My First 30 Days

[+CrippledBlindSquirrel]

I thought that I would post this thread here rather than in the "getting started" section because I wanted to get the more experienced cacher's thoughts on what I have learned. I found my 25th cache today and have tried to take a look at the spectrum of caches pages available in my area in the 1/1 or 1.5/1.5 level of difficulty. I will be adding the more difficult ones to my plate going forward from here. I want to share the following observations, not because I think I represent the optimal newbie but rather because I have been reading the posts of other newbies and finding myself in some of their concerns and frustrations.

 

After my first 30 days I have come to the following conclusions:

 

I like the country caches much more than the urban caches. I don't mind the micro or even nano caches, I just get tired of Muggle watch. I have started doing the urban micros early in the morning and, to be frank, I often wonder just how much permission has been obtained for the placement of some of these caches.

 

I think that when I start placing my caches I am going to use them to bring people to places I think are special. I just don't see the point in some of the parking lot caches other than to demonstrate a different or unique kind of container or hiding technique. I visited a place today that I haven't been to more than 40 years. I spent more time sitting on the tailgate remembering my youth than looking up the cache container and signing the log. Sharing those kinds or experiences are worth 100 pole vaults and I think would be the diamonds of this sport.

 

I don't understand why Waymarking and virtual caches have been "disconnected" from geocaching. I would think that the journey and the view is just as important as the container and the log. What am I missing and why were they set off to themselves?

 

Well that's the moss that has grown on my brain during the first 30 days of my life sentence without parole in this sport. Take it for what its worth.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Just keep it fun, there's nothing serious about this game. Hide 'em like you like to find them, leave trinkets that you'd like to find, don't worry about how others play and you'll have a great time!

[+AHOLLYS]

It looks like you have the spirit. I have alot of the same opinions you do!

 

Here's to another great 30.......

[Dinoprophet]

Great comments!

 

About virtuals: before the proliferation of parking lot micros, the same thing was happening with virtuals. Any mundane thing anywhere could potentially be a virtual. Groundspeak tried to establish some quality control, but it was too subjective and too much extra effort for the reviewers. Waymarking has a different model for approvals, and the various limits don't apply (no vacation caches, 0.1 mile rule, etc), so it's best done on another site.

[+BoggyWoggy]

Eh, let people hide 'em where they may. Using Google Maps, just locate those in areas that really appeal to your sense of adventure. Urban caches are fun when traveling, as they get me to places I might have missed, had I not hunted down a street or building. Parking lot caches? What a waste of time, but some people might like them, especially if they're going for numbers of finds. To each his own. Just play along and have a great time!

[Mr.Yuck]

After my first 30 days I have come to the following conclusions:

 

I like the country caches much more than the urban caches. I don't mind the micro or even nano caches, I just get tired of Muggle watch. I have started doing the urban micros early in the morning and, to be frank, I often wonder just how much permission has been obtained for the placement of some of these caches.

 

 

Don't be silly. None of the caches you speak of were placed with permission. Drop a cache on private property in someone's parking lot? Approved without comment. Drop a cache in the local State Park on public land without a permit? You'd have to be freaking crazy. You'll just have to ignore the caches that don't appeal to you. Lord knows I just drove past several tonight, in favor of three caches that I was interested in. And yes, one of the three was a micro.

Edited July 6, 2008 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+paleolith]

Waymarking has a different model for approvals, and the various limits don't apply (no vacation caches, 0.1 mile rule, etc), so it's best done on another site.

However, the problem is precisely that it's a separate web site. Most of us spend too much of our geocaching time in front of computers instead of outside already. A separate web site just exacerbates that. I'm convinced there are some Waymarking categories I would include in my downloads if I could get them in one place. I'm definitely not interested in increasing the desk time I spend on geocaching.

 

(I say as I sit here posting to a geocaching forum ...)

 

Edward

[+TellMeIfYouSeeAChicken]

>I like the country caches much more than the urban caches. I don't mind the micro or even nano caches, I just get tired of Muggle watch.

 

YES. I'm really hypersensitive about having muggles around, although paradoxically I just logged a find during a city festival when there were lots of focal points other than me. I've pretty much given up on any cache that's off of a roadway with cars speeding by. I also usually cache with my nine- and eleven-year-old daughters, and it turns out: One or both of them can be quick; one or both of them can be stealthy; but they CANNOT be both quick and stealthy. So I like the country/regional park caches as well, because chances are we'll be the only folks around and we can actually call out to each other.

 

>I just don't see the point in some of the parking lot caches other than to demonstrate a different or unique kind of container or hiding technique.

 

Parking lot caches may be a pain to me personally, but somewhere on this board there's a great post that I'm summarizing from (a failing) memory: the cachers are husband-and-wife senior citizens with health issues who can walk around, but they can't go tromping through the woods for miles. Thus, they seek urban caches - the caches they can get to. And they LOVE it. They take the part of the sport that's literally accessible to them, and figuratively run with it, and I thought that was awesome.

 

>I have started doing the urban micros early in the morning

 

Have to admit - I was pleasantly surprised at the number of muggles who go for 6 AM constitutionals, either with or without their dogs! Bad for my cache stats, but good for their health.

Edited July 6, 2008 by TellMeIfYouSeeAChicken