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You Can Get Lost in the Suburbs, Too

knowschad

By knowschad
in General geocaching topics

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knowschad

knowschad

Posted
Posted (edited)

This took place recently in a park near me. It is a large park, with many winding trails (and many geocaches), but most people that go into it are totally unprepared for spending a night in it. That almost happened recently to a mother and her son. Even the officers that went to help them became disoriented.

 

Here's the article

Edited by knowschad
atmospherium

+atmospherium

Posted
Posted

I liked this comment:

 

the trail system, if i could call it that, seems to be the result of the work of a committee of magical muskrats who have had too much to drink

 

Oh those magical muskrats!

 

Seriously, I can understand how easy it is to get turned around and confused in any woods, large or small.

EscapeFromFlatland

+EscapeFromFlatland

Posted
Posted (edited)

Portland's 5000 acre Forest Park could be like that. Just gotta remember: downhill will eventually get you to Hwy 30.

Try to avoid the homeless camp. Or the Vietnam Vet and his daughter living in a dugout.

Edited by bramasoleiowa
sbell111

+sbell111

Posted
Posted

Portland's 5000 acre Forest Park could be like that. Just gotta remember: downhill will eventually get you to Hwy 30.

Try to avoid the homeless camp. Or the Vietnam Vet and his daughter living in a dugout.

Home or away?

42at42

+42at42

Posted
Posted

I did a suburban cache last winter. It was about 200m from a Cul de Sac on some ATV trails. It was all scrub brush. After going in circles to find GZ it was time to head out. I didn't have my original coords punched in, I didn't have my tracking on. Why would I, I was 200m from a neighbourhood. I started walking to where I thought I was supposed to go and came across a half frozen pond. I never seen that on the way in. I was in a valley so I couldn't see through the scrub to find houses.

 

Eventually I found the right path heading south to get out, but it was a weird feeling to be lost for about 15 minutes.

NatureGuy360

+NatureGuy360

Posted
Posted

There are a few parks in my area that are just like that. It is amazing how easily you can get turned around in a wooded area that is completely surrounded by roads. However, once you get into the thick of it, all you can see around you is trees.

 

I have had a couple of heart pounding moments when I got off trail, and turned around in a city park. It was very strange because I could hear city noises all around me, but I could not figure out how to get back to my car. :)

DragonsWest

+DragonsWest

Posted
Posted

When in unfamiliar areas I trust my GPSr to mark my trail. I did this a few times over the 4th of July weekend, during my invasion of (and eventual retreat from) Oregon and Washington. It's always nice to know where you parked and how to get back to it.

knowschad

knowschad

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I am just thrilled they didn't run into any coffins out there. That would have been brutal.
For those that don't know, this is the park that bflentje had his infamous toe-pincher casket cache investigated as a possible crime scene, ending with the cache being confiscated and bflentje threatened with charges that eventually were all dropped.

 

I still think you should have rented a hearse when you went to pick that thing up from the police station, Bart. :)

TheAlabamaRambler

+TheAlabamaRambler

Posted
Posted

From the OP linked article:

 

"Hiker's GPS for cops Hmm.. they have modern electronic devices for problems like this!"

 

The problem with relying on "technology" is that most folks have no clue how it works - which means it can then get you into trouble. GPS relies on having at least 3 unobstructed views of satellites. Which mean it doesn't work when under a heavy canopy of trees. GPS works great on a lake or in a desert. Not so much in a forest. That area of Leb is heavily forested, which is why GPS was useless.

 

I love posts like this! :laughing:

 

It's nice to have well-informed experts to tell us how things work. :laughing:

Team Dennis

+Team Dennis

Posted
Posted

From the OP linked article:

 

"Hiker's GPS for cops Hmm.. they have modern electronic devices for problems like this!"

 

The problem with relying on "technology" is that most folks have no clue how it works - which means it can then get you into trouble. GPS relies on having at least 3 unobstructed views of satellites. Which mean it doesn't work when under a heavy canopy of trees. GPS works great on a lake or in a desert. Not so much in a forest. That area of Leb is heavily forested, which is why GPS was useless.

 

I love posts like this! :rolleyes:

 

It's nice to have well-informed experts to tell us how things work. ;)

 

I almost felt the need to reply to that one but then I realized I would have to create an account to do it...so I figured I'd just post here instead. That poster should have written "...most folks (including me!) have no clue how it works, (but here is my misguided interpretation)..."

 

I've done a few caches out in the middle of the north woods of WI. Once I turned my GPSr off and tried to get back to my vehicle (about .5 miles away) without the use of fancy technology just to see if I could do it. My .5 mile hike turned into a 1 mile hike in a hurry. Needless to say I always mark a waypoint whenever I plan to go any fair distance from the car.

SwineFlew

+SwineFlew

Posted
Posted

From the OP linked article:

 

"Hiker's GPS for cops Hmm.. they have modern electronic devices for problems like this!"

 

The problem with relying on "technology" is that most folks have no clue how it works - which means it can then get you into trouble. GPS relies on having at least 3 unobstructed views of satellites. Which mean it doesn't work when under a heavy canopy of trees. GPS works great on a lake or in a desert. Not so much in a forest. That area of Leb is heavily forested, which is why GPS was useless.

 

I love posts like this! :laughing:

 

It's nice to have well-informed experts to tell us how things work. :laughing:

 

Oh really!?!?! How come I am finding caches deep in the woods? Is there something you arent telling me? :laughing:

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