Cache Away from home

[+goldfinch180]

I would really love to post a good geocache at a ski mountain I go to frequently in the winter. I want to hide it in the middle of a Black Diamond trail, so that it can be a terrain 5 in the winter and in the summer, because skiing down and climbing up would both be difficult. I would also like to place some other caches at this mountain in other interesting spots. I doubt I would be unable to get permission because hey-more people buying lift tickets. The problem is that it's 100 miles from where I live, and I only go during the winter months. Is it possible for me to hide the cache, but during the off season have a local cacher deal with the problems? How so if it is?

[+niraD]

See the maintenance guidelines. The important thing is to explain to your volunteer reviewer that you have a workable maintenance plan for the months when you'll be away.

[+briansnat]

You need to be able to maintain your cache and respond promptly to issues, or have a plan to maintain it. Maybe you can get a local cacher to agree to maintain it for you.

 

Also remember that most ski areas are privately owned so it is likely you will need permission.

 

As an aside, I can't think of a ski area within 100 miles of the NYC metro area that would warrant a 5 star terrain rating even on their black diamond slopes.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

You need to be able to maintain your cache and respond promptly to issues, or have a plan to maintain it. Maybe you can get a local cacher to agree to maintain it for you.

 

Also remember that most ski areas are privately owned so it is likely you will need permission.

 

As an aside, I can't think of a ski area within 100 miles of the NYC metro area that would warrant a 5 star terrain rating even on their black diamond slopes.

 

It's a bit more than 100 miles but Tuckermans Ravine might qualify, especially in the winter because it isn't service by a chairlift. A two part multi with the first stage at the time might elevate the terrain rating as well.

 

Coincidentally, I'm going to be at Squaw Valley next week where I pretty much learned out to ski and have skied runs like the west face of KT-22, the north face of Headwall, and a run off the back side of Emigrant into Granite chief are all longer and steeper than anything I've seen in NY. Obviously, I won't be doing any skiing but there are a few caches on the mountain, including one at the to of the KT-22 lift.

[+goldfinch180]

You need to be able to maintain your cache and respond promptly to issues, or have a plan to maintain it. Maybe you can get a local cacher to agree to maintain it for you.

 

Also remember that most ski areas are privately owned so it is likely you will need permission.

 

As an aside, I can't think of a ski area within 100 miles of the NYC metro area that would warrant a 5 star terrain rating even on their black diamond slopes.

 

It's a bit more than 100 miles but Tuckermans Ravine might qualify, especially in the winter because it isn't service by a chairlift. A two part multi with the first stage at the time might elevate the terrain rating as well.

 

Coincidentally, I'm going to be at Squaw Valley next week where I pretty much learned out to ski and have skied runs like the west face of KT-22, the north face of Headwall, and a run off the back side of Emigrant into Granite chief are all longer and steeper than anything I've seen in NY. Obviously, I won't be doing any skiing but there are a few caches on the mountain, including one at the to of the KT-22 lift.

 

I thought it would be kinda like caches on islands...if you need the ability to control a boat (extra knowledge) it would be a terrain 5. I you need to be a acomplished skier, terrain 5? It is a relatively easy mountain, but this trail is VERY steep, enough for a much younger me to chicken out on it many times.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

You need to be able to maintain your cache and respond promptly to issues, or have a plan to maintain it. Maybe you can get a local cacher to agree to maintain it for you.

 

Also remember that most ski areas are privately owned so it is likely you will need permission.

 

As an aside, I can't think of a ski area within 100 miles of the NYC metro area that would warrant a 5 star terrain rating even on their black diamond slopes.

 

It's a bit more than 100 miles but Tuckermans Ravine might qualify, especially in the winter because it isn't service by a chairlift. A two part multi with the first stage at the time might elevate the terrain rating as well.

 

Coincidentally, I'm going to be at Squaw Valley next week where I pretty much learned out to ski and have skied runs like the west face of KT-22, the north face of Headwall, and a run off the back side of Emigrant into Granite chief are all longer and steeper than anything I've seen in NY. Obviously, I won't be doing any skiing but there are a few caches on the mountain, including one at the to of the KT-22 lift.

