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I'm new to this hobby and I'm not sure if I'm out of line here but I just want to see if others agree. Is the point of geocaching to get out and enjoy nature and offer a fun tracking challenge for adults and kids or is the point to hide your cache and make it impossible to find to prove some kinda alpha male right of passage.

 

I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

Well all its proved is that no one goes to it. Its been over a year since it was found.

 

Where is the fun in that ?? Is this what the hobby is about ?

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Some people will like those caches, some will like others. In time you will get your own preferences and skip the other caches. A cache is a challenge. What the challenge is, varies from cache to cache. It can be a mental challenge. It can be a physical challenge. It can be climbing trees, it can be walking all day in the hills. It can even be trying to fight the bad feeling in your stomach when you approach yet another 'lovingly hidden' cache on a parking lot.

 

Find out what you like, and look for those caches. Ignore the rest. Whether you do the caches you dislike or not, there will always be over a million caches you won't find, so you might as well just limit yourself to the ones that bring you a good time.

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I'm new to this hobby and I'm not sure if I'm out of line here but I just want to see if others agree. Is the point of geocaching to get out and enjoy nature and offer a fun tracking challenge for adults and kids or is the point to hide your cache and make it impossible to find to prove some kinda alpha male right of passage

 

This hobby is whatever a participant wants it to be. So it is both of those and more. I wouldn't go with the alpha male since some of my most challenging and fun gets were done by women.

 

Those that are cleverly hidden or require great challenges to find are often referred to as evil and loved by many.

 

If you want to keep to the easier ones you can lower the difficulty and terrain level in your PQ's so the difficult ones don't show up.

 

Another way is the use of the Ignore list. I am not a big fan of puzzles. So when they show up I take a look and if I am not interested (which is most of them) I place them on the ignore list and they never show up again.

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I'm new to this hobby and I'm not sure if I'm out of line here but I just want to see if others agree. Is the point of geocaching to get out and enjoy nature and offer a fun tracking challenge for adults and kids or is the point to hide your cache and make it impossible to find to prove some kinda alpha male right of passage

 

If you want to keep to the easier ones you can lower the difficulty and terrain level in your PQ's so the difficult ones don't show up.

 

Another way is the use of the Ignore list. I am not a big fan of puzzles. So when they show up I take a look and if I am not interested (which is most of them) I place them on the ignore list and they never show up again.

 

Another way is to say something in your log. I just looked at a recent cache find where I said the terrain rating was too low (a T2.5) for 70+ meters (which was not mentioned in the cache description) of bushwacking (over roots, logs, and through bushes) and the area could easily support a large watertight cache - the cache was a small (size of an altoids tin) dollar store container. The owner has upped the terrain rating to 3.5 and replaced the container with a larger one. So constructive criticism made a difference.

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The best thing about geocaching is that everyone can do it.

The worst thing about geocaching is that everyone can do it.

 

You don't like challenging caches. So what? Nobody says that you have to attempt them. That is why there is an established Difficulty/Terrain rating.

 

For those that do like that type of challenge, that is why there is an established Difficulty/Terrain rating.

 

It almost sounds to me as though you bit off more than you can chew, and hurt your teeth on it! If that is the case, perhaps you should avoid those types of placements, rather than complain about them.

 

I'm not saying that you are out-of-line here, but you sure do seem to have a one-sided outlook on this type of adventure-oriented recreation. There are people out there that enjoy extreme challenges, and I would not classify them as Alpha male-types, either. Sure, such things appeal more to what you describe, but I know a goodly amount of women (all ages) that enjoy such also. Would you describe them as "alpha male" types?

 

There are a number of caches out there that have been in place for years and not yet found -- at all. Not just the one you refer to as not being found for "over a year".

 

We are a m/f team and we like a challenge, though not necessarily an extreme challenge. We are old and decrepit, but given the time and inclination, we just may try one or two. We are happy those are there and we applaud those that place them and those that attempt them. We really enjoy those placed by people who KNOW how to camouflage a placement -- not merely "hide" one.

 

Quite frankly, we abhor lame or the myriad of P&G placements, but we aren't about to bad-mouth one that is placed as such just because it is.

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The best thing about geocaching is that everyone can do it.

The worst thing about geocaching is that everyone can do it.

 

You don't like challenging caches. So what? Nobody says that you have to attempt them. That is why there is an established Difficulty/Terrain rating.

