OK time to fess up

[+dameetro]

We've all seen dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of lightpole "skirtlifter" caches after a few years of caching. Just now while looking back at my first Found It logs, I chuckled when I read my first skirtlifter find from a Lowe's Parking lot. I remember walking around in circles trying to figure out where a container could be in the middle of this parking lot, and being amazed that some guy thought to stick a match container under there! By the end of that week....well, ya know. It wasn't so amazing.

 

So here's your task......Copy and paste your first skirtlifter log find here so we can all laugh at your innocence!

 

I'll start:

 

My 12th cache find....."Awesome hiding spot!"

 

 

 

.

Edited May 12, 2014 by dameetro

[+3GDs]

Can you define skirtlifter cache for me please?

[+dameetro]

Can you define skirtlifter cache for me please?

 

Similar to this, but a little more subtle...

 

[+3GDs]

Oops oh yeah got ya

Im in UK and we don't have these.

[+Chief301]

Can you define skirtlifter cache for me please?

 

There is often some confusion from folks outside the U.S. regarding this term. In the US many parking lot lampposts, in shopping centers and such, have a sheet metal box at the bottom which hides the bolts that secure the post to the concrete base. These boxes, or "skirts", are not secured to the base in any way so they can be slid up the pole....small and micro caches are often hidden under this skirt. Apparently this is not how lampposts are designed on your side of the pond 😊.

 

New cachers usually think this is a truly ingenious place to hide a cache. After a few dozen of them the novelty wears a little thin 😁

[+Ambrosia]

[+Ambrosia]

My first skirt lifter was in January of 2003. The owner took a group of us to a couple of his new caches, because they were these new fangled "tiny" caches. First time I've ever seen a bison tube. It was revolutionary, I tell ya!

 

I don't think we would have found the skirt lifter if the owner hadn't have been there heckling all of us. I didn't find another one for a long while, in fact, I haven't found that many in general, over the years. So that first skirt lifter is still special to me. Mind. Blown.

[+The A-Team]

TEAM GOAT "ULS #1: ROBYN'S POLE "

Right across the street! Found quickly with gmlester.

Yep, even for my first LPC, I didn't have much to say about it. I had looked at a very accurate local satellite image and had determined that the only place it could be was at that lamp post, so there wasn't as much of a surprise. Once we got on site, it only took a second to notice that the paint on the pole was all scratched up and that the skirt could be lifted.

 

This type of hide has never been very widespread around these parts. I can only think of about 5 that were hidden this way, and that's out of several thousand caches. Now, the power company has stated that any cache hidden on or adjacent to power equipment (including lamp posts and telephone poles) isn't allowed, so that effectively puts the nail in the coffin for this style of hide in this province (British Columbia, Canada).

 

If you want a skirtlifter-free caching experience, come visit BC!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

"Easy cache. Was easy to park real close I was able to grab and dash to my car to fill out the log. I had to wait for awhile to put it back while waiting for a muggle family to do their business and drive away."

 

Found in my first month of geocaching in January, 2007. I must of started reading the forum just after I started because I knew about LPCs before I found my first one.

 

 

[+qtbluemoon]

I'll admit it, we thought it was pretty clever. Here's my log -

 

"Had to come here twice. No luck the first time. Went back home, looked over the jumble in the hint, finally the light bulb went on. Headed back, and just like that, we found it. Good hide."

 

Pretty embarrassing, looking back on it.

[+J Grouchy]

I admit to being surprised by my first LPC and thinking it was a creative spot...but I didn't make a comment on that in my log. It only two one or two more before I realized that was going to be a common "thing" and nine times out of ten any cache in or on the periphery of a parking lot would be either an LPC or a guardrail cache.

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

Our first skirtlifter was also our first DNF.

 

No one around on a Saturday morning so we went for it. Looked a long time w/ no luck. Kind of surprising given the quick finds logged, however, we are just a couple of newbies.

