Archived caches

[+Sunmill]

Is there any way to see archived listings or are they all top secret?

[Pup Patrol]

Is there any way to see archived listings or are they all top secret?

 

If you have logged a cache, or written a note on its page, that was subsequently archived, you can view it through your profile. Any logs or notes or attendeds will be in your profile, with a red line through the archived ones.

 

If you know the name of the cache owner, you could look it up in their profile.

 

Other than those two circumstances, there is no "list" of archived caches to view.

 

 

B.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Pup Patrol

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

They are top secret.... sort of.

 

About the easiest way is to search it up in somebody else' profile. If they logged it, it'll (the log) still be there and that log will link you to the cache page.

 

The next is to search for them through the 'caches placed or owned' by a specific cache owner. It would yet be viewable through their profile (owned caches) link.

 

I remember something about an ability to actually search, with a specific program I think. But... in that I don't go after them, I paid little note to it.

 

 

Tread lightly... if you want to go after them... many were archived because of trespassing or permission problems, some even "nearby neighbor" problems. That's mostly why they aren't made (easily) available. No sense in getting hurt or arrested over being somewhere you shouldn't, while just looking for a geocache.

[Blue Square Thing]

Go to Project GC and link your profile.

 

Do a Map Compare with just your user name in, pick the area (probably best to make it a fairly small area tbh - the centre filter might come in handy - and use the filter which allows you to add disabled and/or archived caches to the map.

 

The map will show *all* caches of course, but you'll be able to see the disabled and/or archived ones fairly easily.

[+CdAGeoGeeks]

Looking at bookmarked lists is another way we have found places that used to hold caches. Looks to some of the older members and you can find all sorts of interesting archived caches and places where things used to be. It can help you with a bit of history in your area.

[+JPreto]

Go to Project GC and link your profile.

 

Do a Map Compare with just your user name in, pick the area (probably best to make it a fairly small area tbh - the centre filter might come in handy - and use the filter which allows you to add disabled and/or archived caches to the map.

 

The map will show *all* caches of course, but you'll be able to see the disabled and/or archived ones fairly easily.

 

Project-GC.com using filters will give you a list of all archived caches that are in a region.

 

Look at this video here:

 

You will have the list under the map!

[Blue Square Thing]

Go to Project GC and link your profile.

 

Do a Map Compare with just your user name in, pick the area (probably best to make it a fairly small area tbh - the centre filter might come in handy - and use the filter which allows you to add disabled and/or archived caches to the map.

 

The map will show *all* caches of course, but you'll be able to see the disabled and/or archived ones fairly easily.

 

Project-GC.com using filters will give you a list of all archived caches that are in a region.

 

Look at this video here:

 

You will have the list under the map!

I think you have to be a member of Project GC to do that don't you?

[team tisri]

Is there any way to see archived listings or are they all top secret?

 

The obvious question is why you want to see the archived listings. If you just want to see what an older cache page looks like compared to a new one, pick a cacher from your area who has been active for a while and look at the first few pages of their find list. The ones in red crossed out are archived.

 

If you know the GC code you can access it directly.

 

As someone already said, give some thought before going to the coordinates. It may be the area is private property (sometimes caches are archived because they require trespassing, other times an area changes ownership and permission is revoked), it may be the area is no longer safe to enter, it may be that it's not appropriate for other reasons (e.g. near a military base). If it's too near the land of Bubba the redneck who, despite having no right at all to stop people walking around his field, still threatens people with a shotgun as a matter of routine then you might not want to walk into harm's way. Or it might have been archived just because the owner couldn't maintain it, or because the owner became inactive and a reviewer archived it.

[+JPreto]

Project-GC.com using filters will give you a list of all archived caches that are in a region.

 

Look at this video here:

 

You will have the list under the map!

I think you have to be a member of Project GC to do that don't you?

 

Yes, like some features on the GeoCaching.com site are only available if you are premium... It is their way of getting some funding, even tho most of the site is free!!!!

 

BTW, there is now a 30 days trial free membership available in Project-GC, read about it here!

[+geodarts]

These days I don't want to see most published caches. But still, I could see why someone might be interested. When I first began caching, archived caches could be viewed on the map. Then it was removed. Then Groundspeak staff said that function would be added. Then they changed their minds. Its probably better. If a landowner has requested the cache be archived, there is probably no reason to encourage people to look for an archived cache just because it might be there.

