Passing by fellow geocachers

March 4, 2008

So I was driving down the street in a busy part of town and I look over to my right. There are two guys standing near some big metal structure, one looking much like I imagine I look when caching and the other writing something. Out of curiosity I fire up my GPSr and in a few seconds I have an arrow pointing right at them <_< It was a cache I have yet to get to. Its funny how caching really has opened up my eyes to a new world!

March 4, 2008

Something similar happend to me. I live in a small city and was quite surprised when this happend. I was sitting on a bench in a local park, knowing that the nano cache was located somewhere on the metal frame. As I leaned over to grab the cache that was a metal nut and bolt with a magnet, a truck drove by and a man yelled out the window "your getting close".

It's nice to know that there are other cachers out there!

March 7, 2008

So I was driving down the street in a busy part of town and I look over to my right. There are two guys standing near some big metal structure, one looking much like I imagine I look when caching and the other writing something. Out of curiosity I fire up my GPSr and in a few seconds I have an arrow pointing right at them It was a cache I have yet to get to. Its funny how caching really has opened up my eyes to a new world!

You should have pretended to be a muggle. I can't wait for a chance to do it.

"You two lookin' fer drugs or somethin'?"

March 13, 2008

I was at a birthday party in middle Ohio in January. After the party I decided to burn off the cake and ice-cream with a little caching in the local park. It was a very cold day, and I was the only person in the parking lot. I gathered the papers I needed and I headed into the woods. After a long hike that could have been a lot shorter if I knew the area I found the cache. As I was walking back to my car and already on the main path I noticed a couple walking towards me. As we passed one of them said “Patches” which was the name of the cache. I smiled and said “Yep.” With that the other asked “Do you have any clues?” To which I replied “Oh sure, it’s in the woods.” We all had a good laugh, and stood in the bitter cold and talked for a few minutes. They were very nice people, we exchanged phone numbers, so if we are in each others area’s we could cache together.

March 15, 2008

One day, my wife and I were setting in a park eating lunch when we noticed two folks getting out of a vehicle. The ladies head went down in the typical cacher stance and they moved a few feet. I then watched as they both started pointing in different directions and then would move a few feet and then repeat the pointing. Eventually they started searching a rock wall and ducked down out of site. I couldn't stand the pressure of letting them think they were being descrete so I walked up to them and asked them if they found what they were looking for. After a few moments, I let them off the hook and admitted that I knew they were geocaching. There have been many of times where I've gotten to stand back and watch others caching.

10.1k · March 16, 2008

I was walking back to my car from the final of a multi. A car drove by, the driver honked and yelled "Hey, Harry." (Harry is not my real name.) I didn't see who it was, but he did NOT offer me a ride. :anibad:

On another occasion, we were walking back from a series of caches, and some geocaching friends drove by, and stopped for a chat.

I've met any number of cachers while looking for caches. "You're not going to find it. I have it." "Let me know when you're done signing the log, so I can find the cache." I meet people from all over the country!

March 16, 2008

One of our first caching trips took us to a cache called Here Comes Da Bus (now archived). The cache was located in an abandoned bus stop, since the town retired its bus service, and it was located in the ceiling of the bus stop inside a light fixture.

As we walked around this structure, looked high and low, inside and out, a jeep across the street beeped its horn and the driver said "look in the light fixture"... sure enough there it was!!! To this day I have no idea if this was a fellow cacher or just a muggle away of the cache.

March 17, 2008

I've had a few run-ins with other cachers.

The most recent happened yesterday. We were in San Antonio taking in the sights and doing a little caching when we were at the convention center to do our last cache in the downtown area. We had found the cache and we were logging it when a guy came around the corner and said "Well, at least the hard part was done for me!" He was from Canada and that cache was the first for him in Texas. We talked a little bit and then went our separate ways.

1.7k · March 18, 2008

Stormchasers have a term 'chaser convention', where several of them end up in the same place at the same time, chasing some storm or other.

Well, I've seen cacher conventions! Seven of us went caching in one particular park one day (huge place!) and during the course of it, we ran into no less than five other cachers out doing the same thing. We were tripping over them everywhere!

3.3k · March 18, 2008

I've had a few run-ins with other cachers.

The most recent happened yesterday. We were in San Antonio taking in the sights and doing a little caching when we were at the convention center to do our last cache in the downtown area. We had found the cache and we were logging it when a guy came around the corner and said "Well, at least the hard part was done for me!" He was from Canada and that cache was the first for him in Texas. We talked a little bit and then went our separate ways.

Now that's funny. That's Bish0p, from Alberta, Canada. he's on a 3500 mile road trip to pick up the ENTIRE southern US in 10 days. Follow his progress. He's in Tennessee right now, heading west I believe. His logs aren't up to date yet, he's not sleeping much :lol:

March 19, 2008

After getting lunch and heading back to work I saw a lady wearing gloves and fishing in some bushes. While I waited for the light to change I thought she looked like she was looking for a cache but not one I was aware of.

