Disabling cache during Mega-events

[+Overused]

Hello, jsut wanted to ask about your opinion. There is a cache in the fields, only one in that area. And once a year there is mega event going on. But owner of this cache always disable it at the morning of event and remove cache, so no one attending the event can sign it.. Isnt it against rules somehow ? Because doing this as owner is superstupid, and I dont think its fair, since there are people coming hundrets miles to event, not being able to find cache 100m from it, because owner doesnt want new logs, or idk whats his problem.. Let me know your opinion

[+niraD]

2 minutes ago, Overusedx said:

Hello, jsut wanted to ask about your opinion. There is a cache in the fields, only one in that area. And once a year there is mega event going on. But owner of this cache always disable it at the morning of event and remove cache, so no one attending the event can sign it.. Isnt it against rules somehow ? Because doing this as owner is superstupid, and I dont think its fair, since there are people coming hundrets miles to event, not being able to find cache 100m from it, because owner doesnt want new logs, or idk whats his problem.. Let me know your opinion

This sounds like a responsible cache owner to me, someone who gives up the extra smileys to protect a sensitive cache/location from the hoards of irresponsible seekers that a nearby mega event will inevitably bring.

[+Overused]

2 minutes ago, niraD said:

This sounds like a responsible cache owner to me, someone who gives up the extra smileys to protect a sensitive cache/location from the hoards of irresponsible seekers that a nearby mega event will inevitably bring.

The hoards are coming around the cache place anyway... PRopably checking if its luckily not there too. Because there tends to be lab at the spot during event.. So he is not protecting anything, just limiting people from findign cache.. Its not sensitive area or nothing, its just cache droped next to road under rock

Edited January 17 by Overusedx

[+GeoElmo6000]

I've "found" caches during mega events and a lot of times you just navigate to the GZ and find the crowd and someone hands you the cache and the log and you sign it and then pass it along to the next cacher, without experiencing finding or replacing the cache or even knowing where it was actually hidden.  It's up to the CO to make that call, maybe they had that experience before.

[+niraD]

51 minutes ago, Overusedx said:

Its not sensitive area or nothing, its just cache droped next to road under rock

Even if the location isn't sensitive, maybe the CO doesn't want to deal with what the hoards of irresponsible seekers would do to the cache itself.

 

I don't blame the CO one bit. If I owned a traditional cache that was within 100m of a mega event location, then I'd probably disable the listing and retrieve the cache for a week before and a week after the mega event. Let the mega event organizers entertain the attendees. I don't need to sacrifice my cache for the mega event's benefit.

 

Ultimately, it's up to each CO to decide. I'm sure there are plenty of other caches near the mega event location for everyone to find.

[+Bear and Ragged]

2 hours ago, niraD said:

Even if the location isn't sensitive, maybe the CO doesn't want to deal with what the hoards of irresponsible seekers would do to the cache itself.

 

I don't blame the CO one bit. If I owned a traditional cache that was within 100m of a mega event location, then I'd probably disable the listing and retrieve the cache for a week before and a week after the mega event. Let the mega event organizers entertain the attendees. I don't need to sacrifice my cache for the mega event's benefit.

 

Ultimately, it's up to each CO to decide. I'm sure there are plenty of other caches near the mega event location for everyone to find.

 

This is what I would do too.

Disable a week before, so that it doesn't show in any PQ's run by those attending. Remove cache, and replace after the event.

 

If the organisers want caches for the attendees to find they should place their own, and make sure they can be maintained for the minimum time allowed for a cache, and removed and archived after that time.

[+Max and 99]

I think disabling that cache was a good idea!

[+lee737]

I'd do the reverse, probably add new log sheets to allow for bulk signatures, do some maintenance and clean up the area. Then revisit after and reset the cache - after all, he/she was visiting twice anyway..... 

[+cerberus1]

9 hours ago, Overusedx said:

Hello, jsut wanted to ask about your opinion. There is a cache in the fields, only one in that area. And once a year there is mega event going on. But owner of this cache always disable it at the morning of event and remove cache, so no one attending the event can sign it.. Isnt it against rules somehow ? 

 

Not that I'm aware of...  There's a few COs who wished they'd do the same after a brand-new cache has OM because "the log is full" and fifty or better people afterwards (there or not) write, "found cache, log is full, thanks for the find".    

We had some here that TD their caches after we noticed outta state folks going for numbers and not even bothering to close containers.

I don't blame them either...

