Cache you wish got more traffic

[+Andromeda321]

I have a cache placed in a location I love but never seems to get any traffic to appreciate it (all of two finds this year in a suburban area- it's still there, just lonely) and I reckoned others have neat caches that just seem to fly under the radar to share too.

 

Cache in question is The Hidden Graveyard, which is next to a century-old graveyard that's been absorbed back into the forest. Very interesting spot and special to my heart because it's hidden up the hill from my parents' house, but just not frequented.

 

So, who else has a favorite but not often visited cache?

[+SwineFlew]

Its true that once the local cachers clear out the area, caches go quiet and rarely get visited.

 

If I feel a cache go too quiet, I will archived it and start over. It bring the local caches back out in that area.

[+ngrrfan]

I have several that rarely get visited but that doesn't bother me. It means (A) I don't have to worry about them as much and ( B ) many people aren't interested in finding more difficult caches. It won't stop me from putting more out in quasi-remote places though.

Edited November 6, 2012 by ngrrfan

[+Mr. 0]

If I feel a cache go too quiet, I will archived it and start over. It bring the local caches back out in that area.

 

Doesn't that drive the "I have to keep X radius around my home coords clear" cachers nuts?

[+SwineFlew]

If I feel a cache go too quiet, I will archived it and start over. It bring the local caches back out in that area.

 

Doesn't that drive the "I have to keep X radius around my home coords clear" cachers nuts?

It give them something to do without spending tons of money on fuel. I know a few cachers that cleared out their area but wont go any further and I assume it got to do with high fuel cost and time. Every new caches come up within their x radius, they will find it within a few months.

[+kunarion]

I have several that rarely get visited but that doesn't bother me. It means (A) I don't have to worry about them as much and ( B ) many people aren't interested in finding more difficult caches. It won't stop me from putting more out in quasi-remote places though.

+1

 

Maybe an occasional cacher will find mine in great condition, a pleasant change from the empty, trashed containers in the area.

[+hzoi]

Agree -- it happens. I thought for sure when we created a series with creative cache containers that the word would spread and they would keep getting finds, but apparently not. On the flip side, when we move next spring, I won't feel so bad about archiving our caches since they aren't getting any traffic. That's why we made arrangements to keep our caches active in Germany for a while after we moved, because people kept finding them on a regular basis. The same is true with the few caches we have in Virginia, but it's not true for the local ones. C'est la vie.

[+kunarion]

I thought for sure when we created a series with creative cache containers that the word would spread and they would keep getting finds, but apparently not.

What causes that? Is it just that there are only so many cachers in each area to find caches? I was on a trip recently, hunted a couple of nearby muddy guard rails, and wished that my GPSr could sort for the caches that people thought were the best. What if "Favorites" were more prominent?

 

I'm working on a creative cache series, and it would save me lots of work to simply drop match tubes. Maybe I'll make then cool anyway, for the one or two cachers who ever show up. I enjoy a well thought out cache regardless of how many finders there were.

Edited November 6, 2012 by kunarion

[+lamoracke]

If I feel a cache go too quiet, I will archived it and start over. It bring the local caches back out in that area.

 

Doesn't that drive the "I have to keep X radius around my home coords clear" cachers nuts?

It give them something to do without spending tons of money on fuel. I know a few cachers that cleared out their area but wont go any further and I assume it got to do with high fuel cost and time. Every new caches come up within their x radius, they will find it within a few months.

 

ugh, I resemble this remark...unless I am on a trip or exploring a new park or getting an extra special cache or doing a puzzle run, etc etc.

[+terrkan78]

I thought for sure when we created a series with creative cache containers that the word would spread and they would keep getting finds, but apparently not.

What causes that? Is it just that there are only so many cachers in each area to find caches? I was on a trip recently, hunted a couple of nearby muddy guard rails, and wished that my GPSr could sort for the caches that people thought were the best. What if "Favorites" were more prominent?

 

I'm working on a creative cache series, and it would save me lots of work to simply drop match tubes. Maybe I'll make then cool anyway, for the one or two cachers who ever show up. I enjoy a well thought out cache regardless of how many finders there were.

In Oregon there's a large quantity of caches available, and I mostly choose my next caching trip based primarily on location. "Ok, I'll hike that hill, get that one up top, grab those ones on the drive there, maybe that one over there if I feel up to it afterwards." I love it when I stumble on a creative cache (and once I find a creative cache, I'll hunt out other caches by that CO).

