Is this fair?

[+Cjbear087]

Recently I have been doing a large cache series with my friend. On one of these caches, it was on a trail that we had to follow and we ended up on the wrong side of barbed wire (cache was on the left and we were on the right separated by barbed wire). At the time, I had an injured leg and didn’t feel safe climbing over the barbed wire (we needed to as there was no gate for ages) so my friend climbed over instead. Eventually, he found the cache and signed the log with both our names. Is it fair for me to log this as a found? I was about 10-15 metres away from him when he found it, so I don’t know if that’s fair. The reason it’s bothering me is that I feel like I didn’t help so it doesn’t deserve a found log. I don’t see myself going back at any point because it’s hard to get to and I now know where it is anyway. Thoughts?

[+Max and 99]

1 hour ago, Cjbear087 said:

Recently I have been doing a large cache series with my friend. On one of these caches, it was on a trail that we had to follow and we ended up on the wrong side of barbed wire (cache was on the left and we were on the right separated by barbed wire). At the time, I had an injured leg and didn’t feel safe climbing over the barbed wire (we needed to as there was no gate for ages) so my friend climbed over instead. Eventually, he found the cache and signed the log with both our names. Is it fair for me to log this as a found? I was about 10-15 metres away from him when he found it, so I don’t know if that’s fair. The reason it’s bothering me is that I feel like I didn’t help so it doesn’t deserve a found log. I don’t see myself going back at any point because it’s hard to get to and I now know where it is anyway. Thoughts?

In my opinion, it is absolutely fine that you log the cache online!

Edited October 30 by Max and 99

[+CAVinoGal]

1 hour ago, Cjbear087 said:

Is it fair for me to log this as a found? I was about 10-15 metres away from him when he found it, so I don’t know if that’s fair. The reason it’s bothering me is that I feel like I didn’t help so it doesn’t deserve a found log. I don’t see myself going back at any point because it’s hard to get to and I now know where it is anyway. Thoughts?

It's completely up to you if you log it or not log it.  If it is bothering you and you don't feel right logging it, then don't.  Most geocachers would log it (I would in your position); you were hiking the trail with a buddy, he found it and put your name on the logsheet, and you continued hiking to find the others along the trail.  I've found caches, signed hubby's name when it was a tight spot and he let me grab the cache, sign us in, and return it while he watched.  We've reversed positions, he climbed the tree while I spotted him as he signed us in.

 

I don't agree with claiming a find on caches you were not even present for the find (divide and conquer, where 2 teams split up and do 2 trails, and both teams claim all the finds), but in this case you WERE there, just didn't physically retrieve or touch the container for whatever reason on this particular cache.  As I said, I would log it; though if it truly bothers you and you don't feel it's right, no one will fault you if you don't log it.  It's a hobby, stats are only as important as you make them, and in the end, YOU are the one who needs to be satisfied with your decision.

[+Deepdiggingmole]

The circumstances in the OP are not uncommon when a couple of cachers go out together and if one finds a cache which may be in an awkward location then the other won't be in a position to get to it while the other is in the process of doing so - so one logs for both. Log it
 

It happens a lot when teams of people all go out on a trail - one will find the cache and will put a generic tag for the team instead of all the individual caching names - then all those present will log the caches making reference to that team tag. In instances like that you will often observe that one person has gone to look for the cache, found it, signed it and replaced it while the rest of the team stand chatting among themselves - most will have not seen the cache or even seen where it was hidden - yet will log it with the team tag. 

If those cachers are satisfied that they 'found' that cache while out with the team - then the circumstances as outlined in the OP is more than satisfactory in comparison :-)  

[+Hügh]

I say it's fine to log a find. If I were the CO I would not delete your log. That:

 

<----

 

is regretfully not a picture of me climbing for a cache, it's just a picture of me climbing. Nonetheless, I have been called up at "1-800-RENT-A-MONKEY" a number of times for vertical assistance. Sometimes I'll bring the container all the way down, other times I tell everyone to hug the tree and sign names myself. It depends. In the end, everyone logs a find, even though some never even saw the container because I was so high up.

[+barefootjeff]

I've swung both ways on this. I have a chronic inner ear disorder that's badly messed with my sense of balance, making me reluctant to climb to any height where I don't have good hand-holds, so I've often enlisted the help of a friend on caches like these. More recently, though, our group has done some technical tree climb and abseiling caches, where my role has been principally carrying stuff and taking photos, and even though my name is in the physical logbook (written by me if the book's been sent down or up by those doing the climbing), I've decided not to log a find online as those caches were all about the technical climbing and I hadn't done that.

 

There was one, called Exposure Therapy, that our group did earlier this year, but the exposure bit was crossing a deep narrow hole in the floor of the cave to where the cache was hidden right at the back and, while the others managed it, my imagination had me slipping, falling in and getting stuck so I didn't attempt to cross and didn't log a find even though my friends had put my name in the book. It gnawed at me, though, and it turned out one of those friends adopted the cache a few months later so when they were going out there with a shiny new container, I came along with a plank of wood which I used as a bridge to cross the abyss and sign the new logbook in situ. In the end I was glad I hadn't logged the find the first time, as it was a much more memorable experience for me doing it by walking the plank.

 

 

So ultimately it's your call. If your name's in the logbook and you were in the vicinity of the cache at the time, then your find stands under the rules of the game, but if it makes you uncomfortable sleeping at night then maybe the +1 to your find count isn't worth the anguish.

[+colleda]

I'm with you there Jeff. I too would not claim a find (if caching with a group) unless I had actually done the climb or abseiled or whatever.

[+JL_HSTRE]

I'm more concerned about the fence than the Find.

 

The presence of a barbedwire fence usually indicates a property line and suggests either you or the cache itself may have been Trespassing.

[+GeoElmo6000]

If it was a high tree climbing cache and someone went up and offered to sign my name because I was too scared to climb, I personally would decline.  In that case, the point of the experience is the tree climb and I didn't participate in that.  I'm fine with letting a cache go unfound.

[+cerberus1]

Similar to a few I guess...   I've passed on many "smileys" for assorted reasons (none having to do with access...).

It's up to you as long as your name's in the log...

When I could climb (still outta commission), don't need, but could use a spotter, cameraman, and maybe even a go-fer.  A team.

  -  All participated in some way and claim the "smiley".  I'd bring it down or drop it to them, so they decide whether they sign the log...

I'm dyslexic, and sometimes have issues with math n such. 

  -  A disabled friend would solve the puzzle cache, get as close to GZ as he could, and I'd access it for him.   A team. 

 

With so many "creative" with caches and Trackable codes, it's refreshing that someone feels guilty enough to post it in the forums.  

You were a team, log it if you'd like.  Or not...

 

 

[+Cjbear087]

3 hours ago, JL_HSTRE said:

I'm more concerned about the fence than the Find.

 

The presence of a barbedwire fence usually indicates a property line and suggests either you or the cache itself may have been Trespassing.

Nope it’s just to separate the trail and cattle field, you are allowed to go into the field (it is a country park)