[+arisoft]

9 hours ago, Overusedx said:

Isnt it against rules somehow ? Because doing this as owner is superstupid, and I dont think its fair, since there are people coming hundrets miles to event, not being able to find cache 100m from it

 

Actually, it is what the rules tell you.

https://www.geocaching.com/play/guidelines#event

 

Event requirements
An Event Cache
Cannot be set up for the sole purpose of finding geocaches

 

The CO is just enforcing this guideline by removing the cache so it can not be found during the event.

 

 

Edited January 17 by arisoft

[+lee737]

2 hours ago, arisoft said:

Event requirements
An Event Cache
Cannot be set up for the sole purpose of finding geocaches

*sole* purpose.

[+Overused]

On 1/17/2025 at 10:22 PM, arisoft said:

 

Actually, it is what the rules tell you.

https://www.geocaching.com/play/guidelines#event

 

Event requirements
An Event Cache
Cannot be set up for the sole purpose of finding geocaches

 

The CO is just enforcing this guideline by removing the cache so it can not be found during the event.

 

 

I dont think the rule work like that, its suposed to make events for finding caches, this is cache next to event not even connected to it. Not gona talk about this rule is being ignored on nearly every mega event as owners publish new caches with FTF friendly, especialy here in czech to give attenders FTFs... So then the mega is made to find caches which is against rules.. 

[+JL_HSTRE]

17 hours ago, Overused said:

Not gona talk about this rule is being ignored on nearly every mega event as owners publish new caches with FTF friendly, especialy here in czech to give attenders FTFs... So then the mega is made to find caches which is against rules.. 

 

Publishing large numbers of caches in conjunction with an event has long been allowed. The event simply has to offer other activities besides that, and at a fixed location.

[+CCFsmile]

On 1/17/2025 at 3:49 AM, Overused said:

Hello, jsut wanted to ask about your opinion. There is a cache in the fields, only one in that area. And once a year there is mega event going on. But owner of this cache always disable it at the morning of event and remove cache, so no one attending the event can sign it.. Isnt it against rules somehow ? Because doing this as owner is superstupid, and I dont think its fair, since there are people coming hundrets miles to event, not being able to find cache 100m from it, because owner doesnt want new logs, or idk whats his problem.. Let me know your opinion

 

I seem to have very different opinions around here lately. I think there are a lot of people who are overly uptight about rules (and wet logs!) etc... but in this case I support the OP. In my opinion if you have a cache and it is close to a mega event that happens regularly and you don't want it found during that event, then archive it or don't place it. I find it ridiculous that a cache should be available to some people sometimes and then later not, simply at the whim of the CO. The only caches that should be limited in day or time etc are those in places like libraries, or very rarely a place that is open only seasonally.

 

I don't know if the OP means that old cache in GA but I probably would never do that cache just because I find it unfair that it gets removed regularly. If you want a cache to be available for only a certain period, archive it when done and place a new one later. 

[+arisoft]

5 hours ago, CCFsmile said:

you don't want it found during that event, then archive it or don't place it.

 

What is the difference? Cache not placed, archived or cache temporarily not available. In all cases the crowd at the event will not find the cache.

 

5 hours ago, CCFsmile said:

I find it unfair that it gets removed regularly.

 

Could you clarify why you feel that unfair. Do you think that it does not offer equal opportunities to everyone involved.

 

[+Smitherington]

Before I travel to a large event I spend some time planning on which caches to hunt while in the area. If a cache on my target list was disabled while I was there and activated after I left I would be bummed.  Could be on my list for various reasons and to have someone shut it down just when I was in the area would leave me feeling cheated. I would hope that the CO would explain the reason in his temporarily disabled log.

[+CCFsmile]

20 hours ago, arisoft said:

 

Could you clarify why you feel that unfair. Do you think that it does not offer equal opportunities to everyone involved.

 

 

Correct. Imagine if all COs started randomly disabling and removing caches, despite people making travel plans including them or even downloading the cache, planning on it, then going to find a day or two later and it's gone? It absolutely would wreak havoc with the game. 

I note that the OP asked for opinions. That was mine and everyone is entitled to their own. 

Edited April 3 by CCFsmile

[+niraD]

5 hours ago, CCFsmile said:

Imagine if all COs started randomly disabling and removing caches, despite people making travel plans including them or even downloading the cache, planning on it, then going to find a day or two later and it's gone?

I've made travel plans for a specific cache a handful of times. When the travel plans have been significant, I've contacted the CO before committing to a specific time date.

 

But that isn't really what the OP is complaining about. The OP is complaining about making plans to attend a Mega-Event, and then finding that one of the caches in the area is not available. That isn't the same thing at all.