each stage an individual cache, at least 161m apart.

 

As it is I don't care & think the structure of a multi is better suited to following a short trail

 

Unfortunately cachers are now expecting more than just 1 cache on a circuit as a result of the rise of the power trail.

 

I think you need to take the time of year into consideration too

 

I only have time to cache on weekends and this time of the year there is only 8 hours daylight. I won't spend a couple of hours doing a multi at this time of year

 

I save multis for long summer evenings

[nobby.nobbs]

I personally like them as long as they have been placed in locations worth going to.

 

It's too easy to throw 20 caches out along a footpath around an industrial estate!

 

Whereas There are several along recognised walks or canals that are (nearly) all worth visiting. Let's be honest if there was a single multi cache that involved a 6 mile walk along a path not many would bother. The same spot with ten caches along it would get loads of visits.

[+T.R.a.M.P.]

I personally like them as long as they have been placed in locations worth going to.

I would go along with that. I have lived on the South Downs all my life but until a couple of local power trails were put up I had never bothered to venture that far. I also don't think that stages in a multi would have go us around the route(s) - I guess it really is about the numbers for us

[+Foinavon]

Well 17 responses and with only one "if you don't like them don't do them" not bad at all

 

Most were positive about power trails. I had a bit of a bad time on one particular one which I think may have sullied my opinion of them. It was just before an event so in proper power trail manor I tried to pump the numbers by bagging as many of them as I could. I found the coordinates were out (indicating that the setter had so many to place they couldn't be bothered taking more than one reading), the hides were poor (micros in woods, micros in ivy, clues that said "ivy","tree"), there was no stash sheet no pencils in them and some that had had about 7 DNF's had not been checked (and still haven't been), and worst of all for me was that so many of them were in thorn bushes, I got scratched to buggery and ended up going to the event looking like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards. To me it was everything caching shouldn't be. Get them out as quickly as possible then forget about them. Quantity not Quality, now these are still found more than any others in the area and it irks me somewhat. Looking at the new power trail caches that have appeared I can't say I was particularly surprised that some have had to be disabled due to various guideline violations (dry stone walls, dangerous materials), if you have got twenty odd caches to bash out you probably don't have time to read the guidelines!

 

Now after all that moaning I will be a bit more positive. The new caches were split roughly into three trails. Not one of them had any icons at all (obviously too much effort for so many caches), however one of them now does have them, not only that it has my favourite icon of all the pram icon (or the "stroller" icon as Groundspeak insist on calling it!), most of my weekend caching is done with my little lad so I do need them. I have nearly exhausted my supply of pramable caches in my area so to get a few more is a big plus. Two good times I have had on Power Trails were on Oldham Way (I noticed mongoose replied I had never heard of Power Trails until the Oldham way did you invent them Tony? ) and the River Lostock trail. They didn't really feel like Power Trails at the time as I only did some of the pramable chunks of them, but I did enjoy the ones I did do. I do appreciate it when effort is made to judge each cache on its own merits for stuff like this.

Now this new one has about twenty caches and they all have the pram icon on them. I've never seen a power trail with so many contiguous pramable caches so the little one and I are going to have a crack at it. You never know I might just enjoy it and have a better opinion of them.

[+2202]

I have a growing affection for circular walks where a good number of caches can be gained en route. They certainly have taken over from multis which I do not have any affection for (one digit out and your lost, or having to look for the early numbers when they are a given anyway, don’t the setters realise that?)

 

A new one in South Oxfordshire recently yielding 12 caches in a three and half hour walk, up and down dale and squelchy mud. Some were rather obviously placed but with the sun setting, no bad thing. Box Hill also two weeks ago garnered six caches in a very up and down walk, was equally enjoyable.

 

The big point was that all I had to do was park the car up once, and then fresh air. It does beat driving from one location to another.

 

I agree that a '5/9 for the day' log says bugger all and I have now tried myself to write up the logs as if they were part of an ongoing story.