 

Still, its interesting about Project-GC. I don't follow stats enough to use that site as more than a curiosity, but seeing archived caches would be even curiouser.

[Blue Square Thing]

Yes, like some features on the GeoCaching.com site are only available if you are premium... It is their way of getting some funding, even tho most of the site is free!!!!

 

BTW, there is now a 30 days trial free membership available in Project-GC, read about it here!

Ah, yes - I must try that out.

 

Tbh the only reason I haven't paid or donated anything to Project GC is because I refuse to use paypal. Tis a shame.

[Mr.Yuck]

Project-GC.com using filters will give you a list of all archived caches that are in a region.

 

Look at this video here:

 

You will have the list under the map!

I think you have to be a member of Project GC to do that don't you?

 

Yes, like some features on the GeoCaching.com site are only available if you are premium... It is their way of getting some funding, even tho most of the site is free!!!!

 

BTW, there is now a 30 days trial free membership available in Project-GC, read about it here!

 

Archived caches were shown on cache maps (i.e. Geocaching.com Google Maps) until 2006 or 2007. Then they were taken away. People complained. So we were told a way to search for archived caches would return. Then they changed their mind, due to the reasons outline by team tisri a couple posts above me (which I'm not quoting).

 

Archived caches most surely have a status of "x" in the cache database, "x" being a decimal number, and would be excessively easy to search for, or show on maps. Project-GC has been given unprecedented access to the database, proving this is very easy to do. However, they have apparently chosen to make that a paid feature? I don't know, their server is down as I type this. I gave them a couple small donations before they had memeberships. I'd consider buying one. When the server is up.

[Blue Square Thing]

The obvious question is why you want to see the archived listings.

I think it's sometimes quite useful when considering where you might want to place a cache. If a spot is "cursed" then it might be better avoiding it, for example.

[Blue Square Thing]

Archived caches most surely have a status of "x" in the cache database, "x" being a decimal number, and would be excessively easy to search for, or show on maps. Project-GC has been given unprecedented access to the database, proving this is very easy to do. However, they have apparently chosen to make that a paid feature? I don't know, their server is down as I type this. I gave them a couple small donations before they had memeberships. I'd consider buying one. When the server is up.

Anyone can see them - but the filter which will show *only* archived caches is a paid for feature. Which is OK - I can still see them with a big red cross through them, just with the other caches as well.

[team tisri]

The obvious question is why you want to see the archived listings.

I think it's sometimes quite useful when considering where you might want to place a cache. If a spot is "cursed" then it might be better avoiding it, for example.

 

Perhaps, but from the fact a cache was archived in a nearby spot (or even the same spot) doesn't mean the spot is "cursed". It might be it was constantly muggled, it might be that Bubba kept shooting at people hunting it, or it might just be that the CO got sick and didn't have the energy to maintain it any more. If you're wanting to place a cache there presumably you'd visit the location and check it out for yourself - if you see lots of beer cans in the woods you can be sure that it's used as a drinking den, if Bubba shoots at you then go somewhere else, and so on.

[Pup Patrol]

The obvious question is why you want to see the archived listings.

I think it's sometimes quite useful when considering where you might want to place a cache. If a spot is "cursed" then it might be better avoiding it, for example.

 

Perhaps, but from the fact a cache was archived in a nearby spot (or even the same spot) doesn't mean the spot is "cursed". It might be it was constantly muggled, it might be that Bubba kept shooting at people hunting it, or it might just be that the CO got sick and didn't have the energy to maintain it any more. If you're wanting to place a cache there presumably you'd visit the location and check it out for yourself - if you see lots of beer cans in the woods you can be sure that it's used as a drinking den, if Bubba shoots at you then go somewhere else, and so on.

 

Visiting a location won't tell you that it is the same spot where a cache was constantly muggled, with trackables constantly being stolen, in the past.

 

You might be there on the day when Bubba has gone to town, and isn't shooting at anyone.

 

Knowing the history of previous cache placements would be much more informative and helpful.

 

 

B.

[team tisri]

The obvious question is why you want to see the archived listings.

I think it's sometimes quite useful when considering where you might want to place a cache. If a spot is "cursed" then it might be better avoiding it, for example.

