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Anyone run into a fellow cacher while geocaching?


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Also, anyone think the other cacher was a muggle, and/or vice versa?

Yes, this happened quite often so far. Geocachers are easily identified. Especially those ones who try to be stealth.

 

If a muggle runs around with a GPS, the question "Are you geocaching?" is a good conversation starter. Normally they have at least heard about it.

 

GermanSailor

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Also, anyone think the other cacher was a muggle, and/or vice versa?

 

I have a geocache on a trail that I hike with my dog several times a week. One day we were out and my dog went running over to a guy standing near the cache area. The guy was trying to act nonchalant (which was difficult to do with my dog trying to make friends with him.) He thought we were muggles, but I of course knew what he was up to, so I stopped to introduce myself as the cache owner.

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We ran into some fellow cachers a few weeks ago. Once we saw what the other was walking around with, that was that. Very nice people too!

 

What was really ironic is that last weekend we were at the Festival of Books. We happened to be in the science tent, where they had a booth about DNA extraction that my son was fascinated with. One of the folks in the booth asked me how I knew those little plastic tubes were called "eppendorfs", and I replied that sometimes people hid geocaches in them. Turns out she's the matriarch of a major caching family here in town, and we've found several of her caches! And, to add to the irony, just a few days prior, she and a friend found our first cache hide.

 

Sometimes it's a very small world!!

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Log from a multi I found on March 13:

 

Double-find, when I realized there was a multi AND an earthcache here! I hate heights, though... Out caching with catsnfish today, and this was a fun cache to find - except for the heights part! Took a magnifying glass, left several pins.

 

As we were about to leave, the "muggles" in the tower called out "Are you geocaching?" Turns out they were cachers from Des Moines, and had no idea there was another cache here! We gave them all the info they needed to look for the cache, and wished them luck - nice to run into other cachers out on the trail!

 

SO, yep! All the time!

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It happened on my very first cache find, check the date.

 

February 17, 2001 by vagabond (3745 found)

 

Started out from black mtn parking lot, hoped the cache was still there after all the rain, crossed the creek at a real nice and slippery spot and found out the creek was about knee deep in that spot, luckly it wasn't very wide just 1 leg in.

Found the site fairly easy it was right where my gps said it was( beginners luck )

while I was going through the cache I heard a commotion accross the creek and saw 5 people coming accross, I just sat back and watched for awhile as they tramped all around the cache site, I hollered to them that if they were looking for the cache I had it I went over to them and showed them where it was and they said they would put it back, so I headed out for the toy box confident I would find it with no problem

Edited by vagabond
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Oh, yeah. Working a multi cache park once and noticed another guy walking around searching a bit with a GPS in his hand.

 

"Geocaching?"

 

"YES!"

 

"Cool. Me too. I go by Albanach."

 

"AND YOU'RE SCOTTISH?!!!"

 

 

We had a lot in common. He gave me a celtic geocoin.

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Oh, yeah, several times.

 

One memorable time was while driving from Michigan to New York. I cut across Canada, from Sarnia/port Huron to Niagara. I decided to get off the road a bit to stretch my legs. In a parking lot along the shore near the cache GC1PMEJ, there were 3-4 people on their hands and knees around the base of a bush growing out of a cluster of broken concrete, etc. It was pretty obvious what they were doing. I didn't look for the cache - there wasn't much room for another person looking, and I didn't want to horn in on their group. I checked the log later, though, and one of them mentioned meeting me there.

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I blame lack of coffee for mis-reading title as "Anyone run over a fellow cacher while geocaching". And I blame sioneva for immediately thinking of sioneva...

 

As for running into other geocachers, only twice, and once I was spotted by another geocacher (who was not caching). I think the likelihood is a lot higher if you're after a FTF or within the first few days of a new cache series.

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Yup,

It was at a park and grab cache.

Drove up to see a car parked 20' from the cache.

Neither of us got out for several minutes.

Then I got out to lean on the side of the car.

