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'Caching 'through the Snow'


90%Angel

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Hi, being a relative 'Newbie' to Geocaching, I was wondering how difficult it is Caching through the Snow. Im on the West Coast, and although we don't often get a lot of snow over the Winter, we've already had our first 'dusting' only about 1/2 hour drive from where I live. I would like to keep caching through the Winter but I can't help but think it would be a LOT harder! Do people 'change' the level of difficulty on Caches through the Winter in places that have a tendancy to get Snow?

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There is a great series of caches east of Toronto called "Caching Through The Snow......." Originally I thought that was what you were gonna ask about. :)

 

Winter caching can be a lot of fun. Especially at night with a full moon.

 

Obviously caches on the ground can be more challenging depending on the depth of snow.

 

There is a "Winter Friendly" attribute available and most cachers only implement it if the cache is off the ground and should be findable in the winter.

 

I am not aware of any cachers who change the ratings. That would mess with the numerous challenge caches in existence.

 

Enjoy.

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Here's a few things that I like about caching in the winter:

 

1. You can walk to all those pesky island caches once the lakes freeze good and solid!

2. You can follow someone else's footprints to finally find that cache that has foiled you all summer!

3. NO BUGS!

 

Here are some of the drawbacks:

 

1. If you don't have snowshoes, some 'easy' trails become nearly impossible to travel

2. 'Winter Friendly' is subjective. A crack in a rock face 3 feet off the ground can become filled with ice, entombing the cache

3. Pens will freeze... bring a pencil just in case!

4. Nanos are just plain nasty when it is -30C! You have to take your gloves off to open it, and trying to put it back together with numb fingers is challenging. And good luck if you drop part of the container in the snow!!!

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Here's a few things that I like about caching in the winter:

 

1. You can walk to all those pesky island caches once the lakes freeze good and solid!

2. You can follow someone else's footprints to finally find that cache that has foiled you all summer!

3. NO BUGS!

 

Here are some of the drawbacks:

 

1. If you don't have snowshoes, some 'easy' trails become nearly impossible to travel

2. 'Winter Friendly' is subjective. A crack in a rock face 3 feet off the ground can become filled with ice, entombing the cache

3. Pens will freeze... bring a pencil just in case!

4. Nanos are just plain nasty when it is -30C! You have to take your gloves off to open it, and trying to put it back together with numb fingers is challenging. And good luck if you drop part of the container in the snow!!!

 

LOL... good points! Thanks! It usually doesn't get much below -10 or so here, but I'll keep your 'tips' in mind. :)

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There is a great series of caches east of Toronto called "Caching Through The Snow......." Originally I thought that was what you were gonna ask about. :)

 

Winter caching can be a lot of fun. Especially at night with a full moon.

 

Obviously caches on the ground can be more challenging depending on the depth of snow.

 

There is a "Winter Friendly" attribute available and most cachers only implement it if the cache is off the ground and should be findable in the winter.

 

I am not aware of any cachers who change the ratings. That would mess with the numerous challenge caches in existence.

 

Enjoy.

 

Oh, Ok, good to know that the 'ratings' don't change. I know a lot of the posted Caches show wether they are Winter friendly or not, but that is 'subjective' just the same. Still, I'll give it a go, thanks for your input.

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Don't rely too much on the winter attribute. It seems to be the source of more confusion then anything because it means different things to different people. The actual attribute says 'Available in Winter'. I take this to mean that the area the cache is hidden in is accessible in the winter. This does not necessarily mean that the hide itself is winter friendly.

I would say if you have questions as to whether or not you will be able to find the cache in the winter, read the cache page carefully and read the previous logs. This should give you a good indication as to what you are in for. If that doesn't give you the answer you are looking for, send the CO an email. Most will be happy to help you and let you know if you are going to have an overly difficult time finding their cache in the snow.

 

Caching in the winter can be alot of fun. It definitely adds a different perspective to the game.

Cheers! :)

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Don't rely too much on the winter attribute. It seems to be the source of more confusion then anything because it means different things to different people. The actual attribute says 'Available in Winter'. I take this to mean that the area the cache is hidden in is accessible in the winter. This does not necessarily mean that the hide itself is winter friendly.

