Targeting specific caches for milestones

[+Redfist]

I know it's just words on a webpage and that no-one will ever care what I did for find #x. However, I see others slowing their pace or accelerating their pace so they can get that special cache exactly on a milestone #. Given that I am a social creature by nature, I tend to want to follow these implicit social conventions and then obsess. Yes, it's a personal weakness.

 

That being said, I'm visiting the Mission 9 APE cache on 6/19 (father's day). I have 6 caches to go to get me to N-1 of the next milestone and 11 days to do so. I'm not worried about making it - I am a little worried about blowing past it. My question is - how many people just go in and edit what they want to appear for a milestone? I don't want to do it and will make myself wait and only do 6 caches in the next 11 days because I'm anal-rententive (another personal weakness). I'm curious how many people have had that attitude in the past and gave it up because in the end, it's just #s on a website.

 

Thoughts?

[+JL_HSTRE]

I've passed 900. Of my milestones (100-900) I've only flubbed the numbers on two of them.

 

For 800, I did a small cache run the day before a CITO to make the event my 800th. I later found out I had forgotten to log two Finds from a month earlier. I kept the Milestone because it was an accident; if I'd logged those 2 Finds when I made them then my cache run before the event would've been 2 caches shorter.

 

For 500, I also targeted an event as the Milestone. The day before I got my 498th. So the first cache the day of the event I logged was my 499th then the event. Except I technically signed in for the event before finding that cache. But since the cache was about 500 feet away from the sign-in I could have just gotten that cache first (it was an easy ammo can), walked back to the event to sign in, then continued caching. I felt it was so trivial I didn't worry about it the exact order in which I signed two consecutive logsheets about 2 minutes apart.

[+dfx]

My question is - how many people just go in and edit what they want to appear for a milestone?

 

I don't. A milestone is what it is. Occasionally I did target specific caches for milestones, and if I had to speed up or slow down my caching for it, then it's what I did. Either the cache is a milestone or it isn't.

[+t4e]

i never edited the list to make a certain milestone simply because it will drive me insane knowing that its not really true

[+StarBrand]

I've never been much concerned which day or which cache was my xth one. Just fun getting by those milestones.

[+GeoReapers]

#100 for me was a 4/4.5 on an island, #500 was a 5/1.5 . We just like to get a variety of stuff on the big ones, all the century marks have just been incidentals for me.

[+DanOCan]

I don't normally worry about milestones -- I honestly had no idea what cache #1000 was until a week later or so when I finally had a chance to do some logging.

 

I did make an effort to have #3000 be Geowoodstock8 and #3500 be a GPS Maze, but other than that I let them fall where they may. I certainly would never edit the list to fake a milestone. If that meant slowing down my caching then that's what I would do. If I'm not willing to slow down my rate to make a milestone work then it really can't be that important to me, can it?

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I've got just a bit over 1000 finds and tried to target some specific cache for the milestones that fell on the 100's. Not all of them would be considered very significant (in one case it was the last cache placed by a local well regarded geocacher that moved out of the area). I miscounted somehow while geocaching out in California and wanted to grab a cache that was located at the spot where the first Pong game was installed (I used to work for Atari building and testing Pong games) for my 600th find. Instead my 600th find was a hide-a-key slapped under a guard rail next to a dumpster (the title made it sound like it might be interesting). When I got to about 990 I tried to grab a few finds to set up for a 1000 finds Golden Ammo Can tribute cache that a local geocacher place for me and wanted to put on on a specific weekend. I had to grab what I could get so that I'd have 999 the day before the Golden Ammo can was placed. One of those was a hide-a-key stuck under some stairs that were in close proximity to a dumpster outside a Chinese restaurant. As I sat signing that long, taking in the aroma of the nearby dumpster, I decided that once I got to 1000 I wasn't going to worry about cache numbers again. I didn't care if I ever got to 2000, or even 1100 finds and as a result the find rate I've I've had since I hit 1000 has dropped significantly. I've become a *lot* more discriminating about what caches I look for locally and end up doing more geocaching while traveling than I do at home.

[+niraD]

I've been careful with some of my milestones, deliberately finding (or not finding) caches before a particular cache that I wanted to be a milestone find. I know others who have done the same thing.

