I'm an Out-of-Date Cacher?

[mjb716]

As one of the "new" cachers, I have to say that your cache would be amazing!

 

I like the more traditional caches, and I like urban caching, but there is something about seeing something that so few have seen before that really draws me out. To be able to hike through the mountains and make a day out of it? That's exactly what my team loves doing. The only question that I have is with it being a long multi (at least long compared to where I cache), how easy will it be for you to maintain? I mean, if part of the trail is destroyed, the entire cache is destroyed. That alone would make me think twice before going after your 9-part mega-quest. =)

[+Totem Clan]

As one of the "new" cachers, I have to say that your cache would be amazing!

 

I like the more traditional caches, and I like urban caching, but there is something about seeing something that so few have seen before that really draws me out. To be able to hike through the mountains and make a day out of it? That's exactly what my team loves doing. The only question that I have is with it being a long multi (at least long compared to where I cache), how easy will it be for you to maintain? I mean, if part of the trail is destroyed, the entire cache is destroyed. That alone would make me think twice before going after your 9-part mega-quest. =)

It's 13 parts.

 

It will be well maintained. The trailhead is less than 600 feet from my front door. The hike has no trail save game trails so there is no trail to be destroyed. Also my kids and I hike at least a portion of the ridge at least once a month. I have and will never place and will never place any cache I can’t maintain to standards higher than those that I expect any other cacher to uphold. If it’s active it will be there.

 

 

BTW there is a cacher driving 2 and half hours tomorrow just to go for it. He mailed me yesterday.

[+Totem Clan]

:D The FTF and the STF just stopped by after the find. They loved it. That makes it worth it. :D

[+d+n.s]

Why do you older cachers still hide stuff like that? Don't you know that only a few or you hangers on to the old ways of caching would even care about a cache like that. Hide something normal. Caching has changed. Get with the times.

No offense, but this doesn't sound like anything that would come out of a living person's mouth. They may have had said something to that effect, but I'm guessing their tone was different? This reads like a comic book.

Edited April 1, 2012 by d+n.s

[+Totem Clan]

Why do you older cachers still hide stuff like that? Don't you know that only a few or you hangers on to the old ways of caching would even care about a cache like that. Hide something normal. Caching has changed. Get with the times.

No offense, but this doesn't sound like anything that would come out of a living person's mouth. They may have had said something to that effect, but I'm guessing their tone was different? This reads like a comic book.

Thanks for calling me a lair.

 

That was copied and pasted for her post.

[+Totem Clan]

oops. Wrong thread.

Edited April 1, 2012 by Totem Clan

[Suscrofa]

I was on another site talking with some of my old caching friends who know that I love hiding caches as much as finding them. The were asking me if I had any hides planned and I told them about my latest hide on working on.

 

It's a multi with 8 to 12 points with a regaular size final. All the points are on the peaks and ridges or the mountains just outside of town. It'll will be a 4 to 5 mile hike with only the first 300 feet or so being on anything that could be called a trail. All the terrian is at least 3 star at best, and some is 4.5.

 

Anyway we're talking about this and another cacher pipes in and says,

Why do you older cachers still hide stuff like that? Don't you know that only a few or you hangers on to the old ways of caching would even care about a cache like that. Hide something normal. Caching has changed. Get with the times.

Well we told her we didn't get the memo so until the Frog tells us otherwise we'll hide what we like.

 

I really don't care what she had to say, but it did make me wonder if the outdoors side of caching so being outdated. So my question is, has caching change as a whole? Are the longer hikes become more of a thing of the past? I have caches that require little to no hiking but that's not why they are there, so I get that. However has the 'culture' of caching changed so much that a hike is not a good thing anymore in the minds of many?

 

 

[but like I told her, it doesn't matter I'll still hide what I like.]

 

Funny, I just came here with the intend to start a similar thread and found this one.

 

I have the same feeling looking at the few logs my caches rated 3 stars got compared to newer one far simpler. When I started in Geocaching, most of the caches I did were quite challenging and I was looking for them. Straightforward, if you look at older caches, generally you find a better mix of easy and complex caches. Today, it seems that the easy one pop up all over like weed.

OK if the place is worthwhile a visit but often not the case anymore with the increased density.

 

More lazy people or less educated ? Could be. But anyway, it is not really the problem, any one can have fun.

 

The point is, how to identify the challenging caches from the lamp post and drive in ones where the only difficulty is to be able to find a small box in a pile of rubles, tree stumps, etc...

When I read that some even complain that their GPS doesn't put them on top of the cache while they don't have the slightest understanding of the technology involved and its complexity, I am baffled.

 

There should be a way from the maps to identify the challenging caches without having to go through the description. Note that the "favorite" rating may not be enough as many popular caches are simple one that brings more visitors, so more votes.

Complex caches require also more preparation and maintenance, sometime I wonder if it is still worth to go through the hassle to maintain them. But then, when I read the enthusiastic comments from the few who managed to complete them, I continue.

 

And don't speak about "out of date" speak about "sophisticated" caches

 

And what kind of argument is that "get with the times" ??? More and more people who can barely read, write and even walk, is that what it means ?