 

I thought it would be kinda like caches on islands...if you need the ability to control a boat (extra knowledge) it would be a terrain 5. I you need to be a acomplished skier, terrain 5? It is a relatively easy mountain, but this trail is VERY steep, enough for a much younger me to chicken out on it many times.

 

Out of curiosity, where is this very steep run? From what I have seen most ski resorts tend to rate their runs relative to all the other runs at the result. A black diamond run at Squaw Valley like Chute 75 on KT-22 might be a *lot* more difficult than a black diamond run at a small eastern resort with only 3-4 lifts.

 

BTW, most caches on islands which require a boat to access the location and are rated 5 star terrain do not require accomplished boating skills. I've seen quite a few of them that could be done with a $20 inflatable boat by someone with little to no paddling experience.

 

I think what Brian is getting at is that most ski runs are not long and steep enough to warrant a 5 star terrain when there isn't any snow on the ground. A 5 star terrain rating for a cache that does not require special equipment or skills ought to require a long hike and a steep elevation change.

[+goldfinch180]

You need to be able to maintain your cache and respond promptly to issues, or have a plan to maintain it. Maybe you can get a local cacher to agree to maintain it for you.

 

Also remember that most ski areas are privately owned so it is likely you will need permission.

 

As an aside, I can't think of a ski area within 100 miles of the NYC metro area that would warrant a 5 star terrain rating even on their black diamond slopes.

 

It's a bit more than 100 miles but Tuckermans Ravine might qualify, especially in the winter because it isn't service by a chairlift. A two part multi with the first stage at the time might elevate the terrain rating as well.

 

Coincidentally, I'm going to be at Squaw Valley next week where I pretty much learned out to ski and have skied runs like the west face of KT-22, the north face of Headwall, and a run off the back side of Emigrant into Granite chief are all longer and steeper than anything I've seen in NY. Obviously, I won't be doing any skiing but there are a few caches on the mountain, including one at the to of the KT-22 lift.

 

I thought it would be kinda like caches on islands...if you need the ability to control a boat (extra knowledge) it would be a terrain 5. I you need to be a acomplished skier, terrain 5? It is a relatively easy mountain, but this trail is VERY steep, enough for a much younger me to chicken out on it many times.

 

Out of curiosity, where is this very steep run? From what I have seen most ski resorts tend to rate their runs relative to all the other runs at the result. A black diamond run at Squaw Valley like Chute 75 on KT-22 might be a *lot* more difficult than a black diamond run at a small eastern resort with only 3-4 lifts.

 

BTW, most caches on islands which require a boat to access the location and are rated 5 star terrain do not require accomplished boating skills. I've seen quite a few of them that could be done with a $20 inflatable boat by someone with little to no paddling experience.

 

I think what Brian is getting at is that most ski runs are not long and steep enough to warrant a 5 star terrain when there isn't any snow on the ground. A 5 star terrain rating for a cache that does not require special equipment or skills ought to require a long hike and a steep elevation change.

 

Butternut in Great Barrington MA. It's a very easy mountain, I like it for the friendly atmosphere. Off topic...lol. It would be on the most difficult trail, excluding the mogul course.

[+SwineFlew]

We got a ski resort with plenty of caches on it. Its on public land but, in the winter you must have a pass.

 

The caches are on mt bachelor.

 

There is even a virtual cache there as well but best done in the winter and its a 5 stars. In the winter, its easier on skis but you will need a pass and know how to ski, a skill that take more time than getting on a boat. In the summer, you will need to hike to it and wont be a easy one. Pick your choice of how you wnana get it done base on your skill level.

 

One cache is on the top of the mountain and yes you can get up there in the winter but its buried under alot of snow so its a summer cache to do. Its a 3.5 stars in T due to that you can ride part way up and hike the rest. There is a trail to the top.

