Adopting, taking over a cache

[+adrians.galaxy.crew]

Hello,New here, but my family has enjoyed the going on about a month that we've been "treasure hunting" as my kids call it. In our neighborhood there is a cache that seems to be in an area where they are clearing out trees and such, tried contacting the CO but no response and after further investigating, all but this cache has been archived for I'm guessing non maintenance. The CO has not logged anything since 2004 and his other caches archived round 2006. Is there a way to take over the cache so that it doesn't get destroyed. We found it yesterday for the first time in nearly a year. We've been thinking about putting out our own caches but maybe we can start by taking over this one. Is there a way to do that? Who can be contacted to do so? Maybe someone is already taking care of it, I don't know, but it doesn't seem like it. Thanks.

[Keystone]

Please see the Page in the Groundspeak Knowledge Books entitled Adopting or Transferring a Cache. You will learn that ownership of a cache cannot be changed without the original owner's consent. If you cannot get the owner to reply to email sent through the site, then the alternatives include maintaining the cache informally, or waiting for it to get cleared out by the tree trimmers/loggers. Then, you would log a "needs archived" so you can hide a cache of your own in the same general area when conditions permit.

[+SniperChicken]

It seems you fall in the frustrating dilema of having a cache that has no responsible CO to maintain the cache listing. The cache either needs maintenance or archiving .If its an older cache that is worthy of keeping active you may have to just informally adopt it and maintain it. (Assuming the CO is no "into" geocaching or is no longer active in the area).The main problem is that you nor anyone else can log into the cache page to post owner maintenance logs or to log TBs missing much less to actually get it archived so that a new cache listing can be published for that location.

I've heard many complaints of a cacher who gets excited,hides a bunch of micros all over and then loses the geocaching spark and winds up moving out of state leaving a bunch of geotrash and cache listings that tie up some actually good cache locations. You can post "needs archiving posts" all day long but some reviewers are hesitant to take action on these dormant caches.I understand that there is still a chance that they will log back in to GC ...someday

[+Don_J]

It seems you fall in the frustrating dilema of having a cache that has no responsible CO to maintain the cache listing. The cache either needs maintenance or archiving .If its an older cache that is worthy of keeping active you may have to just informally adopt it and maintain it. (Assuming the CO is no "into" geocaching or is no longer active in the area).The main problem is that you nor anyone else can log into the cache page to post owner maintenance logs or to log TBs missing much less to actually get it archived so that a new cache listing can be published for that location.

I've heard many complaints of a cacher who gets excited,hides a bunch of micros all over and then loses the geocaching spark and winds up moving out of state leaving a bunch of geotrash and cache listings that tie up some actually good cache locations. You can post "needs archiving posts" all day long but some reviewers are hesitant to take action on these dormant caches.I understand that there is still a chance that they will log back in to GC ...someday

 

The cache is an ammo can, in good condition and located at the listed coordinates. Why do think that it needs to be archived? Just because the owner hasn't logged on in years doesn't mean that they are not monitoring the cache through email notifications.

Edited April 9, 2011 by Don_J

[+adrians.galaxy.crew]

It seems you fall in the frustrating dilema of having a cache that has no responsible CO to maintain the cache listing. The cache either needs maintenance or archiving .If its an older cache that is worthy of keeping active you may have to just informally adopt it and maintain it. (Assuming the CO is no "into" geocaching or is no longer active in the area).The main problem is that you nor anyone else can log into the cache page to post owner maintenance logs or to log TBs missing much less to actually get it archived so that a new cache listing can be published for that location.

I've heard many complaints of a cacher who gets excited,hides a bunch of micros all over and then loses the geocaching spark and winds up moving out of state leaving a bunch of geotrash and cache listings that tie up some actually good cache locations. You can post "needs archiving posts" all day long but some reviewers are hesitant to take action on these dormant caches.I understand that there is still a chance that they will log back in to GC ...someday

 

The cache is an ammo can, in good condition and located at the listed coordinates. Why do think that it needs to be archived? Just because the owner hasn't logged on in years doesn't mean that they are not monitoring the cache through email notifications.

