Newbies having trouble finding cache

[+rpkeenan]

My husband and I just purchased a Garmin Vista HcX. We started out looking for the Pink Elephant find in San Pedro, CA first. We searched and searched where our GPS said it should be. We also looked at the map but we did not read everything before we went out. After an hour of looking we gave up and came home thinking our GPS was not coordinated right. Then we read the story and realized we had to solve the story to find the cache. We were talking over supper and thought we had an idea where it might be and went back. Of course came home empty. Haven't tried that one again as we felt we should find the easy ones first to get an idea.

 

We live across the street from three hidden caches. GC1DCB6, GC1DCBA and GC1DCB9. After looking for hours for them we came home discouraged again. Again we verified our coordinates and found that my husband had transposed the numbers for the Rock Garden but when looking at the other two we realized we knew where the Can't Cage us in was as we could see it out our window. We left the computer and walked across the street and found our first cache. It was great and we were hooked! For the next two days we looked again for the Fishing for Cache and the Rock Garden. We know where they both have to be but we still can't find them.

 

Our question is, we know we are starting with micro's but felt they are in areas we are at all the time so we want to find them bad. We know our coordinates are right on but we aren't sure if the cache is still there. Is it possible to contact the FMAO Crew that hid them to find out what we are doing wrong or if the cache is missing?

[+Old Chorizo]

As it sounds like you already know - starting with micros may be a little tough.

 

If you feel like you should have found the cache but did not, the thing to do is check the cache listing and see if other people are having trouble finding it around the same time you are - very possible it could be missing. If people have logged finds after your visit to the area - no worries - sometimes you just don't find them on the first or third trip!

 

You can try emailing the cache owner through his/her profile page and see if they will give you a hint.

[+fishindaddy]

We are about 3 weeks into our caching career and our first micro took 4 trips and about 4 hours only to learn that we were within a foot of it on our 3 previous trips. I would suggest finding some larger ones first. It is more about learning "how" to look than just using your gps. We have learned something from every found cache that has changed the way we look for the next one.

Edited March 12, 2009 by fishindaddy

[+Old Chorizo]

We are about 3 weeks into out caching career and our first micro took 4 trips and about 4 hours only to learn that we were within a foot of it on our 3 previous trips. I would suggest finding some larger ones first. It is more about learning "how" to look than just using your gps. We have learned something from every found cache that has changed the way we look for the next one.

 

This is good advice.

 

Once you get to where the GPS tells you it should be, one thing to think about is if, you were hiding it, where would you put it.

 

Also keep in mind some micro's are insanely small. One I found a couple weeks ago, that was a little larger than the cap that goes on your car wheel's valve stem.

 

It was in one of these:

[+crockett3663]

Another thing you need to learn and remember is to not put all of your faith in your GPS. When you get to ground zero, examine the area and imagine that you are standing at the exact middle of a 50 foot diameter circle. it is reasonable to assume that the cache can be anywhere within that circle.

 

Set you GPS down as close to ground zero as possible and begin your search by moving away from it in small increments, making sure to look for obvious hiding tricks (a small pile of leaves or sticks that looks out of place, a cluster of footprints which might indidcate that a previous cacher was there, etc.) Keep in mind that the actual cache is rarely if ever at the exact point of ground zero.

[+rpkeenan]

Another thing you need to learn and remember is to not put all of your faith in your GPS. When you get to ground zero, examine the area and imagine that you are standing at the exact middle of a 50 foot diameter circle. it is reasonable to assume that the cache can be anywhere within that circle.

 

Set you GPS down as close to ground zero as possible and begin your search by moving away from it in small increments, making sure to look for obvious hiding tricks (a small pile of leaves or sticks that looks out of place, a cluster of footprints which might indidcate that a previous cacher was there, etc.) Keep in mind that the actual cache is rarely if ever at the exact point of ground zero.

Thank you everybody. We went out again tonight to two new locations and found both of them. We are thrilled. Came home and logged them in and then went to see some of the containers that were for sale to hide cache. We loved the containers that we found today. I am going to go back to these two we haven't found tomorrow while my husband is at work. I am so hooked. My only problem is that I am handicapped and can't stand for very long so it takes me longer to look because I have to sit awhile and then start again. I have more time when he is at work. I won't tell him where they are if I find them.

What a wonderful time we are having together. This was God's gift to bring us close again with an interest we can both share.

[+briansnat]

You are likely paying too much attention to where the GPS says it is and not enough attention to what your instincts tell you. The cache can be 30, 40, or 50+ feet from where your GPS points you to, so when you get near forget about the GPS and look around and think where you would hide a cache if you were hiding one there.

[+CoverOfDarkness]

Set you GPS down as close to ground zero as possible and begin your search by moving away from it in small increments, [...] Keep in mind that the actual cache is rarely if ever at the exact point of ground zero.

 

This is a great suggestion! During the day I just set my pack down and use that as a marker. At night, a light stick. I've found caches 75 ft away from the posted coords. Also, if you let the GPSr sit, it might get a better location lock, so check back every few minutes to nudge it over 5 feet or so. Another cache I found, the GPSr was bouncing all over the place, but when I let it sit a minute, it ended up pointing me right to the cache!

 

As said, it's more about knowing how to look for it. Micros are little trouble for me because I have some sort of devious mind to know where to look. Oddly, it's the smalls and regulars that get me. I did a multi-cache and when came to the final GZ, I KNEW where it would be, positively KNEW it! And it wasn't there. Contacted the owner and guess what, the cache was still in its proper place. Went back three times and kept looking in the same spot.... wanna know where it was? .... 6 inches to the left... dead serious...

[+NYPaddleCacher]

My husband and I just purchased a Garmin Vista HcX. We started out looking for the Pink Elephant find in San Pedro, CA first. We searched and searched where our GPS said it should be. We also looked at the map but we did not read everything before we went out. After an hour of looking we gave up and came home thinking our GPS was not coordinated right. Then we read the story and realized we had to solve the story to find the cache. We were talking over supper and thought we had an idea where it might be and went back. Of course came home empty. Haven't tried that one again as we felt we should find the easy ones first to get an idea.

 

Regarding the Pink Elephant cache (one called "Ele's Cache" I assume.). That is an "unknown" cache which often means that the cache may be located within two miles of the published coordinates and you have to solve a puzzle of some sort to obtain the actual coordinates. The fact that the page listing contains a coordinate checker tells me that the story on the page listing will somehow reveal the actually coordinates, which you can then verify using the coordinate checker. Once you have the actual coordinates you can treat it like any other cache.