 

For those that do like that type of challenge, that is why there is an established Difficulty/Terrain rating.

 

It almost sounds to me as though you bit off more than you can chew, and hurt your teeth on it! If that is the case, perhaps you should avoid those types of placements, rather than complain about them.

 

I'm not saying that you are out-of-line here, but you sure do seem to have a one-sided outlook on this type of adventure-oriented recreation. There are people out there that enjoy extreme challenges, and I would not classify them as Alpha male-types, either. Sure, such things appeal more to what you describe, but I know a goodly amount of women (all ages) that enjoy such also. Would you describe them as "alpha male" types?

 

There are a number of caches out there that have been in place for years and not yet found -- at all. Not just the one you refer to as not being found for "over a year".

 

We are a m/f team and we like a challenge, though not necessarily an extreme challenge. We are old and decrepit, but given the time and inclination, we just may try one or two. We are happy those are there and we applaud those that place them and those that attempt them. We really enjoy those placed by people who KNOW how to camouflage a placement -- not merely "hide" one.

 

Quite frankly, we abhor lame or the myriad of P&G placements, but we aren't about to bad-mouth one that is placed as such just because it is.

 

The OP is new to caching so maybe this is the first time they've experienced this type of hide. You're also presuming the cache's D/T is correct for the location. Given the description of the location I'd say the D/T rate should be a 4/4. If it was correctly rated then this is a learning experience for a newbie anything rated over a 3/3 is probably best to avoid. If the cache was not properly rated, and if the long 1000+ foot bushwacking was not mentioned in the description, then I too would be very irked.

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... what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

Well all its proved is that no one goes to it. Its been over a year since it was found.

 

Where is the fun in that ?? Is this what the hobby is about ?

Funny. I expected to see

... what I'll never understand why the heck some idiot would hide a cache is in the middle of the Wal*Mart parking lot in the base of the light pole fight where the CCTV camera is pointing. There are always muggles around and while they may never look in light pole they will get suspicious if they see a cacher who does, and next thing you have is another bomb scare. Its like the whole point was to make it easy for people who just want to get their numbers up. The area was total blacktop with lots of traffic and shopping carts. No need to level the area, the only place it could be was in that light pole. No hint needed, pretty obvious where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

Why people expect every cache to be one they will like is beyond me. Some want easy, some want difficult challenges. Some hate looking for needles-in-haystacks, some get great satisfaction methodically searching for a cache that could be anywhere. Some hiders put them out for them to be easy finds, and, yes, some may have a masochistic streak and make them more difficult than they have to be.

 

You don't need to find every cache. You can even decide in the middle of a search that you are not having fun and stop. You can'te expect every cache is going to be exactly the kind you like. There will be caches you don't enjoy and there will be ones you end up not even doing.

 

Caching is like a bunch of chocolates...

I would have said Caching is like 31 flavors :), but the Forrest Gump quote is quite apropos.

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The OP is new to caching so maybe this is the first time they've experienced this type of hide. You're also presuming the cache's D/T is correct for the location. Given the description of the location I'd say the D/T rate should be a 4/4. If it was correctly rated then this is a learning experience for a newbie anything rated over a 3/3 is probably best to avoid. If the cache was not properly rated, and if the long 1000+ foot bushwacking was not mentioned in the description, then I too would be very irked.

While the OP may be new to caching... the OP has found 3/3 and 3/3.5 caches and even went so far as to place a 3/4 (in which the finders do mention the climb). I do not recall the complaint made by the OP regarding the D/T rating, just a rant because of an apparent extreme cache and remarking, "What fun is that? Is this what the hobby is about?".

 

What I did read was that the CO apparently omitted things they could have or perhaps should have told people about. You have not seen that before? How many post in the forums they couldn't find a LPC, only to later learn that you can lift a skirt? I haven't seen a cache page yet that tells you to lift the skirt!

 

Would an underwater be more fun? How about a 15 - 20 foot tree climb? I dunno, it depends on the cacher, wouldn't you think? That's what the posted response was about.

 

I just think the liking/disliking should be left to the individual. Hardly worth calling it a "Bad cache" because you gotta work for the smiley. To some, that may very well be the hobby! The challenge, the adventure or even the hike -- not having it presented on a silver platter.

