The Great Disappointment

[+DSJ]

Ever get to the cache, certain you would be FTF, only to see that log with the ink still wet? How about tramping through a swamp or over rough terrain only to DNF on the FTF because the coordinates were 20 miles off? Maybe one of my worst memories was planning a kayaking trip 200 miles from home to hunt a 1 year old FTF. THE NIGHT BEFORE I LEFT (kayak already loaded on my car) SOMEONE POSTED THE FTF. I canceled my hotel reservation, unloaded the kayak, and slipped into deep depression.

 

Any toppers?

[+flask]

my biggest disappointment was getting prepared to assemble skilled players and climbing equipment to go do a cache that turned out to be a stupid liar's cache.

 

fortunately some kind soul tipped us off before we got all our stuff assembled and in the car.

 

we were saddened to have missed what promised to be a really good time.

[+Kit Fox]

Ever get to the cache, certain you would be FTF, only to see that log with the ink still wet? How about tramping through a swamp or over rough terrain only to DNF on the FTF because the coordinates were 20 miles off? Maybe one of my worst memories was planning a kayaking trip 200 miles from home to hunt a 1 year old FTF. THE NIGHT BEFORE I LEFT (kayak already loaded on my car) SOMEONE POSTED THE FTF. I canceled my hotel reservation, unloaded the kayak, and slipped into deep depression.

 

Any toppers?

 

If the only reason you wanted to hunt that cache was for FTF bragging rights, perhaps it's time to re-think the game. I'd love to own a kayak and pursue a "kayak cache." I'd be happy if I was FTF or one hundredth to find.

 

It appears to me that the competition for FTF has blinded you to the fun of finding caches.

[+Lacomo]

Since gas has gotten so high I can't afford to drive my car and I have been geocaching riding my mule. Well I noticed a new cache had been published 10 miles from my house. I saddled up Ole Henry, thats my mule's name Ole Henry and headed out for the FTF. I never turn my GPSr on until I get in the general area of the cache and when I got about 9 miles from the house I reached in my saddle bag and found I had left my GPSr at home so I turned Ole Henry around and headed back home to get it.

 

I got back home and got my GPSr and headed back for thc cache. Got about 5 miles down the road and it started raining. I said to heck with it I was not giving up yet so I kept going. The farther I got the wetter I got and about 9 miles down the road I reached in my saddle bag and got my GPSr out and attemped to turn it on just to find out the batteries were dead. I turned around again and headed back to the house after new batteries. It was raining harder now and the thunder and lightning was getting worse. A loud clap of thunder and a huge lightning bolt spooked Ole Henry and he bolted and I dropped my GPSr while I was on the way to the ground and Old Henry stepped on it and broke it all to pieces just as I hit the ground. I hit the ground really hard and I don't remember much after that.

 

When I woke up in the hospital I can barely remember Ole Henry going out of sight over the hill about a half mile away. I never did go back after that cache.

[+FatherAndProgeny]

Going out for my milestone 400th cache. I decided to do a 5 star terrain called The Depot. In reviewing the page, it was never DNF'd. I go out with confidence and lo and behold the cache is GONE! []

[+joranda]

Ever get to the cache, certain you would be FTF, only to see that log with the ink still wet? How about tramping through a swamp or over rough terrain only to DNF on the FTF because the coordinates were 20 miles off? Maybe one of my worst memories was planning a kayaking trip 200 miles from home to hunt a 1 year old FTF. THE NIGHT BEFORE I LEFT (kayak already loaded on my car) SOMEONE POSTED THE FTF. I canceled my hotel reservation, unloaded the kayak, and slipped into deep depression.

 

Any toppers?

 

If the only reason you wanted to hunt that cache was for FTF bragging rights, perhaps it's time to re-think the game. I'd love to own a kayak and pursue a "kayak cache." I'd be happy if I was FTF or one hundredth to find.

 

It appears to me that the competition for FTF has blinded you to the fun of finding caches.

 

FTFs are part of the fun. Why rain on his parade. I enjoyed his read.

[+joranda]

Since gas has gotten so high I can't afford to drive my car and I have been geocaching riding my mule. Well I noticed a new cache had been published 10 miles from my house. I saddled up Ole Henry, thats my mule's name Ole Henry and headed out for the FTF. I never turn my GPSr on until I get in the general area of the cache and when I got about 9 miles from the house I reached in my saddle bag and found I had left my GPSr at home so I turned Ole Henry around and headed back home to get it.