 

I've edited one of my milestones, but that was because the online logs didn't appear in the order I actually found the caches. I would never edit my milestones to claim a cache was a milestone find when it wasn't.

 

But I would like to edit which numbers are considered milestones on my statistics page. For example, I'd rather show my 750th find (which I consider to be a significant milestone) rather than my 700th or 800th finds (which I don't). (Here's the feedback site suggestion: http://feedback.geocaching.com/forums/75775-geocaching-com/suggestions/1443479-customize-milestones )

[+Gan Dalf]

Milestones are important to me. I try to make my Milestones special, either on special caches or on friends Caches. If I can make a milestone an FTF I will do that too. I remember wanting to make the Ape Cache my 1500th find but we were going on a trip and I wanted to stop by during that trip and could not make it close enough to make the Ape cache 1500 so I just got it as a regular old find.

 

I've got what I call a mini milestone coming up (3200) and already have a cache in mind for that. For my first 500 caches or so I considered every 100 caches to be significant enough to devote a lot of attention to the milestones. Once over 1000 I generally use 500 as the significant marker but sometimes still choose something special for the 100 cache increments too. I suppose once I reach 5000 only the 1000 cache increments will really matter much to me.

 

As far as fudging the numbers go, I've always found the cache I wanted as the particular milesone. Once a cacher deleted a log of mine after my 1000th find and it through my whole milestone hierarchy off. I had to re-log the cache (and threaten the CO not to delete my log again) in order for my 1000th cache milestone to be correct but since I found both of them the same day I had to use a different date to re-log the deleted log. That is the only time I have logged a cache out of order, at least when it mattered.

Edited June 8, 2011 by FobesMan

[+Starwolf013]

I targeted my 50th geocache as a special caboose cache near our home, and am pleased to report today that I found it. My wife and I are planning a geocaching trip this weekend on the AGT, so I had hoped to find this one even with the deadline.

 

Of course, if I'd have missed out I would have just had an AGT cache as my milestone (not a bad thing at all). I would never intentionally flub the stats to match a milestone, because I would want to keep the integrity of my list.

 

It's a small milestone, but it's mine and it brings a smile to my face today!

 

Enjoy caching!

[+Mental Ellert-ness]

For my first milestone, #100, I targetted a puzzle cache, "ILLAMPU AARDVARK",that had only 3 finds to date and had not been found in over a year. We had found a couple caches in town that day, then headed out to the counrty where this one was, then back in to town for some more, making sure it was indeed #100. I was the 4th find and it hasn't been found since. I haven't decided what my #200 will be yet, but will most likely be somthing similiar.

[+CanadianRockies]

I've never gotten into the milestone thing. Find #100 probably was the most significant milestone for me since it seemed to indicate that this activity wasn't going to be a passing fad. But we didn't mark it with a special find. We were on a road trip and simply found the next cache on our list. I did make special finds for #500 and #1,000, but this didn't require any rearranging of my schedule.

 

I try to log caches in the order I find them, but I don't obsess over it and I know I've messed up on several occasions. I've never changed the order to "fake" a milestone, but it doesn't bother me if others do so.

[+ventura_kids]

On #25000 we actually mis-counted by 8 caches...and even took pictures. On #26000 we just picked a random cache we were finding and pretended that was the one.

On #27000 we stopped in the middle of a power-caching run and held up a sign depicting the number.

 

Woohoo... As long as we have fun, it doesn't actually matter which cache it is.

Edited June 8, 2011 by ventura_kids

[+BaylorGrad]

I do like to keep track of my milestones--it's kinda fun. I really didn't begin to care until about #300, and even #300 was a coincidential end-of-day find that I wasn't expecting to do that day anyway. It's a private property one, and during which I got to meet some other COs. That's enough of a milestone story for me.

 

I was thinking about making #400 "Tombstone," but that ended up being #374 or something like that... Oh well. I'll probably try and make a multi #400.

[Clan Riffster]

Yes, it's a personal weakness.

Don't sweat it. Lots of folks, myself included, share this, uh, weakness.

At any given point in my life, I'm not really concerned with where my numbers are. I would have to go look to tell you how many finds I have. It's just not all that important to me. I prefer the memories to the numbers. That being said, if I notice a landmark number approaching, I'll start paying attention, so I can find just the right cache to mark that milestone. My 1500th slipped by unnoticed, as I had forgot to start a countdown. I'll try and pay more attention as # 2000 comes up in a few years. As to the other aspect of your question, I will not fudge my finds just to match a particular number to a particular cache.