[+Chief301]

My first LPC log.....Dec. 5, 2010....GC1DYMR, "L2C (Learning To Cache) Series-The Lame Cache"

 

My first experience with this much maligned type of hide...easy P&G in the early pre dawn hours on my way home from work

 

Actually, I had attempted another cache a few weeks earlier behind a Wally World before I heard of LPC's.....DNF'd it twice because I never knew you could lift those skirts. Them when I learned about LPC's I rushed back over there and lifted the skirt. Zip, nada, nothing there. I finally found the cache under a fence post cap about 10' away 😁

[+The_Incredibles_]

Our first FTF! Happened to check my email shortly after the cache was published. Saw how close it was to our house and we just had to go out. Frantically downloaded the gpx file, grabbed a pen, and zipped to the spot. Arrived at GZ and my GPS was telling us the cache was in the middle of the building so we ended up running to the other side of the building like chickens then ended up running back. Finally zeroed in. Violet made the grab. Wrooster arrived on the scene as we were signing the log. TFTC!

 

First LPC and also first FTF. We hide a hard time lifting the thing, which caused us to think maybe it wasn't there. Then our GPS went funny. We ended up running around a building, then back again, just in time to get it before the 2TF showed up.

[+briansnat]

I haven't seen hundreds of LPCs, nor have I seen dozens. In fact I'm pretty sure I've seen only one. Here is my log. After finding that one I decided that I had no interest in searching for others. If my GPS is pointing to the middle of a parking lot I keep driving.

[+basscat5]

My first skirt lifter(never knew what they were called until now) I got attacked by a swarm of hornets......

[+terrkan78]

Oh man. I DNF'd that thing I don't know how many times before someone told me about the "skirts." The hint was "LPC." I had no clue what that meant.

[+kunarion]

Sept. 2009, my 70th cache find:

 

"I've tried a couple of times to get my muggle timing just right, finally managed it today. Yet the closer I got to Partners, the less Partnersward my GPS pointed. So I put on my game face, drove around the building a couple of times to get the bearing, and parked. And waited for the smoke break to end. Then it was time to cloak and quietly access the cache. As quietly as tossing a manhole cover against a brick wall. Somehow this didn't attract attention. I've heard about this type of cache, but had never seen one. Log is nice and dry. Container has the body of a toy penguin hanging from the cap. Opening it, the penguin's head falls out. You might think this is a little disturbing, but riddle me this: How else would they do it? It's a micro, after all. TFTC!"

[+The Leprechauns]

My first find of this genre was on Star Spangled Cache, located not in a parking lot but in a beautiful riverfront memorial plaza filled with flags:

 

 

It took me more than a half hour to find that well-hidden container. Back in May 2003, when I was the fourth finder, this was a novel hiding technique. The setting induced me to search EVERYWHERE except that lamp post. Here was my log:

 

#259. This was a VERY fun cache! I did it at night, so I only had to contend with a few teenagers hanging out nearby. Reading the prior logs now, I had the same experience and searched the same places for a good half hour. Then, Eureka! Check that... yes, it does... got it! A masterful hiding place. Cache is underrated for difficulty stars. I said in the logbook that I left a traveling alien, but then he wouldn't fit, so I took & left nothing. Thanks for the challenge.

 

It's cute that I came with an item to leave in the micro -- an early non-Groundspeak traveler. It's funny that I called the hide "masterful" but this one counts. I also still stand by my contention that, at 1.5 difficulty stars, this one's underrated -- because there were so many other possible hiding places. The cache is still well-maintained by its active owner, and it still attracts DNF's, including the most recent newbie searcher. The cache still holds a coveted spot on my Top 5% Greatest Cache Hunts bookmark list.

 

Don't judge every skirtlifter cache by its cover.

[+TriciaG]

Quick and easy! I left a 5 pence coin in the cache, since it fit.

I had read on the forums before finding my first, so I knew about the possibility.

[+cheech gang]

Log from August 2004, my first LPC. I could not understand why the arrow was pointing under my car.

