Natural Geoart

[+colleda]

A local cacher, with assistance, has created a wonderful Geoart trail of 215 traditional caches (I will refrain from calling it a PT because it isn't), following rural roads,  resulting in an image of a dog's head. He has added 18 mysteries to form the eye of the dog.

I've never seen geoart done this way before. Has anyone else?

GC7RF8B

[+cerberus1]

How is this a getting started issue ?

[+colleda]

It's not. I just came in from mowing the lawn to have a look for responses then realised it was in the wrong spot.

Could a mod please move this to Geocaching Topics ?

[+GeoTrekker26]

This is very clever by the CO and is something I've never seen before.  I checked out some of the mystery caches to discover they are not the "token" puzzles often used in geoart, rather they are interesting and varied puzzles.  I found #14 (GC844ZX)  to be particularly delightful.

[+koalabinski]

We have a few in Tas made from Mystery caches. But making one from traditional caches is quite a feat! 

[+Hügh]

I'm not really sure what you mean by "natural", but if you mean "they're all traditional caches", then check out the "Alien Head" series in Nevada — GC253ZN.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Hügh
a word

[+The Jester]

1 hour ago, Hügh said:

I'm not really sure what you mean by "natural", but if you mean "they're all traditional caches", then check out the "Alien Head" series in Nevada — GC253ZN.

I think he means it isn't just random spots to make the geoart, but used the road system to 'draw' the head outline, and then a few mystery's for the eye.

[+Max and 99]

20 minutes ago, The Jester said:

I think he means it isn't just random spots to make the geoart, but used the road system to 'draw' the head outline, and then a few mystery's for the eye.

Ohhh! Thanks for explaining that.

[+niraD]

7 hours ago, colleda said:

(I will refrain from calling it a PT because it isn't)

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. 

[+colleda]

1 minute ago, niraD said:

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. 

Its not a film pot every 161 metres. Most containers are small to regular of various types and hidden in a variety of ways and places, in stumps, in logs, in trees (no climbing required) under rocks, behind signs  etc even a free little library. Distance between ranges from about 300m to 600m. I haven't found half of them yet after two trips there so there could be more surprises to come.

[+coachstahly]

This cache is part of a series (GO UK near Elizabethtown KY) done in a manner close to what you describe, although it's my guess that the CO had a general idea of what he was attempting to do when he created it.  They're all hiking caches (although a couple are somewhat close to the roads that run through the area) and are certainly not a PT in the true sense of the word.

[+Wet Pancake Touring Club]

There are several of this type of geoart in Southern Idaho, USA. Lots of Bureau of Land Management Land (with a very cache friendly attitude) where they can do this kind of thing. They are, for the most part, not on roads, and take multiple days to complete.

 

Here's are links to the first cache for three such geoart.

 

A 4-4-0 Locomotive https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3FA3B

 

A 51 geocache star https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5PX2N

 

A Thunderbird aircraft https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC7WJQV

[+colleda]

1 hour ago, Wet Pancake Touring Club said:

There are several of this type of geoart in Southern Idaho, USA. Lots of Bureau of Land Management Land (with a very cache friendly attitude) where they can do this kind of thing. They are, for the most part, not on roads, and take multiple days to complete.

 

Here's are links to the first cache for three such geoart.

 

A 4-4-0 Locomotive https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3FA3B

 

A 51 geocache star https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5PX2N

 

A Thunderbird aircraft https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC7WJQV

That train is amazing. Wow!

[+Mudfrog]

I sure miss the old map that geocaching dot com used to use. Was nice back in the day when a single click of  "view larger map" link brought up the cache centered and all the other nearby caches.

 

The cache owner does say that most of the caches are park and grabs so I would at first lean to calling it a power trail. But then it has been posted here that there are a variety of hides, container sizes, and challenges. Also, the cache owner's statement to please not throw down and to log the DNF as appropriate is definitely a plus for the argument not to call it a pt.. 

[+niraD]

39 minutes ago, Mudfrog said:

The cache owner does say that most of the caches are park and grabs so I would at first lean to calling it a power trail. But then it has been posted here that there are a variety of hides, container sizes, and challenges. Also, the cache owner's statement to please not throw down and to log the DNF as appropriate is definitely a plus for the argument not to call it a pt.. 

A lot depends on your definition of a power trail.

 

The new definition (identical hides every 528ft/161m where three cache monte, etc. are encouraged) does not fit. I tend to call these numbers trails to distinguish them from the old type of power trail.

 

The old definition (before three cache monte and other "shortcuts", when trails saturated naturally) fits pretty well. There was no expectation that the hides be identical, only that they be closely spaced along a trail/road so seekers could move from one to the next quickly.

[+arisoft]

51 minutes ago, niraD said:

A lot depends on your definition of a power trail.

 

My definition is that a Power Trail is intended for a fast-paced Geocaching. In this case I would call it only a Trail. I try to avoid all kind of trails anyway.

[+barefootjeff]

43 minutes ago, arisoft said:

 

My definition is that a Power Trail is intended for a fast-paced Geocaching. In this case I would call it only a Trail. I try to avoid all kind of trails anyway.

 

That just shifts the question to your definition of "fast-paced". For me, finding two or more caches in a day is fast-paced caching.

