How important is this?

[+JustJackMN]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you? Would you feel obligated to go through all the stages, even if it took some folks almost a year to complete?

[+bittsen]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you? Would you feel obligated to go through all the stages, even if it took some folks almost a year to complete?

 

If I know the final, I go to it.

 

I have no shame.

[+BulldogBlitz]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you? Would you feel obligated to go through all the stages, even if it took some folks almost a year to complete?

 

i'm all for getting hints... i'm not for getting the answers. i'd rather go through the trouble of the multi, rather than just wait for someone else to do it so they can just gimme the final co-ordinates.

[Allison Wunderland]

Last time I checked there wasn't a "Rule Book."

 

I reconnoiter the bejeezus out of Earth Google and anything else I can access before searching. I'm starting to think about metal detectors.

[+The Blorenges]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you? Would you feel obligated to go through all the stages, even if it took some folks almost a year to complete?

 

Would we? No.

 

Would we feel obligated etc... Yes.

 

If we were out somewhere random and accidently found a cache which turned out to be the final of a high D/T multi we wouldn't log a Find. We'd just put a note on it saying, "Hey! Guess what we discovered today?"

 

MrsB

[+kunarion]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you?

I do that all the time, mostly for puzzle caches but multi and bonus caches, too. I've never successfully found a cache by bypassing the stages like that, but I do try. If there's no Geochecker, my notes are valuable to at least double-check possible solutions.

 

I've had some success with caches that have bad coordinates, when deducing where GZ actually is.

 

I'd do the stages sometime, anyway. Probably bring my secret weapon: A Teammate -- who can do the math for me.

Edited June 12, 2010 by kunarion

[+JustJackMN]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you?

I do that all the time, mostly for puzzle caches but multi and bonus caches, too. I've never successfully found a cache by bypassing the stages like that, but I do try. If there's no Geochecker, my notes are valuable to at least double-check possible solutions.

 

I've had some success with caches that have bad coordinates, when deducing where GZ actually is.

 

I'd do the stages sometime, anyway. Probably bring my secret weapon: A Teammate -- who can do the math for me.

 

Teammate? What's that?

[+mchaos]

The object is to find the cache right? If I could see the cache without hitting the other steps, I found it. The only reason you go to other legs of a multi is so you can find the where the cache is. If ya know where it is, go for it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you? Would you feel obligated to go through all the stages, even if it took some folks almost a year to complete?

Short answer - No.

 

Long answer - I lost a leg in '99 and broke my neck in '02. When I discovered geocaching in '03 I used it to get back into physical shape as I had allowed myself to get in pretty sorry shape.

 

Tough caches became goals for me. The cache Higher Than A Hawk is on a nearby mountaintop and it was my first 'target' cache...getting into shape to get that cache was a six month effort, a huge step and for me a real accomplishment.

 

Since then I choose tough caches as goals, and finding them as markers on my road to recovery.

 

One cache I set out to claim is Rocky Top, an eight-mile six-stage multi that travels a mountainous ridge line around Oak Mountain State Park. I got the first stage. It took me about eight hours and seriously wore me out. I will get the rest of the stages if I have to do them one at a time.

 

The thing is, this multi starts and circles back to the same trail head. The first stage and final are no more than a couple hundred feet apart. From listening to folks talk about this multi I know just where the final is and could easily sign it and log this difficult cache. But I won't. That would be silly. I will get this multi one day, and when I do I will know that I earned it.

 

If I went directly for the final then every time I looked at my stats I would see the message "you're such a loser you had to cheat to claim this!" and I never want my stats to tell me that!

 

I suppose a bit of ego is involved as well. I never want someone to look at me in my wheelchair or on my crutches and think that I take shortcuts or just log stuff online. If I say I found a cache I want them to trust that I darn well went and found it!

[+dorqie]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you? Would you feel obligated to go through all the stages, even if it took some folks almost a year to complete?

yes i would do the whole thing.

I once stumbled on to the final for a puzzle cache. I haven't loged it yet because I haven't solved the puzzle.

[+slowdownracer]

I have no problems going for the final if you know where it is, just don't say so in any of your logs.

 

I did a mystery multi-cache once where I was able to figure-out the missing numbers in the final coordinates without going and finding the clues. I said so in my on-line log and the CO was not happy. Not happy at all.

 

Edited June 13, 2010 by slowdownracer

[+kmartcachier]

I guess my question would be: what's the point? If you just like seeing big numbers, playing around in Excel for an hour would be more fulfilling. If you enjoy geocaching, the hunt, and having each smiley mean something then I wouldn't see the why you'd want to. The only reason I can think of to log a cache that you hadn't enjoyed the full hunt for is a deep desire see a map full of smileys. And I'm not sure what to tell you about that.

[+thedeadpirate]

If we were out somewhere random and accidently found a cache which turned out to be the final of a high D/T multi we wouldn't log a Find. We'd just put a note on it saying, "Hey! Guess what we discovered today?"

 

Same here, but for different reasons.

 

*** Inside joke - but easily figured out.

[+Team Cotati]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you? Would you feel obligated to go through all the stages, even if it took some folks almost a year to complete?

 

Would we? No.

 

Would we feel obligated etc... Yes.

 

If we were out somewhere random and accidently found a cache which turned out to be the final of a high D/T multi we wouldn't log a Find. We'd just put a note on it saying, "Hey! Guess what we discovered today?"

 

MrsB

 

That happens to me, I'm logging it. Anyone want the coords, email me and ask, they 're yours.

[sdarken]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you? Would you feel obligated to go through all the stages, even if it took some folks almost a year to complete?