 

I got back home and got my GPSr and headed back for thc cache. Got about 5 miles down the road and it started raining. I said to heck with it I was not giving up yet so I kept going. The farther I got the wetter I got and about 9 miles down the road I reached in my saddle bag and got my GPSr out and attemped to turn it on just to find out the batteries were dead. I turned around again and headed back to the house after new batteries. It was raining harder now and the thunder and lightning was getting worse. A loud clap of thunder and a huge lightning bolt spooked Ole Henry and he bolted and I dropped my GPSr while I was on the way to the ground and Old Henry stepped on it and broke it all to pieces just as I hit the ground. I hit the ground really hard and I don't remember much after that.

 

When I woke up in the hospital I can barely remember Ole Henry going out of sight over the hill about a half mile away. I never did go back after that cache.

 

Ok, I almost fell for it until you turned back for the third time.

[+Kit Fox]

 

FTFs are part of the fun. Why rain on his parade. I enjoyed his read.

 

 

I wasn't raining on his parade. I've had plenty of let downs myself. Back when I was addicted to Jeep Travel bugs, I remember making a 45 mile drive to bag a Jeep that was removed two days before, but the finder had not logged his find yet.

 

I've also found many caches where the cache page showed no logs, but when I got there, the logbook already had multiple finds.

 

It's just a game, and I got over it.

[+joranda]

I've been spanked by the Jeep bug many a times.

[+TotemLake]

The day started like any other day of a hike. I woke up... unwillingly... but i woke up. Listening to the weather report, it sounded like serious trouble was ahead with major snow melt. Indeed, during the drive up, I have never seen so much water coming down hill, but I digress. After the morning rituals are done, I go out to load the backpack into the Jeep, and lo and behold, as the garage door opened up, I was greeted with the Subaru in the driveway, but not the Jeep.

 

Yes, stolen. Legal details handled and a couple of quick calls to everyone involved to let them know.

 

Not one to let a little thing deter me from a hike, Criminal and LandRover detoured to pick me up and found the Jeep on the way. After legal details were handled, we all packed into the Jeep and off we go!

 

We meet up at the parking lot with SquareBear, load up and go. Snowshoes on we make a left at the radio tower at the bottom of the mountain and up we go. .48 mile left to go and I slip in the snow and tweak the back. Apparently already stressed out from the Jeep fiasco, the back tweaks on me again and I begin to realize I’m not going to make it to the target and turn around. The group makes it to the cache by the time I make it back to the cottages and by the time I make it to the Jeep, I’m barely stepping and getting into the vehicle was quite painful.

 

Pictures accompany the log.

[+WRASTRO]

I started a forum topic once and not everyone agreed with my point of view.

 

I placed an NRV cache and not everyone liked it.

 

I solved a puzzle cache and went for the FTF but came up empty. It turned out there was an error in the puzzle.

 

I guess my 4+ years of caching have been pretty darned good since these are about the worst things I could come with on short notice. Sorry.

[+DSJ]

Ever get to the cache, certain you would be FTF, only to see that log with the ink still wet? How about tramping through a swamp or over rough terrain only to DNF on the FTF because the coordinates were 20 miles off? Maybe one of my worst memories was planning a kayaking trip 200 miles from home to hunt a 1 year old FTF. THE NIGHT BEFORE I LEFT (kayak already loaded on my car) SOMEONE POSTED THE FTF. I canceled my hotel reservation, unloaded the kayak, and slipped into deep depression.

 

Any toppers?

 

If the only reason you wanted to hunt that cache was for FTF bragging rights, perhaps it's time to re-think the game. I'd love to own a kayak and pursue a "kayak cache." I'd be happy if I was FTF or one hundredth to find.

 

It appears to me that the competition for FTF has blinded you to the fun of finding caches.

[+briansnat]

It probably was a cache that had great write up on the page, tying the cache into the Hardy Boys series of books. I read the page and put it on my must do list. When I finally made it there I found a soaked Gladware container hidden under a piece of rotting plywood on a narrow, litter strewn strip between an auto body shop and a highway ramp. I never got the connection with the Hardy Boys.

[+DSJ]

 

FTFs are part of the fun. Why rain on his parade. I enjoyed his read.

 

 

I wasn't raining on his parade. I've had plenty of let downs myself. Back when I was addicted to Jeep Travel bugs, I remember making a 45 mile drive to bag a Jeep that was removed two days before, but the finder had not logged his find yet.

 

I've also found many caches where the cache page showed no logs, but when I got there, the logbook already had multiple finds.

 

It's just a game, and I got over it.

