something new

[+pentultimate]

Good afternoon,

 

I am a lurker. In light of the pin at the top of this category, I'm making my first post.

 

I'm fairly new to geocaching, so I apologize if this is something that is frequently asked, or not supposed to be asked... but I want to to ahead and get it out there.

 

Firstly:

 

Geocaching fills a great void in my soul, I seek to explore this world as fully as I possibly can and geocaching helps me to do that while also having a lot of fun. Thank you to all of the people who make this possible. Overall I've had very positive geocaching experiences.

 

It's both exhilarating, and intimidating to realize how much I don't see when I'm out for a walk (without a GPS) - humans are very oblivious beings, especially when they live in a city. So it's very nice to have something which strays me away from that tendency - and forces my attention to places it would normally not bother to explore.

 

However despite all of the wonderful things about geocaching: I'm troubled by the overwhelming amount of trivial and insignificant caches that plague urban environments. When I arrive at a street corner, and instinctively reach up to find a magnetic nano - or to a parking-lot lamp-post - or a guard-rail - I'm always frustrated that the person who made the hide couldn't think of something original. Why waste everyone's time on the same-old cache ideas?

 

Personally I vow never to make a hide like that unless it has some other interesting quality about it.

 

Why is it that geocachers are so willing to accept this as the norm? shouldn't we be striving to make this game into something more significant and amazing? It's not about the numbers people!

 

With that frustration in mind, I ask for advice: how do all of you try to determine when a cache is going to be interesting or not? are there any big indicators? I suppose it makes sense to look for larger caches that are not in urban environments. And some even say "magnetic nano" in the description so that's helpful. What other red flags can I look out for so that I am able to find more interesting and original caches.

 

Does anyone have a "favorite" cache that they would recommend? (even if it's one of yours) - I'll go and take a look at it

 

(I live in Santa Monica, CA - so something within Southwest US is helpful - but I do love to travel so I might very well take a trip to see something that sounds particularly amazing)

 

So far the most interesting cache I have ever seen (and I still haven't retrieved it yet) - was strapped 37-feet up in a Live-Oak tree in North Hollywood. supposedly it has some good stuff inside. I will get out my climbing gear sometime this month to see what that might be.

 

But I'm very interested to see the most unique, the most challenging, the most fantastic, and the most exciting caches that are out there.

 

Certainly part of the thrill of this game is the knowledge that finding such a cache is difficult, and that when you do - it's more special than it might otherwise be. For that reason I will completely understand if you choose not to share your favorite caches to such a blatant request. But tips for my own searching are much appreciated, or any other advice you might have to offer.

 

If you are a cacher who looks out for interesting caches: the two I've hidden so far are worth seeing simply because they are difficult to retrieve. Future caches will involve solving puzzles, and other more fantastic things. I'd love to be contacted by anyone who shares vow to only hide caches that seem to be unique. (even if that means we hide a much smaller number of caches)

 

Thanks! and keep hunting (and hiding)

[+entogeek]

For me it's not so much the cache itself that I "rate" but the overall experience of finding the cache. I've tackled some pretty interesting puzzle caches that have brought me to an evergreen tree on the edge of a parking lot or a lamp post cache. If these had been straight forward caches I'd probably consider them "lame" but given the effort in solving the puzzles, I was content for the ease in locating the caches themselves. Other caches I've found have required a significant hike but these have taken me to areas in conservation areas that I haven't visited before and as a biologist I truly appreciate the journey. Yet some folks like the simple drive-bys to add to their numbers and if that's what they enjoy, well all the more power to them.

 

As a cache owner, I try to develop mystery caches that are both challenging to solve but also take you to a nice area to visit, usually the edge of a stream or a river as a reward for your effort. These are the caches for which I get the best logs and this is what inspires me to continue this trend. But I've put out my share of lame caches (at least one of them is going to get pulled so I can make better use of the nearby shoreline) but these were put out when I just got into this activity. A "lame" cache is in the eye of the beholder and while some may feel it is not worth visiting, others might appreciate their simplicity.

