Geocaching Season?

[+dexnjan]

I am very new to this sport, and not having much luck at finding the caches. I use a car gps to get close, then a handheld gps. I live in Southern Minnesota, and winter is just starting. We don't have any snow as of yet. Do the people who place these caches retrieve them and quit for the winter? Do they check on them to see if they are still intact?

I have probably looked for more than 10 sites, but only have found 2.

Any ideas?

Thanks - dexnjan

[Pup Patrol]

I live in Ontario, and we cache in the winter. People set out new caches during the winter months.

 

I personally don't know of any caches that get removed for the winter. I think most people would use the "not winter friendly" attribute if their cache can't be found in the winter. Even with that, I know of some caches that would be under a few feet of snow that still got found by determined cachers.

[+HHD]

I cache in Wisconsin. Winter is great until you get about 2 feet of snow...then the walk to a cache can be dicey. Most caches will be noted with the snowflake attribute if they can be found on winter. I love caching this time of year. It's not too hot, no bugs, and leaves don't obstruct the cache.

[hoosier guy]

I cache in the winter. I look for larger caches to make it easier when there is snow on the ground.

[+danno68]

I'm new to geocaching as well and am really looking forward to what winter has in store. Being a university student, I get nearly a month without classes for most of December and some of January. I'm really hoping I'm able to get out and cache, and a little snow certainly won't deter me. I'm glad that its still alive and well in the winter, because I would hate to have to wait months before getting back out there.

[+BlueDeuce]

High summer is the worst time to cache.

[+sidekeck]

Did a few snowshoe treks with friends last winter. It was fun. We even dug up a few non-winter friendly caches, just for sport.

 

Some of the swampy areas around here are more tolerable when it's below freezing with snow on the ground. Go figure.

[+Chief301]

Around here, we're just getting into the best Geocaching season (fall-winter-early spring) because we don't get any snow and it's just too darn hot the rest of the year. I'd much rather cache this time of year than in the heat and humidity. Plus, our woods tend to be very jungle-like in the spring and summer, so that type of cache is much easier to get to when the foliage dies off.

[ritepath]

Leaves are off here....weather is mild. I'm new to this but I can see where this time of the year is great for finding caches in nature. (unless they're covered up with leaves)

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

No bugs (well, not many); no snakes; bears are asleep; few muggles -- what more could you ask for??????

[+JeepFreak81]

I plan to get out and get some caches this winter.....gonna buy some snowshoes to make the walk that much easier. There are a few that require a boat to access an island...well I don't have a boat but I'll just wait for the lake to freeze and trek out there to grab it

[+Thrak]

My wife and I found a cache in Idaho -- Iiguq (GCPZNW) that was along a cross-country skiing route. We found it during the summer but the cache was high enough off the ground to be findable during the winter by folks on skis. Where I live the winter gets WET but it almost never snows and it never sticks if it does snow. Caches in the surrounding hills never get pulled during the winter. Folks can look for them or not at their own discretion. I searched for a cache one time that I really wanted to find but the snow was just toooooooooo much for us on that one. Sadly, I've never been back to look for it during summer conditions. Hopefully someday...........

[+Team Dennis]

You betcha! I live up in the Twin Cities and I cache all winter. Last year I did a lot on snowshoes and quite a few while skiing out in Colorado. One of those was an ammo can under 6' of snow. It took a bunch of digging but we got it!

[+coman123]

I love winter caching, and in Ontario we get a lot of practice...

[+Team Pixos]

Snow I could take, the cold bothers me. We have a few caches requiring water that are disabled during the winter in my area.

 

Caching under lots of fall leaves not easy.

 

I'll stick to our summers even if they have bloodsuckers big enough to carry you away.

[+Brian~!]

The one thing to watch is where suddenly quite difficult caches across water can become tempting due to the frozen conditions. Just came back from Wisconsin on holiday and it was the most perfect conditions - no snow, but cold enough to stop all but the most determined insects.

[+redcenterdazza]

And down under, winter is fantastic. As mentioned before the snakes are not out. Down here, they don't rattle to let you know they are near. Very scary

sometimes sticking one's hand in a deep dark hole. Of course, most places here, there isnt snow, so bring on winter!