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Adopt a Cache or Archive a Cache?


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Ahoy Fellow Geocachers!

 

I just started geocaching in a new area and I've discovered SEVERAL caches in my immediate vicinity that have been abandoned by their owners. They need serious maintenance (wet/full logbooks, broken containers, junky leave behinds, MIA travelbugs, etc.) and the CO's do not respond to the "needs maintenance" log postings.

 

I put the caches in question on a specific watchlist of my own and just recently started requesting that the caches be archived. However, it occurred to me that there may be some way of adopting the caches? I would be more than happy to do so, if I could have some kind of access to owner privileges online. I have no idea if it's possible, but I do sometimes see caches that are being maintained by others. Maybe that's a personal arrangement. In my case the CO's haven't logged into the site for many years.

 

If it's not possible to adopt the cache am I on the right track with archiving them? In my mind it seems better to start fresh, but I can see the logic in maintaining the original date stamp (placement) as well. Most of these caches are popular, so they may certainly warrant replacement.

 

I'm willing to do whatever I can to help and wanna do the right thing! :)

 

Thanks a bunch and Happy Trails!

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You are doing the right thing. Caches don't need to live forever.

When an owner ignores a NM for a long time (I'd say over two months for most areas, longer if you live some place where caching isn't overly feasable for an extended amount of time) then a NA is the next move.

 

Edit: Groundspeak won't adopt without permission of the CO.

Edited by MooseJawSpruce
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While posting Needs Maintenance / Needs Archived notes on caches in disrepair is the usually the right thing to do, I'd advise you to tread carefully when suggesting that very old caches get archived. Some geocachers will get upset if "historic" caches get archived. Also, there's a fine line to tread between helping out and becoming a geo-policeman especially when dealing with owners who are active but not necessarily good with cache maintenance.

 

By the way, if an cache owner agrees to have their cache adopted over to you, you can use this form to do the transfer.

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Since the actual Geocache is owned by somebody - Groundspeak can not forcibly allow an adoption.

 

BTW - My opinion is that there is nothing historic about a broken cache container full of water that nobody takes care of. Whats left is words on a web listing - no more than 11 years old. Post the NA log and let a reviewer deal with them. Re-use the words on a new page if you must.

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Thanks Everyone.

 

I have always agreed with your posts, but it looks like there is some kind of 'fray' going on surrounding NA postings??!! :) I wanted to make sure that nothing has changed while I was on hiatus.

 

I think it makes more sense to archive an old cache, rather than having it be unofficially adopted by the community or another geocache. I know that allows the cache to 'live on', but it makes it really difficult to do the electronic maintenance and in fact no one really 'owns' the cache that way. I have heard of others that believe the original hide date is of some importance, but I'm not that nostalgic. LOL

 

I plan to continue requesting the old, abandoned caches to be archived through the website. I've been using roughly the same timeline that Moose mentioned (about two months) before I officially request archiving. I think it used to be possible to adopt a cache, but if they require permission from the CO it won't work in this case. The whole point is that the CO has gone missing and is not responding to the requests!

Edited by Aunt_GeoMima
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You are right about different opinions. As to it being a "fray" i don't think I would use that word.

 

I am quicker than most with a NA but only when I think necessary. Of course "necessary" differs from person to person. I prefer to deal in absolutes. It either needs to be archived or not. If there are people who get upset about "Historic" caches why didn't they put them on their watch list and go out and take care of the problem when noted. To watch in silence and inaction and then raise a hue and cry when someone posts an appropriate NA log seems a bit much to me.

 

I was caching in Napa (actually still am) and came across a cache that I wrote the below NA log for. There were many found logs of "it's in terrible shape and has no log" written before I came along and solved the problem.

 

This container consists of a crushed coffee can and of course the lid doesn't fit. I left a piece of paper as a log but it needs to be archived if the owner doesn't take action. Normally I would do a NM log but the CO has not logged on in over 4 months so thought that that wouldn't get anything done. If you could handle this it would be appreciated. In addition there have been several logs describing the condition which the CO has not responded to.

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One cache in particular comes to mind, it was logged by someone atleast once a week in the winter and more often now that spring has arrived. It was also a coffee container with a broken lid, water, etc. The CO didn't do maintenance even after 10-15 logs said that it needed help. Eventually, someone else did replace the container. Since this was a frequently hit cache another option (other than adopting) would be to let it be archived, and then put another in the same place of your own. There might be some sort of delay involved, I'm not sure.

 

I have recently sent a different CO a message offering to adopt one of theirs that got muggled. It's one of my favorites and part of a series they put out so I don't want to see it archived. I offered to adopt it officially or just babysit it for them, whichever they preferred. Still no response.

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Ahoy Fellow Geocachers!

 

I just started geocaching in a new area and I've discovered SEVERAL caches in my immediate vicinity that have been abandoned by their owners. They need serious maintenance (wet/full logbooks, broken containers, junky leave behinds, MIA travelbugs, etc.) and the CO's do not respond to the "needs maintenance" log postings.

 

Junky swag and missing TBs are not an owner maintenance issue. Broken containers and wet logs are.

If the owner has, indeed, been inactive for several years, go right ahead and be the cache cop. If it's a great location that you covet, it's a good idea.

Just beause the owner does not sign into Geocaching does not mean that s/he is not following his/her cache.

And, of course, you have checked out these caches yourself, to make sure the complaints are valid? I know someone who keeps getting NM for 'log is wet'. Dun! It's Rite-in-the-Rain paper.

How many is "SEVERAL"? 1? 26?

My suggestion is to check out the cache. Post an NM, if necessary ANd follow it. After four or five months, with nothing happening, then post the NA. Unless, of course, you're setting out to be the local cache cop.

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Hi Little Miss Muffett, love Charlotte (wife's relatives in Tarboro and Manteo so get out once a year). I would suggest forcing their hand. If they don't want to deal with the problem which has been brought to their attention several times submit a NA log and make up your own. Place it on your watch list and when it is archived (usually the reviewer disables it for at least a couple of weeks to give the CO a chance to fix it) go out and place your new one.

 

As I have said I tend to be little aggressive in dealing with these things. Will be interesting if BlueDuece comments on this. We have friendly difference of view on this.

 

BTW cute kids.

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Mr. Dolphin:

 

I am and have been doing everything that you suggest. All of the caches in question are caches that I have personally visited and found to be in disrepair. I have even visited some of the caches more than once, since they are super close to home. I have refreshed the supplies and I've posted notes for the CO's saying that the cache 'needs maintenance'. So far I've been waiting about two months for a response before I go ahead and post a 'needs archived' log with only a couple of common sense exceptions to that rule. I've also put all of the 'suspect' caches on a bookmark list, so I can keep track of things.

 

I should clarify that several in this case means about a half dozen. As is usually the case, there were several placed by the same owner in the general vicinity. There doesn't seem to be anything special about these caches whatsover. Only one of them is even in a cool spot. The others are your traditional "Pill Bottle #Blah-Blah" caches. Believe me the geocaching world will not be missing anything, if these caches are taken out of the system.

 

Thanks to everyone for your words. :)

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There can be some kickback to posting a NM log (although I have never run into it) but if you first post a NM log (or others have already done so with no reasonable response) and waited a while, you have done what you can, and any 'fray' surrounding your later NA log is just a personal problem of the cache owner. Odds are, however, that they have left the game already and will be glad to get it off their hands. You will probably be doing them a favor.

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