 

http://coord.info/GC152T3 Look at the map to see more caches in the area.

 

To briansnat, to ski to a cache take more skills(let alone a black run) than to get in a boat and paddle to the cache. I had skied on both coasts and yes, I do know that black run on the east coast seem to be way easy and the black run on the west coast is another story. Some are groomed and some arent. So the non-groomed run are harder for sure. And another thing to keep in mind is "tree well"(dont know if they have those on the east coast but they got them here). So, a 5 stars for a winter cache is right on the money. Even in the summer because it require you to climb up the tree due to no snow on the ground.

 

To ski to a cache can take a few tries. Alot of time cacher stop too late and gotta try again on the next run down. And to find the right path to the cache is tricky as well. When you are on skis, its a whole different ballpark.

 

To the OP, I dont know what area you are going to place the cache, but if you want the cache to be found in the winter, it will need to be tied up high in the tree. If thats the case, it can be a nightmare for those in the summer. I do know out here on Bachelor, the snow base can be over 100 inches and even in the trees. So, here in Oregon a 5 star cache is good to go, winter or summer.

[+SwineFlew]

As for maintenance, try to find someone local to keep it going for you.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

 

Butternut in Great Barrington MA. It's a very easy mountain, I like it for the friendly atmosphere. Off topic...lol. It would be on the most difficult trail, excluding the mogul course.

 

It doesn't sound like that would be 5 star terrain in summer. As I suggested, assuming you can get permission and a maintenance plan that provides a means to maintain it in summer, a two part multi with the first stage on the top of the mountain and the final half way down would require a hike to the top of the mountain and back to the bottom to complete the cache.

 

A long time I ago I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming a couple of weeks after the small resort in town had closed. A friend of mine and I hiked to the top of the mountain (about 1000' vertical feet) and took in the views for awhile before skiing down. Our figure 8 tracks could be seen from anywhere in town for a week and a half.

 

I wish I would have started caching a couple of years earlier than I did. About two years before I started caching I skied Le Brevant in Chamonix, France. The cable car starts in town and goes up about 4200 vertical feet to the top where there are several caches in the area and a spectacular view of Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in Europe).

[+Team Dennis]

I have found a bunch of "Ski-O-Caches" in Colorado since I started caching. The bulk of them were hidden by a guy that lives several hours away but he is in the area several times per year. Also, nearly all of them are tethered to their hiding spot in some manner...usually with a chain. Some of his caches took a bunch of digging through 5' of snow but to date there has not been a cache out there that I have not been able to find. If hidden properly, you should not have to do much maintenance on them. However, things do happen and you do need to be prepared with a backup plan just in case.

[Mr.Yuck]

This doesn't sound too crazy to me, even with it being 100 miles away. The key thing here I would have to think is permission. The thought of people parking their cars and walking around on the trails of a privately owned ski resort during the off-season (which is almost 3/4 of the year in Mass.) would be a horrible idea, in my opinion. With permission, this whole thing turns into a great idea. A great idea that would probably result in you taking a 200 mile round trip if anything happened to one of the caches April-November.

[+goldfinch180]

This doesn't sound too crazy to me, even with it being 100 miles away. The key thing here I would have to think is permission. The thought of people parking their cars and walking around on the trails of a privately owned ski resort during the off-season (which is almost 3/4 of the year in Mass.) would be a horrible idea, in my opinion. With permission, this whole thing turns into a great idea. A great idea that would probably result in you taking a 200 mile round trip if anything happened to one of the caches April-November.

 

Actually, I think the mountain is open for hikers and moutain bikers to use during the off season. They attach bike racks to the back of the chair lifts and bring them up so people can go down.

[Mr.Yuck]

This doesn't sound too crazy to me, even with it being 100 miles away. The key thing here I would have to think is permission. The thought of people parking their cars and walking around on the trails of a privately owned ski resort during the off-season (which is almost 3/4 of the year in Mass.) would be a horrible idea, in my opinion. With permission, this whole thing turns into a great idea. A great idea that would probably result in you taking a 200 mile round trip if anything happened to one of the caches April-November.