 

As for my favourite caches, those with non-standard redirects intrigue me. I've encountered lead weights on a fishing line, stones with numbers painted on them, dice with highlighted numbers, an evergreen with multiple decoys hanging in it. Night caches in forests with fire tacks are near the top of my list as well. So anything that shows the CO put some creativity into the planning of their cache will get what I hope they consider to be a well written log from me (conversely drive-bys typically get a SL-TFTC!).

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

[+briansnat]

With that frustration in mind, I ask for advice: how do all of you try to determine when a cache is going to be interesting or not? are there any big indicators? I suppose it makes sense to look for larger caches that are not in urban environments. And some even say "magnetic nano" in the description so that's helpful. What other red flags can I look out for so that I am able to find more interesting and original caches.

 

I've yet to find a good way that didn't involve hours of research.

 

If you are looking for an exceptional cache just look at the length of the logs. That is a good indicator.

 

Example 1.

 

Example 2.

 

You can also tell if the cache is a stinker if you see nothing but "TFTC!" and "Thanks for the quick smiley" in the logs.

 

Yeah, I know it could take many hours to look through every cache listing in your area and check the logs, but that's pretty much the only way to do it. That or word of mouth.

[+webscouter.]

When I sit in my hotel at night I look at the latest pictures from the link on the front page.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/gallery.aspx

 

A good picture gets a cache put on one of my bookmark list to do at a future date.

[+The Blorenges]

I don't know how unusual the idea is, but we had a cache over here where the cache page gave you a link to a 5 minute YouTube video of clips of a walk through some woodland to a cache location. The given co-ordinates were for the start of the walk. So you had to watch all the video carefully, taking note of any "clues", changes of direction etc then go off and locate the cache.

 

Unfortunately the cache was archived, and the video removed, before we had a chance to try it. I think I'll work on the owner to try and get him to do a new, similar cache at his new location.

 

"Watch, seek, discover."

 

MrsB

[+Snoogans]

Firstly:

 

However despite all of the wonderful things about geocaching: I'm troubled by the overwhelming amount of trivial and insignificant caches that plague urban environments. When I arrive at a street corner, and instinctively reach up to find a magnetic nano - or to a parking-lot lamp-post - or a guard-rail - I'm always frustrated that the person who made the hide couldn't think of something original. Why waste everyone's time on the same-old cache ideas?

 

Personally I vow never to make a hide like that unless it has some other interesting quality about it.

 

Why is it that geocachers are so willing to accept this as the norm? shouldn't we be striving to make this game into something more significant and amazing? It's not about the numbers people!

 

Oh brother...

 

Firstly, if you continue to hold others responsible for how you CHOOSE to spend your free quality time, I suspect that you will burnout on geocaching quickly. You're wordy, so you may even geocide and provide some forum entertainment for OG's like me.

 

Does anyone have a "favorite" cache that they would recommend? (even if it's one of yours) - I'll go and take a look at it

 

(I live in Santa Monica, CA - so something within Southwest US is helpful - but I do love to travel so I might very well take a trip to see something that sounds particularly amazing)

 

But I'm very interested to see the most unique, the most challenging, the most fantastic, and the most exciting caches that are out there.

 

I too seek and tryyyy to hide interesting caches for the most part, but I do it taking full responsibility for my choices. I realize the TRUTH that this is a volunteer sport/hobby/recreational activity and to depreciate the efforts of others to participate is futile and frankly rude.

 

I have less than 1000 finds in over 6 years of caching because I take the time to pick and choose the caches that please me or are convenient to where I am at the time.

 

The forums, especially your local forums and geocaching events are the best places to look for the best that geocaching has to offer. Good caches get mentioned often. Since FTF is not my drug of choice, I generally try to find caches with good word of mouth, online logs that are longer than the usual TFTC, and bookmarks.

 

Here's a great cache near "Lost Wages" that I found on these forums:

 

BUILD A BETTER GEOCACHE

 

I have a few caches in California near my hometown of Mammoth Lakes you might like:

 

 

 

 

My internet is reeeeeally slowwww this morning or I'd post a few more pics. Try looking at the caches along the Pacific Coast Highway especially between San Simeon and and Monterey. Those and the caches along 395 are my favorites in California.

[+Snoogans]

Some suggested reading for the OP.

[+webscouter.]