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Interesting... I'm female and the more challenging a cache is (for me) the more I like it. Physically, every time I can find a cache with a higher terrain rating I LOVE it! I love the types of caches that are way out in the sticks and then even more way out in the sticks. I haven't had the opportunity to find many of them yet, but I can do it more and more often these days and I live for it. My favorite kind.

 

We're all just different. It's totally okay for you not to like that sort of cache, but there are many who do, and I don't think that the person placed it for any "alpha male" reason. I think that the person probably placed it for people like me who love that sort of thing.

 

That being said, I don't think you're out of line, you are free to like and dislike whatever kind of cache you want, and fortunately there's a good variety out there. :lol:

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I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path.

 

...because some of us would find that fun?

 

Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something.

 

That something is a challenge. Some us us want to find challenging caches, rather than just another lame P&G traditional. If I hid something like this, not only would it be a 1000' bushwhack, it would have several hundred yards between waypoints too!

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I'm new to this hobby and I'm not sure if I'm out of line here but I just want to see if others agree. Is the point of geocaching to get out and enjoy nature and offer a fun tracking challenge for adults and kids or is the point to hide your cache and make it impossible to find to prove some kinda alpha male right of passage.

 

I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

Well all its proved is that no one goes to it. Its been over a year since it was found.

 

Where is the fun in that ?? Is this what the hobby is about ?

 

Personally, I love those types of caches. I wish we had more of those types of caches as they're running out in my neck of the woods. I think I spend more time doing the research part on where the caches are then actually finding them. lol

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I'm new to this hobby and I'm not sure if I'm out of line here but I just want to see if others agree. Is the point of geocaching to get out and enjoy nature and offer a fun tracking challenge for adults and kids or is the point to hide your cache and make it impossible to find to prove some kinda alpha male right of passage.

 

I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

Well all its proved is that no one goes to it. Its been over a year since it was found.

 

Where is the fun in that ?? Is this what the hobby is about ?

 

Geocaches are given difficulty and terrain ratings, as well as written descriptions, so you know what you're getting into. You can also view geocaches on maps to see how far they are from the road. If you don't like hiking and bushwhacking, ignore remote caches with high terrain ratings.

 

Not all caches are for all people.

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You also mentioned it was among briars and ferns. As many caches have been placed years ago it might be that they were not present when the cache was hidden. Also what the area is like in the spring will be far different than in the fall or winter.

 

Like others have suggested, figure out what type of hides you like and ignore the others. With more than a million to choose from I think where should be plenty that you would like. I personally hate ones in a neighborhood setting, it makes me feel creepy searching around the perimeter of peoples yards.

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I didn't read this as the OP having an issue with the hike or bushwacking, but with the fact that they couldn't find the thing after getting there and there wasn't even a clue to help. It is rather frustrating to go to all that effort and not find the cache after all that's what brought you there no matter how great the view or journey. As a matter of fact if the view or walk was what I wanted to be focusing on and I was searching for 45 minutes for a cache that was labled a 2 it would make me rather angry to find that it should have been labeled a 4 or 5. If I know it might be an evil hide when I leave that's one thing. But lets face it there are those who will mark one as easy to find and then no one can find it. Some of those CO's are being jerks. We all know that's true. But we've been around long enough to know to look at the number of DNF's before we attempt a cache so we know what we're getting into and that the cache might not be there. Something I wish I'd learned a little sooner than I did. Tips like that might be the nice thing to say, instead of assuming that they were complaining about the journey.

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I didn't read this as the OP having an issue with the hike or bushwacking, but with the fact that they couldn't find the thing after getting there and there wasn't even a clue to help. It is rather frustrating to go to all that effort and not find the cache after all that's what brought you there no matter how great the view or journey. As a matter of fact if the view or walk was what I wanted to be focusing on and I was searching for 45 minutes for a cache that was labled a 2 it would make me rather angry to find that it should have been labeled a 4 or 5. If I know it might be an evil hide when I leave that's one thing. But lets face it there are those who will mark one as easy to find and then no one can find it. Some of those CO's are being jerks. We all know that's true. But we've been around long enough to know to look at the number of DNF's before we attempt a cache so we know what we're getting into and that the cache might not be there. Something I wish I'd learned a little sooner than I did. Tips like that might be the nice thing to say, instead of assuming that they were complaining about the journey.

