Finding NonExistent cache

[+SHENNY-TLC]

I found a cache about a week ago. We were out scouting places to place a cache in this area and I suggested this nice crotch of a cedar tree that held some beautiful cover and was located in an ideal place. As I thrust my had into the spot I came apon a cache ( a nice new 4x6 lock n lock camo container) it was a new container and we openend it it said geocache etc etc and had a new unused log book and one FTF gift.

We signed the log FTF and dated it , kinda unsure if we should havew before it was activated. I've been watching the location now for a week on the map and it still is not logged. Has anyone ever came across this kinda thing?

[jholly]

I found a cache about a week ago. We were out scouting places to place a cache in this area and I suggested this nice crotch of a cedar tree that held some beautiful cover and was located in an ideal place. As I thrust my had into the spot I came apon a cache ( a nice new 4x6 lock n lock camo container) it was a new container and we openend it it said geocache etc etc and had a new unused log book and one FTF gift.

We signed the log FTF and dated it , kinda unsure if we should havew before it was activated. I've been watching the location now for a week on the map and it still is not logged. Has anyone ever came across this kinda thing?

 

You say you've been watching the location on the map and it has not been logged. Does this mean it has not been published? It is possible it is listed on another site and not geocaching.com. Or it was submitted for publication and was rejected for some reason and needs something taken care of. Perhaps someone on vacation and since vacation caches are not allowed it was not published and could not be retrieved. You didn't say were the ideal spot is. Was it a state park? Many times permits are required prior to hiding and prior to being published. Was it a National Park? Although there is a local policy for hiding, most will not allow caches. You could email your local reviewer and see if anything is being actively worked for that location.

 

Jim

[+gof1]

Yup, a couple of times. Was the cache owners name in the cache? Have you checked the other geocaching sites? If all else fails check with the reviewer in the area and see if they have it in the que. Maybe they can contact the owner.

[+SHENNY-TLC]

Yes I did mean not published, just wouldnt come to me. It had a geocache.com note inside stating "you have found a geocache.... etc." . And is placed in a cemetary, we were looking at it for a series of "restin" caches in the area of some cemetaries. I like those and theres a few in this area that dont have them. I'll have to go back and look if theres a name in it, didnt pay attention that close. Was caught a little off guard by it.

[+baloo&bd]

Yes I did mean not published, just wouldnt come to me. It had a geocache.com note inside stating "you have found a geocache.... etc." . And is placed in a cemetary, we were looking at it for a series of "restin" caches in the area of some cemetaries. I like those and theres a few in this area that dont have them. I'll have to go back and look if theres a name in it, didnt pay attention that close. Was caught a little off guard by it.

 

Might be the end of a multi.

[+gof1]

Or a puzzle cache. Either way your local reviewer may still be able to help. If in no other way than by contacting the cache owner and letting them know you found it and want to know how to proceed. I'd still go see if there is any info in or on the cache first. No sense in making the reviewers do more work than needed.

[+katie w]

Yes I did mean not published, just wouldnt come to me. It had a geocache.com note inside stating "you have found a geocache.... etc." . And is placed in a cemetary, we were looking at it for a series of "restin" caches in the area of some cemetaries. I like those and theres a few in this area that dont have them. I'll have to go back and look if theres a name in it, didnt pay attention that close. Was caught a little off guard by it.

This happened to me, it was the first cache I ever found. After I had checked on the geocaching site by putting in the waypoint name, and nothing came up, I contacted the cache owner whose name was in the front of the logbook. It had been reviewed, but not activated as it was part of a multi puzzle series. I was eventually awarded the FTF.

[+briansnat]

Could be awaiting publication. Could be a cache that was turned down for one reason or another and the owner hasn't made it back to remove it.