 

I guess it would make sense for me to pay more attention to favorite points. Sometimes a bookmark list of "so-and-so's favorites" brings a group of caches to my attention and they go on my to-do list. Sometimes I'll stumble on a listing that's so intriguing that it goes immediately on my to-do list. It's pretty much hit & miss as to whether I'd ever stumble upon a series of creative caches like you're planning (I'd love it if I did).

 

One of my favorite caches to date was hidden in 09 with only two other finds besides me.

[+redsox_mark]

None of my caches get very many finds. I only have 9; it's been about 2 months since any of them have been found. I have 2 multis; 2 Wherigos, and a series of 5 which involves a puzzle.

 

Caches which tend to get a lot of traffic (around my way anyway) tend to be either:

 

1. At a location which gets a lot of traffic anyway (urban location, or popular tourist location)

2. Part of a series, or in an area with many caches close enough so you can park and walk to find many caches. People look for those dense areas on the map.

 

To a lesser extent:

 

3. A single "special" cache with lots of favourites that gets spread by word of mouth/social media as a must visit.

 

The OP's cache seems a good one.. and while it is not in the middle of nowhere by any means, it would not show up as a cache dense area to attract numbers. Hide 20 others around it and you will get more visits

[+Rainbow Spirit]

If you really want more people to visit your caches you should try some of the following: 1/ Traditionals only, 2/ No long hikes to get to them, 3/ Easy parking and access, 4/ Placed close to a known centre of cachers, 5/ Placed on or near a main interstate highway, 6/ Placed at an interesting location, 7/ Use a 'fun' container.

 

Of cause not everyone may want to get a high find rate on their caches...

[+hzoi]

I thought for sure when we created a series with creative cache containers that the word would spread and they would keep getting finds, but apparently not.

What causes that? Is it just that there are only so many cachers in each area to find caches? I was on a trip recently, hunted a couple of nearby muddy guard rails, and wished that my GPSr could sort for the caches that people thought were the best. What if "Favorites" were more prominent?

 

I'm working on a creative cache series, and it would save me lots of work to simply drop match tubes. Maybe I'll make then cool anyway, for the one or two cachers who ever show up. I enjoy a well thought out cache regardless of how many finders there were.

I couldn't tell you. They're a little ways outside of town, we needed an area that had room for 26 caches and didn't want them to just be thrown onto the side of a 2.6 mile stretch of road. Maybe if we had made them into more of a power trail, more folks would come.

 

(Side note, if you want to experience the wonder that is hzoi's alphabet, better get out to Shorter, Alabama, within the next six months or so.)

[+Beach_hut]

If I feel a cache go too quiet, I will archived it and start over. It bring the local caches back out in that area.

 

Doesn't that drive the "I have to keep X radius around my home coords clear" cachers nuts?

 

Personally I think it's good to have a nearby unfound cache in your back pocket in case you've got a day you need to find a cache for a streak or to fill a day in your calendar.

[+dprovan]

The fact is that location has a few negatives about it in terms of attracting cachers outside the area. For example, it's "fiddly" because it has one place to park because of the single access route. The route itself is too short to be an interesting hike. And there are no other caches there to make it an outing. But that's because the place you want to bring people has those qualities, so you can't really improve them.

 

So be satisfied with the fact that every cacher that does find it is one more person that's seen your special place that otherwise never would have known about it. Focus on the individuals and don't worry about attracting hords.

 

Having said that, one thing you can consider is making a series of caches with a theme like secret places or cemeteries, wrap them together so they point to each other, perhaps with a bonus cache that provides a list. I know I've visited many caches because I ran into one part of a series and was thus encouraged to visit the other caches in the series, particularly if I got a bonus cache out of it. Heck, one cache near my house led to a 2 year effort to visit 18 other caches as far as 30 miles from home. Good advertising!

 

To answer your question, my favorite of the caches I've placed is a quirky puzzle that I thought the local puzzle fiends would be all over, so I've been disappointed that it's only had a few visits. Unlike yours, the location wasn't the point, although I do kinda like the spot.

[+fizzymagic]

I actually tend to prefer hiding caches that get few visits. I know that seems counter-intuitive, but bear with me.

 

I want to hide caches that people remember as special. What makes a cache special in my memory? One of three things: the journey, the destination, or the hide.

 

If the journey is interesting, it is also likely to be somewhat difficult, which will discourage many people.

 

If the destination is special, then that's great, but there are only so many easy-to-reach outstanding destinations.