 

I read it as a n00b who isn't paying attention to cache pages and is still too inexperienced to do a thorough search at the GZ.

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A lot of caches here are well off the path. I don't count ferns as bushwhacking. I start counting bushwhacking when I'm getting covered in stuff from dead and fallen trees, going through bushes, and all that fun stuff. Bonus if I'm in a bog doing that. I've been on a few caches were the terrain was low balled that needed considerable bushwhacking and yeah it was frustrating and in one case I did note it in the log only to have subsequent finders note the same thing (which caused the owner to up the terrain half a star).

 

But ferns, nope. And ferns are rather temporary. They come and go with the seasons. So they may be lush now but give it a few weeks or a month and suddenly you're looking at a whole different terrain. I'm short and was out the other week in this huge area of waist high ferns and still enjoyed myself. And it the generally terrain was bad underneath and it had just rained so we were soaking wet from the ferns. We still had fun.

 

It's all about your perspective you go out with you're looking for these things. You will be disappointed a lot if you go out there upset about the nature you have to be in to find these things. But if you take it with a grain of salt and chalk it up to a new experience you'll have more fun.

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I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

I'm one of those "idiots". You are describing a good portion of the caches I place. Why do I do it? To provide geocachers with entertainment and a bit of a challenge. Sure some of them are seldomly found but the people who do find them seem to enjoy them immensely judging from their logs. They are rewarded by being taken out of their comfort zone and finding cool spots that most people will never see.

 

There are still some geocachers out there who enjoy coming home with bloody legs, mud caked boots and memories of a real adventure.

 

If you don't enjoy an adventure and challenging terrain there are hundreds of thousands of caches out there in strip malls, on guard rails and in Home Depot parking lots. Have at 'em.

Edited by briansnat
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I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

I'm one of those "idiots". You are describing a good portion of the caches I place. Why do I do it? To provide geocachers with entertainment and a bit of a challenge. Sure some of them are seldomly found but the people who do find them seem to enjoy them immensely judging from their logs. They are rewarded by being taken out of their comfort zone and finding cool spots that most people will never see.

 

There are still some geocachers out there who enjoy coming home with bloody legs, mud caked boots and memories of a real adventure.

 

If you don't enjoy an adventure and challenging terrain there are hundreds of thousands of caches out there in strip malls, on guard rails and in Home Depot parking lots. Have at 'em.

I don't think the OP is really so upset that it was difficult to get to ground zero as much as when s/he got there there the cache was still well hidden. Perhaps even a micro hidden it area full of sticker bushes and high ferns - needle-in-the-haystack style. I seem to recall briansnat himself ranting against such caches. Caches that are in remote hard to get to places where muggles aren't likely to go should be hidden in obvious places - or maybe even just sitting out in the open. And they should be regular sized containers so that people don't have to level the area to check all the spots a small or micro could hide. A useful hint should be given for a finder to read before getting frustrated at hiking this far and not being able to find the cache. I haven't cached in New Jersey so I don't know what briansnat's hides are like, but from what he has written in the forum I doubt he is one of the "idiots" the OP rants about.

 

However there are people who enjoy a long difficult slog to a cache site to look for a well hidden cache that requires a systematic search to find. They don't get frustrated if they don't find the cache. They stop searching when they run out of time or when they stop having fun. Most will post a DNF with no shame. They may even return another time to find the cache. And when they do they will have a great sense of accomplishment. I love these caches - at least when I know what to expect. But clearly these caches are not for everybody.

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Folks tend to hide the types of caches they enjoy finding. If you ever make it down my way, I can take you to one of mine, that requires 4+ miles of pure, no trails bushwhacking, through nipple deep, alligator infested swamp. Those who have found it seemed to have a great time. Those more interested in hunting park & grabs at Wally World parking lots have pretty much avoided it like the plague.

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I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

Apart from the fact that it sounds like the cache was smaller than it needed to be, that's totally my kind of cache. I love a little adventure with my caching and I own several caches like that. I love to find caches that haven't been visited in a long time.

 

I have a couple of caches in the most obscure, remote areas that have been discovered by non-cachers. When a cache requires 10 miles of hiking to do maintenance you really dont want it to be found accidentally so it's advisable for them to be well hidden.

 

Learn the kind of caches you enjoy the most and ignore the rest.

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Micros in forests. Those are bad.

