caching in the snow

[Scooby Snacks]

This will be my first winter as a geocacher and I am wondering, do a lot of cachers still go for the hunt in the snow covered months? We get our fair share of snow in this area which must make the hunt more interesting.

 

Just looking for some experiences or comments

Thanks

 

"The cache is a Mystery Machine"

[+Shawn&Holly]

Caching in the snow can present different challenges, lots of fun tho. Unfortunatly some caches cannot be done in the winter, I have 2 or 3 in the Campbellton area that are not winter friendly. Some cachers mark them as winter friendly or not. The winter does not slow us down much, make sure you have good footware, something that will not fill up with snow and dress warmly, just like any other trip outside on a cold day. I am looking at buying some snowshoes this year, and maybe Xcountry skiis (they don't like hikers, found that out last year). Out of my winter no finds last year from what I can remember, buried can be fustrating (especially on multi caches), unless someone just found it before it snows again (follow the tracks), ice can be worse. I had a few I could see or knew they were there, but could not get to them. I am going to go through my caches and mark them "May be difficult in the winter". Some cachers disable their caches for the winter.

 

We still go out and look for caches in the winter, we started out in December, 2001 with Puff the Magic Dragons Home. We will most likely be back this Christmas looking for more caches. You should have seen some of the logs from Ottawa last year. I have seen a few container accidently busted by a shovel, and then some will shovel piles of snow to throw off others, all in good fun.

 

Just be prepaired for cold weather, get out there and enjoy the winter. Place some winter friendly caches for others to find, make sure you look at the logs of the cache you are going to look for, recent no finds after it has snowed may indicate a bigger challenge, bring shovels

 

Happy caching !!

 

Car37 & Shnde

[+despot&smitten]

Some caches are easier in the winter... just follow the tracks, and they can lead you right there. Some cachers look on this as a bit of a bonus - some others (probably those with more pride than me!) find it a bit dissapointing. There can be some pretty heated competition to be the first finder to a snowy cache, as once someone else has found it, the cache is much easier and the thrill is gone. I've even seen some caches that you can only retrieve in the wintertime.

[ChiefPig]

I noticed that a lot of caches here were placed during winter, so I guess people just slow down a bit but snow does not really stop them.

[+Couparangus]

The brutal cold of last year's winter in Southern Ontario definitely slowed me down!

 

Finding caches that are on the ground can be rather difficult in the snow - especially if the clue doesn't nail it down well.

 

I started caching in the winter (winter of 2001 that is) and it can be just as much fun as the warmer months.

 

C-A

[volks]

i doo most of my caching in the late fall and winter.i strap on my snowshoes and back pack and go..but it would be easier to find some of them if they were of the ground...it's hard too find a cache that's hidden under an old stump with 3 feet of snow on the ground..so hope you have fun this winter

[McKenzie Clan]

Lack of leaves on the trees should make it easier to get good signal tho.

 

Scott

[+mrcpu]

I tend to get a lot of caching done in the winter. From time to time the snow actually helps. I did one cache last year when it was extremely cold (-25). I was coming from work and so I wasn't really dressed for it but since it was an urban park I went out anyways. I got within 20m of the cache while still on the trail, then followed the packed down snow right to the cache. I was in and out before getting severe frostbite!

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[Bear & Ducky]

The other thing that helps in winter caching is when you visit a cache shortly after someone else ( maybe even a week later... if the foot prints freeze in ).

 

Many times I've seen the gps point along a set of tracks and walk right to the cache without needing a gps.

 

Keith

 

Bear & Ducky

[Sliver & Lucy]

Love winter Caching

 

I use a walking stick,, helps on the ice