 

http://coord.info/GCJAHQ

 

OK, I admit it, I didn't find it on the first try. Last night I drove by before shopping hoping for a quick find. My GPS had 18 feet accuracy and I spent some time in the right area and an inordinate amount of time in the wrong area. Went to Meijer's and came back afterwards. This time it zeroed me in even more precisely on the less desirable area. No joy. Today, with the better half of Cheech Gang out of town, is an all geocache day. Got an early start and found twelve. This one was the first. This morning I entered the updated coordinats by Ryck7 and set the GPS to WAAS. I got 7 foot accuracy and honed in on the site exactly. I was a little bit more bold with my search this time due to the lack of activity in the early morning, and bingo -- success. Wouldn't you know it, I had looked there before but not close enough. SPOILER>>> I had even lifted it up before. Signed log and made my escape from this humiliating adventure.

[Mr.Yuck]

February, 2005. It was in a streetcorner pocket park in an urban setting, and was actually a leg of a 3 or 4 leg multi placed for a 2004 new years eve event held at a house party. Nothing of note in my log, being a multi, but I remember there was nothing on the nearby bench, and there was nowhere else to hide it, and I figured "that thing lifted up".

 

I've literally lifted about 7 skirts in my entire life, almost all of them part of mulit's. I do remember one that was in a town park overlooking a nice pond. Most in my 50 mile notification radius are easily identified, and immediately ignored.

[+Michaelcycle]

It was March '07, my second cache find and the first physical cache I found:

 

First trad cache. Clever location, I stood right next to it for a while before I figured it out. TFTC, I'll try for a few more next time I'm in on business.

 

Here's the kicker: it was at the top of a four story mall parking garage. I knew that it could theoretically be on any level ( I spent an hour dodging the mall security truck) but I knew nothing about that kind of "skirt"

 

I learned a lot about geocaching from that one search!

[+Mudfrog]

Log from November 2003,,, and no, i can't believe it wrote that.

 

"11-28-2003 By Mudfrog

This one was a tuffy for us but we persisted and finally made the find. Very nice hide . Thanks"

 

It's archived now but i did just now look to see how many logs it had. There were 68 found its with most of them saying how hard it was to find. Many of them said it took them more than 1 trip before they found it.

 

There were 63 dnfs.

[+SwineFlew]

 

I found a whole bunch of caches before I found my first one. It was easy because I knew right where to look. Caching never been the same since.

[+KoosKoos]

Yes, even for lampost caches, I try not to write short, meaningless logs.

 

Caching Away Again in Margaritaville #3

 

Found it 3/20/2004 By KoosKoos

After hiding the "Rock" here, we've been looking for another excuse to visit and feed the ducks.

 

Great spot...though it took me a while to figure out how to get to it. Our first stop for the day with the family and the ducks were WELL fed.

 

TNLN as we had nothing tropical...and yes, it's very hard to close the container right now.

 

Ok, the quotes a bit long, but you really need it all to make sense:

 

He don't have no tambourine

Guitar or slide trombone

The music we make here on Earth

But the words are His own

 

And when we finally reach His home

And walk among the stars

He'll join our band then we'll understand

Why God don't own a car

 

-- GOD DON'T OWN A CAR Jimmy Buffett, Buzz Cason

[+dprovan]

My sister showed me a skirtlifter before I started geocaching for myself, and taught me they were ho-hum, so it was already ho-hum for me the first time I logged one.

[+kunarion]

My sister showed me a skirtlifter before I started geocaching for myself, and taught me they were ho-hum, so it was already ho-hum for me the first time I logged one.

OK, while that makes its way over to OOC, I have a story about Lamp Post Caches, before I ever found one (while considering my first cache hide). I thought it might be cool to make a fake cover box for those obviously well-secured lamp post skirts, that finders might have to lift to reveal a small container. Pretty amazing idea, huh?

Edited May 13, 2014 by kunarion

[+fizzymagic]

I found my first one in June of 2002. Seemed like a neat idea at the time. Jumped the shark about a year later.

[+colleda]

We've all seen dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of lightpole "skirtlifter" caches after a few years of caching. Just now while looking back at my first Found It logs, I chuckled when I read my first skirtlifter find from a Lowe's Parking lot. I remember walking around in circles trying to figure out where a container could be in the middle of this parking lot, and being amazed that some guy thought to stick a match container under there! By the end of that week....well, ya know. It wasn't so amazing.