 

So I am now in the planning stage of a 5 mile circular walk with all sizes of caches from nano to regular, and about 700 metres apart. Just to give something back to those who have given to me. Begins and ends by a pub, up and down dale, and an educational content to each cache description that is linked with the location (too often they are not, for whilst I enjoyed it, what has Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs got to do with Box Hill?).

 

We need more circular walks, and if you want to call them a power trail, then thats all right by me.

[+Alibags]

Just when does a series become a power trail? I have recently set a series of 13 caches around a 3.7 mile walk, the majority off road. The idea was for a nice walk with some caches along the way, enough to make it a caching trip, not so many as to make the hides too samey. It seems to me that a series along a nice walk seems to be becoming the most popular genre of cache these days. I have done several recently and have enjoyed them very much and I have spoken to other cachers who feel the same.

[+Happy Humphrey]

Just when does a series become a power trail? I have recently set a series of 13 caches around a 3.7 mile walk, the majority off road. The idea was for a nice walk with some caches along the way, enough to make it a caching trip, not so many as to make the hides too samey. It seems to me that a series along a nice walk seems to be becoming the most popular genre of cache these days. I have done several recently and have enjoyed them very much and I have spoken to other cachers who feel the same.

That sums it up nicely: it's a good format in principle. The moans are coming from people with bad experiences due to poorly-placed and/or badly-maintained caches. If you place a good series of well-thought-out caches, short walking distance apart, with decent descriptions and points of interest nearby, then you'll have plenty of excellent feedback. I actually prefer micros for a cache trail, with a regular (mystery) cache to finish with. It's really a multi - but better!

[+Team Sieni]

I get the impression that the definition of a "power trail" is "a cache series you don't like" as in:

 

I did a fantastic series of caches this weekend (Trans: found them all, and had a good time)

I wasted my time on a daammn power trail this weekend (Trans: I couldn't find one of them)

Edited January 23, 2008 by Team Sieni

[+The HERB5]

If one part of a Multi goes missing, Game Over.

If one part of a Power Trail goes missing, go onto the next.

[+currykev]

Just when does a series become a power trail? I have recently set a series of 13 caches around a 3.7 mile walk, the majority off road. The idea was for a nice walk with some caches along the way, enough to make it a caching trip, not so many as to make the hides too samey. It seems to me that a series along a nice walk seems to be becoming the most popular genre of cache these days. I have done several recently and have enjoyed them very much and I have spoken to other cachers who feel the same.

That sums it up nicely: it's a good format in principle. The moans are coming from people with bad experiences due to poorly-placed and/or badly-maintained caches. If you place a good series of well-thought-out caches, short walking distance apart, with decent descriptions and points of interest nearby, then you'll have plenty of excellent feedback. I actually prefer micros for a cache trail, with a regular (mystery) cache to finish with. It's really a multi - but better!

 

Spot on comments!

EVERY caching trip I plan,whether it's a Saturday day out or a long weekend (here or abroad) is totally decided on a caching route (either circular or with transport links back to the start).Thats where I get my enjoyment.Plus,trying to get from A-B can also be fun,especially when the gps points the most direct way,across land and water!

[+Foinavon]

If one part of a Multi goes missing, Game Over.

If one part of a Power Trail goes missing, go onto the next.

 

It interesting that people (quite a few not just Nebias who I have quoted) view Multis as diametric opposites of power trails. I don't see that at all. If there is an "opposite" to power trails its simply to have fewer caches in the area with the 550ft gap fillers filtered out.

 

As for multis I like the ones where.

 

1 ) The stages are virtual and the final is a box. I've set a few of these and often the point of them is to get round the fact that we can't have virtuals anymore. In the past the "box" would have been uneccessary.

 

2) All the stages are loggable trads with numbers in and the final is a cache.

These are less prone to the "Game Over" problem specified above. Often the final cache is listed as a puzzle not a multi, but its a multi really!