[+Chokecherry]

I don't make a concerted effort to make any cache a milestone. I kind of chuckle when I look back at some of my milestones sometimes. But I don't have any big ones.

 

What I do like to do is make sure I'm with someone I want to be with so it's kind of a shared moment. Mom was there for number 200 this year. She was really excited.

[+DanOCan]

On #25000 we actually mis-counted by 8 caches...and even took pictures.

 

Haha, I did something similar for my 200th Find on GC43F3 -- the cacher I was with took photos to mark the occasion, but when I got home I found it was my 199th Brass Cap find, not 200. Oh well.

Edited June 8, 2011 by DanOCan

[+MikeAndHike]

I have been thinking about this all day. I am at 92 caches and was thinking if I should do something "special" for 100 or just let it come naturally. We are going to Saskatchewan to visit family at the end of the month so I thought I could save #100 for the province of my birth but then I would have to cut back my caching. And I am not sure I want to do that. Hmm...

[+fizzymagic]

I know it's just words on a webpage and that no-one will ever care what I did for find #x. However, I see others slowing their pace or accelerating their pace so... My question is - how many people just go in and edit what they want to appear for a milestone? I don't want to do it and will make myself wait and only do 6 caches in the next 11 days because I'm anal-rententive (another personal weakness).

 

I don't care much about milestones, but I do care about the order of cache finds for calculating my total caching distance. I keep my own database for that. I have been tempted to change the order of finds to enhance distance, but I've never done it. Who would I be cheating but myself?

 

I have come to realize that my logs represent my history of caching. Why mess with it; the truth is more valuable than arriving at a round number on the "right" cache, or getting a few more miles.

[+Coldgears]

I know it's just words on a webpage and that no-one will ever care what I did for find #x. However, I see others slowing their pace or accelerating their pace so... My question is - how many people just go in and edit what they want to appear for a milestone? I don't want to do it and will make myself wait and only do 6 caches in the next 11 days because I'm anal-rententive (another personal weakness).

 

I don't care much about milestones, but I do care about the order of cache finds for calculating my total caching distance. I keep my own database for that. I have been tempted to change the order of finds to enhance distance, but I've never done it. Who would I be cheating but myself?

 

I have come to realize that my logs represent my history of caching. Why mess with it; the truth is more valuable than arriving at a round number on the "right" cache, or getting a few more miles.

I totally agree, I keep stats for personal use, and it would mess with them. Nobody else is really going to care if you went 5 extra miles that day, only you!

[+John in Valley Forge]

I have slowed down and sped up finds to try to make milestones out of certain caches. Since I am probably the only person that ever looks at my profile, it is for my memories alone.

I especially try to do it if I am out of town, so that I can remember the trip.

[AZcachemeister]

I do.

I usually attempt to make a 1000-level milestone find something meaningful, but it doesn't always work out that I'm paying that much attention to my find count.

 

When I am paying attention, I have held off caching as much as two weeks to make the desired event be the milestone.

[+WRASTRO]

To us a milestone is nothing more than a round number and we do not make a point of planning to find any particular cache for a milestone. We have done a few nice ones and a few forgettable ones that ended up being round number milestone finds. We recently hit 3,000 finds after seven plus years of playing the game. Didn't make any plans, the find just happened. We like it that way.

[+d+n.s]

I've done some flubbing, mostly because I don't bother to log some caches

[+releasethedogs]

Mile stones are important to me, my personal goals is to find a specific cache type for each of my mile stones. So far it goes like this: regular cache, earthcache, mystery, Wherigo, multi-cache, virtual, event and webcam. My number 800 and 900 will be a cito and a letterbox and my 1000 will be a regular all over again. Makes the game fun.

[+GroveBird]

We're aiming for 1000 Steps Earth Cache for our 1000th cache. Kind of a mini tradition to try and get this one as a milestone in our caching group.

Edited June 9, 2011 by GroveBird

[+hzoi]

Other than our 200th find, Lame Micro - A4 Hoerselgau, we've tried to keep our century milestones meaningful, especially 500, 1000, etc. Whether it's a challenging cache, a new state or country, or an event or A.P.E. cache or something, they normally stand out. We try to time our logs accordingly. Sometimes we shuffle around the order in which we log caches to make the math come out right, and once we delayed logging other caches until after the milestone, but normally it works out.