 

So here's your task......Copy and paste your first skirtlifter log find here so we can all laugh at your innocence!

 

I'll start:

 

My 12th cache find....."Awesome hiding spot!"

 

 

 

 

.

 

Not fair. Light poles here don't have skirts, just bare nuts and bolts. Guess you all are modest folk.

Edited May 13, 2014 by colleda

[+Roman!]

TEAM GOAT "ULS #1: ROBYN'S POLE "

Right across the street! Found quickly with gmlester.

Yep, even for my first LPC, I didn't have much to say about it. I had looked at a very accurate local satellite image and had determined that the only place it could be was at that lamp post, so there wasn't as much of a surprise. Once we got on site, it only took a second to notice that the paint on the pole was all scratched up and that the skirt could be lifted.

 

This type of hide has never been very widespread around these parts. I can only think of about 5 that were hidden this way, and that's out of several thousand caches. Now, the power company has stated that any cache hidden on or adjacent to power equipment (including lamp posts and telephone poles) isn't allowed, so that effectively puts the nail in the coffin for this style of hide in this province (British Columbia, Canada).

 

If you want a skirtlifter-free caching experience, come visit BC!

 

This is so true, by the time I found my first, I think it was in Washington's Bellis Fair Malls parking lot I knew exactly what they were from these forums so no surprises, it was a quick and easy find, TFTC.

 

On a side note, ask again in a year and the answer from most any one will be "That's one more find for me......"

[+Roman!]

Oddly enough, I'm sitting in a Denny's in New Mexico right now and there's a LPC 70 meters away which I'll grab on my way out. I think my log will say quick and easy find right after breakfast, TFTC.

[Mr.Yuck]

 

On a side note, ask again in a year and the answer from most any one will be "That's one more find for me......"

 

Actually, you'll note almost all old timers are responding. As it stands right now, there are tens of thousands of cachers out there, who will never post here, whose answer is Tftc.

[+MKFmly]

Had to review our find list for this...

 

Out for an afternoon of caching after picking up LCM from a birthday party. We had driven by this one a few times in past weeks however it was always too busy or we were. As noted previously almost grabbed this one from the van. Ended up coming back to the River Ridge Cafe for supper, and it was very nice. The northern lights in the entry hall are interesting, as well as the artwork of the world famous Alex Janvier. SL

 

TFTH ;- )

 

This topic could easily be expanded to your first:

Blank switch plate (still many about)

Rebar in parking lot (seems to have gone out of style)

Fake sprinkler head (mostly disappeared due to guideline violations)

Fake bolt

 

Most are considered rather ho hum after the first one...

[+QuiltinNana]

We had only been caching about 2 months before finding our first.

 

"After a bit of searching, my daughter had a "bright idea" and found it." - If I remember correctly the hint said something about "bright idea".

 

We've found a few since then - not as many as magnetic keyboxes hidden in the guardrails though.

[+Chief301]

We've found a few since then - not as many as magnetic keyboxes hidden in the guardrails though.

 

Yeah, that's another style that's WAY overused around here....my very first find was a guardrail cache and of course at the time I thought it was clever but I've had enough now, thank you 😳

[+narcissa]

This isn't my first find, but it's the first one I tried to find and it had me stumped! The cache owner took pity on me and told me I would understand if I found an easier one first. I had been caching for about a month, maybe less.

 

Woohoo! Finally found it (after finding the Fallowfield one)!

 

Took a marble, left a clip from the ROM in Toronto, signed the log.

 

I made a lot of noise while I was trying to get it.

[+The A-Team]

We've found a few since then - not as many as magnetic keyboxes hidden in the guardrails though.

Yeah, that's another style that's WAY overused around here...

Similar to what I posted above about the rarity of LPCs around here, guardrail caches are even more rare. In fact, I can only think of a single one in the region.

 

..of course, that's probably due to the rarity of the guardrails themselves. We tend to have a lot of jersey barriers in places where other regions would have a guardrail. I guess the drivers around here need more help with staying on the road!