 

If the container is special, it's likely that it will be somewhat difficult to find, which will also discourage a lot of people.

 

Another way to look at it: I want my caches to leave people feeling that they have accomplished something in doing it. Different people get that sense of accomplishment in different ways: some by finding large numbers of caches, others by maintaining a long streak, and still others by doing difficult, rarely-found caches. The latter are the people towards whom I aim many of my hides.

 

I think it is helpful as a cache hider to think of the finders as your customers. What kind of customer do you want? What are you trying to give the customers? Memories? Accomplishment? Design your hides around that.

[+The VanDucks]

I looked at your cache page and it looked very interesting, but I wonder if the rather isolated location and your comment about vandalism may scare some people away? Maybe you would attract more finders if you placed some other caches nearby. I usually plan our geocaching days to visit several caches in the same general location to avoid lots of time in the car. With our own caches, I notice that the ones which require a bit of a hike don't get as many visitors. Some cachers just want to get a large number and go for the easier, quicker ones.

[+briansnat]

I have one cache, Amazing Grace, that I thought was fantastic. It was a multi in a pretty gorge that has not only a ton of history, but many remnants of that time still exist. The first stage was originally next to a 19th century kiln built into a hillside. The second was on a long abandoned RR bridge that rose high above the river and the walk to the final brought you past a 19th century railroad turntable. I thought this was my best cache, but it didn't get a lot of visits because it was a multi. They are widely ignored around here

 

Unfortunately hurricane Irene destroyed the hillside where the first stage was hidden so I had to move it, the entire hillside including the tree it was hidden is gone. Then bridge was fenced off and made off limits according to recent logs. I had to disable it because I need to go there and assess the situation to see if I can tweak it. But the RR bridge and kiln were centerpieces of the cache so I'm afraid I will have to archive it.

[+Seawind]

Seldom-found caches, both mine and caches in my area that are very deserving, are a frequent topic of thought for me. There's no question that it is frustrating to see caches which are unquestionably high above the average quality level and yet which are only found a few times a year.

 

Some personal observations: First, I try to think of it like this: If I enjoyed the process of setting up the cache and returning to it for maintenance, and if at least one other person finds it (almost a guarantee), then it is worthwhile. Second, on more than one occasion, I have been about to archive an ultra-lonely cache, but just before doing it, I get a "found" log for it in which the finder describes what a great experience it was. And so, I decide against archiving.

 

Third, I have also had several occasions in which I consider archiving a cache since it seems like it hasn't had any traffic. But, when I review the logs over the past year or so, will find that there are quite a few more visits than I had thought. When you feel frustrated about a particular cache, just bring up the logs and reread them. Just hearing the positive comments that others have written may make you feel better.

 

It is certainly true that cache traffic slows way down after the locals have had a chance to visit, but I have also noted quite a few instances of new names showing up, either brand new cachers or someone new in the area. Those folks will quite often go after a bunch of nearby caches and you will see a spike in finds. Always a nice thing!

 

Owning caches and building up a lot of positive "found" logs is definitely a long-term undertaking. The best thing we can do to expedite the process is make sure our caches are of above average quality and that they are very well maintained. Having a good reputation as a hider goes a long way! Good luck!

[+edscott]

I have several that rarely get visited but that doesn't bother me. It means (A) I don't have to worry about them as much and ( B ) many people aren't interested in finding more difficult caches. It won't stop me from putting more out in quasi-remote places though.

 

Agree. I put out caches that require some navigation and common sense that goes beyond following the arrow to the box. Gotta plan your route or suffer some consequences. Not as many people are interested in these as in the park and grabs so most of them get less than one visit per month.

[+ATXTracker]

Rather than make caches that are easy or convenient, I try to earn favorite points to entice cachers to make the extra effort to find my caches. I try to think about making sure each cache has as many enjoyable elements as possible. A good location; scenic, safe. A high-quality container; big if possible, a better than average logbook, with good pen, a special spot for FTF. A good cache page, with nicely formatted text and images. A theme or story, and good swag. Make sure your hint is helpful, and your coordinates are good, and the DT ratings are as close as your can approximate. Take care with all the elements that go into the cache and the cachers may enjoy it enough to tell their friends.

[AZcachemeister]

The majority of my caches will require some effort to find.

The people who manage to find them will have earned their smilie.

Not everyone wants to actually earn their smilie, and would rather do a 100+ powertrail instead.

Oh, well!

All smilies are not created equal.