 

Actually, I think the mountain is open for hikers and moutain bikers to use during the off season. They attach bike racks to the back of the chair lifts and bring them up so people can go down.

 

You have to pay to do this? I can't imagine they just open up the slopes, and it's free, and they are free of any liability. I still say no way at a privately ski facility without permission. Don't be fooled by the fact we know almost no one has permission to hide caches in store parking lots, and they get away with it. This ain't no parking lot.

[+J the Goat]

This doesn't sound too crazy to me, even with it being 100 miles away. The key thing here I would have to think is permission. The thought of people parking their cars and walking around on the trails of a privately owned ski resort during the off-season (which is almost 3/4 of the year in Mass.) would be a horrible idea, in my opinion. With permission, this whole thing turns into a great idea. A great idea that would probably result in you taking a 200 mile round trip if anything happened to one of the caches April-November.

 

Actually, I think the mountain is open for hikers and moutain bikers to use during the off season. They attach bike racks to the back of the chair lifts and bring them up so people can go down.

 

You have to pay to do this? I can't imagine they just open up the slopes, and it's free, and they are free of any liability. I still say no way at a privately ski facility without permission. Don't be fooled by the fact we know almost no one has permission to hide caches in store parking lots, and they get away with it. This ain't no parking lot.

 

Now I could be very wrong here, but in Lake Tahoe, most of the ski resorts are part of the national forest. In the summer time, you can hike and bike all you want for no charge, unless you choose to use the lifts. It's pretty cool actually, if I'm right that is

[+goldfinch180]

This doesn't sound too crazy to me, even with it being 100 miles away. The key thing here I would have to think is permission. The thought of people parking their cars and walking around on the trails of a privately owned ski resort during the off-season (which is almost 3/4 of the year in Mass.) would be a horrible idea, in my opinion. With permission, this whole thing turns into a great idea. A great idea that would probably result in you taking a 200 mile round trip if anything happened to one of the caches April-November.

 

Actually, I think the mountain is open for hikers and moutain bikers to use during the off season. They attach bike racks to the back of the chair lifts and bring them up so people can go down.

 

You have to pay to do this? I can't imagine they just open up the slopes, and it's free, and they are free of any liability. I still say no way at a privately ski facility without permission. Don't be fooled by the fact we know almost no one has permission to hide caches in store parking lots, and they get away with it. This ain't no parking lot.

 

Turns out they don't have it, I was thinking of another place...No you do have to pay, well...you don't if you're just a hiker. When skiing down I see people snowshoing up, and they don't need to pay because if you're not using the lifts...you don't need a LIFT ticket! Anyway I have the full intent of getting permission, but now that I think about it it might be a problem for their liability claims, supposing so dumb person stops to find it and stands in an unsafe spot, some speeding nut smashes into them and now ski patrol as a bloody mess...

[+J the Goat]

This doesn't sound too crazy to me, even with it being 100 miles away. The key thing here I would have to think is permission. The thought of people parking their cars and walking around on the trails of a privately owned ski resort during the off-season (which is almost 3/4 of the year in Mass.) would be a horrible idea, in my opinion. With permission, this whole thing turns into a great idea. A great idea that would probably result in you taking a 200 mile round trip if anything happened to one of the caches April-November.

 

Actually, I think the mountain is open for hikers and moutain bikers to use during the off season. They attach bike racks to the back of the chair lifts and bring them up so people can go down.

 

You have to pay to do this? I can't imagine they just open up the slopes, and it's free, and they are free of any liability. I still say no way at a privately ski facility without permission. Don't be fooled by the fact we know almost no one has permission to hide caches in store parking lots, and they get away with it. This ain't no parking lot.

