Hiding first cache

[+Skulldug]

We have just started geocaching and are loving it. CeBella and I have found a few caches and are now considering hiding one close to our home. We have loved the creative (rather than difficult) hides so we would like to make it interesting.

 

Is it acceptable to drill a hole in a wooden fence post in which to place a film container sized cache? The fence post is disused, and has no heritage value. It is in a publicly accessible area.

 

I am not after advice on the location, difficulty rating or any other aspect of hiding a cache. Only whether drilling a hole is acceptable.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Skulldug

[+modnar24]

We have just started geocaching and are loving it. CeBella and I have found a few caches and are now considering hiding one close to our home. We have loved the creative (rather than difficult) hides so we would like to make it interesting.

 

Is it acceptable to drill a hole in a wooden fence post in which to place a film container sized cache? The fence post is disused, and has no heritage value. It is in a publicly accessible area.

 

I am not after advice on the location, difficulty rating or any other aspect of hiding a cache. Only whether drilling a hole is acceptable.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Skulldug

 

I'm gonna be optimistic and unassuming and just point out that somebody owns that post. They are the person to ask. Prepare for disappointment.

 

Further then that, think of how the area would look if you needed to one day archive the cache. To me, caches should always be hidden so that there is no trace they were there when the are gone.

 

M24

 

Edit: they/the; makes a big difference

Edited April 29, 2010 by modnar24

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Yes. The first question is "Do YOU own the post?"

 

http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx#offlimit

 

Off-Limit (Physical) Caches

 

By submitting a cache listing, you assure us that you have adequate permission to hide your cache in the selected location.

 

Caches may be quickly archived if we see the following (which is not exhaustive):

 

* Caches that deface public or private property, whether a natural or man-made object, in order to provide a hiding place, a clue or a logging method.

[+Markwell]

The way I try to look at it is that when I place the cache, I try to disturb things as little as possible. My own "did-I-do-it-right?" test is that if I walked back on the day after I placed the cache and no one else had found it, would the area look exactly like it did before I placed the cache (or maybe even better with no trash since I cleaned up on the walk).

 

If the answer to that question is no, then I probably wouldn't place the cache. This would definitely be a no for me.

[hoosier guy]

I found a couple in KY that had holes drilled into utility poles. The CO then took the pole ID tag and secured it to the top of the container.

[+briansnat]

I found a couple in KY that had holes drilled into utility poles. The CO then took the pole ID tag and secured it to the top of the container.

 

Sounds like a serious guideline violation. I sincerely doubt the phone company gave permission to drill holes in their equipment and detach the ID tag. I hope you issued a NA or at least reported what you found to the reviewer.

[+StarBrand]

Imagine if you owned the post or if you were in charge of land where the post was. Would you want somebody out there drilling large bore holes in it??

[+Ink Spots]

Imagine if you owned the post or if you were in charge of land where the post was. Would you want somebody out there drilling large bore holes in it??

 

If it were mine, I might not mind, depending on the details... but I would like to be asked first.

[+NanCycle]

I found a couple in KY that had holes drilled into utility poles. The CO then took the pole ID tag and secured it to the top of the container.

 

Sounds like a serious guideline violation. I sincerely doubt the phone company gave permission to drill holes in their equipment and detach the ID tag. I hope you issued a NA or at least reported what you found to the reviewer.

 

Yeah, there's one similar to that in Albuquerque, too. And no, I didn't report it.

[jholly]

I found a couple in KY that had holes drilled into utility poles. The CO then took the pole ID tag and secured it to the top of the container.

 

Sounds like a serious guideline violation. I sincerely doubt the phone company gave permission to drill holes in their equipment and detach the ID tag. I hope you issued a NA or at least reported what you found to the reviewer.

 

First off the phone company owns very few poles. They are mostly owned by the electric company. These poles have a number of holes drilled into them to inject preservative. The holes are covered with plastic plugs. I suppose the plug could be removed and the hole used. But given the poles are mostly a toxic dump site I probably would find a different location.

[+roziecakes]

Agree with previous posters. If you do decide to do this, get express permission first from the owner of the post. Some posts already have holes in them, so you might find some that do. One of the most difficult micros I ever found was a little teeny nano stuck into a knothole in a post.