When they saw my GPS in hand they got out too.

Chatted then we both ended up with a DNF.

At least we could share in the disappointment.

 

Have had probly 10 times to meet someone at a cache

after 400 finds.

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In the early years, when GPSs were not yet popular, I had just found a cache at Dinosaur Tracks just outside of Cedar City, UT. I came hiked out and saw a retired couple standing next to their pickup and pointing out across the valley and saying "it is over there about .13 miles". Pointing the right way, terminology and equipment - they had to be geocachers. I walked up and introduced myself and within a few sentences, I realized they were not geocachers. They had found a website that has the coordinates of dinosaur tracks and fossil deposits across the West. They were visiting from Idaho.

 

I gave them a brief intro to Geocaching, I handed them my business card with my Geocaching name and website info, and bode them farewell.

 

About 6 months later I received an e-mail saying thanks and they had just found their 100th cache and were having a blast in Washington State and Idaho.

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I blame lack of coffee for mis-reading title as "Anyone run over a fellow cacher while geocaching". And I blame sioneva for immediately thinking of sioneva...

 

 

Hey! No one ever proved it was I who ran over that cacher! It could have been anyone who was driving a silver hondacar with a broken taillight and bent front license plate that day!

 

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I blame lack of coffee for mis-reading title as "Anyone run over a fellow cacher while geocaching". And I blame sioneva for immediately thinking of sioneva...

 

Hey! No one ever proved it was I who ran over that cacher! It could have been anyone who was driving a silver hondacar with a broken taillight and bent front license plate that day!

It is curious why that cacher now goes into hysterics at the sight of a blue bow...

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I blame lack of coffee for mis-reading title as "Anyone run over a fellow cacher while geocaching". And I blame sioneva for immediately thinking of sioneva...

 

 

Hey! No one ever proved it was I who ran over that cacher! It could have been anyone who was driving a silver hondacar with a broken taillight and bent front license plate that day!

 

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Careful Sioneva, I have pictures.

 

The pictures have nothing to do with you or the topic, but they are pictures and I have them.

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After attending a race @ Texas Motor Speedway with the kiddos, we drove around the track picking up the caches there. Literally, a hundred thousand people in the area, partying and having fun. No one gave us a second look, and we were pretty stealthy about it. We approached a LPC cache along the road that rings the parking lot. I parked the car, was going to dash across the road to snag it. We saw a pickup pull up close to it, a couple of guys got out, acting nonchalant and trying to be inconspicuous. Recognized the dance immediately. One of them snagged the goods and retreated back to their vehicle to sign the log. As they did, I crossed the road, walked up to the truck and asked to sign the log when they were done! Talked for a minute, I signed the log and stashed the hide.

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Also, anyone think the other cacher was a muggle, and/or vice versa?

 

I took a friend and her 2 kids on their first geo hunt, ;) and we were confronted with a snake by the lake and two crazy squirrels... so we were scared out of our minds already. So we kept walking and noticed three teenage boys jump out of the woods and we thought they were up to no good (maybe smoking or drinking or something). So after the animal scares we were poking with sticks at the edge of the woods looking for the cache and the boys hollered that the cache was further back in the woods. We laughed so hard... we never thought young boys would be playing the same game as us. And we thought they up to no good and realized you can't judge a book by it's cover and they were trying to help us. We had a 5/6/8 year old with us, it was just funny.... :anibad:

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Actually happened to me last month on the way back to PA from FL in one of the carolinas at a rest stop. I think I saw him before he saw me and I noticed he was watching a GPS so it was pretty obvious the course of action was to say hi and then blatently say "I gotta figure you're looking for the same thing I am." Nice to meet someone in the field for sure.

 

Most memorable occasion was about 3 years ago, went caching with 2 other people, met a cacher in the field, then met ANOTHER cacher in the field, then all of us wound up at the final together. That was quite a day.