 

Now I could be very wrong here, but in Lake Tahoe, most of the ski resorts are part of the national forest. In the summer time, you can hike and bike all you want for no charge, unless you choose to use the lifts. It's pretty cool actually, if I'm right that is

[+goldfinch180]

This doesn't sound too crazy to me, even with it being 100 miles away. The key thing here I would have to think is permission. The thought of people parking their cars and walking around on the trails of a privately owned ski resort during the off-season (which is almost 3/4 of the year in Mass.) would be a horrible idea, in my opinion. With permission, this whole thing turns into a great idea. A great idea that would probably result in you taking a 200 mile round trip if anything happened to one of the caches April-November.

 

Actually, I think the mountain is open for hikers and moutain bikers to use during the off season. They attach bike racks to the back of the chair lifts and bring them up so people can go down.

 

You have to pay to do this? I can't imagine they just open up the slopes, and it's free, and they are free of any liability. I still say no way at a privately ski facility without permission. Don't be fooled by the fact we know almost no one has permission to hide caches in store parking lots, and they get away with it. This ain't no parking lot.

 

Now I could be very wrong here, but in Lake Tahoe, most of the ski resorts are part of the national forest. In the summer time, you can hike and bike all you want for no charge, unless you choose to use the lifts. It's pretty cool actually, if I'm right that is

 

Turns out they don't have it, I was thinking of another place...No you do have to pay, well...you don't if you're just a hiker. When skiing down I see people snowshoing up, and they don't need to pay because if you're not using the lifts...you don't need a LIFT ticket! Anyway I have the full intent of getting permission, but now that I think about it it might be a problem for their liability claims, supposing so dumb person stops to find it and stands in an unsafe spot, some speeding nut smashes into them and now ski patrol as a bloody mess..since the mountain is technically closed during the off season, I suppose it might be a problem if someone goes looking in the summer and gets hurt...

[+briansnat]

 

Butternut in Great Barrington MA. It's a very easy mountain, I like it for the friendly atmosphere. Off topic...lol. It would be on the most difficult trail, excluding the mogul course.

 

It doesn't sound like that would be 5 star terrain in summer. As I suggested, assuming you can get permission and a maintenance plan that provides a means to maintain it in summer, a two part multi with the first stage on the top of the mountain and the final half way down would require a hike to the top of the mountain and back to the bottom to complete the cache.

 

A long time I ago I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming a couple of weeks after the small resort in town had closed. A friend of mine and I hiked to the top of the mountain (about 1000' vertical feet) and took in the views for awhile before skiing down. Our figure 8 tracks could be seen from anywhere in town for a week and a half.

 

I wish I would have started caching a couple of years earlier than I did. About two years before I started caching I skied Le Brevant in Chamonix, France. The cable car starts in town and goes up about 4200 vertical feet to the top where there are several caches in the area and a spectacular view of Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in Europe).

 

I've skied Butternut. Probably 3 star terrain at most. Sure if skis are required it would be special skill/equipment, making it a 5, but there is only snow a few months out of the year. I think terrain should be based on conditions that people are most likely to encounter, which means no snow at a place like Butternut.

[+goldfinch180]

 

Butternut in Great Barrington MA. It's a very easy mountain, I like it for the friendly atmosphere. Off topic...lol. It would be on the most difficult trail, excluding the mogul course.

 

It doesn't sound like that would be 5 star terrain in summer. As I suggested, assuming you can get permission and a maintenance plan that provides a means to maintain it in summer, a two part multi with the first stage on the top of the mountain and the final half way down would require a hike to the top of the mountain and back to the bottom to complete the cache.

 

A long time I ago I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming a couple of weeks after the small resort in town had closed. A friend of mine and I hiked to the top of the mountain (about 1000' vertical feet) and took in the views for awhile before skiing down. Our figure 8 tracks could be seen from anywhere in town for a week and a half.

 

I wish I would have started caching a couple of years earlier than I did. About two years before I started caching I skied Le Brevant in Chamonix, France. The cable car starts in town and goes up about 4200 vertical feet to the top where there are several caches in the area and a spectacular view of Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in Europe).