You are right. You must find what makes you happy in this game. I am long over that cache and will one day execute my plan and find it. Since I usually seek high terrain caches with little or no finds, I am always prepared to come up empty. It was strictly the timing of that one cache that got me. 8 months with nothing and then a log olny hours before starting my car! OK. I'm not over it.

[+WRASTRO]

 

FTFs are part of the fun. Why rain on his parade. I enjoyed his read.

 

 

I wasn't raining on his parade. I've had plenty of let downs myself. Back when I was addicted to Jeep Travel bugs, I remember making a 45 mile drive to bag a Jeep that was removed two days before, but the finder had not logged his find yet.

 

I've also found many caches where the cache page showed no logs, but when I got there, the logbook already had multiple finds.

 

It's just a game, and I got over it.

You are right. You must find what makes you happy in this game. I am long over that cache and will one day execute my plan and find it. Since I usually seek high terrain caches with little or no finds, I am always prepared to come up empty. It was strictly the timing of that one cache that got me. 8 months with nothing and then a log olny hours before starting my car! OK. I'm not over it.

 

I guess you should'a said in your first post that you got over it. I too have made big plans for a FTF hunt on a long unfound hide only to have someone post a find just before I headed out. Definitely takes a bit of the wind out of the sails.

[+goathag]

 

FTFs are part of the fun. Why rain on his parade. I enjoyed his read.

 

 

I wasn't raining on his parade. I've had plenty of let downs myself. Back when I was addicted to Jeep Travel bugs, I remember making a 45 mile drive to bag a Jeep that was removed two days before, but the finder had not logged his find yet.

 

I've also found many caches where the cache page showed no logs, but when I got there, the logbook already had multiple finds.

 

It's just a game, and I got over it.

 

I can see that from your profile....

[+paleolith]

A loud clap of thunder and a huge lightning bolt spooked Ole Henry and he bolted and I dropped my GPSr while I was on the way to the ground and Old Henry stepped on it and broke it all to pieces just as I hit the ground.

Ya shoulda walked home and printed out the aerial photo, put it in a plastic bag, and walked to the cache. Wimp.

 

(i think I'll skip my sig this time)

[+joranda]

 

FTFs are part of the fun. Why rain on his parade. I enjoyed his read.

 

 

I wasn't raining on his parade. I've had plenty of let downs myself. Back when I was addicted to Jeep Travel bugs, I remember making a 45 mile drive to bag a Jeep that was removed two days before, but the finder had not logged his find yet.

 

I've also found many caches where the cache page showed no logs, but when I got there, the logbook already had multiple finds.

 

It's just a game, and I got over it.

 

I can see that from your profile....

 

Hey, I love geocaching. I'm sure there are worst things I could be doing.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Ever get to the cache, certain you would be FTF, only to see that log with the ink still wet? How about tramping through a swamp or over rough terrain only to DNF on the FTF because the coordinates were 20 miles off? Maybe one of my worst memories was planning a kayaking trip 200 miles from home to hunt a 1 year old FTF. THE NIGHT BEFORE I LEFT (kayak already loaded on my car) SOMEONE POSTED THE FTF. I canceled my hotel reservation, unloaded the kayak, and slipped into deep depression.

 

Any toppers?

If the only reason you wanted to hunt that cache was for FTF bragging rights, perhaps it's time to re-think the game. . . I'd be happy if I was FTF or one hundredth to find.

 

It appears to me that the competition for FTF has blinded you to the fun of finding caches.

I must agree with your words one hundred percent; that was my exact initial reaction as well when I read DSJ's post. FTF has never had anything to do with my reasons for searching for any cache. I search for caches for the experience of hunting them.

[Mr.Yuck]

 

FTFs are part of the fun. Why rain on his parade. I enjoyed his read.

 

 

I wasn't raining on his parade. I've had plenty of let downs myself. Back when I was addicted to Jeep Travel bugs, I remember making a 45 mile drive to bag a Jeep that was removed two days before, but the finder had not logged his find yet.

 

I've also found many caches where the cache page showed no logs, but when I got there, the logbook already had multiple finds.

 

It's just a game, and I got over it.

 

Kit's post could be taken by some as kind of blunt, but I'd have to say I agree with it. It's as if the OP thinks that everyone who ever found a geocache is a rabid FTF fanatic, and he'd get similiar responses. Dude, you cancelled your Hotel reservation, and didn't go to what I'm sure is an outstanding kayak cache, because someone got there first? Sorry, but I really don't understand that. I'm not being a smart-arse or anything, I really don't get it.

 

my biggest disappointment was getting prepared to assemble skilled players and climbing equipment to go do a cache that turned out to be a stupid liar's cache.