I would say if you have questions as to whether or not you will be able to find the cache in the winter, read the cache page carefully and read the previous logs. This should give you a good indication as to what you are in for. If that doesn't give you the answer you are looking for, send the CO an email. Most will be happy to help you and let you know if you are going to have an overly difficult time finding their cache in the snow.

 

Caching in the winter can be alot of fun. It definitely adds a different perspective to the game.

Cheers! :o

Well, yeah.. I thought about that... and do think it really is 'relative'. What may be Cacher friendly to some in winter conditions, may not be to others. I think I'll keep to the Lowlands during the Winter months... which, thankfully usually end by mid February around here. Thanks for the input! Happy Caching! :lol:

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Something to consider.... Winter is a lot different than ice, or snow, or low temperature...

 

Lots of Winter available caches in WARM climates!

 

Got to think about local caches up here in the East Kootenays myself... we already have many 5 to 8 remaining inches of white here on the ground in Elkford... but then this is the Rocky Mountains...

 

From here the coast is a WARM climate... but not South much...

 

Doug 7rxc

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Something to consider.... Winter is a lot different than ice, or snow, or low temperature...

 

Lots of Winter available caches in WARM climates!

 

Got to think about local caches up here in the East Kootenays myself... we already have many 5 to 8 remaining inches of white here on the ground in Elkford... but then this is the Rocky Mountains...

 

From here the coast is a WARM climate... but not South much...

 

Doug 7rxc

Ok, true enough we don't get the 'Temps' you do up there, but we've had our share of 'nasty winter weather! Don't get me wrong, I Love the Snow, I know I'll have to be a lot more cautious of the Caches I look for simply because of the risk of injury. (like if a Cache is 10meters off a trail but there are logs and branches covered in snow to get to it...) you get my 'drift'... lol.. no pun intended. Good luck with your Caching through the Snow! :lol:

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Winter caching can DEFINITELY offer quite a different experience.

 

Obviously, for caches which are hidden on the ground, it's going to add some difficulty, but not to mention getting around, getting to the cache, and hoping that the cache itself isn't frozen to the ground (ran in to that more than once)

 

Personally, I enjoy winter caching quite a bit more than summer caching because I love the cold weather. One of my most favourite caches is GCVN3V - Got Milk? which unfortunately isn't there any more, but that 4.5 star terrain turns into 6 stars (yes, on a five star scale) when you decide to go out in a snow storm that has already dumped 14 inches of snow on the ground, and discover another 5 inches of snow when you return to the truck. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment sometimes, but when you find the cache (puzzle or otherwise) it seems even more rewarding.

 

BUT! and that's a big but, it can be incredibly miserable if you're not dressed for the conditions. In my caching experiences, I've learned to prepare for anything. Anything WILL happen.

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Winter caching can DEFINITELY offer quite a different experience.

 

Obviously, for caches which are hidden on the ground, it's going to add some difficulty, but not to mention getting around, getting to the cache, and hoping that the cache itself isn't frozen to the ground (ran in to that more than once)

 

Personally, I enjoy winter caching quite a bit more than summer caching because I love the cold weather. One of my most favourite caches is GCVN3V - Got Milk? which unfortunately isn't there any more, but that 4.5 star terrain turns into 6 stars (yes, on a five star scale) when you decide to go out in a snow storm that has already dumped 14 inches of snow on the ground, and discover another 5 inches of snow when you return to the truck. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment sometimes, but when you find the cache (puzzle or otherwise) it seems even more rewarding.

 

BUT! and that's a big but, it can be incredibly miserable if you're not dressed for the conditions. In my caching experiences, I've learned to prepare for anything. Anything WILL happen.

 

LOL.. thanks,... Im learning that. We don't generally get a 'ton' of Snow on the West Coast (in the Valley) and Im finding it tricky to find caches with all the Leaves everywhere, I would think the 'snow' would make it that much tougher... still I plan on giving it a try! Happy Caching!

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Winter caching can be a lot of fun. Especially at night with a full moon.

