A well hidden cache gets out of hand!

[+Tequila]

Am I missing something?? There is no post explaining the title.

[+ReadyOrNot]

Darn those well hidden caches getting out of control! It's destroying geocaching! We must stop the insanity!

[+KoosKoos]

Don't blame the well hidden cache. as the title clearly states it's the REPLYING to them that's getting out of hand. Let's ban all replies to well hidden caches. We need a new rule...er, guideline to take care of this blight!

 

[Fluxuated]

It's a well hidden Thread!

[+the hermit crabs]

Looks like it might be Bay Counties Smallest Public Bay Access (GC17T7C)

[+BlueDeuce]

Wow, those logs are

[+ReadyOrNot]

Wow, those logs are

 

I just read through all of them too Sounds like it would have been A LOT of fun trying to find that little bugger. It was clearly listed as a difficulty 5. What do people expect? I'm guessing the ones that complained were expecting a LPC and didn't see the difficulty or something. I like the advice from the owner, if you don't like it, don't hunt it.

[+Renegade Knight]

Rate it a 5 and it's actually a 5 and people can't handle it.

My oh My.

[+Tequila]

After reading the logs, my take is that a friend found it eventually, created a new rookie account and logged an hillarious find.

 

Glad to see some people can still have fun with geocaching.

[+DavidMac]

I've had my eve on that one for a few weeks, and I'm convinced that it's some sort of joke, prank, or conspiracy. I smell socks.

[+Tequila]

If it is real, I would love to know what the hide was.

[+the hermit crabs]

If it is real, I would love to know what the hide was.

In this post, the hider promises to spill the beans once the cache was found

[+ReadyOrNot]

If it is real, I would love to know what the hide was.

In this post, the hider promises to spill the beans once the cache was found

 

So spill it LionsLair! Nano buried under a foot of gravel? What's your secret?

[+Tequila]

Description / Logs say it is a micro but NOT a nano.

[Keystone]

Kudos to those who took a topicless thread and divined its subject. Award yourselves one armchair puzzle find.

 

Since I now know that this is not a Geocaching.com website feature request or bug report, I am moving this thread to the Geocaching Topics forum.

[+Team Black-Cat]

Way to kill an non-thread...

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Don't blame the well hidden cache. as the title clearly states it's the REPLYING to them that's getting out of hand. Let's ban all replies to well hidden caches. We need a new rule...er, guideline to take care of this blight!

 

 

Do a pocket query for caches with a difficulty of 5 and a terrain < 2 and you'll find that the logs are typically far more interesting than caches with a difficult of 3 or less. Take a look at the logs for Shelter II and Shelter III

 

There have even been two videos made showing group searches for Shelter II.

[+Confucius' Cat]

Don't blame the well hidden cache. as the title clearly states it's the REPLYING to them that's getting out of hand. Let's ban all replies to well hidden caches. We need a new rule...er, guideline to take care of this blight!

 

 

Do a pocket query for caches with a difficulty of 5 and a terrain < 2 and you'll find that the logs are typically far more interesting than caches with a difficult of 3 or less. Take a look at the logs for Shelter II and Shelter III

 

There have even been two videos made showing group searches for Shelter II.

I am really surprised this cache has gotten national attention. i spent a few hours there myself during the "FTF fever."

 

IMO, tough caches should be "simplified" After the FTF (if only on a private basis).

 

I pretty much quit doing the high-star caches (or only give them an hour or two) because they cease to be fun after a while. But there is still this nagging question... where the heck IS that silly thing anyway?

 

My biggest problem with them is the uncertainty of whether the cache is actually THERE anyway. After an hour or so, it becomes pretty easy to assume that it is missing and thus quit wasting time on it.

 

Generally in "guessing games" the seeker can say "I give up" and the initiator will give a spoiler or just outright show the solution.

 

I would not want this to be mandatory, but I think anyone who has spent a reasonable amount of time looking should be given a really good hint (after FTF of course).

 

i am especially disappointed when a cache I have looked for for several hours is archived and the owner will not spill the beans. But that is the owner's prerogative.

 

i like to know how magicians do their tricks too.