 

The ones where you have to find several boxes to log one cache are probably not such a good idea any more.

[+The Great Redmondo]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Caching is many things to many people ! Each to their own I say.

[+Allanwicker]

Wickers Hike was meant to be just that ( a hike ) and I planed to place just 4 but found that the moors were Quite a dangerous place and I was asking to much of you to walk 12 or so miles for so few .

So it ended up being 10 which where more safety way points than caches.

After a couple of months I noticed 1 or 2 cachers were getting in to difficulty from 3 to 4 which was a good long walk over peat land, so I tweaked the hike a bit more and added some more caches to keep you on the paths

Yer the caches are a bit small but not micro, and I'd like to see the man how can place this many ammo boxes in his rucksack

 

I work full time during the week and a volunteer range most Saturdays so have very little time to put as much caching in as possible, so I like to do as many as I can.

Whether the caches are placed by the same person or 2,3 my Aime is to do as many as possible in the time that I've got, so you could say that's a power trail the only difference is you've planed them not the cacher placing them.

[+stonefielders]

Wickers Hike was meant to be just that ( a hike ) and I planed to place just 4 but found that the moors were Quite a dangerous place and I was asking to much of you to walk 12 or so miles for so few .

So it ended up being 10 which where more safety way points than caches.

After a couple of months I noticed 1 or 2 cachers were getting in to difficulty from 3 to 4 which was a good long walk over peat land, so I tweaked the hike a bit more and added some more caches to keep you on the paths

Yer the caches are a bit small but not micro, and I'd like to see the man how can place this many ammo boxes in his rucksack

 

I work full time during the week and a volunteer range most Saturdays so have very little time to put as much caching in as possible, so I like to do as many as I can.

Whether the caches are placed by the same person or 2,3 my Aime is to do as many as possible in the time that I've got, so you could say that's a power trail the only difference is you've planed them not the cacher placing them.

 

We had a great run round the 30 odd caches in Wickers Hike - really enjoyed it & was our favourite power trail.

I liked the caches which had been placed at a point of interest e.g. Waughs Well more than those marking the way.

I'm more likely to write an interesting log for such caches.

[+Foinavon]

Wickers Hike was meant to be just that ( a hike ) and I planed to place just 4 but found that the moors were Quite a dangerous place and I was asking to much of you to walk 12 or so miles for so few .

So it ended up being 10 which where more safety way points than caches.

After a couple of months I noticed 1 or 2 cachers were getting in to difficulty from 3 to 4 which was a good long walk over peat land, so I tweaked the hike a bit more and added some more caches to keep you on the paths

Yer the caches are a bit small but not micro, and I'd like to see the man how can place this many ammo boxes in his rucksack

 

I work full time during the week and a volunteer range most Saturdays so have very little time to put as much caching in as possible, so I like to do as many as I can.

Whether the caches are placed by the same person or 2,3 my Aime is to do as many as possible in the time that I've got, so you could say that's a power trail the only difference is you've planed them not the cacher placing them.

 

We had a great run round the 30 odd caches in Wickers Hike - really enjoyed it & was our favourite power trail.

I liked the caches which had been placed at a point of interest e.g. Waughs Well more than those marking the way.

I'm more likely to write an interesting log for such caches.

 

I have done the first few of Wickers Hike. At that time there was about half a mile between them so it certainly didn't feel like a power trail at the time. I think the effort/numbers ratio is too high.

[+pklong]

Wickers Hike was meant to be just that ( a hike ) and I planed to place just 4 but found that the moors were Quite a dangerous place and I was asking to much of you to walk 12 or so miles for so few .

So it ended up being 10 which where more safety way points than caches.

After a couple of months I noticed 1 or 2 cachers were getting in to difficulty from 3 to 4 which was a good long walk over peat land

 

Groan. Queue moans from all the Geocaching detractors about unprepared technology addicts getting lost on the moors. Remember your paper map and compass folks!