[+arisoft]

1 hour ago, barefootjeff said:

That just shifts the question to your definition of "fast-paced". For me, finding two or more caches in a day is fast-paced caching.

 

How many trails you have with more than one cache? If you have to switch the trail to get another find it is not a power trail.

[+barefootjeff]

10 minutes ago, arisoft said:

 

How many trails you have with more than one cache? If you have to switch the trail to get another find it is not a power trail.

 

So I guess these two of mine along the Kulnura to Yarramalong leg of the Great North Walk would constitute a power trail. I thought so.

 

 

But, but one of them's only had 5 finds and the other 8, with no throwdowns or 3-cache (or would that have to be 2-cache) Monte. I must be doing something wrong.

[+arisoft]

27 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

But, but one of them's only had 5 finds and the other 8, with no throwdowns or 3-cache (or would that have to be 2-cache) Monte. I must be doing something wrong.

 

They are also writing too much when they post on-line logs. The problem is that they found these caches on a different day. You forgot to publish them at the same time!

 

[+Goldenwattle]

We have one made mostly by traditionals near Canberra.

https://www.geocaching.com/map/default.aspx?lat=-35.331817&lng=149.152183#?ll=-35.2989,149.281272&z=14

 

Some might call that a power trail, but others wouldn't. They are physically hard caches to get to because of terrain.Up, down, bush bashing off track and the like.  Not all spread along a trail. The puzzle caches complete the kangaroo.

[+colleda]

10 hours ago, Mudfrog said:

I sure miss the old map that geocaching dot com used to use. Was nice back in the day when a single click of  "view larger map" link brought up the cache centered and all the other nearby caches.

 

The cache owner does say that most of the caches are park and grabs so I would at first lean to calling it a power trail. But then it has been posted here that there are a variety of hides, container sizes, and challenges. Also, the cache owner's statement to please not throw down and to log the DNF as appropriate is definitely a plus for the argument not to call it a pt.. 

I forgot to mention. There are no log sheets, all caches have log books even the micros.

[+hzoi]

Thanks to the road grid in western Oklahoma, line art can be used to draw out geo art in Etch-a-Sketch fashion.  I found almost all of the SWAG (South West Area Geocachers) series over multiple trips, though I missed a couple.

[+Wet Pancake Touring Club]

Here's a sample of GeoArt that uses Mystery caches, where the caches are located along a bike/walking trail. The Mystery caches ask a simple, two choice question regarding Washington State University. https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3VQ1C The GeoArt is the WSU logo.

 

I spent a couple of hours one day getting these caches.

[+colleda]

9 hours ago, hzoi said:

Thanks to the road grid in western Oklahoma, line art can be used to draw out geo art in Etch-a-Sketch fashion.  I found almost all of the SWAG (South West Area Geocachers) series over multiple trips, though I missed a couple.

That's the type of Geoart to which I was referring in the OP. Thanks for the example hzoi.

[+hzoi]

9 hours ago, colleda said:

19 hours ago, hzoi said:

Thanks to the road grid in western Oklahoma, line art can be used to draw out geo art in Etch-a-Sketch fashion.  I found almost all of the SWAG (South West Area Geocachers) series over multiple trips, though I missed a couple.

That's the type of Geoart to which I was referring in the OP. Thanks for the example hzoi.

No problem.  It's as if I read your post and understood your question!  

[+funkymunkyzone]

Looks like a goat's head to me.

[+barefootjeff]

2 hours ago, funkymunkyzone said:

Looks like a goat's head to me.

 

Like these?

 

[+colleda]

1 hour ago, barefootjeff said:

 

Like these?

 

We used to call them 'cat heads, never-the-less, they are very painful when trodden on. Especially for people that get around barefoot. Nudge, nudge.

[+Goldenwattle]

6 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

 

Like these?

 

I pulled more than 20 of them from my bicycle tyres recently. Puncture resistant tyres are well worth the money. No punctures and I cycled on.

[+hzoi]

7 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

9 hours ago, funkymunkyzone said:

Looks like a goat's head to me.

 

Like these?

 

Bleah.  Puncture vine.  I hate those.  They are spreading through the southwestern US, like the desert version of kudzu.  I didn't realize they were in Australia, too.  Sorry.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

7 hours ago, Goldenwattle said:

I pulled more than 20 of them from my bicycle tyres recently. Puncture resistant tyres are well worth the money. No punctures and I cycled on.

 

They didn't have puncture resistant bicycles tires (american spelling) when I was a kid.  I had to to patch a lot of bicycle tire tubes due to those nasty stickers.

[+Goldenwattle]

4 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

 

They didn't have puncture resistant bicycles tires (american spelling) when I was a kid.  I had to to patch a lot of bicycle tire tubes due to those nasty stickers.

Nor when I was a child, although where I lived then I was not worried by the prickles. But the prickles exist where I live now, and fortunately puncture resistant tyres are now available, and have been for years. I'm sure you can buy them in America too for your bicycles now.

[+niraD]

On 7/31/2019 at 11:12 AM, NYPaddleCacher said:

They didn't have puncture resistant bicycles tires (american spelling) when I was a kid.  I had to to patch a lot of bicycle tire tubes due to those nasty stickers.

And at some point, the cost of the patches exceeds the cost of a new tube...