 

Wow geocaching at night with a full winter moon. That's sounds soooooooo romantic. Now to find someone to enjoy it with:)

 

I held a full moon event last February and the attendance was overwhelming. Moon of Hoop and Stick Game

Wow I am sorry I missed that event. It looks awesome. I had read about the Hoop and Stick game before but never was aware of the history behind it. I enjoyed the story. Beautiful pic too. I love those kind of stories. In fact, my email address is based on The Invitation - Oriah Mountain Dreame (youtube) Sure you are familiar with it. Here's to hoping there may be a recurrence of a similar event.

Thanks again for your response.

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Not a lot of geocaching available in the winter months around the Algonquin area of Ontario. This November has been fantastic; but that could change any day now. Like DanOCan, we often filter caches using GSAK to pick out the caches than have been recently found; before attempting winter finds. I agree, the winter accessibility attribute can be meaningless, especially if the CO doesn't live in the same general area as the cache placement. (I know the CO is supposed to live nearby; but we have an approved cache in Lindsay, Ontario, placed by a cacher living in Edmonton, Alberta !) Urban caches are a more likely target in our winters. But, the nearest urban caches are a couple of hour's drive from Algonquin. Proper clothing obviously is a prime consideration, when there is even a slight risk you may be 'outside' your home or your vehicle, for more than a few minutes, when the temps fall below the minus 10 celcius ranges.

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Often when we run into snow issues I will sort caches in GSAK so it only shows me ones that have been found since the last snow fall. Many times then you can follow the footprints to the cache location and see where the hiding spot has been disturbed/exposed.

 

LOL... well that's one way it can help to be sure!

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Not a lot of geocaching available in the winter months around the Algonquin area of Ontario. This November has been fantastic; but that could change any day now. Like DanOCan, we often filter caches using GSAK to pick out the caches than have been recently found; before attempting winter finds. I agree, the winter accessibility attribute can be meaningless, especially if the CO doesn't live in the same general area as the cache placement. (I know the CO is supposed to live nearby; but we have an approved cache in Lindsay, Ontario, placed by a cacher living in Edmonton, Alberta !) Urban caches are a more likely target in our winters. But, the nearest urban caches are a couple of hour's drive from Algonquin. Proper clothing obviously is a prime consideration, when there is even a slight risk you may be 'outside' your home or your vehicle, for more than a few minutes, when the temps fall below the minus 10 celcius ranges.

 

That would take it to a whole new lever! (temperature wise) I think Winter is a great time to get those caches that are normally in High muggle areas in Spring/Summer months. The ones that are a little more off the beat and track (and generally harder to get to in the snow anyways,) I'd rather do in warmer weather. Thankfully we don't have the extreme winter conditions here,... least none that last for more than a week or so. Happy Caching!

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Not a lot of geocaching available in the winter months around the Algonquin area of Ontario. This November has been fantastic; but that could change any day now. Like DanOCan, we often filter caches using GSAK to pick out the caches than have been recently found; before attempting winter finds. I agree, the winter accessibility attribute can be meaningless, especially if the CO doesn't live in the same general area as the cache placement. (I know the CO is supposed to live nearby; but we have an approved cache in Lindsay, Ontario, placed by a cacher living in Edmonton, Alberta !) Urban caches are a more likely target in our winters. But, the nearest urban caches are a couple of hour's drive from Algonquin. Proper clothing obviously is a prime consideration, when there is even a slight risk you may be 'outside' your home or your vehicle, for more than a few minutes, when the temps fall below the minus 10 celcius ranges.

 

That would take it to a whole new lever! (temperature wise) I think Winter is a great time to get those caches that are normally in High muggle areas in Spring/Summer months. The ones that are a little more off the beat and track (and generally harder to get to in the snow anyways,) I'd rather do in warmer weather. Thankfully we don't have the extreme winter conditions here,... least none that last for more than a week or so. Happy Caching!