 

Here's a great cache near "Lost Wages" that I found on these forums:

 

BUILD A BETTER GEOCACHE

 

I have a few caches in California near my hometown of Mammoth Lakes you might like:

Those and the caches along 395 are my favorites in California.

 

Once again Snoogans teases me with pictures but no cache identifier or link to the cache.

Edited April 25, 2009 by webscouter.

[+Snoogans]

 

Here's a great cache near "Lost Wages" that I found on these forums:

 

BUILD A BETTER GEOCACHE

 

I have a few caches in California near my hometown of Mammoth Lakes you might like:

Those and the caches along 395 are my favorites in California.

 

Once again Snoogans teases me with pictures but no cache identifier or link to the cache.

 

Sorry, my internet is really slow today. Strange because I'm on an OC3 connection.

 

Do a cache search for "build a better geocache."

 

The other pictures are from MY caches: A Claustrophobic's Nightmare, Hardcore Sunrise or Sunset, and Ode to Ranboze and bthomas.

[+Sol seaker]

Sure interesting caches are nice, but I also don't like to work so hard at EVERY SINGLE ONE.

sometimes it's just nice to go out and easily find them for a change. To have to have EVERY ONE a major challenge gets tiring sometimes.

 

Where I live everyone loves hard-to-find micros.

 

One was hidden in a large field of rocks. The rocks were placed at a drainage place. The cache is under a rock. There are thousands of rocks there. YUCK!!!!!! We said after a while, "this is not fun" and left.

 

I like caches that take me to great places, no matter what the hide is like.

 

One that you would like is a metal plate with 4 bolt heads attached. It is magnetic and is stuck onto a guard rail. It blends in perfectly. Looks like part of the guard rail. The log fits on the back.

 

Another near here is a magnetic reflector on a post next to a pond. Called "time for reflection" it has double meaning as there is a nice spot to look at the pond and reflect on things.

 

almost every cache near my house is something devous.

 

We have tons of lakes around here, and there are a number that are reached only by water. One is actually submerged in a lake, and another is in the middle of a lake. One I got in a hidden lagoon on a lake. I saw many turtles I never knew lived in the area. Never knew that lagoon was there either! That's a cache to remember!!!

 

There is a Scuba cache near here. Only retrievable if you've got scuba gear.

 

Let's see, there's one on the roof the Glass Museum, a fantastic museum highlighting the incredible work of glass blowing artist Dale Chihuli. That's a tough one to find, well hidden, I won't tell you how, but it's clever!!! There's camera's all over this place watching too!

 

OH, one of my favorites is in a FIRE HYDRANT. YES INSIDE it. of course it no longer is hooked up to water. The whole top comes off to hide a regular sized cache.

 

There are tons I haven't found yet because they are SO clever!!! I could make you a list of those.

 

And the one in the pine cone, of course. Perhaps not so unusual.

 

OH, and the one that says it's an ammo box. I was looking for an ammo box and it turned out to be one inch long!!!! Looked just like an ammo box. Just minature!!

 

I can't begin to list all of the clever caches around here. Maybe you want to vacation here to get caches. A beautiful place, you may not go home to southern CA!!!

[+pentultimate]

Thank you all for your responses.

 

I certainly hope I do not "geocide" - and I'm glad that I've already managed to provide some of you (one of you) with some entertainment, and a reason to use not one not two not three - but FOUR laughing frog smileys in a single post.

 

I will try to check out some of your caches. They all seem very worthwhile. Thanks for sharing.

Edited April 28, 2009 by pentultimate

[+Knight2000]

Don't let Snoogans bother you. He can be wordy too!

 

Everyone plays for different reasons and in different ways. You seem to play like we do. We try to hide using two criteria. The cache should be in a neat area that you want to share with others or an atypical hide. Nothing wrong with an ammo can in the woods though!

 

The forums are packed full of useful info. Search. Read, and read some more. Check out the CCC thread and many others.

 

We are always striving to make the next fun cache and tossing around ideas. The forums have been helpful. So far we have an ammo can a couple feet underwater, a puzzle that you need to call a phone number for the next clue, and a cache that needs 2 gallons of water to retrieve.

 

None are our own ideas.

 

Just hide caches that you think you would enjoy finding. Don't let the forums scare you off!

[knowschad]

Link to the "CCC thread"