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Mine was actually a FPC ( flag pole cache ) on the Tenn. - Ark. border rest stop......it was a wow moment and we got a kick out of it. We've found quite a few clever variations of the LPC.

[+geodarts]

It was back in 2004. I thought the CO was a genius - I still do but for different reasons. So the pertinent portion of my log simply asked, "How does [the CO] find these places?"

[+Kacher82]

Found on my second try. I didn't search very well the first time due to weather and muggles.

I had DNF'd it 4 days prior to my find, first DNF on that cache. I remember thinking when I found it that it was a pretty sneaky place to hide it.

 

It was actually my 78th find, so I had a little bit of caching experience. I found my first blank switch plate the day I DNF'd this one.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Kacher82

[+cerberus1]

We've all seen dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of lightpole "skirtlifter" caches after a few years of caching.

- snip -

So here's your task......Copy and paste your first skirtlifter log find here so we can all laugh at your innocence!

Nope.

Though my other 2/3rds has found a few, I'm happy to say that if it's in or on a light pole, I haven't seen one.

- Did get conned by CJ (that "days" stat thing...) on a lot edge guard rail once.

Never understood what part of "Geo" anything they fit.

 

Figure they must be a popular first choice, as a local roadside memorial with a removed bolted-down skirt (along with screwed-in light covers for the flag pole) was trashed for a lock n lock I found 5' away (archived soon after).

[+cerberus1]

If my GPS is pointing to the middle of a parking lot I keep driving.

+1

[+frinklabs]

http://coord.info/GL2X4GPH

TNLNSL

 

There is room for one, maybe two more log entries.

 

I hadn't been in the forums yet, so I didn't know yet the faux pas that are acronymical logs (monkey see, monkey do).

 

I won't ever forget this cache because it was 3AM or so and this parking lot is bordered on two sides by condominiums, which were situated perfectly to enhance and echo back to me the incredibly loud SCRRRRRAAAAAAPPPPPE noise the skirt made against the pole as I lifted it.

 

Laughed out loud, I did. Fun times!

[+WarNinjas]

This hide is awesome! I can't wait to go hide a few hundred just like it!

 

[+WarNinjas]

Actually we have hidden one Lamp post cache.

 

All you have to do is cross this to get there.

 

Edited May 14, 2014 by WarNinjas

[+DragonsWest]

I probably made reference to Black Widow spiders. They really like these places.

 

I'll never hide one in one of these.

[+etphoneme2plz]

My first find was a LPC in a BMW dealership lot..... My daughter and I were going nuts trying to find it. I kept saying "No way would they put it on one of these new cars" lol Finally I said to my daughter, see if that lamp thing will lift up... Sure enough it did BUT we didn't lift it high enough so we didn't see it. We ran in circles for about 10 more minutes before we lifted it again, high enough this time, and made the find.... From that point on I was hooked........

 

Edited to add my log... LOL

 

"My first find!!! Log has been wet though and kinda wadded up, didnt sign cuz I was afraid it would fall apart, needs replaced. TYFC!!! We were so excited to find it!!!"

 

My first find so I knew nothing about replacing logs, etc.....

 

Edited again to add... I enjoy all my cache finds the easy ones make up for the hard ones... I enjoy them ALL (LPC, rebarb, key holders, micros, pill bottles, film canisters & even amo boxes!!) and totally appreciate that there are other geocachers out there that take the time to hide them so I can find them!!! THANKS!!!!

Edited May 16, 2014 by etphoneme2plz

[+coachstahly]

Found within my second week of geocaching in July of 2010 and my 25th find. Kicked my butt for at least 10 minutes because there was a row of pine trees between the parking lot and the road to the west. This was also before I wrote longer logs.

 

Sneaky sneaky! TFTC!

[+captnemo]

My first log on 3/23/2003:

 

"Very clever hiding place. Coordinates did seem a little off and I know I looked at the hiding place several times before we found it.

 

Thanks for most interesting cache."

 

Not so anymore

Edited May 16, 2014 by captnemo