[+succotash]

This happened to us. We were doing a series of caches by two different cachers, related by historical theme and generally swampy/river placements. We happened to notice partial coords written in the container lids. But, neither of the cache owners had a mystery cache listed. It intrigued us so we saved the coords. We had all but one set of numbers and were near a state park that seemed reasonable for the final "mystery" so we calculated some options and went for it. The coords were bringing us deeper and deeper into a swamp (which actually seemed correct given the cache hiders). But even with knee waders we got to a point we had to cross a deep flowing stream and finally decided we must be incorrect. About 6 months later, we found the last cache in the series and decided to go back for the unlisted mystery final. It turns out we were at the right place in the swamp. We found a fallen tree across the stream and crossed to an island with a "geocachers tree." Clunk! Ammo can. What excitement! We opened the ammo can and lo and behold someone else had also gone after the mystery and found it too! We signed the log. There was no smiley and it felt like a great victory anyway and was great fun. Later we were at a CITO with one of the cache owners and he said he just had never gotten final permission for the specific location. It's still not published (we found it in 2008).

Edited May 10, 2009 by succotash

[+-cheeto-]

Yep, logged one last weekend. We were hiding caches for an upcoming event and I found a cache not yet published. I signed my name on the log and dated it. I emailed our local reviewer and was told it was in the queue and not yet approved and to leave it alone. It's too bad I can't find out the owner because I would contact them to let them know they should try to get it published before the nearby event is held next weekend.

 

We'll see what the online FTF log looks like when it's finally published and they see my name on the log

[+baloo&bd]

Also, checked to see if there is an upcoming event there. If through your research you find out the reviewer does not know about the cache and there is an upcoming event very near, it is probably a temporary for the event and it's just litter that can be thrown away.

 

I still wouldn't hide there till after the event however. Can you post the general area?

[+obxnomad]

Just curious about proper procedures here. If the cache is in queue and yet to be published then how can one be FTF? Shouldn't the cache be available to the masses to make it a legit FTF?

Edited May 10, 2009 by obxnomad

[+baloo&bd]

Just curious about proper procedures here. If the cache is in queue and yet to be published then how can one be FTF? Shouldn't the cache be available to the masses to make it a legit FTF?

 

This is OT, but to answer your question;

 

FTF is a description of an act, the First person To Find the cache. It is not a competition, just a statement of facts.

 

GC is a listing service, nothing more. Magellan even ran a contest a few years back where people were given the coords long before it was listed here, then when it was, they logged it. Many give their coords to friends or family prior to listing it on the site, purely "legit".

 

You may be thinking of logging a cache on the sitethat is not listed, which is considered bad etiquette.

Edited May 10, 2009 by baloo&bd

[+SHENNY-TLC]

Went back to this cache tonite and found it is indeed taged with a name and listed as geocaching.com but no name of the cacher who placed it there. But the title tied into an area cacher who uses this name as a series in the area they do, so I e-mailed them with the name and asked if it was one of theres just missed or something new just not logged or something.

[+gof1]

Just curious about proper procedures here. If the cache is in queue and yet to be published then how can one be FTF? Shouldn't the cache be available to the masses to make it a legit FTF?

 

This is OT, but to answer your question;

 

FTF is a description of an act, the First person To Find the cache. It is not a competition, just a statement of facts.

 

GC is a listing service, nothing more. Magellan even ran a contest a few years back where people were given the coords long before it was listed here, then when it was, they logged it. Many give their coords to friends or family prior to listing it on the site, purely "legit".

 

You may be thinking of logging a cache on the sitethat is not listed, which is considered bad etiquette.

 

Not to mention that the finder had no advantage over others. Personally I see FTF as the first person to find the cache, period. However, if you want to apply the theory that an FTF isn't legit if the finder had an advantage then what advantage did the finder have here? The advantage of good fortune? Seems petty to hold good fortune against someone.

[+SHENNY-TLC]

And as good fortune would have it it also happened a couple of days ago when we went to place a cache in a spot my son wanted one and again we found a new cache where we were going to place. We signed FTF and went home to check and later that day it appeared posted. Maybe we should sign LTFF "lucky to find first".

[+keeweechris]

Happened to me (I think), but the shoe was on the other foot. In 2006, the day before I flew out of London bound for home in New Zealand, I planted a cache in Kensington Gardens. I was then hoping to set the cache up from NZ, and have it published. Yes Mum, I know, I should have been more organised, but I simply ran out of time.

 

Due to a few complications, it has never since been published, but my parents visited the tree where I hid the cache a few years later whilst on holiday, but it wasn't there.

 

Found by a geocacher?

Found by the gardener?