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happened plenty of times, where the funniest one went like this: we went for a "high difficulty / high stealth" cache, only to find some muggle sitting just a few meters from GZ. we tried to look around GZ without looking too suspicous, but finally decided that we weren't very successful with that and moved across to street to survey the situation. the muggle was still there, kinda looking our way and grinning. we waited around across the street for a few more minutes, hoping the muggle would finally leave. she didn't, she was still looking our way and still grinning. we had a feeling she might be another geocacher, looking for the same cache and also not being successful yet, so finally after a few more minutes, we got some balls, crossed the street again, approached the muggle and asked "did you find it yet?"

 

sure enough, it was another geocacher who also didn't find the cache yet. after exchanging some ideas, i eventually had an idea, walked up to the cache and grabbed it out of its hiding spot right away. great teamwork there!

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I blame lack of coffee for mis-reading title as "Anyone run over a fellow cacher while geocaching". And I blame sioneva for immediately thinking of sioneva...

 

Hey! No one ever proved it was I who ran over that cacher! It could have been anyone who was driving a silver hondacar with a broken taillight and bent front license plate that day!

It is curious why that cacher now goes into hysterics at the sight of a blue bow...

 

Oh, that was because of...

 

...

...

...

 

;):anibad::blink:

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In January, as I rounded a turn in the trail I saw a man approaching around a further turn. I slipped my GPS into my pocket as he simultaneously slipped something into his pocket. We nodded as we passed.

 

Sure enough, later that night our online logs were nearly identical: "I think I crossed paths with another cacher today."

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I've run into about 6 others. The first time was when I was looking for an easy 1 star. I was looking around and saw a city vehicle pull up. I was getting ready to explain myself when the driver asked if I found it yet. He turned out to be the CO. He also has be a great help to me.

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Sure enough my young family and I ran into another young family of geocachers while searching for the same exact cache... what the heck is the etiquette in such a situation? My little brother found the cache first because we had already been combing the area. But they were kind and we all wished each other luck.

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I have had this experience exactly once, met a couple of cachers out together approaching from a different direction from me.

 

Honestly, I'm a little disappointed this doesn't happen more often. There aren't that many cachers around me, and it would be great to meet more of them.

 

The interesting problem this one occasion presented was this: I spotted the cache almost immediately, and they started wandering around about 40' off...do you tell them where it is? Do you let them find it themselves? In my case, I asked what they would prefer, and they were happy to have me point it out, but the whole thing still seems a neglected area of protocol...

 

Thoughts appreciated!

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Last night I was caching with a couple other cachers and we had pulled up to a relatively conspicuous LPC. We had parked in a fire lane and had just made the find when a cop pulled up. I abandoned the cache to meet the officer halfway before he started to write a ticket for the parking. As I said "hello" he said "What are you up to.

As soon as I said "Geocaching" a big smile appeared on his face and he said "HEY, I do that" and then he called in that all was fine.

 

It turns out that he and I had crossed paths, sort of before. He's really new and on his first hide he had misunderstood how things are done. He submitted his cache for publication before he hid it. I had gone out for the FTF but it wasn't there yet. And then there was my interaction with the police as well as a homeowner claiming it was on private property.

 

We laughed about it and parted ways because he was on duty but he was glad to know that there were so many caches nearby.

 

It turns out there are quite a few police officer cachers in my area.

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I have met two on my travels.

 

One was when I was out in Manchester walking along the canal, was walking up to a bridge where a cache was supposed to be, when I saw someone running their hand along the underside of the bridge, I thought to myself, ah ha, geocacher, so, went up to them and introduced myself, had a lovely chat.

 

Second time in Manchester was at the BHC series, just grabbed a cache and was walking away from GZ when I noticed someone stood halfway up a hill with an iphone in hand and puzzled expression, so, shouted to them "Are you geocaching ?" to which they said yes, so, I helped them up the hill, pointed them in the right direction and said my goodbyes.

 

I love meeting people while geocaching, always nice to meet others.