 

EDIT: Silly editor put a paragraph out of order

Edited March 11, 2008 by Confucius' Cat

[+Harmony Baby]

We have had issues with cachers in our area over our challenging hides (and we didn't even think that they were that hard! ). They trash talk in their logs, they have given away the hiding place in their logs, marked the area when they find them or just move the cache out in the open. We have been told that we NEED to give hints or a better description. My cacher is only 7 years old and I think she did a GREAT job hiding her caches. She likes challenging hides and doesn't mind going back several times to find them. And when it comes down to it, they are OUR hides. We can hide them how we want and give whatever description/hint or lack thereof, we choose. We have had to tell people that if they don't like them, don't hunt them. It is sad that they log/email nasty things to make a 7 year old cry. Isn't this supposed to be a fun family sport??? To us it is not a numbers game, it is a giant, never ending treasure hunt and we love the hunt every time we do it!! Sorry for the rant. Happy (and challenging!) caching!!!!

[+Tigerz]

We're surprised more hasn't been said about the quality of the coordinates. Let's face it ... anyone can place a tough find using awful coordinates. It's truly a special hide when the coordinates are spot on (less than 10 feet) and most geocachers still struggle. A couple of excellent caches that come to mind are Tree of Life (GC10Q2G by Fawver Family), The Treasure Hunt (GCR67N by raemtu), and most any cache by JackCacheNC (Raleigh-Durham, NC).

[Guyute1210]

We're surprised more hasn't been said about the quality of the coordinates. Let's face it ... anyone can place a tough find using awful coordinates. It's truly a special hide when the coordinates are spot on (less than 10 feet) and most geocachers still struggle.

 

I don't think I've ever found a cache where the coords were <10ft (maybe a few, but it's definitely not the norm). Anything <30ft are considered good coordinates. Between GPSr Brands, models, the chipsets used. The Sat constellation at that point in time, user error, was WAAS used, # of trees, time of year, etc. To get <10ft consistently is next to impossible. I can't even get that (consistently) using the corner post on my porch as a point and averaging coords for 10 minutes.

[+LionsLair]

Wow great job on figuring out what the thread started as... I had a hiccup of sorts and lost a rather lengthy post and didn't figure it would surface as a topic without an original post...

Yes, the cache mentioned was the cache in reference... I got some pretty nasty emails over it and was rather steamed when I started my original post. I have since calmed down and realize it was a joke on the find, the original finder has returned and signed the log accordingly...

I plan on opening it up a bit now that a FTF has been made and would be glad to give info to anyone that emails me on how I hid it. It's not as hard as everyone has made it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Wow great job on figuring out what the thread started as... I had a hiccup of sorts and lost a rather lengthy post and didn't figure it would surface as a topic without an original post...

Yes, the cache mentioned was the cache in reference... I got some pretty nasty emails over it and was rather steamed when I started my original post. I have since calmed down and realize it was a joke on the find, the original finder has returned and signed the log accordingly...

I plan on opening it up a bit now that a FTF has been made and would be glad to give info to anyone that emails me on how I hid it. It's not as hard as everyone has made it.

I hope that you WON'T make it easy just because some complain!

 

If not for gas prices a number of us here in Central Alabama would have already been there, as it is it is still on our discussion board as a cache run target.

 

Mine isn't anywhere near as hard as yours, but still 80% or better of the finders have to have some help (GCMB22)... no one has complained because if they can't find it I will tell them whatever level of clue they want to know... but only AFTER they hunt it first.

 

You repeatedly assured frustrated cachers that it was there, so I say kudos to you, good job, ignore the whiners and carry on with a great hide!

[+ReadyOrNot]

You said you'd tell everyone after someone found it.. Spill the beans!

 

Seriously, what was the hide?

[+Mudfrog]

Wow great job on figuring out what the thread started as... I had a hiccup of sorts and lost a rather lengthy post and didn't figure it would surface as a topic without an original post...

Yes, the cache mentioned was the cache in reference... I got some pretty nasty emails over it and was rather steamed when I started my original post. I have since calmed down and realize it was a joke on the find, the original finder has returned and signed the log accordingly...