Stolen by a squirrel? ;-)

[+BCandMsKitty]

Also, checked to see if there is an upcoming event there. If through your research you find out the reviewer does not know about the cache and there is an upcoming event very near, it is probably a temporary for the event and it's just litter that can be thrown away.

 

I still wouldn't hide there till after the event however. Can you post the general area?

 

(highlighted part) Not necessarily true! Many times caches are hidden for an event and aren't submitted until all are in place. That doesn't make them temporary, or litter. It wouldl only become litter if it doesn't get published, and the event is past.

Edited May 11, 2009 by BC & MsKitty

[J.A.R.S.]

Has anyone ever came across this kinda thing?

 

Yes, 3 times. All of them used the term "geocache" on the container or logbook and all of them were too close to another published cache.

[+legacypac]

I've found a unpublished cache too close to a puzzle cache (just a few feet away). Also found a handful of letterboxes while hunting caches. If it gets published you claim the smiley. If it never gets published, its like finding a letterbox or something - no smilie.

[+Lina & Koy]

How weird. My fiance and I were out planting a Cache today in a national park when we came a across a old tree near the dirt path we were walking on. the tree had a big hollow hole in the middle of it. we thought "hey this would be a great hiding spot if our cache could fit there". than my fiance noticed a white film container hidden in it. I knew it wasn't on Geocahing's website because we had checked Google maps earlier today just in case one was around that area. so we opened it and this is what was in it. don't know what it's for because were new to this but maybe one of you guys can tell me. oh yeah and I almost stepped on a rattle snake had I not be stopped by by fiance. should have been looking ahead of us instead of my gps

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11075777@N03/3524080655/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11075777@N03/3524890536/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11075777@N03/3524085447/

[+BCandMsKitty]

That's a stage of a multi cache. Folks have to find it to input the coords writtn there to go to the next stage, or the final.

[+sbell111]

Also, checked to see if there is an upcoming event there. If through your research you find out the reviewer does not know about the cache and there is an upcoming event very near, it is probably a temporary for the event and it's just litter that can be thrown away.

 

I still wouldn't hide there till after the event however. Can you post the general area?

 

(highlighted part) Not necessarily true! Many times caches are hidden for an event and aren't submitted until all are in place. That doesn't make them temporary, or litter. It wouldl only become litter if it doesn't get published, and the event is past.

It still wouldn't necessarily be litter. That would depend on a number of other factors, such as land manager permission, but all this is fodder for yet another 'litter' thread.

[+PhxChem]

That's a stage of a multi cache. Folks have to find it to input the coords writtn there to go to the next stage, or the final.

 

And for multis, only the first stage is published in the website.

 

BTW, did you follow to coordinates to see where it took you? I'd be intrigued!

[+briansnat]

How weird. My fiance and I were out planting a Cache today in a national park when...

 

You did read the guidelines before you placed it?

[jholly]

How weird. My fiance and I were out planting a Cache today in a national park when we came a across a old tree near the dirt path we were walking on. the tree had a big hollow hole in the middle of it. we thought "hey this would be a great hiding spot if our cache could fit there". than my fiance noticed a white film container hidden in it. I knew it wasn't on Geocahing's website because we had checked Google maps earlier today just in case one was around that area. so we opened it and this is what was in it. don't know what it's for because were new to this but maybe one of you guys can tell me. oh yeah and I almost stepped on a rattle snake had I not be stopped by by fiance. should have been looking ahead of us instead of my gps

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11075777@N03/3524080655/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11075777@N03/3524890536/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11075777@N03/3524085447/

 

You really need to understand the difference between a regional park and an national park. The waypoint for GC1TVR is not in a national park but rather in Black Mines Regional Park.

 

Jim

[+Lina & Koy]

oh thanks for clearing that up.

[+geodarts]

A few cachers in my area tend to place caches and not publish them for quite some time. Sometimes they are part of a series of caches that are being released periodically. Sometime they need time to develop an appropriately difficult puzzle. Sometimes they just are not submitted for publishing right away for purely inexplicable reasons. And every once in a while people will come across such a cache.

Edited May 25, 2009 by Erickson

[+Scubasonic]

I recently found a cache that had been disabled while looking for another cache, was able to log it as a find.

 

Scubasonic