Late winter when the water is hard is a good time to go get those "canoe" caches set for summer exploits---either by snowmobile--snowshoe or airplane which turns out to by my favorite way to zip in and start digging--

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Not a lot of geocaching available in the winter months around the Algonquin area of Ontario. This November has been fantastic; but that could change any day now. Like DanOCan, we often filter caches using GSAK to pick out the caches than have been recently found; before attempting winter finds. I agree, the winter accessibility attribute can be meaningless, especially if the CO doesn't live in the same general area as the cache placement. (I know the CO is supposed to live nearby; but we have an approved cache in Lindsay, Ontario, placed by a cacher living in Edmonton, Alberta !) Urban caches are a more likely target in our winters. But, the nearest urban caches are a couple of hour's drive from Algonquin. Proper clothing obviously is a prime consideration, when there is even a slight risk you may be 'outside' your home or your vehicle, for more than a few minutes, when the temps fall below the minus 10 celcius ranges.

 

That would take it to a whole new lever! (temperature wise) I think Winter is a great time to get those caches that are normally in High muggle areas in Spring/Summer months. The ones that are a little more off the beat and track (and generally harder to get to in the snow anyways,) I'd rather do in warmer weather. Thankfully we don't have the extreme winter conditions here,... least none that last for more than a week or so. Happy Caching!

Late winter when the water is hard is a good time to go get those "canoe" caches set for summer exploits---either by snowmobile--snowshoe or airplane which turns out to by my favorite way to zip in and start digging--

 

YIKES! ... Well GOOD for You!... that's great if you are such an adventurer to tackle those kinds of challenges! My 'Hats off' to you! Happy Caching!

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Not a lot of geocaching available in the winter months around the Algonquin area of Ontario. This November has been fantastic; but that could change any day now. Like DanOCan, we often filter caches using GSAK to pick out the caches than have been recently found; before attempting winter finds. I agree, the winter accessibility attribute can be meaningless, especially if the CO doesn't live in the same general area as the cache placement. (I know the CO is supposed to live nearby; but we have an approved cache in Lindsay, Ontario, placed by a cacher living in Edmonton, Alberta !) Urban caches are a more likely target in our winters. But, the nearest urban caches are a couple of hour's drive from Algonquin. Proper clothing obviously is a prime consideration, when there is even a slight risk you may be 'outside' your home or your vehicle, for more than a few minutes, when the temps fall below the minus 10 celcius ranges.

 

That would take it to a whole new lever! (temperature wise) I think Winter is a great time to get those caches that are normally in High muggle areas in Spring/Summer months. The ones that are a little more off the beat and track (and generally harder to get to in the snow anyways,) I'd rather do in warmer weather. Thankfully we don't have the extreme winter conditions here,... least none that last for more than a week or so. Happy Caching!

Late winter when the water is hard is a good time to go get those "canoe" caches set for summer exploits---either by snowmobile--snowshoe or airplane which turns out to by my favorite way to zip in and start digging--

 

YIKES! ... Well GOOD for You!... that's great if you are such an adventurer to tackle those kinds of challenges! My 'Hats off' to you! Happy Caching!

Well so much for caching in the upper Muskokas and Haliburton as we are inundated in over a meter of snow on the ground as of Friday --impossible to walk off the roads if the roads were to be plowed--twisty

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Not a lot of geocaching available in the winter months around the Algonquin area of Ontario. This November has been fantastic; but that could change any day now. Like DanOCan, we often filter caches using GSAK to pick out the caches than have been recently found; before attempting winter finds. I agree, the winter accessibility attribute can be meaningless, especially if the CO doesn't live in the same general area as the cache placement. (I know the CO is supposed to live nearby; but we have an approved cache in Lindsay, Ontario, placed by a cacher living in Edmonton, Alberta !) Urban caches are a more likely target in our winters. But, the nearest urban caches are a couple of hour's drive from Algonquin. Proper clothing obviously is a prime consideration, when there is even a slight risk you may be 'outside' your home or your vehicle, for more than a few minutes, when the temps fall below the minus 10 celcius ranges.

 

That would take it to a whole new lever! (temperature wise) I think Winter is a great time to get those caches that are normally in High muggle areas in Spring/Summer months. The ones that are a little more off the beat and track (and generally harder to get to in the snow anyways,) I'd rather do in warmer weather. Thankfully we don't have the extreme winter conditions here,... least none that last for more than a week or so. Happy Caching!