[+Sol seaker]

This cache may have had 145 finds, but that's been since 2007.

It has 74 favorites for a good reason, but the fact it only has 74 favorites says this one is way under-visited. This is one of the most extraordinary caches I've ever seen. No, I think it's THE most extraordinary cache I've ever seen.

 

A lot of people skip multis. But the logs show that people come long distances to find this one... for good reason!!!

 

Tubulaire Extraordinaire!

 

 

No, it's not my cache.

My caches are all doing fine.

Some get few finds, but I don't mind. Less maintenance.

[+WarNinjas]

We have one that you have to kayak to at a xtreme high tide and is kind of hard to get to. It took a couple of months before the ftf and I think has only been found once after. I still like that one.

[+Dgwphotos]

I have one cache, Amazing Grace, that I thought was fantastic. It was a multi in a pretty gorge that has not only a ton of history, but many remnants of that time still exist. The first stage was originally next to a 19th century kiln built into a hillside. The second was on a long abandoned RR bridge that rose high above the river and the walk to the final brought you past a 19th century railroad turntable. I thought this was my best cache, but it didn't get a lot of visits because it was a multi. They are widely ignored around here.

My Peter Cottontail's Adventure cache is in the same position, though it's a true multi (not an offset) and not difficult. It is my most favorited cache.

Edited November 19, 2012 by Dgwphotos

[+uxorious]

I have one cache, Amazing Grace, that I thought was fantastic. It was a multi in a pretty gorge that has not only a ton of history, but many remnants of that time still exist. The first stage was originally next to a 19th century kiln built into a hillside. The second was on a long abandoned RR bridge that rose high above the river and the walk to the final brought you past a 19th century railroad turntable. I thought this was my best cache, but it didn't get a lot of visits because it was a multi. They are widely ignored around here

 

Unfortunately hurricane Irene destroyed the hillside where the first stage was hidden so I had to move it, the entire hillside including the tree it was hidden is gone. Then bridge was fenced off and made off limits according to recent logs. I had to disable it because I need to go there and assess the situation to see if I can tweak it. But the RR bridge and kiln were centerpieces of the cache so I'm afraid I will have to archive it.

 

I rarely do multis. Partly because of limited mobility, and not sure if I can complete what I start.

After knee replacements, my mobility is becoming less of a factor, but I still like to know about how long and far the cache is before trying.

 

I noticed in your cache you give an estimate on how long it would take, and if I lived anywhere near you I might even try this one.

 

That being said, it sounds as if you are having problems with some stages. Washouts, and changes in the use of the bridge.

 

If you had made this a few separate caches, people could still enjoy some of the stages, while you work out what to do with the rest.

[+Snoogans]

So, who else has a favorite but not often visited cache?

 

This is my absolute favorite cache to perform maintenance on. I wish it got hit more often but I get why it doesn't get visited all that much.

 

It has right at 50% DNFs, but they are the happiest DNFs I've ever seen on a cache. (Back meet Pat.)

 

I wish all of my caches in the Sierras got hit more often really. I miss my home and every picture that gets posted really makes my day. Check out the gallery for the cache in question.

[+geodarts]

Many of my caches may be visited only once every two years or so, and with some I expect even a longer gap in the future since most of the locals inclined to hike or bushwhack have found them.

 

Still,I sometimes wonder why The Lost Treasure of Williams Gulch is not found more often. It is a fairly easy walk, from either of two trailheads, up a beautiful redwood-lined creek to the remains of a historic dam. The story behind Williams himself is an interesting one and the cache contains some themed items relating to his treasure. It is one of my favorite trails any time of the year, but when the water is flowing it really comes into its own. Its last find was in August, 2010.

 

I also think that that my Wherigo, Bigfoot's Trail is deserving of a few more visits. It is about a 6 mile roundtrip hike along another favorite trail. Along the way, people will discover casts said to be taken of bigfoot prints, hear sounds that are recorded from an alleged bigfoot encounter (if their unit supports audio), and get introduced to a lot of the lore associated with sasquatch. I once had a bigfoot action figure at the final, but that seems to have disappeared. Still, in the end, you get to be certified as a genuine bigfoot explorer. But a Wherigo with a hike will definitely have a limited audience.

 

These days I archive more caches than I place. Although I have never placed a cache just to place a cache, and am proud of most of my hides, many have served their purpose. But the caches above are two of the ones that will stick around for whoever likes to find them.

Edited November 20, 2012 by geodarts