Searching for archived caches

[+SpikeyMikey]

Is there a way to search for archived caches in my area?

[+simpjkee]

There is no dedicated search feature for searching archived caches. The only way I've really found to search them is to pick an old school cacher who finds a lot of caches in your area and then go through all the caches they have found to see which ones they've found that have been archived.

 

Personally, I would really like to see an archived cache search be implemented, but Groundspeak doesn't seem interested in it.

Edited May 2, 2010 by simpjkee

[+dfx]

Personally, I would really like to see an archived cache search be implemented, but Groundspeak doesn't seem interested in it.

i suspect that this could put quite some additional strain on the database servers. archived caches are probobly removed from any searchable indexes they have in order to take load off the database and speed up searching for active caches. making them searchable would require them to be put back into an index and the sheer number of archived caches may make that unfeasible.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Not a Getting Started issue. Moving to the Geocaching.com web site forum.

[+Knight2000]

They are definitely out there. I have found them before. It's a struggle for me. Do I take the geo-trash or do I leave it? It seems to be an angsty issue.

 

My last cache like this I found was almost 4 years without a find. It was reported as missing and archived. I found in in near perfect shape. I reported my find and that the cache was found. I thought the owner would be thrilled. Not. They promptly deleted my log. I asked why and they ignored me.

 

So I reworded my log and asked them to use their container and as the log book was older. The again deleted my log telling me that archived caches aren't meant to be logged and never responded to my request other than saying the container had been removed.

 

Before re-logging it I was really peeved. I tried to have the cache published again but I said too much and the reviewer wouldn't allow it without their permission. Fat chance.

 

I think it is two things. His personal issues with me? I once met him at an event and after introducing myself he ignored me. I also wonder if he felt it makes him look bad as there was one finder who found it a week or two after it was archived and reported the find. They said exactly where it was and that is where I looked. Oddly enough, that log wasn't deleted.

 

As long as it isn't on property you shouldn't be I don't see the problem with it. I've picked up geo-trash before. I have learned not to jump to conclusions as to why it wasn't retrieved. After I did this once I thought about it and apologized. The cacher graciously accepted my apology.

[+abcdmCachers]

I agree such a feature would be nice. Before geocaching.com switched to Google maps, their maps had an option to show archived caches. I miss that feature since I'm always thinking, didn't there used to be a cache near here? CacheStats has a feature that addresses this issue to a small extent (disclaimer: I'm author of CacheStats). You can search for caches that you have found, regardless of their archive status, that are near any given cache. The key phrase here is "caches that you have found". Since CacheStats works off of the my finds pocket query, it will only show archived caches as long as you have previously found it. More info here:

http://www.logicweave.com/Blog/post/Versio...ache-icons.aspx

 

Not exactly what you're looking for, especially if you haven't been caching long, but as the years roll by, I find it handy to have.

 

I guess another option would be to keep a GSAK database. If you didn't purge out archived caches, you could do something similar.

 

Doug