When I got home I checked that corner and there was a new cache and a log from the woman I saw.

We really are distinct when searching.

Starring at a blank wall or park bench, rainman style, while there is an entire park to explore.

March 20, 2008

One day we were getting ready to go Geocaching and my wife took on the responsibility of selecting the days caches. We had hit about 5 caches and were headed to our sixth.

"Wow, this is my uncles neighborhood."

Closer

"Uhh, this is my uncle's street."

"This is my uncle's house ... and that's my uncle."

Turned out the cache was in a creek behind his house. We stopped in and chatted for about 2 hours before we went off into the woods. They were actually aware of the cache because my aunt had seen someone out in the woods about a month earlier. She said that she stopped and looked at him and he said, "Sorry, I'm playing a GPS game called Geocaching. I'm just looking for a hidden container and I'll be on my way."

Anyhow, just a good example of how Geocaching brings families together.

Cheers!

DJ

Edited March 20, 2008 by TheMcQuades

March 20, 2008

Starring at a blank wall or park bench, rainman style, while there is an entire park to explore.

:laughing: :rolleyes: :unsure:

The wife works on Easter, so we are celebrating it on Saturday.

Well my son asked me last night, "With Mom at work, how would you like to get all the high muggle caches on Sunday. Ill bet there will not be to much traffic, and we will be able to get at least 50!"

So with high hopes we are going to be hitting the bricks hard Sunday and he is seriously hopping for 50.

Edited March 20, 2008 by Bigdaddy Mark

March 20, 2008

A bunch of us South Jersey Geocachers went on a field trip to Central Park in NYC one day last year. We had just finished a virtual and were across the road regrouping and noticed a guy standing under the same virtual with a GPS in his hand. One of our group ran across the road and kinda snuck up on him.

"Whatcha doing?", she asked.

"Uh, nothing", he says, trying to quick-like hide his GPSr.

"I am not doing anything either", she replies, holding her GPSr higher. He doesn't quite get it.

"And all those people over there", she say, now pointing at us, "they aren't doing anything either".

At which point, we all held up our GPSrs and waved.

It turned out he was from Delaware, not too far from us and we all recognized his name and he recognized ours. He hung out with us for almost the whole day and had a blast!

Small world, huh?

March 22, 2008

A couple weeks ago we had a surprizingly beautiful day so I drug hubby out to get some local caches. There was a park that I had found every cache in (some twice, returning with other friends) except two that were out a ways, across a little creek by gps looked in the middle of the lake but were really on a bit of land that stuck up into the middle of the lake. We found the second one and were in full view of the oppisite side of the lake when someone suddenly yelled out "Are you geocaching?!" I was surprized and took a second to reply but managed to yell back "yes". After we were done and returned to the main part of the park they met up with us and gave us their names, I immediatly recognized the name of the one lady because I had seen her name on logs before me. After returning home that night I emailed her and we came to find out we are the same religion and she lives in the town that I attend church in every week!

I've run across others that we knew to be cachers and some that we thought might be cachers but many acted terrified to have anyone know what they were doing. One even later mentioned in a log that they saw other geocachers (hubby and I) and pretended to do something else then took off.

Why be so scared to aknowledge that you are doing a harmless hobby? Theres been times I've been out on my own and having a hard time finding the item or arguing with my gps and would have gladly excepted an extra set of eyes to help me search. I may look scary but really I'm safe! :unsure:

March 22, 2008

My wife and I were out caching in a local botanical garden -- strolling along with a GPSr in our hands. Two women were walking towards us and stopped to ask us if we were geocaching. Turns out they were there for the same caches and one of them recognized my wife from high school -- 25 years ago. We tried to find one last cache together, but it involved some serious bushwhacking, so they let me try the last 300 feet or so, alone.

March 31, 2008

Today I met my first batch of geocachers while out caching. I've had a suspicion I was followed a couple other times but fear I look like I bite so I never met any of them. Today, however, I met the seemonkeys. They were great help on finding a cache me and my friend were looking for 2 other times before. The kids were great and the head monkey was very helpful and insightful. Hopefully other geocachers I met are similar :laughing:

March 31, 2008

I was actually introduced when I ran into a couple cachers. We were coming back from camping at Annett's Mono Village and my girlfriends mom has a thing for cool rocks (she likes to put them in her garden) so we headed up to the area where Obsidian Dome 2 (i think that was the name) was. On our way down we saw another car pull up with Geocaching stickers all over them. We got to talking to them and were introduced to caching. They offered for us to go with them, but it was a steep climp and we didn't feel like making it again :laughing: When we got home we came onto the website, checked it out and within a week started doing it.

Oddly enough, now that I am actually out caching, I haven't seen anyone since.