Late winter when the water is hard is a good time to go get those "canoe" caches set for summer exploits---either by snowmobile--snowshoe or airplane which turns out to by my favorite way to zip in and start digging--

 

YIKES! ... Well GOOD for You!... that's great if you are such an adventurer to tackle those kinds of challenges! My 'Hats off' to you! Happy Caching!

Well so much for caching in the upper Muskokas and Haliburton as we are inundated in over a meter of snow on the ground as of Friday --impossible to walk off the roads if the roads were to be plowed--twisty

 

I can't help but think it could be 'risky' if you had to venture off a trail much... lots of debris, logs etc hidden under the snow I would think it would not be hard to twist an ankle or some such accident.

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I spend the past two weeks geocaching around the Brampton, St. Catharines, Port Dover areas.

 

I is amazing how many caches were classified as "Winter Friendly", that were on the ground. (and there was snow on the ground when I was there). A comment I added several times was "Well the cache would be winter friendly if it was in a place that gets no snow like Florida".

 

If I see a "Winter Friendly" cache I would expect to find it in the snow.

 

Any "Winter Friendly" in Northern are definitely "Not-on-the-ground caches" and are elevated well above the snow so they do not get covered in snow. Any on the ground are definitely "Not Winter Friendly"

 

There have been a fair numbers of caches in Northern Ontario, where I have needed snow-shoes to get to the cache. Another big benefit of winter caching is no bugs and you can most likely walk to a cache where you would need a canoe or boat in the summer.

Edited by jleecollins
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Winter remains my favourite time of the year to go caching.

 

The air is crisp and (seems) clean. There are no bugs - I don't have to check for ticks that want to kill me with Lyme, or avoid West-Nile carrying Mosquitos. Wasp nests are much safer to discover three inches from the cache when it is -10C. The muggles stay home, and I can snowshoe or cross country ski to the cache.

 

You do need to be prepared for winter caching though

 

- Bring a flashlight, and lots of batteries. Keep them inside your coat pocket. Dusk comes early in winter.

 

- Dress appropriately for the cold. Assume your hands will get wet from digging in snow, and bring another pair of gloves if you can.

 

- A small shovel is really handy for buried (in snow) caches.

 

- Invest in ice-crampons like Yak-Traks to make walking on packed frozen trails safer

 

- If you encounter a cache that is frozen into place. Leave it - particularly tupperware/plastic caches as these become brittle in cold temperatures. Your efforts to free the cache will most likely destroy it. I tend to take a photo of the cache in it's spot and send it to the cache owner as my log proof.

 

- Lakes, ponds freeze in the winter making canoe caches accessible as Twistyipper said but you better be 100% sure that ice will hold your weight. If you don't know how to check this, you should not attempt it - lest you get killed for a smiley.

 

- Make sure your vehicle can handle the cache approach. If you drive a Corolla, that unplowed road allowance with parking co-ordinates at the end may not be the best idea after a few 6 inch snowfalls. You may have to walk farther! Also keep in mind if you run out in a snowstorm there will be a snowplow coming along that's not expecting (or caring) about your car at a trailhead in the middle of nowhere.

 

As for the Available in Winter attribute. Ignore it ... it is a *guideline* like the Difficulty / Terrain and is very subjective. Best to follow the logs, if it is generally found during the winter months, it's probably winter friendly. If (found) logs tend to not occur between November and May .... you may be in for a difficult hunt.

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I is amazing how many caches were classified as "Winter Friendly", that were on the ground. (and there was snow on the ground when I was there). A comment I added several times was "Well the cache would be winter friendly if it was in a place that gets no snow like Florida".

 

If I see a "Winter Friendly" cache I would expect to find it in the snow.

 

Any "Winter Friendly" in Northern are definitely "Not-on-the-ground caches" and are elevated well above the snow so they do not get covered in snow. Any on the ground are definitely "Not Winter Friendly"

I think part of the problem is that the attribute is not "Winter Friendly", but is listed as "Accessible in Winter". That means different things to different people. I think many people feel that if you can get to ground zero the cache is indeed "winter accessible" -- it is just a lot more difficult.

