I accidentally found this

[Ky_Hazard]

I had heard of geocaching, never got into it. Was hiking up to High Camp in Squaw Valley and came across a weird thing. Inside were a note about this website and three pages of empty logs. I'm never first at things, so I sincerely doubt I'm the first to find that one. I didn't take or leave anything, but I did put my name. I'd like to log it on this website as having been found, but I can't find it listed when I look at Squaw Valley geocaches, and it was quite a hike for me to get up there. I don't even own a gps, but this might change that.

[+Max and 99]

Do any of these look like the right area? If it's near the orange circle, that means it's a multi, and not all stages are visible on the website.   But if it does look like one of the orange circles, you may want to consider contacting the owner of the cache to ask about what you found.  Great job finding the cache, and glad you came here for help. I hope we can help you!

 

 

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, Ky_Hazard said:

I had heard of geocaching, never got into it. Was hiking up to High Camp in Squaw Valley and came across a weird thing. Inside were a note about this website and three pages of empty logs. I'm never first at things, so I sincerely doubt I'm the first to find that one. I didn't take or leave anything, but I did put my name. I'd like to log it on this website as having been found, but I can't find it listed when I look at Squaw Valley geocaches, and it was quite a hike for me to get up there. I don't even own a gps, but this might change that.

 

I think this one's in the general area.  Maybe the owner of that cache could help narrow it down.

 

Can you describe your approach, or point out the spot on Max's map above?

[+Nomex]

2 hours ago, Ky_Hazard said:

I had heard of geocaching, never got into it. Was hiking up to High Camp in Squaw Valley and came across a weird thing. Inside were a note about this website and three pages of empty logs. I'm never first at things, so I sincerely doubt I'm the first to find that one. I didn't take or leave anything, but I did put my name. I'd like to log it on this website as having been found, but I can't find it listed when I look at Squaw Valley geocaches, and it was quite a hike for me to get up there. I don't even own a gps, but this might change that.

It would be kind of unusual to first to find on a cache in the Squaw Valley area, so my first thought was that you found an Unpublished Listing.  Not that unusual for a popular vacation destination like Squaw to get a handful of vacationers dropping caches, submitting them on the website, and finding out that they won't get Published without some sort of maintenance plan.  There was one such Listing that was rejected just West of High Camp, not to far from cache that kunarion mentioned.  If it was an Unpublished Listing, you would not be able to log it online.  The cache owner mentioned that there was a hot wheels, dice, little animal plastic chip clips, little parachute man toy in the cache container at the time of placement.

 

If you could describe the route you took up to High Camp (looks like several possibilities), that might help narrow the search.

Edited June 10, 2018 by Nomex

[+Max and 99]

10 minutes ago, Nomex said:

It would be kind of unusual to first to find on a cache in the Squaw Valley area, so my first thought was that you found an Unpublished Listing.  Not that unusual for a popular vacation destination like Squaw to get a handful of vacationers dropping caches, submitting them on the website, and finding out that they won't get Published without some sort of maintenance plan.  There was one such Listing that was rejected just West of High Camp, not to far from cache that kunarion mentioned.  If it was an Unpublished Listing, you would not be able to log it online.  The cache owner mentioned that there was a hot wheels, dice, little animal plastic chip clips, little parachute man toy in the cache container at the time of placement.

 

If you could describe the route you took up to High Camp (looks like several possibilities), that might help narrow the search.

I am not from the area, so I'm sure you know better, but I would be wary of providing too much specific information here just in case it's a spoiler for a cache in progress.

But again, I'm sure you know better since I'm not from the area, and maybe it was a "vacation" cache.

 

On vacation once we did find an unlisted Letterbox, literally 20 feet from the coordinates for a brand new geocache (we couldn't find the geocache).  I squealed with joy when I found the container, only to realize it wasn't the geocache we were searching for. That was a disappointment!

[Ky_Hazard]

Thanks so much so far, guys. I do not want to spoil the location. I did not have a gps, so no coordinates. Also, shamefully.... I was kinda lost and not on the proper trail so it's hard to say where exactly I was. I hesitated, but I'm going to put up the pictures I took. 