 

fortunately some kind soul tipped us off before we got all our stuff assembled and in the car.

 

we were saddened to have missed what promised to be a really good time.

 

Good for you, Flask. I can think of two extremely ugly liar cache incidents, including one (which came to these forums) where out-of-towners actually held a geocaching event prior to their attempt.

 

I'm editing this later, but I'll have to say I've been disappointed at not finding jeeps or geocoins that sound particularly interesting, that are supposed to be in the cache, but are not.

Edited May 16, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+wimseyguy]

I'm gonna vote for the cacher who got detained for many hours looking for the cache on the walking trail outside LAX. First runner-up goes to sbell111 and his car wreck, assuming he was heading to a cache when it happened.

[+Viajero Perdido]

I usually let other people have FTFs, but if a cache hasn't been found for a really long time, then I really want the FTF. It means a challenging cache, and it gives me a goal.

 

Recently I hiked up a mountain for a cache that had no recorded find since it was published almost 2 years ago. And guess what - there was an entry in the logbook from 2007. I was a tad annoyed at the finder for not having mentioned that detail online.

 

A couple of days later I got a thank-you note from another cacher who was about to hike up the same mountain for the same cache. By logging, I'd saved him the trip. (This was not the most scenic mountain to be climbing; it's an old strip mine. There are more attractive mountains to climb.)

 

Another frustration: I traveled rough to a little-visited corner of the Dominican Republic, because there was an FTF waiting there after 10 months. Couldn't find it, and I looked hard. The coordinates seem to be way off, as the description doesn't match what I found at GZ. It was the lowlight of my trip, and a big detour.

 

This is discouraging, as I have other hunts planned to very out-of-the-way caches, and I'd sure like to have a decent chance at that teeny reward for the substantial effort of getting there.

Edited May 16, 2008 by Viajero Perdido

[+DSJ]

Thanks to everyone for your replies, positive or not. It has made me realize I should do now what I should have done a year ago and post my story on the cache page. The cache is GCXJWE if you are interested. My post is as follows;

 

"Nearly a year ago I decided to try for the FTF on this cache. It had sat idle for many months so I figured someone had to try it. This is 200 miles from my home but it sounded too good to pass up. My idea was to drive to a nearby hotel and spend the night. In the morning, I would kayak 20 miles to the cache, crash

for the night, and return the next day. The night before I left, the FTF was posted. I was so blown away by the timing I canceled the hotel and dropped the idea. Looking back, I regret never posting my story or giving up what was sure to be a great adventure. So there it is. I really want to kayak to this cache this year. It is back on the list. Thanks for placing a great cache. Dale"

 

I feel better now.

[Trinity's Crew]

Don't fret over it. Play the game in a way that makes you happy. If you chose to postpone or give up on finding a cache because someone found it ahead of you don't sweat it. Ultimately you decide what you want to/don't want to find regardless of what others may espouse. Find what you like, when you like, and don't let others dictate how you should play the game.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Joe of TC

[+team lagonda]

Well its best not to despond about a FTF..i generaly just say ''ahh shucks'' and head for the nearest bar..look at it this way..theres probly a couple billion chianese who could care less if you got the FTF..

Edited May 17, 2008 by team lagonda

[Mr.Yuck]

Don't fret over it. Play the game in a way that makes you happy. If you chose to postpone or give up on finding a cache because someone found it ahead of you don't sweat it. Ultimately you decide what you want to/don't want to find regardless of what others may espouse. Find what you like, when you like, and don't let others dictate how you should play the game.

 

There is no Angst here TC. I have a big good natured grin on my face. ==>

 

Groundspeak has said, more specifically J.I., when he used to interact in the forums regularly, that geocaching is not a competitive activity. They have made it clear that FTF will never be an officially sanctioned statistic, and have balked at all calls in the geocaching.com website forum for any kind of FTF tracking on the website. Does this mean that Groundspeak is dictating how people play the game?

 

I've never understood the whole thing how some think that expressing an opinion is dictating how people play the game in the first place. I guess I've been away from internet forums on other hobbies for too long. Are there like people on say scrapbooking forums saying other scrapbookers are dictating how they scrapbook?

 

DSJ, hope responses from Kit, me, and Vinny (maybe others, I don't remember) didn't come off as obnoxious or anything. Thinking about it for a while, it does seem that FTF enthusiasts, if they miss the FTF, will put a cache on the back burner. I've just never heard one say something like they cancelled a trip because someone else found it first. I did dabble a little in the FTF game back when there were way way fewer geocachers in my area. But as the game grew, it just got much too wacky for me, and turned me off.

Edited May 17, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel