End of a geostreak

[+Roman!]

So, I started caching 141 days ago, found caches on my first 2 days, missed a day and then went on a 138 day geostreak. Today it ends, main reason, 3 days ago I broke my arm; yes, geocaching, slipped down a slope, put my arm out to stop my fall, crack.

 

Sub reasons, Between work, doctors, and earlier and earlier nightfall due to being in Canada my daytime opportunity has seriously diminished. Also after 138 days easily accessible caches are getting to be too far away so even after finding 2 caches after breaking my arm, today I decided to break this streak.

 

My question, if you've broken a long geostreak, why and how long was it? I share your pain, it's not an easy thing to do.

[Krydos]

At 365 days, because we wanted to stop.

[+Gan Dalf]

Becasue I qualified fo rthe challenge I was trying to do and didn't want to HAVE to cache every day anymore.

[+Roman!]

At 365 days, because we wanted to stop.

 

I would have done 367, a leap year +1, that was my goal, but stuff happens, congrats on the year, not an easy thing to do.

[Krydos]

' timestamp='1317012683' post='4851580']

At 365 days, because we wanted to stop.

 

I would have done 367, a leap year +1, that was my goal, but stuff happens, congrats on the year, not an easy thing to do.

 

But it wasn't a leap year! We would have had to have kept going for like 2 full years or something and there weren't enough nearby caches for that. It was a stop now on this cool number thing or have a weird obsession to never quit thing.

 

We skipped one day and then the second day we went and 'found' some caches I hadn't found yet that he had.

[+Roman!]

' timestamp='1317012683' post='4851580']

At 365 days, because we wanted to stop.

 

I would have done 367, a leap year +1, that was my goal, but stuff happens, congrats on the year, not an easy thing to do.

 

But it wasn't a leap year! We would have had to have kept going for like 2 full years or something and there weren't enough nearby caches for that. It was a stop now on this cool number thing or have a weird obsession to never quit thing.

 

We skipped one day and then the second day we went and 'found' some caches I hadn't found yet that he had.

 

I'm still impressed, I thought 365 days would be a piece of cake but it go harder and harder every day, some days it was a chore, kudos to you, I will try again. Maybe next leap year:)

[+Mr. Wilson & a Mt. Goat]

68, stopped because we DNFed the only cache left to find close to home, it was late evening and quite dark, and we had company over. Would have loved to have kept going, but just couldn't.

[+lamoracke]

400 days because it started to annoy the crap out of me. I did 365 after reaching 200 days because I thought one year would be cool and would solve all Washington challenges to come (yeah right) and I did 400 because the highest challenge was that at the time. One very arbitrary (and kinda just listed to show off a bit in my opinion) one came out much later which I would never have reached anyway.

 

Some caching styles and work realities work well for streaks. For me, it did not.

Edited September 26, 2011 by lamoracke

[+fizzymagic]

' timestamp='1317011775' post='4851568']

My question, if you've broken a long geostreak, why and how long was it? I share your pain, it's not an easy thing to do.

 

36 days, I think. I stopped after an attack of common sense.

 

I only did the streak for a challenge cache, and I would not do one any longer. I stopped as soon as I could.

 

Why on earth are people so willing to let their caching own them instead of owning it? Seriously, I think of "streak slaves" as deserving mostly of pity.

Edited September 26, 2011 by fizzymagic

[+The_Incredibles_]

Becasue I qualified fo rthe challenge I was trying to do and didn't want to HAVE to cache every day anymore.

 

+1 Did a 50 day challenge and that was it. It started to become a chore near the end. Took a while to recover and now I only go when I really feel like it.

[+akkatracker]

At 6 days cause we ran out of caches. Another fellow called zalgariath is coming up to his 600th day streak now.

[+M 5]

At 6 days cause we ran out of caches. Another fellow called zalgariath is coming up to his 600th day streak now.

 

I know a cacher who has a current streak of 1569. Maybe he's going for 5 years, not sure.

[+Fianccetto]

27 days because I had 2 cache runs with DNFs that day and the last one was in the pitch dark & I needed to get home and feed the family! I could have gone out after that and found a local one but it was taking up too much time to organise which cache to do, and it was starting to change the way I played the game so that instead of going for a nice long walk every day with some occasional caches some days, I was trying to plan ahead & split the walks in order to just find one or two caches a day. It was starting to annoy the family and making geocaching more 'my' thing than something we did together, too. I was expecting it to be a lot more fun, but as I changed the way I cached, the original reasons for us enjoying it disappeared as well and it started to became a bit less enjoyable.

[+DanOCan]

I am on a 101 day streak, purely because I was working on a local 99-day challenge cache.

 

I suspect it will end soon, not because the supply of caches in the city is running low but because the supply of caches in the city that are close to my commute AND appeal to me are running out. During the streak I've done a lot of caches that I wouldn't have bothered with normally and others that would have even ended up on the Ignore list.

 

Of course, *if* I do get one today then my caching streak will be the same length as my longest caching drought -- 102 days...

[+Semper Questio]

I got stopped at 409 days by this caching accident.

 

And I'm glad I did. The streak had turned caching into work and it wasn't very fun any more. Thanks to the break, I now only cache for fun and the moment in a hunt it stops being fun I walk away.

[knowschad]

There are certainly plenty of things in life that I have to do every day, like it or not. Thankfully, geocaching is not one of those.

[+thebruce0]

I'm currently at 210 of a 365 day challenge which I'm aiming to complete at 366 - unique sequential days, from March 1st to February 29th There was a 365 challenge cache I was going to log, but it's since been archived (lots of drama following that, but I digress). So My aim is to have 366 as my longest streak with my 366th day on February 29th, and to complete hit it at a grand total find count of 1337 finds

I don't intend to cache the next day, just so I can keep that streak count on the stats, hehe. But afterwards, I'm guessing my regular caching routine will subside quite a bit.

[+JeepFreak81]

I'm not on any kind of streak (unless you count finding 3 yesterday a streak). But one thing that I think will slow me down a whole lot if not halt my geocaching for a while is WINTER! I know there are some winter caches but I'm not really the type to hike a mile into the woods in the dead of winter. We'll see how it goes I guess!

[Mr.Yuck]

8 Days, and I actually did it on purpose knowing about it. I just let the "lunch hour" caches around work build up for about 2 years! I think it will stand, don't see me doing even that paltry number again. The local "30 day cache streak" challenge cache is on my ignore list.

[+The Seanachai]

98 days, I stopped to spend that 99th day at the hospital with my wife while our first child was born. We did take him to find a cache on the way home from the hospital though.

[+CanadianRockies]

My 113-day streak ended one early December. Not because of cold, snow, or diminishing nearby caches. Instead, it stopped because continuing the streak was becoming less and less fun. Various holiday activities also interfered with geocaching, and they eventually tipped the balance. Life happens.

[+dprovan]

My current streak is 125 days. Previous streaks (30-60 days) were broken because I ran out of caches "nearby". Each time I get into a streak, though, "nearby" expands.

 

As others, the main reason I keep streaks up is to satisfy challenges. In this one, I just wanted to make it to 100, so now I'm just coasting in case I can actually make it to a year.

 

Although another reason I try to get a cache a day is so I don't have to worry about missing a date for any of the challenges about finding a cache on every date regardless of year. I'd hate to get to 2/29/12 and find out that I accidentally skipped some date in September because I wasn't paying attention.

 

More interesting, though, is my longest slump.

Edited September 26, 2011 by dprovan

[+Ike 13]

100. I started shortly after I moved to Columbia, but i had already cleared out 100 close caches. It was a huge chore and was so annoying to drive across town three days in a row and only be able to only find one cache. I did a lot of prefinding once I got about half way so I knew the cache was there and I knew where it was so even in the dark or the rain I could grab it. Day 101 would have been Halloween but I was just exhausted and 100 was a nice number. I told my friends that unless they put an ammo can on my front door my streak would end. I've done a LOT of challenges and the Streak is one of the hardest

[+wimseyguy]

103 days in order to qualify for the 100 day streaker challenge.

I had visited the actual cache last summer on a challenge cache run with others who had qualified. I signed the log and posted a note to the page indicating that I didn't think I would ever go after that particular challenge as work and home just didn't allow me the time to do it. But over the winter I got to thinking about it, so I stopped looking for easier caches closer to home for a few months to let the available inventory build up a bit. I counted back 100 days from Geowoodstock 9 so that day 100 would mean something, and then kept on caching the rest of the weekend.

 

I know someone who is on a 1668 day streak.

[+t4e]

' timestamp='1317011775' post='4851568']

My question, if you've broken a long geostreak, why and how long was it? I share your pain, it's not an easy thing to do.

 

36 days, I think. I stopped after an attack of common sense.

 

I only did the streak for a challenge cache, and I would not do one any longer. I stopped as soon as I could.

 

Why on earth are people so willing to let their caching own them instead of owning it? Seriously, I think of "streak slaves" as deserving mostly of pity.

 

seriously, that's your personal opinion and even though you're entitled to it you shouldn't judge, i personally feel pity for those sitting on their bum in front of the TV all evening, we've always went out caching after work as means of unwinding from a long day...why would you feel pity for us enjoying it?...some people do have fun keeping a streak going, we're at 413 days and is as enjoyable as its been the first day...when it becomes a chore the streak will end, simple as that

[+GeoGerms]

I'm gonna have to stop at 80 or 81 (if a missing cache gets replaced) days simply because there are no caches left for me to find on my rock .

[+hikerT]

I started a streak 2 years ago and let it drop on day 78. It became a chore, and I hated feeling that I HAD to find a cache. I started again 60 some-odd days ago (I'm not counting, just marking the days off on the calendar until I get to the circled one at 100) and so far don't feel like it's a chore. Don't know if I'll continue after that or not. Whenever this run ends, that will be the end of streaking for me.

[+thebruce0]

Personally, I think it starts to feel like a chore if you're planning every day for every day's cache. For me, taking the time once or twice a week to plan out the caching route, and try to fit in some fun as well really helps in keeping the streak fun and enjoyable, rather than a daily chore. Also keeps the stress down of whether you'll actually get a cache any particular day (if you're doing for a challenge, of course)

[Krydos]

I'm currently at 210 of a 365 day challenge which I'm aiming to complete at 366 - unique sequential days, from March 1st to February 29th There was a 365 challenge cache I was going to log, but it's since been archived (lots of drama following that, but I digress). So My aim is to have 366 as my longest streak with my 366th day on February 29th, and to complete hit it at a grand total find count of 1337 finds

I don't intend to cache the next day, just so I can keep that streak count on the stats, hehe. But afterwards, I'm guessing my regular caching routine will subside quite a bit.

 

Dude.

 

This would be so sweet. Please complete this. Please. You would be my forever hero.

[Krydos]

I'm currently at 210 of a 365 day challenge which I'm aiming to complete at 366 - unique sequential days, from March 1st to February 29th There was a 365 challenge cache I was going to log, but it's since been archived (lots of drama following that, but I digress). So My aim is to have 366 as my longest streak with my 366th day on February 29th, and to complete hit it at a grand total find count of 1337 finds

I don't intend to cache the next day, just so I can keep that streak count on the stats, hehe. But afterwards, I'm guessing my regular caching routine will subside quite a bit.

 

Dude.

 

This would be so sweet. Please complete this. Please. You would be my forever hero.

 

Also if you need a cache to find for 1337 and you're in Nebraska...please... http://coord.info/GC300C3

 

We would be honored!

Edited September 27, 2011 by Krydos

[AZcachemeister]

A combination of 'lack of motivation' and 'lack of self-control'.

If I go out and do a nice run on Saturday, I frequently like to spend Sunday doing something else.

When I do go out, I tend to clean-out the area, so there are very few left close enough to home for the 'gotta get one today' thing.

[+Roman!]

A combination of 'lack of motivation' and 'lack of self-control'.

If I go out and do a nice run on Saturday, I frequently like to spend Sunday doing something else.

When I do go out, I tend to clean-out the area, so there are very few left close enough to home for the 'gotta get one today' thing.

 

I was lucky in the fact that I left the caches near me be and only found one if I needed to. On my days off I'd go hiking or to some far off park to find the caches. Today is the first day of my new streak and I found 2 caches close to home while at my sons soccer practice.

 

As for fun, I found it fun holding up the streak and it got me out of the house, since I started I lost 25 pounds and am in awesome shape, I've done some pretty tough hikes so it's been a good thing and am kinda sad it's broken as I did want to hit a year.

Edited September 27, 2011 by [Roman]

[+thebruce0]

Dude.

 

This would be so sweet. Please complete this. Please. You would be my forever hero.

Also if you need a cache to find for 1337 and you're in Nebraska...please... http://coord.info/GC300C3

 

We would be honored!

Hah! Well thanks, though I doubt I'll be in Nebraska any time soon

Not unless you've got a 5/5 daily caching challenge cache I can log the same day as GC300C3

[+geodarts]

I have never been able to get beyond 20 or 25. There are not enough new caches around where I live or work. My wife, family, and dog would not be happy if I disappeared every evening. They would particularly not be happy if I told them I had to go to a parking lot instead of a class play or some other sort of commitment. Then, eventually it would start getting dark early. Or rain. Or I would go out to get a cache and end up with a dnf. Or I could be watching the Giants play baseball or Phil Taylor playing darts and simply have other things to do.

 

But if I were in a different situation, it could be tough. Kablooey has found a cache every day since July 15, 2003. I think I would be torn between a compulsion to keep going and a desire to pick a particular number as an artistic statement and then never cache again.

[+hzoi]

I started a streak going right after we started caching, it was the end of March 2007. It was pretty easy at first, I had a 40 minute commute from Wiesbaden to Darmstadt, and that part of Hessen was definitely cache-rich country. But it started getting to be a pain after a little while. Toward the end of June, we went to Frankfurt for a day, and I had a few caches bookmarked, confident we'd find one quickly. Nope. Ended up finishing a multi that was three U-bahn stops out of our way, after sunset (barely found it in the dark). That's when I knew the streak's days were numbered. Kept it up for another week and a half, then stopped after 102 days, just after logging our 300th find.

[+power69]

I had an 11 day streak once. when you're bicycle only in a non cache dense area, big streaks just aren't going to happen.

[+redsox_mark]

For me, the question is more why the streak happened in the first place. I've not tried for a streak - I like caching, and I cache when I like (and can). My longest is 15 days.... so that means 15 days where I had the time and wanted to cache. I can't remember what happened on day 16, but I know that I either did not have time or just didn't want to cache that day. Or maybe it was raining really hard.

[+Team Dennis]

I did 101 days straight this past winter to qualify for part of a challenge cache. After that I just tried to find caches on days of the year when I had not found one yet. I'm hoping by the end of next year I will have every day blacked out.

[+Semper Questio]

For me, the question is more why the streak happened in the first place. I've not tried for a streak - I like caching, and I cache when I like (and can). My longest is 15 days.... so that means 15 days where I had the time and wanted to cache. I can't remember what happened on day 16, but I know that I either did not have time or just didn't want to cache that day. Or maybe it was raining really hard.

 

In my case I just thought I'd see how many days I got, figuring I'd only get a week or 2. After about a month I began to wonder how far I could take it. Then I decided to stop at a milestone number. Then came a special calendar date, then another milestone, then a year. thought I'd stop there but then some other thing would be near and on and on.

[+geocat_]

' timestamp='1317011775' post='4851568']

My question, if you've broken a long geostreak, why and how long was it? I share your pain, it's not an easy thing to do.

 

36 days, I think. I stopped after an attack of common sense.

 

I only did the streak for a challenge cache, and I would not do one any longer. I stopped as soon as I could.

 

Why on earth are people so willing to let their caching own them instead of owning it? Seriously, I think of "streak slaves" as deserving mostly of pity.