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I have met a couple, one prematurely.

 

My first cacher encounter was at the overlook at Niagara Falls ON. I was going into the pavilion to get some fresh batteries for my GPSr, passed a couple heading out. As he passed he said "Any luck?" "yep" "don't forget the virtual up the hill".

 

The second was in Charleston SC. I was looking under a wooden walkway for the cache. A person who was in the area (who I thought was a muggle) walked by and said "dude, you are so close to it!". Turns out he is friends with the CO.

 

The "premature" one was when we were talking to some folks after our Sunday School let out. We happened to mention that they were planning on caching that afternoon. Their face lit up, and they mentioned that they always wanted to try it. Two hours later, after acquiring lunch, they had their first find :surprise: They've since gone on to have >30 now and 1 hide, which is pretty good considering their first find was a month ago.

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We are from Wyoming and every year we head south to do a bit of caching in warmer weather. A couple of months ago we were caching in Hemet California and were just signing the log when a car drives up and I hear how are things in Wyoming? It turned out to be a fellow cacher that we know from Wyoming. Had a nice visit and went on our way.

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I'm a newbie to this...

Today, enroute to only our 3rd ever find, DH,DS5 and I ran into fellow geocachers at GZ.

Unmistakable - one of the other cachers had cache, logbook etc in hand, the other had backpack, iphone or similar and backpack.

I had backpack filled with swaps, torch, pens etc and DS5 was wearing the bright yellow Garmin around his neck.

We stopped and chatted, but neither of us mentioned the cache. (I did check it out though! LOL). Being new, I had no clue about etiquette. So, we feigned stealth and walked on. 15 minutes later, we returned to GZ and found the cache.

WEIRD. But I was unsure of etiquette in this sitch. Next time I'll say G'day.

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i've not run into any other cachers and i'm not sure i ever will! It seems most of the caches i find in my town were placed in 2008, early 2009. Many haven't been logged in a few months i'm about 2 years late to run in to anyone!

 

i'd like to run into a local cacher though. There's one cache that has too many cobwebs for my taste and i need a cobweb clearer! lol

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A number of times, the most memorable was on a 139 mile run from the coast to the central valley. I was chasing a number of fresh caches and I was a few steps behind one of our FTF Hounds.

 

While pulling the grade up the western flank of Oregon Mountain I saw in the distance a very familiar big red pick 'em up truck parked near the site of a pesky hide. The instant I pulled off the highway, his GPS'r went to the ear; he and his caching partner turned away to deal with his " phone call " in that classic cachers anti muggle dodge that is sometimes used.

 

As I got out of the rig I bellowed " just what do you think you are doing here ". S.B. and the Mrs. turned to face me, eye contact and instant recognition. After some shared laughter and the swapping of some stories we headed our separate ways with a new memory having been made and tucked away in the files.

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Just the other day I had found a cache and left to head down the road a bit. I turned my van around and headed back the same direction only to see a couple of people standing near the tree of the find a few minutes earlier.

I stopped and asked if they were geocaching and they lit up and laughed. We chatted for a couple hours and then I headed to the next cache on my list, only to have them drive up a minute later. We found that cache together and then I went on my way.

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The first time i was going for a cache just before the 10 year event i was attending. As we were walking up to gz there was someone quite obviously looking for something and the second time a guy was 'standing guard' while his wife was searching. I think he panicked a first but then saw the etrex round my neck.

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Since we have high density areas of both caches and cachers, I would say yes we run into cachers a lot. I even had one spot me at work.

One time some friends and I went for a FTF and with other cachers showing up too it felt like a mini event

Edited by jellis
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I've run into quite a few geocachers while out looking for caches. A short time after I started I went to find the final stage of a Coin hotel that was at the edge of the CO's property. I met the CO there and he suggested several other caches to try nearby. At my next stop there were a couple of people at the cache when I arrived. Just after I got there two others showed up. I met still another group about an hour later. I think I found 10 caches that day and met seven other geocachers at three different locations. It was one of those gorgeous early summer days when everyone was out geocaching.