 

You may be right, the cache is still there with the log and items matching what people that have found it log they have taken and left in it. My only concern is that the area seems to be getting cleared, either naturally or by man just a few feet from where the cache sits. We were the first to find it in close to a year since the last log. I just dodnt want what seems to be a good cache lost because theres no one to move it if need be. Like i stated before the CO other caches were disabled because he never repaired or responded to DNF on them. Thanks.

[+adrians.galaxy.crew]

It seems you fall in the frustrating dilema of having a cache that has no responsible CO to maintain the cache listing. The cache either needs maintenance or archiving .If its an older cache that is worthy of keeping active you may have to just informally adopt it and maintain it. (Assuming the CO is no "into" geocaching or is no longer active in the area).The main problem is that you nor anyone else can log into the cache page to post owner maintenance logs or to log TBs missing much less to actually get it archived so that a new cache listing can be published for that location.

I've heard many complaints of a cacher who gets excited,hides a bunch of micros all over and then loses the geocaching spark and winds up moving out of state leaving a bunch of geotrash and cache listings that tie up some actually good cache locations. You can post "needs archiving posts" all day long but some reviewers are hesitant to take action on these dormant caches.I understand that there is still a chance that they will log back in to GC ...someday

 

Thats one of the big problems in my area, lots of caches that have had DNF's for months and still months later after the last DNF's no response from the CO at least to say, its still there. Leaving lots of active caches that dont exist anymore. I started just weeding out caches that have the last few logs as DNF's, (mostly 1 star difficulty) which means they shouldn't be that difficult for most people to find.

 

There should be a time limit once a bunch of DNF are logged and a "needs archiving" is logged to get the CO to respond. Im new here so maybe thats an old gripe, and in the long run Ill just learn to spend more time thoroughly investigating and picking only the caches at which i have a better chance of success.

 

We do need to push for better response by CO at repairing these caches so were not going after phantom caches. We shouldn't have to do so much investigating on EVERY cache to see if its still there before we go, We pay for a premium service here and that needs to be one of them. IMHO.

[+adrians.galaxy.crew]

It seems you fall in the frustrating dilema of having a cache that has no responsible CO to maintain the cache listing. The cache either needs maintenance or archiving .If its an older cache that is worthy of keeping active you may have to just informally adopt it and maintain it. (Assuming the CO is no "into" geocaching or is no longer active in the area).The main problem is that you nor anyone else can log into the cache page to post owner maintenance logs or to log TBs missing much less to actually get it archived so that a new cache listing can be published for that location.

I've heard many complaints of a cacher who gets excited,hides a bunch of micros all over and then loses the geocaching spark and winds up moving out of state leaving a bunch of geotrash and cache listings that tie up some actually good cache locations. You can post "needs archiving posts" all day long but some reviewers are hesitant to take action on these dormant caches.I understand that there is still a chance that they will log back in to GC ...someday

 

The cache is an ammo can, in good condition and located at the listed coordinates. Why do think that it needs to be archived? Just because the owner hasn't logged on in years doesn't mean that they are not monitoring the cache through email notifications.

 

Sorry, double.

Edited April 11, 2011 by adrians.galaxy.crew

[+GeoGeeBee]

There should be a time limit once a bunch of DNF are logged and a "needs archiving" is logged to get the CO to respond.

We don't need a time limit based on DNFs. Some caches are just really hard to find. If you've looked for the cache, you are pretty sure it's gone, and the CO isn't around to check on it, then post the NA. If cachers weren't so shy about posting NA logs, there wouldn't be so many umaintained, broken, or missing caches being ignored by their owners.

 

Once an NA is logged, the reviewers are really good about following up.

[+t4e]

 

You may be right, the cache is still there with the log and items matching what people that have found it log they have taken and left in it. My only concern is that the area seems to be getting cleared, either naturally or by man just a few feet from where the cache sits. We were the first to find it in close to a year since the last log. I just dodnt want what seems to be a good cache lost because theres no one to move it if need be. Like i stated before the CO other caches were disabled because he never repaired or responded to DNF on them. Thanks.

 

did you try sending a message to the CO through their profile?

 

don't assume that if they haven't logged in to their account they don't see the emails

 

i did just that last week with 2 caches of someone that has not logged in over a year, offering to adopt the caches and they responded in couple of hours.