[+Harry Dolphin]

First off the phone company owns very few poles. They are mostly owned by the electric company. These poles have a number of holes drilled into them to inject preservative. The holes are covered with plastic plugs. I suppose the plug could be removed and the hole used. But given the poles are mostly a toxic dump site I probably would find a different location.

 

Well. I'm pretty sure that creosote has been banned for many years. But ... One of the local points of interest is the 'telephone pole forest' in Chester, NJ. It used to belong to Bell Labs. (Now it's a county park.) Bell Labs was testing preservatives, and planted two rows of maybe twenty poles, to see which preservatives worked the best. Bell Labs died an untimely death a few decades back, but the telephone pole forest is still there. (Now, you've given me an evil idea...) There was also a 'ship' and an 'ocean' used to test transoeanic cables.) (Yes. My father was an engineer on the laying of the first trans-Atlantic cable.)

But, anyways, in New Jersey, it is illegal to attach anything to a utility pole. Safety hazard for utility pole workers.

As to OP. It is against the guidelines to drill a hole in a pole, unless you own it, or have expicit permission. This doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. It does mean that it is not permitted.

[+ChileHead]

I've seen a couple of eagle scout projects such as bridges, benches, etc ... that were built to contain a geocache. If you know a scout doing an eagle scout project, it might be a good opportunity to work with them and do something better and more interesting than drilling a hole into a post you don't own.

[hoosier guy]

I found a couple in KY that had holes drilled into utility poles. The CO then took the pole ID tag and secured it to the top of the container.

 

Sounds like a serious guideline violation. I sincerely doubt the phone company gave permission to drill holes in their equipment and detach the ID tag. I hope you issued a NA or at least reported what you found to the reviewer.

 

Hadn't done that yet but you are right, I need to get to it.

[+Knight2000]

I found a couple in KY that had holes drilled into utility poles. The CO then took the pole ID tag and secured it to the top of the container.

 

Sounds like a serious guideline violation. I sincerely doubt the phone company gave permission to drill holes in their equipment and detach the ID tag. I hope you issued a NA or at least reported what you found to the reviewer.

 

Hadn't done that yet but you are right, I need to get to it.

It can create some serious local angst. I'd think twice about it. Unless it is a real issue I ignore the caches that violate guidelines. You will be called the cache police and all that.

[+Skulldug]

Thanks to all for your advice. On balance it seems that minimum impact on the environment is the rule.

 

We will hide the cache this week in a more acceptable spot and invite you all to come find it. The down side is that it is in Adelaide, Australia where the weather today is 25C and clear blue skies. The location is semi-rural with panoramic views over the city and to the coast.

 

Once we have chosen a spot for the cache, we will drive into the city (about 20 minutes) and go to the Tasting Australia food and wine festival. Its free to get in and we will sit down with a bottle of Barossa Valley Shiraz and watch some celebrity chefs give cooking demonstrations.

 

By the way, the wine isn't what we export to the US. Adelaide is surrounded on all sides by wine regions where boutique wineries are the rule, the wines are superb, produce fresh and countryside spectacular.

 

So please look out for our cache and come visit.

 

Skull

[+tomfuller & Quill]

Don't know how it is in Australia, but in the US wood signposts by highways have 1 or 2 holes drilled through them. The holes are about .5 meters above the ground and perpendicular to the road. When a vehicle hits a post, the post breaks slowing but not stopping the vehicle instantly.

I have found a few film cans in these holes. I prefer the magnetic ones on guiderails instead if you must plant one beside a highway.

[+briansnat]

I found a couple in KY that had holes drilled into utility poles. The CO then took the pole ID tag and secured it to the top of the container.

 

Sounds like a serious guideline violation. I sincerely doubt the phone company gave permission to drill holes in their equipment and detach the ID tag. I hope you issued a NA or at least reported what you found to the reviewer.

 

Hadn't done that yet but you are right, I need to get to it.

It can create some serious local angst. I'd think twice about it. Unless it is a real issue I ignore the caches that violate guidelines. You will be called the cache police and all that.

 

I really don't think most of the locals would like the sport to be banned in their area parks and all it takes is the wrong person to see this and report it to the authorities. That might be the end of geocaching in that park system.

 

If someone feels uncomfortable logging a NA then a note to the reviewer will have the same affect and nobody but the reviewer will know who reported it. Guideline violations such as this (if it was one, and it appears to be) can jeopardize the sport. And worse, others find it and think it's a grand idea and might try to copy it if it is allowed to stand.