 

And you are right not to care, nothing wrong to prefer quality, challenge, difficulty and BE AN INDEPENDENT MIND refusing the rule of mediocrity !

There was a time when people didn't "get with the times", they were making it !

Edited April 1, 2012 by Suscrofa

[+Totem Clan]

Here's the FTF log.

 

mikeybr2

 

Premium Member

 

1811

 

Found it

 

03/31/2012

 

After I did the X Marks the Spot series near Lawton this week, I received a challenge from the CO to do this multi. When I read the cache page I decided I was going to do this on Saturday. I asked a few cachers if they were interested and I finally got a yes from Josh of TeamAce. I picked Josh up early this morning and we made the drive here through some thick fog all the way from El Reno to Granite and much to our dismay the mountain was covered in this fog. Because of the limited visibilty we seemed to have taken the more difficult route in and I was a little bit discouraged at first but was encouraged by Josh who has had plenty of experience in this type of terrain. Being an Iowa farm boy I haven't! Once we finally completed the second waypoint the travelling got quite a bit better. The scenery was very beautiful once the fog burned off. I occasionally checked in with the CO to let him know our progress. We had a great time, laughing most of the time. Some of the time it was at my expense, Josh seemed to think it was funny when I got a long cactus needle stuck in my foot. It wasn't funny, I think it hit bone. He also thought it was funny when I tripped over barbed wire. That wasn't funny either lol. Finally, after what seemed like forever we found the ammo can, opened it up, opened the log and it was BLANK! We did a little celebration by knocking down the last of the KoolAid jammers and lighting up a victory cigar. After we finally made it down the mountain we drove over and met the cache owners and had great conversation with them. It was very nice to meet you Totem Clan. It was a great cache and all the coordinates were right on. I dropped a travel bug and geocoin for the next cacheers. Thanks!

 

 

This is why I hide caches like this.

[Tahosa and Sons]

I'm still hiding the way I have always done for the last 10 years. There is only one change that time has caused. I have to use True bearings because that magnetic pole shifts faster than the cachers who look for them. And am even looking for some new areas to hide them in, and I believe I have even found two areas that are almost empty of caches.

[+DragonsWest]

And thanks to Snoogans for placing caches in the Mammoth/June Lake area. It' much appreciated...........

 

I'd love to go find some of those caches some day. I lived in California for 40 years and traveled all over the State. The Mammoth/June Lake ares is one of my favorite places in a state that has a *lot* of really nice areas to visit.

 

We have a couple CITO events (here and here) going on in Yosemite this year, which are a perfect springboard to a couple of Snoogan's caches. I ran out to Mono Lake last year and found one of them, stupidly missing the other and a decent virtual on the way back to the valley.

 

Come out and join us.

[+Totem Clan]

Hopefully the wife and I will be able to retire for good in about 7 or so more years. We plan on getting a Jeep and an RV and going all over the country caching in places like you're talking about.

[+DragonsWest]

Hopefully the wife and I will be able to retire for good in about 7 or so more years. We plan on getting a Jeep and an RV and going all over the country caching in places like you're talking about.

 

Take care of yourself and you should make it. Geocaching takes you to some really spectacular places. I oughta know, it's really expanded my experience beyond some dead-end video game atrophying couch potato.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

And thanks to Snoogans for placing caches in the Mammoth/June Lake area. It' much appreciated...........

 

I'd love to go find some of those caches some day. I lived in California for 40 years and traveled all over the State. The Mammoth/June Lake ares is one of my favorite places in a state that has a *lot* of really nice areas to visit.

 

We have a couple CITO events (here and here) going on in Yosemite this year, which are a perfect springboard to a couple of Snoogan's caches. I ran out to Mono Lake last year and found one of them, stupidly missing the other and a decent virtual on the way back to the valley.

 

Come out and join us.

 

I keep telling my wife that we should take a vacation in California, and specifically some place in the Sierra Nevada but so far haven't had any luck. My brother lives in Sacramento so a trip to Tahoe is pretty easy from there. One of my dream vacations would be to take a couple of weeks and start in around Lone Pine,and start driving north on 395 and spend a few days in the many little towns along the eastern slope (Mammoth, June Lake, etc) then cut over onto 89 a bit south of Tahoe and take it all the way up to Lassen. It would make an amazing geocaching trip.

Edited April 4, 2012 by NYPaddleCacher

[+Flatiron & Mrs. Wrangler]

If any of you do the Eastern Sierras (Lone Pine, Independence, Big Pine, Bishop, Mammoth, June Lake ,Lee Vining, Bridgeport, etc.) stop in at Bodie Mike's BBQ in Lee Vining and ask for my wife Karen (Mrs. Wrangler) and say Hi. We still spend our summers there and would love to meet a few more cachers. Lee Vining is only 12 miles from the Eastern Entrance to Yosemite NP, and is a gateway to some spectacular scenery. There's quite a few fun caches in the area, and no major power trails to date. And the Yosemite CITO events are fun, too.....