snow

[newdiscovery]

Does anyone cache in the snow? And what do you do if you have a cache and it snows on it, making the find near impossible? I know its summer, but its not summer in the southern hemisphere, and it could be snowing for those who live there. Maybe they could contribute an answer.

[knowschad]

Does anyone cache in the snow? And what do you do if you have a cache and it snows on it, making the find near impossible? I know its summer, but its not summer in the southern hemisphere, and it could be snowing for those who live there. Maybe they could contribute an answer.

Of course we cache in the snow! In many ways, that's the best time of the year for caching. It is essential to dress correctly, and a durable pair of gloves is important when digging through crusted, icy snow.

[+NOSNOW]

A lot of times you don't even need the GPS. That is if you don't come after me.

[knowschad]

A lot of times you don't even need the GPS. That is if you don't come after me.

If you get there after I've been looking around, you'd better have your GPS! Never trust tracks in the snow! (that said... look for the tracks coming away from the cache, not those going toward it)

[+Panther&Pine]

Does anyone cache in the snow? And what do you do if you have a cache and it snows on it, making the find near impossible? I know its summer, but its not summer in the southern hemisphere, and it could be snowing for those who live there. Maybe they could contribute an answer.

 

We cache in the snow here in Colorado. Otherwise we'd miss out on almost 5 months of caching.

 

We bundle up, got for caches that are larger in size, marked for snow or newly placed ones.

[+AuntieWeasel]

The best part about caching in the snow? Stumping all around the area afterwards leaving false trails for the next cacher.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I thought we weren't supposed to use "four-letter words" in this forum.

 

Having just lost our final remnants of 'solid precipitation accumulation' barely a couple of weeks ago (there was some floating in the air just two days ago), a question such as this was about the furthest thing from my mind.

 

With an average accumulation of 287", we keep our X-C skis and snowshoes handy. A ski pole with the basket removed can be an invaluable tool to find ground-based caches. Above ground caches are, well... above ground caches. We do however, have some above-ground caches placed during the winter that are difficult to get to during other times of the year, as the CO did not think about the added 3 - 4 ft base when placing the cache. Makes it tough for the a 6-6 tall individual to climb the "tiny" spruce or fir tree, not to mention the "vertically challenged" cacher.

[+chachi44089]

A lot of times you don't even need the GPS. That is if you don't come after me.

If you get there after I've been looking around, you'd better have your GPS! Never trust tracks in the snow! (that said... look for the tracks coming away from the cache, not those going toward it)

Aaah..tracks coming away..of course..wish I had thought of that last winter.

Edited April 30, 2010 by chachi44089

[+5Taylors]

We started caching this winter with snow on the ground, it was great fun, although we only get a few inches here, so it's not so difficult

Denise

[+42at42]

no misquitoes no black flies, no ticks

 

You might have a tough 0 for 3 day (like I did this winter) or you may have a huge number day.

 

It is great in the snow.

[+reedkickball]

Caching in the snow is great. No snakes, no ticks, no bees, no biting flying, no gnats. Heatstroke isn't a problem. An extra challenge while caching. One of my favorite caching moments was bushwhacking 4 miles through 6+ inches of snow, in sub-20 degree temperatures to be FTF on a cache. When we had 24+ inches of snow here in Virginia, there were still some of us hitting caches. Although without appropriate snow shoes or cross country skis, it was extremely difficult for some caches.

[+Rustynails]

no misquitoes no black flies, no ticks

 

You might have a tough 0 for 3 day (like I did this winter) or you may have a huge number day.

 

It is great in the snow.

 

And no leaves, you can see some caches a 100 ft. away. Snow is fun, yeah betcha.

[+YooperSnowman]

We did our first winter caching here in Upper Michigan this year. First we checked the attributes to see if the cache was accessible in winter. As mentioned in Gitchee_Gumee's post, we get more that 250 inches of snow per year, so access can be an issue. We've also contacted a CO to ask about accessibility. However, one cache we found was accessible, but not retrievable, because it was encased completely in ice. We had to snowshoe in to these caches and it was great fun. Just be prepared for conditions in your area.

[+Mom-n-Andy]

Winter is a great time for geocaching. No mosquitos, ticks, or mud, and the geodog doesn't need a bath after. Most parks are very beautiful in the snow.

 

The "winter accessible" attribute is helpful if the cache owner uses it correctly. Unfortunately opinions differ - some think that winter accessible means you can drive to a parking area, some think that being able to hike to the cache area on snowshoes is winter accessible, and others think that the cache needs to be placed above the typical snow depth to be called winter accessible. I've come to ignore that attribute since there are so many interpretations. When I hike to a cache area and it is buried under the snow, that's okay; I'll just come back after snowmelt.

[+ngrrfan]

Never trust tracks in the snow! (that said... look for the tracks coming away from the cache, not those going toward it)

That's why in the winter, and I'm out caching, I walk backwards.

 

You won't know if I'm coming or going!

[knowschad]

Never trust tracks in the snow! (that said... look for the tracks coming away from the cache, not those going toward it)

That's why in the winter, and I'm out caching, I walk backwards.

 

You won't know if I'm coming or going!

You are so wiley, Mr. coyote!

[+42at42]

Never trust tracks in the snow! (that said... look for the tracks coming away from the cache, not those going toward it)

That's why in the winter, and I'm out caching, I walk backwards.

 

You won't know if I'm coming or going!

 

I drop and roll... no footprints that way.

[+Wooden Cyclist]

I started caching in February '09 when there was snow on the ground and more to come. When July and August rolled around I realized that I preferred February for caching.

 

In addition to the other helpful hints here, consider carrying a hiking staff. You can do a lot of poking around without putting your hands into the snow. Make sure it a hiking staff and not one of those collapsible poles. The extra length and superior strength come in handy.

[+briansnat]

The best part about caching in the snow? Stumping all around the area afterwards leaving false trails for the next cacher.

 

I like squirting water with yellow food coloring all around the cache.

[+popokiiti]

The best part about caching in the snow? Stumping all around the area afterwards leaving false trails for the next cacher.

We don't get much snow here usually, but the winter before last we had a lot. We did some caching and...left some false trails too. Even walked backwards - we felt a teeny bit wicked! Haven't done the yellow food colouring trick...maybe next time it snows

[+Vater_Araignee]

I'll look here and there but what I love best id to go to caches I have already logged and obliterate huge tracts of pristine snow 40 or 50 feet from the cache.

I haven't gotten anyone yet that I know of but hey, I'm having fun.

[+roziecakes]

We love caching in the snow too!

[+mwellman]

And don't forget that winter is the best time to find those "5" Terrain caches on the islands! Just an quick easy stroll. Look up "Over Here" or "Over There! (GC19H8A)" on Islet Lake and compare the number of canoers vs. the number of snowshoers.

 

Up here in the Great White North in Edmonton Alberta, winter doesn't stop us, we even have our CAR (Cache and Release Winter) event in March. Just check out CARW2009 for some of the fun in our winter. This year was much milder and much less snow although now we have fire bans as it is too dry.

 

And it can be better for FTFs - if your fellow geocachers decide not to brave the storm, you could be lucky.

 

Come on up and experience the fun of caching in the snow for yourself!