*possible spoilers* 

I did not see contact info for an owner anywhere, but the box was labeled #4. 

 

...

 

Well, internet isn't cooperating so no pictures right now. There were only a few Squaw stickers inside and the empty log pages. The bottom of the lid said "Box #4 Squaw Valley USA GEOCACHE #081087 Code #081087" There was also a typed note inside that explained how geocaching works and said to log the find on www.geocaching.com

I typed that code in a few places and also tried searching for Box #4. No luck. I found the page for Box #7 and Box #9. They're not in the Squaw Valley page, but just on the California page. 

[+kunarion]

48 minutes ago, Ky_Hazard said:

The bottom of the lid said "Box #4 Squaw Valley USA GEOCACHE #081087 Code #081087" There was also a typed note inside that explained how geocaching works and said to log the find on www.geocaching.com

I typed that code in a few places and also tried searching for Box #4. No luck. I found the page for Box #7 and Box #9. They're not in the Squaw Valley page, but just on the California page. 

 

Turns out, there was a Box #4, now archived.  When I posted Squaw #1, for some reason I didn't even think about looking at that Cache Owner's hides for archived ones.  GC5A8B5 was called "Squaw High Camp #4".  The Cache Owner doesn't seem active, hard to tell.  The good news is, if it seems like that's the one you found, you may log it as a find on Geocaching.com.  Try posting the pictures there.

 

Here's some cool back-story from one of the two Geocaching.com "Found It" logs:

https://coord.info/GLF45YZP

"This series of caches is a little unusual in that they were placed a while back by the resort before they were officially published here. The resort was giving maps and GPS units to muggles to go "geocaching." (Apparently, the GPS units are kaput, which is maybe why they finally decided to publish them here?)"

 

Both cachers found it on the same day in 2014.

 

Edited June 10, 2018 by kunarion

[+Max and 99]

Happy ending!

See, Ky_Hazard?  I'm glad you posted here! Still curious about the blank log, though. 

[Ky_Hazard]

Thanks so much, kunarion! I just logged it and it let me put up a photo. I wonder if they just put it back out (still quite a bit of snow up there) and haven't updated the site yet? 

[+mimaef]

That is awesome! Congrats on the surprise find and welcome to Geocaching. I hope you stick around.

[Ky_Hazard]

1 minute ago, Max and 99 said:

Happy ending!

See, Ky_Hazard?  I'm glad you posted here! Still curious about the blank log, though. 

Pages upon pages(three) of empty logs! The whole box and contents looked very new, given the inclement weather it'd have to sit through. 

[+kunarion]

7 minutes ago, Ky_Hazard said:

Thanks so much, kunarion! I just logged it and it let me put up a photo. I wonder if they just put it back out (still quite a bit of snow up there) and haven't updated the site yet? 

 

Whoa!  That's a nice, big ammo box!  Sweet!

 

That cache was "Temporarily Archived" by a reviewer.  Seems unarchivable to me...  Pending action by the Cache Owner...

 

Edited June 10, 2018 by kunarion

[+NYPaddleCacher]

On 6/10/2018 at 2:38 AM, kunarion said:

Turns out, there was a Box #4, now archived.  When I posted Squaw #1, for some reason I didn't even think about looking at that Cache Owner's hides for archived ones.  GC5A8B5 was called "Squaw High Camp #4".  The Cache Owner doesn't seem active, hard to tell.  The good news is, if it seems like that's the one you found, you may log it as a find on Geocaching.com.  Try posting the pictures there.

 

Here's some cool back-story from one of the two Geocaching.com "Found It" logs:

https://coord.info/GLF45YZP

"This series of caches is a little unusual in that they were placed a while back by the resort before they were officially published here. The resort was giving maps and GPS units to muggles to go "geocaching." (Apparently, the GPS units are kaput, which is maybe why they finally decided to publish them here?)"

 

Both cachers found it on the same day in 2014.

 

I found the Squaw High Camp #1 in 2012.  I used to ski at Squaw Valley a lot when I lived in California.