 

I think "Findable in Winter" might be more clear.

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I spend the past two weeks geocaching around the Brampton, St. Catharines, Port Dover areas.

 

I is amazing how many caches were classified as "Winter Friendly", that were on the ground. (and there was snow on the ground when I was there). A comment I added several times was "Well the cache would be winter friendly if it was in a place that gets no snow like Florida".

 

If I see a "Winter Friendly" cache I would expect to find it in the snow.

 

Any "Winter Friendly" in Northern are definitely "Not-on-the-ground caches" and are elevated well above the snow so they do not get covered in snow. Any on the ground are definitely "Not Winter Friendly"

 

There have been a fair numbers of caches in Northern Ontario, where I have needed snow-shoes to get to the cache. Another big benefit of winter caching is no bugs and you can most likely walk to a cache where you would need a canoe or boat in the summer.

 

I see your point... however if there is a lot of Snow on the ground, you'd obviously have to bring a shovel and do a lot of digging!.. I suspect a lot of Caches out in the woods likely go into hibernation mode for a few months in places that do get a lot of Snow. We're pretty 'green' around here still cold temps but no snow, but I've recently (yesterday) found a couple Caches that were nearly impossible to open because they were 'frozen'. It took some careful effort to open them and not cause any damage to them. Even so, some had wet logs... I would think it would be even worse in a lot of Snow!

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Winter remains my favourite time of the year to go caching.

 

The air is crisp and (seems) clean. There are no bugs - I don't have to check for ticks that want to kill me with Lyme, or avoid West-Nile carrying Mosquitos. Wasp nests are much safer to discover three inches from the cache when it is -10C. The muggles stay home, and I can snowshoe or cross country ski to the cache.

 

You do need to be prepared for winter caching though

 

- Bring a flashlight, and lots of batteries. Keep them inside your coat pocket. Dusk comes early in winter.

 

- Dress appropriately for the cold. Assume your hands will get wet from digging in snow, and bring another pair of gloves if you can.

 

- A small shovel is really handy for buried (in snow) caches.

 

- Invest in ice-crampons like Yak-Traks to make walking on packed frozen trails safer

 

- If you encounter a cache that is frozen into place. Leave it - particularly tupperware/plastic caches as these become brittle in cold temperatures. Your efforts to free the cache will most likely destroy it. I tend to take a photo of the cache in it's spot and send it to the cache owner as my log proof.

 

- Lakes, ponds freeze in the winter making canoe caches accessible as Twistyipper said but you better be 100% sure that ice will hold your weight. If you don't know how to check this, you should not attempt it - lest you get killed for a smiley.

 

- Make sure your vehicle can handle the cache approach. If you drive a Corolla, that unplowed road allowance with parking co-ordinates at the end may not be the best idea after a few 6 inch snowfalls. You may have to walk farther! Also keep in mind if you run out in a snowstorm there will be a snowplow coming along that's not expecting (or caring) about your car at a trailhead in the middle of nowhere.

 

As for the Available in Winter attribute. Ignore it ... it is a *guideline* like the Difficulty / Terrain and is very subjective. Best to follow the logs, if it is generally found during the winter months, it's probably winter friendly. If (found) logs tend to not occur between November and May .... you may be in for a difficult hunt.

 

 

"Thanks.... sounds like 'The Voice of Experience" to me~.. Happy Caching~

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Hi, being a relative 'Newbie' to Geocaching, I was wondering how difficult it is Caching through the Snow. Im on the West Coast, and although we don't often get a lot of snow over the Winter, we've already had our first 'dusting' only about 1/2 hour drive from where I live. I would like to keep caching through the Winter but I can't help but think it would be a LOT harder! Do people 'change' the level of difficulty on Caches through the Winter in places that have a tendancy to get Snow?

 

... OK... so now I can Officially say I've done some Caching through the Snow~ ..admittidly, it was as I thought, quite tricky..not only with the previous Fall Leaf cover, add Snow and Ice to the mix.. well.. it was definetly harder, but a lot of fun nonetheless~ I expect I will do more over the winter months because I just can't see me wanting to wait til Spring to get out there again~

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