Edited March 31, 2008 by StClairC

1.7k · March 31, 2008

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were out caching in the mountains together. There was a new cache there that hadn't been found yet so we were hoping for a FTF. When we pulled up to the area of the cache, there was a woman wandering around with what looked like a GPSr held up to her ear. We laughed, thinking she was playing the 'I'm talking on my cell phone' trick for muggles. So my husband hops outta the truck and walks over to her, thinking he is going to meet another cacher, and says "Did you find it?" She says " oh, yeah, I found it" We were a little disappointed that we didn't get FTF, but went ahead and found the cache. When we got it open there were no signatures on the log sheet. About that time the woman walked past, TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE, (it wasn't a GPSr) saying "Oh, mom, I've been out here looking for a water pipe leak all day, and I finally found it!" :laughing:

March 31, 2008

In our short time at caching, we have run into a few fellow cachers, and it has always been enjoyable. We've ended up having lunch together, yakking for a while and yes, even hunting for the cache together. I hid a cache at the church I serve, and I like to catch cachers seeking it.

April 28, 2008

Several months ago, a local cacher (about an hour away) had become active in placing new caches. There were several new ones that hadn't been logged yet, so I headed up to claim some new FTFs. As I got to the first possilbe ftf (in a tiny pocket-park) I saw 2 people standing in the middle chatting away. I sat in my car and pretended to have a purpose while I waited for them to leave. After about 10 minutes of impatiently waiting and fiddeling around, I saw a GPS in one persons had. So I got out, with my GPS and walked up to introduce myself. Turns out it was the cache owner and another cacher from up in Kansas. We stood there and talked for about half an hour. Then we parted ways and proceeded to sign as STF of the cache. I headed out in search of the other ftfs. I was 20 minutes behind on the first. I missed #2 by 10 minutes (passing him as he left), missed #3 by 5 minutes (again, waving as we passed) and missed the last one by about 2 minutes. He was walking back to his truck as I pulled in.

It was a fun chase, even if I didn't get any ftf's that day. I found it funny to find his name as the last to sign a log (the day before) on a cache a couple hundred miles away a month later. Seems I am forever chasing him.

1.7k · April 29, 2008

Went up to Lincoln yesterday to meet a friend and do some caching. We had a string of DNFs, and were getting frustrated, so we went after a typical guardrail cache. That was when we started hearing voices. Well, *a* voice.

"Further down! It's on the other end!"

Sure enough, it was further down, on the other end... I'm not even sure who was calling, but he evidently knew what he was talking about!

May 11, 2008

I have run across fellow geocachers twice, but they werent geocaching at the time.

The first one I was looking for a micro at a cache called "The Ambulance" we were having a get together at the building next to it, and the pizza delivery guy arrived, telling me I was close.

The second one, we had just found and logged one called "Just pulling your leg" and the guy who lives in the house next to it, beyond the fence was doing yard work, his dog barking like mad, asked through the fence if someone was over there, and hubby replied yes and what we were doing, (we always do and if the person sounds interested we explain the sport), turns out he is a geocacher and didnt know that one was hidden so close to his house, since it had just been published a week or so before that.

2.5k · May 12, 2008

My husband and I were standing on a little hill with a flagpole at the top, surrounded by bushes. There was a sidewalk circling the pole and steps up to the flagpole. It was in the middle or an urban neighborhood in broad daylight. We were frisking the bushes for the cache with gps units in hand.

A little red truck pulled up and the driver shouted out "Hey, you guys geocaching" to which we replied "Yes" and "Not very well" so he said "Good! I think I'll join you"

We introduced ourselves (we recognized each other's names even though he lives two states away) and proceeded to find the cache. We ended up spending the next couple of hours finding more around town together and chatting while we looked.

Haven't seen him since, but keep hoping we will (he comes into town fairly often). I feel like we made a new friend that day. That's one of the things I like most about geocaching.

May 12, 2008

We were out caching today near a well-used bike trail and as someone rode by and said 'hello' they said 'out geocaching too?' I noticed someone had hit several caches just before us today -- probably the same folks.

May 13, 2008

After a party on Mother's Day I went out caching with a friend and her brother. It was an easy find, but I had already figured out where it was (From driving on a road that passed by it, since it was by a land mark). When we pulled up into the parking area there were two cars there. The people saw us, and left. There was a trail in the long grass like they had just been walking there, but the log book inside the cache hadn't been written in since '07. Maybe they couldn't get it unlodged from it's hiding spot. My friend was grunting and muttering for several minutes before she got it out.

There's a micro cache that my friend and I are beginning to believe has been muggled but we stopped by to look for it again. (fourth stop now for both of us, though we haven't always searched together) A man on a bike stopped and casually asked if we had found it yet. He was having trouble, too. As we got to talking he and I discovered that we live kitty-corner to each other. When I was a little kid I'd go over to his house and play with his daughter.

Passing by fellow geocachers

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