 

Perhaps, but from the fact a cache was archived in a nearby spot (or even the same spot) doesn't mean the spot is "cursed". It might be it was constantly muggled, it might be that Bubba kept shooting at people hunting it, or it might just be that the CO got sick and didn't have the energy to maintain it any more. If you're wanting to place a cache there presumably you'd visit the location and check it out for yourself - if you see lots of beer cans in the woods you can be sure that it's used as a drinking den, if Bubba shoots at you then go somewhere else, and so on.

 

Visiting a location won't tell you that it is the same spot where a cache was constantly muggled, with trackables constantly being stolen, in the past.

 

You might be there on the day when Bubba has gone to town, and isn't shooting at anyone.

 

Knowing the history of previous cache placements would be much more informative and helpful.

 

B.

 

True, but if the cache has been archived perhaps the local trackable thieves have given up their sport and moved on to another cache. Perhaps Bubba has decided that looking for geocaches is more fun that shooting at geocachers.

 

I can see the merits of having a "this area is not suitable for cachers for some major reason" but it's probably better managed as part of the publication process than giving everybody access to a list of places that might be unsuitable. It would be good for a would-be cache placer to know that Bubba is prone to shoot at people who stray near his land, but maybe less good if it gives the local vigilante a reason to go for a stroll packing heat to teach Bubba a lesson.

 

If the cache archival process were to include an option to say "this area is unsuitable for geocaching because..." then anything new published in the same area could be compared to any archived and flagged caches. That way if someone archived their cache because they moved away from the area, or a reviewer archived a cache for non-maintenance, it would leave the area open. If a reviewer archived a cache because it was on private property, or a cache owner archived their cache because people kept logging how they'd run away because Bubba was taking pot shots at them, then the flag could be set to warn people placing caches there in the future.

[+JPreto]

If COs or Reviewers would write on the cache page the reason to archive than everybody could see it... but in most cases I know it´s just a "Archive".

 

Nevertheless looking at the history of a spot can probably give you some ideas on how the spot is for cache placement. No?

[Pup Patrol]

If COs or Reviewers would write on the cache page the reason to archive than everybody could see it... but in most cases I know it´s just a "Archive".

 

Nevertheless looking at the history of a spot can probably give you some ideas on how the spot is for cache placement. No?

 

If you can't easily view the Archived caches that were in that location, how can you look at the history of it?

 

You would need to do a lot of searching of previous finders' logs, and know the cache hiders names, before you can know the history of a particular location.

 

Hopefully the Reviewer would be able to quickly access that information. But that's potentially an awful lot of locations for even a Reviewer to find out about history of trespassing issues, etc. If a location was a trackable blackhole in the past, that is no reason for a Reviewer to deny publication of a new cache being placed there.

 

 

B.

[+Sunmill]

Thanks for the info and interesting comments!

 

I'm curious for a few reasons, I've had logs mention that there was a cache in specific areas awhile ago and I was interested to know when and what happened to them.

Other geocachers have told me that there were several muggled caches around and I was curious as to when and where. And then of course there are plenty of locations that I feel should have a cache and it seems odd that there isn't one there...and I wonder why not? Reading old logs could give me some insight as to whether it's a Bubba issue or if no one else has thought of it yet.

[+DanOCan]

Thanks for the info and interesting comments!

 

I'm curious for a few reasons, I've had logs mention that there was a cache in specific areas awhile ago and I was interested to know when and what happened to them.

Other geocachers have told me that there were several muggled caches around and I was curious as to when and where. And then of course there are plenty of locations that I feel should have a cache and it seems odd that there isn't one there...and I wonder why not? Reading old logs could give me some insight as to whether it's a Bubba issue or if no one else has thought of it yet.

I'm the same way. I love to know the history of caching in various locations or revisiting old cache pages from caches that disappeared many years ago.

 

I keep instant notifications configured for the maximum distance (80km?) around my home coordinates so I know whenever a cache disappears within that radius. I then download a GPX of that cache and keep it in my GSAK database. Been doing that for a lot of years now so, while I may not have every cache captured, I have a very good historical record of caching in my local area.

 

I enjoy referencing old caches and things when I revisit an area, especially if the CO is newer to the game and would have likely had no idea about a classic cache that once graced an area. My Found It logs will sometimes contain things like "I remember being here back in 2004 and finding GCxxxx, which lived here from April 2002 until March 2005 when it went missing."

 

I'm a sucker for caching history.