 

I've skied Butternut. Probably 3 star terrain at most. Sure if skis are required it would be special skill/equipment, making it a 5, but there is only snow a few months out of the year. I think terrain should be based on conditions that people are most likely to encounter, which means no snow at a place like Butternut.

 

Looking at it the other way though...its a hike up a hill, a huge, steep hill...maybe a 4?

[+briansnat]

 

Butternut in Great Barrington MA. It's a very easy mountain, I like it for the friendly atmosphere. Off topic...lol. It would be on the most difficult trail, excluding the mogul course.

 

It doesn't sound like that would be 5 star terrain in summer. As I suggested, assuming you can get permission and a maintenance plan that provides a means to maintain it in summer, a two part multi with the first stage on the top of the mountain and the final half way down would require a hike to the top of the mountain and back to the bottom to complete the cache.

 

A long time I ago I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming a couple of weeks after the small resort in town had closed. A friend of mine and I hiked to the top of the mountain (about 1000' vertical feet) and took in the views for awhile before skiing down. Our figure 8 tracks could be seen from anywhere in town for a week and a half.

 

I wish I would have started caching a couple of years earlier than I did. About two years before I started caching I skied Le Brevant in Chamonix, France. The cable car starts in town and goes up about 4200 vertical feet to the top where there are several caches in the area and a spectacular view of Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in Europe).

 

I've skied Butternut. Probably 3 star terrain at most. Sure if skis are required it would be special skill/equipment, making it a 5, but there is only snow a few months out of the year. I think terrain should be based on conditions that people are most likely to encounter, which means no snow at a place like Butternut.

 

Looking at it the other way though...its a hike up a hill, a huge, steep hill...maybe a 4?

 

It's steep but not excessively so. It's also a smooth, grassy slope. If it were my cache I'd rate it a 3. Same slope but on a rocky trail, then maybe a 3.5. The definition of 4 star terrain is Experienced outdoor enthusiasts only. Terrain is probably off-trail. Will have one or more of the following: very heavy overgrowth, very steep elevation (requiring use of hands), or more than a 10 mile hike. May require an overnight stay.

 

I don't think any of that applies on a well manicured ski trail.

[+goldfinch180]

 

Butternut in Great Barrington MA. It's a very easy mountain, I like it for the friendly atmosphere. Off topic...lol. It would be on the most difficult trail, excluding the mogul course.

 

It doesn't sound like that would be 5 star terrain in summer. As I suggested, assuming you can get permission and a maintenance plan that provides a means to maintain it in summer, a two part multi with the first stage on the top of the mountain and the final half way down would require a hike to the top of the mountain and back to the bottom to complete the cache.

 

A long time I ago I was in Jackson Hole, Wyoming a couple of weeks after the small resort in town had closed. A friend of mine and I hiked to the top of the mountain (about 1000' vertical feet) and took in the views for awhile before skiing down. Our figure 8 tracks could be seen from anywhere in town for a week and a half.

 

I wish I would have started caching a couple of years earlier than I did. About two years before I started caching I skied Le Brevant in Chamonix, France. The cable car starts in town and goes up about 4200 vertical feet to the top where there are several caches in the area and a spectacular view of Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in Europe).

 

I've skied Butternut. Probably 3 star terrain at most. Sure if skis are required it would be special skill/equipment, making it a 5, but there is only snow a few months out of the year. I think terrain should be based on conditions that people are most likely to encounter, which means no snow at a place like Butternut.

 

Looking at it the other way though...its a hike up a hill, a huge, steep hill...maybe a 4?

 

It's steep but not excessively so. It's also a smooth, grassy slope. If it were my cache I'd rate it a 3. Same slope but on a rocky trail, then maybe a 3.5. The definition of 4 star terrain is Experienced outdoor enthusiasts only. Terrain is probably off-trail. Will have one or more of the following: very heavy overgrowth, very steep elevation (requiring use of hands), or more than a 10 mile hike. May require an overnight stay.

 

I don't think any of that applies on a well manicured ski trail.

 

Well it won't really matter at all if I can't find someone to help with maintinence and get permission first...