[+DonB]

No big deal, a cache is a cache.

[+WizfisherFamily]

We did the opposite. Our 100th cache was not planned but was a cool cache that we all remembered as it was a giant ammo can at a park. The kids thoroughly enjoyed it and it just happened to be our 100th cache.

About a year later I noticed that I had logged a cache twice early on in our caching. I deleted one of them since we did not find it twice. Our 100th cache then became our 99th cache.

 

Oh well, we have the memory of the find and that is what matters to us.

[Krydos]

Heh. We definitely plan out our milestones. Our first 1000, every 100 was in a different state and had a name themed to the number that find was. Now we're doing different types for each 100 on the next 1000. We have never once had to fudge it, but we are both kinda particular and spend a lot of time planning out each and every trip, DNF's while you're driving to find #800 and are tired and just want to get home are a big distraction, but we will persist and make sure they each line up. We will slow down/speed up as needed to make things work out.

 

Sometimes it would have been a lot easier to fudge it, but we figure if we're gonna make a big deal about the milestones, we really couldn't fudge them.

[+gpicard]

I do not plan my milestones.

 

I discovered that I had forgot to log a couple and they would have all been off anyways!

[+geoexpress]

It seemed appropriate for my 1000th find milestone to find this cache: "M" (GC1MVHT).

[+hzoi]

p.s. Hope you didn't have your heart set on the A.P.E. cache, as it appears to have been stolen. As exposed as this cache was, I'm actually surprised it lasted this long -- talk about your suspicious pile of rocks...

[+Redfist]

p.s. Hope you didn't have your heart set on the A.P.E. cache, as it appears to have been stolen. As exposed as this cache was, I'm actually surprised it lasted this long -- talk about your suspicious pile of rocks...

 

Yeah - I noticed last night (I have a watch on it). Talk about a way to ruin Father's day plans.

 

I'll probably still go up there to see Iron Horse, etc. Who knows, maybe they'll have a temp solution in place? One can hope in vain...

[+Flintstone5611]

We did it for our 100th and our 1000th, but the rest just happened. Actually, we flopped our attempt to make our 500th special. But we enjoy celebrating other peoples milestones as well.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

According to this thread it's gone missing, so you may have waited too long!

 

I let milestone's fall where they may, and since I don't log most finds online milestones would be wildly inaccurate anyway.

 

I do own the oldest cache in Alabama and some folks plot and plan to make it a milestone, but I've never heard of anyone manipulating their logs to make it work out that way.

Edited June 13, 2011 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+cwgrizz]

I do not have many milestones to worry about, but I have manipulated one find in the scheme of how it appeared on the statistics. It was my first find. Not realizing it and being new to this at the time, I did not log in my first finds in order, so the actual first find appeared as my second. At 100, I had decided that I would find a certain cache to mark that milestone as my wife is a cancer survivor and this cache honored cancer survivors, however............ when I got close to the 100 the cache was disabled. After that I have not really worried about milestones, but it is fun to try to plan ahead even if it doesn't come out.

[+Cool Cow Cachers]

Soon after logging #500 on Christmas day last year, I realized I had a very real opportunity to make #1000 <a href="http://coord.info/GCPZBX">Rainier Summit Earthcache</a> on my summit climb July 16. I have one extra layer of difficulty added to doing this in that I am also keeping a daily streak (currently 300 days) alive. So I am not able to just to run it up to 999 and then wait to go get the milestone. I have been very carefully been monitoring my count to simultaneously keep both the streak alive and the milestone on target for that date. This has taken considerable effort on some days including several late night cache runs or like this past weekend when I was training in Mount Rainier National Park all weekend and had to squeak out an easy find at the end of a long day.

 

This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I am an accountant so working the numbers game is just as much fun to me as finding the caches. That is also why I love working Challenge and Puzzle caches.

 

That being said, I would never edit my milestones just to put one in a specific place (i.e. 1000). In reality, those milestones don't mean anything to anyone but me so I would only be cheating myself, and I know the truth.

[+GeoBroke]

#100 was the Lilly Pad for myself.