I plan on opening it up a bit now that a FTF has been made and would be glad to give info to anyone that emails me on how I hid it. It's not as hard as everyone has made it.

I hope that you WON'T make it easy just because some complain!

 

If not for gas prices a number of us here in Central Alabama would have already been there, as it is it is still on our discussion board as a cache run target.

 

Mine isn't anywhere near as hard as yours, but still 80% or better of the finders have to have some help (GCMB22)... no one has complained because if they can't find it I will tell them whatever level of clue they want to know... but only AFTER they hunt it first.

 

You repeatedly assured frustrated cachers that it was there, so I say kudos to you, good job, ignore the whiners and carry on with a great hide!

There's no doubt that cachers got frustrated just trying to find the cache but my take on this is that the main gripes weren't about the hide itself. They came about after seeing the fishy goings on in the logs which caused some to start assuming things they probably shouldn't have. Honestly, i believe most of us here would have started questioning what was going on and might even have made some assumptions as well. I have a good sense of humor myself, but a find log that gets posted by a fake player just to mess with a cache owner doesn't seem that funny to me. I must be missing something because i don't see how this got the cache owner back...

 

You said you'd tell everyone after someone found it.. Spill the beans!

 

Seriously, what was the hide?

Don't post it here. I'm not sure i will ever make it to try for the cache but if i ever do, then i would want to try for it without any outside hints or answers that aren't already on the cache page!

[+ReadyOrNot]

Don't post it here. I'm not sure i will ever make it to try for the cache but if i ever do, then i would want to try for it without any outside hints or answers that aren't already on the cache page!

 

Fair enough... Send me an IM

[+Harry Dolphin]

We're surprised more hasn't been said about the quality of the coordinates. Let's face it ... anyone can place a tough find using awful coordinates. It's truly a special hide when the coordinates are spot on (less than 10 feet) and most geocachers still struggle.

 

Actually, I got FTF on a cache, six weeks after publication. The coords were .17 off. CO used the same north coords as for the parking. Took my four hours over four days. But I did find it! Just about due south, in an area that fit the cache page desription.

[+Ed56]

We have had issues with cachers in our area over our challenging hides (and we didn't even think that they were that hard! ). They trash talk in their logs, they have given away the hiding place in their logs, marked the area when they find them or just move the cache out in the open. We have been told that we NEED to give hints or a better description. My cacher is only 7 years old and I think she did a GREAT job hiding her caches. She likes challenging hides and doesn't mind going back several times to find them. And when it comes down to it, they are OUR hides. We can hide them how we want and give whatever description/hint or lack thereof, we choose. We have had to tell people that if they don't like them, don't hunt them. It is sad that they log/email nasty things to make a 7 year old cry. Isn't this supposed to be a fun family sport??? To us it is not a numbers game, it is a giant, never ending treasure hunt and we love the hunt every time we do it!! Sorry for the rant. Happy (and challenging!) caching!!!!

 

Well said. If people would approach a hide with the idea that they are a guest at that hide, rather than with an entitlement mentality most of their complaints would disappear. I think the root problem is too much emphasis on numbers by a minority of the participants in this sport. Big numbers are fine but having big numbers doesn't make you a Moderator nor does it entitle you to knock or spoil someone else's cache.

[+Bamboogirl]

This one: Best 60 made us just crazy.

 

What's worse is that the finds about equal the DNFs so I know it's there. If the snow is gone over Memorial Day, we're going back after it.

 

I see little point in taking on a 4 or 5 level cache without expecting to be dirty, annoyed, vexed and sometimes a little crazy.

 

There's so many 1 and 2 level hides out there that are all about the numbers. The few really tough ones make a 'name' for themselves with those of us who DNF them. The folks who make these great hides deserve a big "Thanks! " for their efforts. (Right after we get done swearing at them for their cleverness and ability to torment us.)

[+GeoBeedle]

You said you'd tell everyone after someone found it.. Spill the beans!

 

Seriously, what was the hide?

 

Yeh, LionsLair, I was just there today (for the fifth time). What was the hide?