 

Oh, I'm with you on that. If there's space to hide at least a small, then please hide a small! Even though most of the stuff you find in caches is tat, I love the anticipation of actually sorting through it once I've found the cache :lol: Also, I like being able to move coins and bugs.

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I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

I'm one of those "idiots". You are describing a good portion of the caches I place. Why do I do it? To provide geocachers with entertainment and a bit of a challenge. Sure some of them are seldomly found but the people who do find them seem to enjoy them immensely judging from their logs. They are rewarded by being taken out of their comfort zone and finding cool spots that most people will never see.

 

There are still some geocachers out there who enjoy coming home with bloody legs, mud caked boots and memories of a real adventure.

 

If you don't enjoy an adventure and challenging terrain there are hundreds of thousands of caches out there in strip malls, on guard rails and in Home Depot parking lots. Have at 'em.

 

I'm one of those "idiots", too. Only a 2 mile hike and a little 1000 foot bushwhack? That's just getting started! Thankfully we have lots of caches around here that provide this kind of challenge and more. Not only do I love these kinds of caches, my wife SwampyGirl loves them, too. Last year we went on a run with some other cachers that was a continuous 4-5 mile bushwhack through the roughest terrain you could imagine. The best visibility we had all day was about 100 feet in front of us. We emerged beaten, tired, and thoroughly exhausted, with giant smiles on our faces. :lol:

 

We did another series of bushwhacking caches in a swamp shortly after a hurricane blew through here. The entire area was flooded and several of the caches were knee deep to waist deep in water. One of them was in the middle of a small pond that had changed to a much bigger pond after the hurricane, and was about 4 1/2 feet deep. It took us 2 days to find them because of all the water and slow going.

 

Both these experiences were adventures that we still talk about and have fond memories of. This is only 2 stories out of maybe 30 like this that we have done. Once you do some caches like these, you start to realize that you are also getting some personal growth out of the accomplishment of the challenge. Kind of like those corporate character building experiences that are so extreme (and expensive!).

 

Just because it's a cache you don't like, that does not make it a "bad" cache! :lol:

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Sometimes the best thing about caching, is the journy that it takes you on to get there. I hope that you find the thing that drawn you into caching soon so that you are able to enjoy all type of caches. At time, you may not be able to find a cache due to one reason or another, but this can happen. Some cachers try to hide their caches to add a bit more of a chellange. Don't get frustrated by it. It only adds to the expereance. Happy Caching, and Good Luck.

 

By the way, make sure that you log it as a DNF (did not find). List why you DNF so if will notify the cache owner that it may need maintanence as it has not been found for some time.

Edited by Snakecatcher
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I'm new to this hobby and I'm not sure if I'm out of line here but I just want to see if others agree. Is the point of geocaching to get out and enjoy nature and offer a fun tracking challenge for adults and kids or is the point to hide your cache and make it impossible to find to prove some kinda alpha male right of passage.

 

Well all its proved is that no one goes to it. Its been over a year since it was found.

 

Where is the fun in that ?? Is this what the hobby is about ?

 

The hobby is what you make of it. May I suggest reading my Recipe for fun (Share your techniques for avoiding caches you dislike) Thread.

 

 

I'm one of those "idiots". You are describing a good portion of the caches I place. Why do I do it? To provide geocachers with entertainment and a bit of a challenge. Sure some of them are seldomly found but the people who do find them seem to enjoy them immensely judging from their logs. They are rewarded by being taken out of their comfort zone and finding cool spots that most people will never see.

 

There are still some geocachers out there who enjoy coming home with bloody legs, mud caked boots and memories of a real adventure.

 

If you don't enjoy an adventure and challenging terrain there are hundreds of thousands of caches out there in strip malls, on guard rails and in Home Depot parking lots. Have at 'em.

 

I have one cache (Eisen-Faust ) with two finds in three years, nine months total. One found it log was 600 words, the other found it log was 459 words. I would rather take those two logs of geocachers having a blast, over 1000 TFTC logs any day.

 

Folks tend to hide the types of caches they enjoy finding. If you ever make it down my way, I can take you to one of mine, that requires 4+ miles of pure, no trails bushwhacking, through nipple deep, alligator infested swamp. Those who have found it seemed to have a great time. Those more interested in hunting park & grabs at Wally World parking lots have pretty much avoided it like the plague.