 

My favorite meet-up though was while looking for the Gilligan Au Roma cache in Rome. It's located on an island in the middle of the Tiber river that is accessible by a bridge from both sides. There were lots of muggles around and when I made my way up to a railing that overlooked the area where the cache was located a guy turned around and I found myself face to GPS with a Garmin 60Csx. I met two geocachers there from Germany there and we went off to try to find a way to access the lower level. Unfortunately, the gate to the walkway around the island was closed due to construction. We had a chat about some of the caches we had found during the day, discovered trackables each of us had brought with us (both of was were hoping to grab that cache as it was one of the few caches in the area large enough of a TB), and then went our separate ways.

 

I was in Rome about a year later and finally did get that cache.

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I was looking for a recently activated cache on the campus of North Georgia College and University. It was pretty easy to figure out even without a GPSr since I worked as a campus police officer there a few years before and knew all of the hidy holes and stash spots. This was a hide a key under a bench on the parade grounds. I saw another gentleman walking along the walk way from the opposite direction and he slide under the guard rail looking at his hand, probably thinking I was a well dressed walker making laps around the field. I approached the same spot he was from the standard access to the field, the stairs, and he seemed to be searching the back of the bench and then stood upright when I came near. I said "Did you find it?" and he seemed to relax and said "I was going to wait for you to walk past here and then get on my hands and knees to look underneath." From my position in front of the bench I thought I saw something unusual and as I said "I will help if you don't mind the assistance." I reached under the nearest leg of the bench and grabbed the shadow I saw (luckily it wasn't a wallet sized spider!) I came up with the hide a key and introduced myself and asked if he would like to sign first since he got to GZ first.

 

Turned out he was as prolific a hider as I was and we have been finding each others' caches for over a year.

Edited by Charlie Fingers
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1st Time - Was looking for a micro in a small local park, while driving close to GZ I noticed someone else "trying to look inconspicuous" I made the "Didja find it?" chatted awhile and went our separate ways.

 

2nd time I was in my car outside of work about 200ft from a Lamppost Micro, and I see 2 young kids come up and lift the bottom of the lamppost I was parked near, I rolled down my window and told them it wasn't in that one, they then said "You know what we are looking for?" I pointed them in the right direction.

 

The cache near my job is a place of great enjoyment for me as I watch people trying to look inconspicuous while lifting the base of a lamppost.

 

I have met a few cachers while not caching, I was finishing up computer work for them. Asked permission to leech their wifi and pulled up geocaching.com to get an idea of local caches.

 

haven't met too many at caches tho, looking forward to it.

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In 400 finds, I've only come across other cachers (outside of groups from that day's nearby event) 4 times. Two have been while hunting for Maryland Municipal League Geotrail caches when they were still under 3 months old. Another time, I didn't really meet the group that pulled in behind me, we both just sat in our cars waiting each other out. Of course, logs later told me who that was. Lesson learned here - get out and ask questions!

 

The last time, I was just off the highway away from home at a Road To Nowhere cache, and a utility truck pulled in behind me. Since I was hunting around an electrical transformer, I was afraid it was someone from the local electric or cable company stopping to chase me away. Turned out to be a local cacher who introduced himself and helped me with the hot/cold thing before I fell in the water (it was winter).

 

Encountering fellow cachers can be fun or puzzling, depending on your own attitude at the time. It's when I'm out alone (and in remote areas) that I get extremely cautious about interacting with anyone else, 'cause not everyone is a cacher.

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I have met fellow cachers a lot...

 

Most times in our area, but we have also been to Salzburg where we have met 2 different cachers from Vienna and one cuple from Georgia/USA :rolleyes:

 

And when we were in Budapest in February, we met a couple from Sweden and some cachers from Hungary.

 

Cachers are always easy to identify: they look at bushes, buildings, statues,... in a very strange way :lol:

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