 

seriously, that's your personal opinion and even though you're entitled to it you shouldn't judge, i personally feel pity for those sitting on their bum in front of the TV all evening, we've always went out caching after work as means of unwinding from a long day...why would you feel pity for us enjoying it?...some people do have fun keeping a streak going, we're at 413 days and is as enjoyable as its been the first day...when it becomes a chore the streak will end, simple as that

 

Agree whole-heartily. Don't pity me for enjoying my current streak just as I don't pity those who hide LP caches, find 1000 in a day, and other parts of our sport I don't care for.

[+scout_toujours]

My longest streak was 6 days. I was starting a challenge and gun-ho about it. Then i realized that i Geocached for fun, to escape from life! I wanted it to remain that way. So i stopped before it became a chore. Now i still enjoy caching when i can and have fun doing it!

[+akkatracker]

At 6 days cause we ran out of caches. Another fellow called zalgariath is coming up to his 600th day streak now.

 

I know a cacher who has a current streak of 1569. Maybe he's going for 5 years, not sure.

 

Wow....My idol

[+mullyman]

I can see how this is addictive, but every single day for extended periods of time just seems OCD to me. For me it's a nice weather weekend thing to do with my wife. I am completely sucked in though. Went out yesterday and bought a trekking stick.

MULLY

[+TerraViators]

101 days because it became work, not fun.

[+thebruce0]

Streaks can easily become work to maintain for a challenge. But that doesn't mean they have to be a chore. Or that they're bad, or a waste of time, or a distraction from life. So, don't let them become a chore (if you can). Have fun with it. Plan. Enjoy it. Just like with anything you can do repeatedly, it can become an addiction, but just because it can doesn't mean it is. Personally, I think if you're doing it just because, then there could be an issue... but if you have a goal, and your strive is to complete that goal, then it's just like anything else in life you set your mind to, and how you go about pushing through to the end. How you deal with the routine afterwards will determine what effect it had on you

 

Streaks are not a Bad Thing. They can be a chore. But they can be liberating. And fun.

Personally, I chose to do a daily phoon to mark each day in the challenge for a year. That's my fun. And it's working .

Also, biking every day for caching is great exercise! hehe

Edited September 30, 2011 by thebruce0

[+CanadianRockies]

For me, the question is more why the streak happened in the first place. I've not tried for a streak - I like caching, and I cache when I like (and can). My longest is 15 days.... so that means 15 days where I had the time and wanted to cache.

My streak started the same way. I was fairly new to geocaching, it was summer, there were plenty of interesting hides nearby, and I enjoyed getting outside to find a few of them. One day (before I was aware of statistics and challenge caches), I realized I probably had been caching every day for quite a while. I looked back and counted finds for about 60 days straight. At that point, I decided it would be a fun personal goal to try to reach 100 days in a row (and it was).

[+GrateBear]

My new record will be set tomorrow at a whopping 12 days! I have to find one tomorrow because I'm working on getting a find on every day of the year. I think I'll probably take this to 25 days and that will be it. But, come Dec, I've got to do a 14 day streak in order to get finds on those dates. Not looking forward to that because Dec is usually the coldest and snowiest month here (not that we get much snow).

[kablooey]

I'm gonna have to stop at 80 or 81 (if a missing cache gets replaced) days simply because there are no caches left for me to find on my rock .

 

Wow, on an island with barely 500 or 600 caches, I'm impressed (especially knowing that you would never forgo an FTF opportunity to lengthen a streak).

Edited October 3, 2011 by kablooey

[+Bowlr]

I made it 149 days. On day #150, I had 3 DNF's and decided that the streak was over and besides, it was getting to be like work trying to find at least one a day.

Edited October 3, 2011 by Bowlr

[+Roman!]

I made it 149 days. On day #150, I had 3 DNF's and decided that the streak was over and besides, it was getting to be like work trying to find at least one a day.

 

Just over 100 days into my streak I knew I had a full day at work and wouldn't be able to find a cache after so I went out just before midnight to find an easy cache, problem, in my stupidity I found it and logged it 5 minutes before midnight so by the time I went home, re-planned and found another cache and got back home it was 2 am. Made for a long day at work.

 

I truly did enjoy my streak and the above example was the only time it actually felt like work, every other day I did enjoy, but I can't say I'm sad it's over either.

Edited October 4, 2011 by [Roman]