 

I found a cache similar to what you described without the high terrain except that it was a bonus cache for finding a series of other traditional tribute caches that had been placed around California. (I don't ever expect to find all the other caches.)

 

The way it came about was that I tried to place a cache near where I live and the reviewer told me that there was another cache blocking it. By a process of elimination I figured out it must be the bonus cache so I organized a group of cachers to do a blind search and we found the cache. I had mixed feelings about logging it but it seemed like a legitimate find so ultimately I decided it was OK.

[+roziecakes]

I would say it depends on the experience you wish to gain from finding this cache... perhaps most of the experience and the fun is doing all of the stages. If you are not concerned, then sure, go for finding the final. The object of the game is to make the find; the amount of time you put into finding it and the experience you have is your own.

[DannyCaffeine]

I say its fine. As long as you sign the log.

 

I once found a multi where some of the waypoints had gone missing because I went to the hinted area.

[+The Blorenges]

My approach is different regarding high difficulty puzzles and high terrain:

 

I think if it's a high difficulty puzzle but you manage to solve it using some clever method that the owner didn't address when setting the puzzle and including a degree of 'caching sense' then that's fair enough to log it. It's down to the owner to try and create the puzzle in such a way that it can't be cracked using 'brute force'. I wouldn't log it if I was simply given the co-ords by another cacher, that's not the same thing.

 

As for high terrain caches - For us it's obvious that cache setters who put out those types of caches do so to challenge other cachers to stretch themselves and maybe get out of their 'comfort zone' a bit. So if we haven't done the physical challenge then we don't log it.

 

In the end it's down to what the individual wants their own cache statistics to mean to them. They could represent simply the number of times a log book has been signed, or the number of times the quest has been completed as set down in the description, or even "I went there, saw where the cache was, so I reckon I found it". This is why comparing numbers stats is fairly meaningless because people often play according to their own interpretation of the game. As long as everyone's having fun then let's not get too stressed out about it.

 

(Did I just write that, here, on this forum... )

 

MrsB

[+JustJackMN]

Thanks for all the input so far. I am sure you all know that having the coordinates is one thing, the actual find and retrieval is another. As far as stats, the only stat I have is the number by my name. I don't do the map, ranking, or all the other fancy charts so many have.

Edited June 13, 2010 by jacknsue

[+Bouts777]

I have a multi cache in a shopping village where you have to visit 6 places to get the final co-ords. I however gave enough clues to get the answer very quickly once you're there. That is for the more open minded cacher who read the listing more carefully. If that cacher then go straight to the cache, then in my opinion he deserve to log it and I will have no problem with that.

[+Wooden Cyclist]

Most if not all of the people who found the final for GC26RHZ did not find the first stage.

[+dorqie]

I was thinking about this... and if I was the CO of such a multi, and someone found it without finding the stages, I probly wouldn't delete their log, but I might ask them to remove anything in their log that would suggest they have skipped stages, because I wouldnt want every subsequent cacher to do that, the stages are meant to be found to.

[+kunarion]

Last year I did a Multi where Stage 2 was missing. It was at least as much work deducing Stage 3, than if it still existed. Nobody since then has completed it.

[+dorqie]

Last year I did a Multi where Stage 2 was missing. It was at least as much work deducing Stage 3, than if it still existed. Nobody since then has completed it.

see to me, a missing stage is a whole different issue. I persoanlly wouldnt bother to look for one with a missing stage, if I knew about it before I went out caching.

[+Jayrod7]

It would depend for me on how i acquired this knowledge. If it was a puzzle and you had to go to certain caches to get numbers or what not to complete the coordinates, but i cold figuer it out after one or two then i would be fine. But if someone just gave me the coordinates for the final stage then i probably would not feel comfortable logging the find.

[+JustJackMN]

If you have a way to find the final of a large, high difficulty, high terrain rated multi cache without going through all the stages..........would you?

I do that all the time, mostly for puzzle caches but multi and bonus caches, too. I've never successfully found a cache by bypassing the stages like that, but I do try. If there's no Geochecker, my notes are valuable to at least double-check possible solutions.

 

I've had some success with caches that have bad coordinates, when deducing where GZ actually is.

 

I'd do the stages sometime, anyway. Probably bring my secret weapon: A Teammate -- who can do the math for me.

 

Teammate? What's that?

Actually I do know what a Teammate is. But to have a teammate you must 1) know someone else who is a cacher, 2) At least know what that person looks like, 3) Be on the same work schedule of that person, and 4) make sure that person hasn't found the cache already which in my case seems to be impossible.

[+kunarion]

Actually I do know what a Teammate is. But to have a teammate you must 1) know someone else who is a cacher, 2) At least know what that person looks like, 3) Be on the same work schedule of that person, and 4) make sure that person hasn't found the cache already which in my case seems to be impossible.

Or what's even tougher for point #4, if you're with someone who has found the cache before, is to have them not snicker loudly while you wander in futility looking for the container.

[+niraD]

As a cache owner, I don't care how you find the final. My puzzle cache has been found by people who didn't work out the puzzle. They figured out the theme, and brute-forced the final location from that. That's fine by me.

 

As a cache seeker, I like to complete the cache experience. I've found a couple finals before doing the rest of the work, but I did complete the rest of the work before logging them online. In one case, I found the cache and used its coordinates to reverse-engineer the puzzle solution. But I understood the puzzle solution before I logged it online.

 

YMMV

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I might go make the find, but would only log it as a note until I went through the steps. I recently was given a clue to the final of a puzzle, but I didn't go make the find until I solved it.