+hvinelinux Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I've noticed on a couple of cache hunts i went on that 3 of the 5 had colored ribbons tied in the trees. is this something thats done by the hider to give you a clue as to where your going? i just want to know if i can ignore these or not because i think that it may be something done in my are for reasons other than caching and its throwing me off the path. thanks. Harold Quote Link to comment
Neos2 Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 They are almost always there for some other reason. Sometimes it's to mark paths that are being taken by people on some group hike, where they intend everyone to take the same path, but perhaps at different times. Sometimes they are there as part of a study done by the land managers or a local school hunting for pests or certain kinds of trees, etc. Sometimes there are there to mark trees that will be cut or pruned (those are sprayed painted in some places, but I have seen them be-ribboned). And every once in a great while, some (usually very new) geocaher decides that no one else could ever find their way to that cache unless they mark the path. I've heard of that happening exactly twice in all the time I have known about caching, so it is very rare. So yep, ignore them unless that cache description mentions them for some reason. Good question. Quote Link to comment
+hvinelinux Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 They are almost always there for some other reason. Sometimes it's to mark paths that are being taken by people on some group hike, where they intend everyone to take the same path, but perhaps at different times. Sometimes they are there as part of a study done by the land managers or a local school hunting for pests or certain kinds of trees, etc. Sometimes there are there to mark trees that will be cut or pruned (those are sprayed painted in some places, but I have seen them be-ribboned). And every once in a great while, some (usually very new) geocaher decides that no one else could ever find their way to that cache unless they mark the path. I've heard of that happening exactly twice in all the time I have known about caching, so it is very rare. So yep, ignore them unless that cache description mentions them for some reason. Good question. great.........thanks for the answer. i thought maybe i was being thrown off by them. now i can start finding the cache instead of chasing ribbons in the darn woods Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 If they seem to be pairs, they're almost always defining a trail, with a ribbon on each side of the path. Quote Link to comment
Motorcycle_Mama Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Some time last year a cache owner posted in the forums because a cacher who had gone after one of his cachers thought the hide was too difficult and placed flagging tape directing people right to the cache. That's probably not what occurred in this instance, though. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Odds are they have nothing to do with caching. In my area (northern NJ) they are regularly used to mark potential routes of new hiking trails, as temporary boundary markers, to mark trees for cutting and numerous other non geocaching related things. Quote Link to comment
+Lacomo Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 There are lots of reasons for them being there. Another reason is that I've seen hunters marking their way to a deer stand so they can find it later. Quote Link to comment
QuigleyJones Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 There usualy for something else unless noted in the description. A local cache had a ribbon tied to a tree to mark its spot. Latter the area became a construction site and the tree with the ribbon was the only one not cut down. Quote Link to comment
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