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One of THOSE caches


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My wife and I just got back into caching after a long spell of not owning a working GPS unit. Today I went out to nab a few on my lunch break. As luck would have it I visited one of those sites where you leave wondering why anybody would look there and think "this is a great spot for a geocache".

 

My gps took me down a residential road to a dead end. The only place to put my car was clearly marked NO PARKING. I was within view of at least three homes, staring at a big pile of junk. Behind a guardrail there were downed limbs, several metal street sign posts just thrown back there, along with other random rubble. The whole place was infested with ants. I hadn't been looking for five minutes when a very suspicious old guy shuffled up behind me wanting to know what I was up to.

 

I never know what to say. It doesn't matter when there's a generational gap this large.

 

"Yeah I'm looking for a small container. It's an online activity of GPS fans and hikers who enjoy looking for hidden objects outdoors, called geocaching, and...."

 

"Eh? A geo-wutsit? You know you can't park here."

 

And I'm back in my car. Not worth it. Not even close.

 

Sometimes it's potluck with semi-urban caches. But good grief, sometimes you wonder what the appeal is with some of these locations.

 

I know we've all been there, just felt like venting. Better luck next time!

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My wife and I just got back into caching after a long spell of not owning a working GPS unit. Today I went out to nab a few on my lunch break. As luck would have it I visited one of those sites where you leave wondering why anybody would look there and think "this is a great spot for a geocache".

 

My gps took me down a residential road to a dead end. The only place to put my car was clearly marked NO PARKING. I was within view of at least three homes, staring at a big pile of junk. Behind a guardrail there were downed limbs, several metal street sign posts just thrown back there, along with other random rubble. The whole place was infested with ants. I hadn't been looking for five minutes when a very suspicious old guy shuffled up behind me wanting to know what I was up to.

 

I never know what to say. It doesn't matter when there's a generational gap this large.

 

"Yeah I'm looking for a small container. It's an online activity of GPS fans and hikers who enjoy looking for hidden objects outdoors, called geocaching, and...."

 

"Eh? A geo-wutsit? You know you can't park here."

 

And I'm back in my car. Not worth it. Not even close.

 

Sometimes it's potluck with semi-urban caches. But good grief, sometimes you wonder what the appeal is with some of these locations.

 

I know we've all been there, just felt like venting. Better luck next time!

Vent away!

Sorry that your re-entry into geocaching went bad. I have pretty much given up urban geocaching and that is one of the reasons.

It seems that with more and more people getting into caching, the "art" of geocaching has deteriorated.

Sloppy examples lead to sloppy followers. New cachers learn from what they are finding so they mimic the hide with their own version of the spew.

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There is a hide like that here in Indiana, I contacted the owner because the cache is between two dead end streets, just a guardrail(where the cache is) and some trees inbetween the streets. . On the side with the guardrail are signs NO TRESSPASSING, I told the owner this thinking that I was on the wrong dead end, she said, yes its on the guardrail, there is no guardrail on the other side and to get the the guardrail it looks like you have to go through someones yard. Ya, needless to say I not going back there.

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There are quite a few caches we end up just doing a drive-by & never get out to search.

 

These examples definitely sound like a keep driving and don't look back situation.

 

After all... it's not the smilies that count (at least not for everybody), but the experience.

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And I'm back in my car. Not worth it. Not even close.

 

 

Sorry to hear your first trip back into caching went wrong. Fortunately for me, I have yet to encounter a hide like that (at least in the few places I have been so far) but recently I did have a DNF that I posted for the above reason.

 

I had gone to look for this cache named "Peavine" that's less than a mile from my home. I had been planning on getting around to getting this ever since it was posted but it wasn't until earlier this month I was able to get around to it.

 

From what I gather, the cache is in a somewhat secluded area where it is surrounded by a lot of trees and brush. So much that you can't even see the area from the nearby street when you drive by.

 

Well I was heading towards it on foot (it starts off on a walking trail that ends before you get to the general area it's in) when I started hearing loud barking.

 

The next thing I knew three large dogs were running up the 'hill' and ganged up on/surrounded me. Looking back maybe they were just friendly because they weren't growling or attacking or anything.

 

But still, I HAVE been attacked and nearly killed once before by a dog (who started off the exact same way). And I wasn't about to have three dogs following me into a secluded area while running that risk. So I just turned around and went home.

Edited by DarthJustice
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