 

I derive great pleasure in knowing the majority of "park & grabbers" avoid my extreme caches. I can't stand, "This was #1 of 452 today TFTC." Logs.

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While I enjoy P&G's to an extent--heck, I'm still new enough that I enjoy pretty much all types of caches!--I really love a long hike and / or some bushwhacking. I don't even mind a mircro in the woods if it's appropriate to the setting. I don't mind a high difficulty hide, so long as the CO has rated it appropriately so that I'll know how hard I should hunt. After all, it's the getting there that's the adventure, and I don't mind logging a DNF. And yes, cachers, newbies in particular, should read the cache page and previous logs before heading out.

 

However, I do think that, especially if you've put forth the effort to get to a high difficulty GZ, at least the CO could provide a *useful* hint for if you get stuck.

 

--Q

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However, I do think that, especially if you've put forth the effort to get to a high difficulty GZ, at least the CO could provide a *useful* hint for if you get stuck.

 

 

My motto has generally been that the harder it is to get to a cache, the easier it should be to find. Local cachers have called that my "law." (As applied to physics rather than a court.) It probably stems from the fact that I enjoy the location more than the hunt, but like to find the cache if that was the focus of my hike.

 

On the other hand, there are cachers that delight in bringing you on a long and difficult hike to find a micro placed under a swatch of moss on a rocky hillside in a tree-covered canyon and provide a hint that it is next to rock. That is one reason why Groundspeak provides an "ignore" feature.

 

One of those cachers had a small but dedicated following, so there is certainly room in the game for both approaches. And if you decide to do one of his caches, you know what you may be getting yourself into.

 

The other side of it is that you never know what outsiders will find. I have hiked long distances to get to abandoned, overgrown trails covered with fallen trees, and continued along the "trail" to where I have had to bushwhack to the cache location, only to find that outsiders had discovered the cache. Fortunately, they did not feel like dragging an ammo can back and left it there.

Edited by mulvaney
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Micros in forests. Those are bad.

 

those are the best, and can make for really evil hides

 

sure you can make an evil hide in an urban setting, but the ones in the woods are far better, just because you can search in peace for it as opposed to being in the city where you can look suspicious

 

if it wasn't for the TB and Coins i couldn't care less for anything bigger than a micro, there is nothing in caches that interests us, so the only purpose we have is to find it and sign the log

 

the more challenging the hide the more rewarding it is when you do find it

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Micros in forests. Those are bad.

 

I am one who likes larger caches. One who thinks that cache owners should place the largest container the hiding area will support. I also like the idea of having a hint available on puzzle caches that are challenging to solve or caches that are challenging to get to.

 

But, i also realize that these are only my opinions on how i like to see caches hidden. As long as the cache adheres to GC.com guidelines, i have no right to complain when they are hidden in a manner that i don't find to my liking. The way i see it, a cache owner needs to provide accurate coordinates and appropriate difficulty ratings. Other than that, really nothing else. He/she doesn't have to include a hint, attributes, or even a cache description on their page.

 

Like has been mentioned, when looking to see what caches you want to go for, the best thing to do is read the cache page, check out the difficulty ratings, container size, and perhaps, read over some of the previous logs. Even doing this, not every cache is going to be easy or to your liking. Don't let the one's that aren't get to you...

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Micros in forests. Those are bad.
FWIW, one of my favorite caches was a micro in a redwood forest. Yes, it was a great location for a cache. Yes, the cache was a film canister. Yes, the contents were dry. No, a larger container would not have worked there.
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I'm new to this hobby and I'm not sure if I'm out of line here but I just want to see if others agree. Is the point of geocaching to get out and enjoy nature and offer a fun tracking challenge for adults and kids or is the point to hide your cache and make it impossible to find to prove some kinda alpha male right of passage.

 

I get hiding a cache well to protect it from mugals but what I'll never understand is why the heck some idiot would hide a cache that is a 2 mile hike through terrible terrain and then another 1000 ft off of the path. It would never be discovered by accident. Its like the whole point was to make it hard to find just to prove something. The area was total sticker bushes and high ferns. You would need to level the area just to find it. No hints given, no obvious markers to where it might be. Just a complete waste of time.

 

Well all its proved is that no one goes to it. Its been over a year since it was found.

 

Where is the fun in that ?? Is this what the hobby is about ?

Nowadays you really need to check the satellite map before you head out.
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