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I don't know about the rest of you, but to me, one of the things that really takes the wind out of my sails when I'm at a cache site is realizing that it's hidden somewhere in a tangle of briars,poison ivy, wild roses, etc. I went out looking for a cache this weekend and when I saw the jungle that my GPS took me to, I simply went back home without looking any further. It's not that important for me to find it to have to get all scratched up or get well acquainted with the local poisonous plants. Anyone else run into this? Should such caches have a warning in their descriptions? I know that the hunt is part of the fun, but stuff like this seems extreme. Maybe I should buy one of those protective padded suits the police attack dog trainers use. That wouldn't draw too much attention would it?

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Yep, I do all the time. That is part of the sport. It adds to the adventure and the fun and best of all, gives you "war stories" to tell to your fellow Geocachers and co-workers. I'm a long time outdoorsman so my thoughts may differ on this. My scratches and scrapes after a day of Geocaching are a kind of badge that I wear with pride (and a little wince when I apply alcohol) You couch potatos who are just getting into the outdoors may have a different take on this sort of situation. Don't worry. You'll either learn to deal with it, learn to love it, give up the sport or just stick with 1/1 caches in Central Park.

 

"Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Kelle

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I went after a cache one time that was really good and challenging as far as the hike goes. The last 1000 feet or so was through tall grass with briars and seeds etc. getting stuck in my socks. Made it pretty uncomfortable. In my log I expressed my dissapointment on a otherwise perfect cache hunt. My own fault for not having gaitors, but who knew? I've never owned gaitors before or even knew such a thing existed. The cache owner emailed me after reading my log. He felt bad that I was dissapointed and mentioned that he didn't expect anyone to come looking for it in the summertime. I have since learned to try to be as prepared as possible and pay closer attention to the ratings. Anything over a 1/1 is bound to have some kind of twist to it. I personally can't wait for winter and the nice geocaching weather.

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quote:

Yep, I do all the time. That is part of the sport. It adds to the adventure and the fun and best of all, gives you "war stories" to tell to your fellow Geocachers and co-workers.

 

You'll either learn to deal with it, learn to love it, give up the sport or just stick with 1/1 caches in Central Park.


 

Hey Now...

 

C.P. can provide plenty of war stories, whether you're a native or not!

 

CB

 

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quote:

Yep, I do all the time. That is part of the sport. It adds to the adventure and the fun and best of all, gives you "war stories" to tell to your fellow Geocachers and co-workers.

 

You'll either learn to deal with it, learn to love it, give up the sport or just stick with 1/1 caches in Central Park.


 

Hey Now...

 

C.P. can provide plenty of war stories, whether you're a native or not!

 

CB

 

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icon_wink.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

 

Only 1000 feet? I wish I had more of those!


 

It was a terrible 1000 feet. I dreaded returning the same way I came, but there were no better choices. Don't get me wrong, I've done more than a fair share of thorns and water and elevation changes etc. Felt like giving up many times, but the stuff in the socks just really got to me. Like I said, now I try to be prepared. I used to bushwhack without a stick, for example. It isn't easy to bushwhack without something to whack with icon_smile.gif I've always been an outdoors kind of guy and spent lots of time in the wilderness, but before geocaching I just never had a reason to go to places I go to now. My pack is full of useful items I now take along, and could probably think of a few more that I don't have room for.

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quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

 

Only 1000 feet? I wish I had more of those!


 

It was a terrible 1000 feet. I dreaded returning the same way I came, but there were no better choices. Don't get me wrong, I've done more than a fair share of thorns and water and elevation changes etc. Felt like giving up many times, but the stuff in the socks just really got to me. Like I said, now I try to be prepared. I used to bushwhack without a stick, for example. It isn't easy to bushwhack without something to whack with icon_smile.gif I've always been an outdoors kind of guy and spent lots of time in the wilderness, but before geocaching I just never had a reason to go to places I go to now. My pack is full of useful items I now take along, and could probably think of a few more that I don't have room for.

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I'm going to have to come in on the side of claypigeon58. I really don't see any reason to place in a cache in briars, brambles, stickers, prickers, or nettles. Keep 'em out of the poison stuff too; sumac, oak, and ivy. It's an uncreative way to try and create a challenge. It's more like an ambush or a trap.

 

"There's no need to be afraid of strange noises in the night. Anything that intends you harm will stalk you silently."

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Depending on what time of the year the cacher hides the booty, there might not really be any signs of the growth that happens in the spring/summer.

 

Just the change from winter to spring can change a caches difficulty by a ton, if you are considering the bugs/annoying plantlife.

 

I just think everyone should come prepared. And if you can't get at it easy right now, maybe come back in the fall once the weather has killed off the offensive plants. icon_biggrin.gif

 

- Toe.

 

--==< Rubbertoe's WEBCAM >==--

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Depending on what time of the year the cacher hides the booty, there might not really be any signs of the growth that happens in the spring/summer.

 

Just the change from winter to spring can change a caches difficulty by a ton, if you are considering the bugs/annoying plantlife.

 

I just think everyone should come prepared. And if you can't get at it easy right now, maybe come back in the fall once the weather has killed off the offensive plants. icon_biggrin.gif

 

- Toe.

 

--==< Rubbertoe's WEBCAM >==--

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We were dismayed by poison oak early on in our geocaching career, but after a few finds we realized the awful truth... every single cache in San Diego County that isn't reachable from a paved road is buried in poison oak most of the year. If poison ivy, brambles, stinging nettles or any other nasty stuff is native (or really invasive) in your area, you almost have to assume that you'll encounter it on a given trip. I do appreciate warnings about unusual hazards (or the invaluable comment 'there's a way to avoid this evil hazard if you're careful,' if it's true), but if I had any sense I'd wear long pants caching. I go in expecting to get scratched up, and I generally succeed. Luckily, neither of us is particularly susceptible to poison oak rash. Hawkeye just got his first (and comparatively mild) case after two months of caching in poison oak season, and I've yet to get a blister.

 

On the other hand, I think caches requiring serious bushwhacking should indicate such in their rating and/or description. I would like to avoid such caches, personally, because I don't like the idea of leaving a swath of carnage behind me, even if all I step on are weeds (I can't generally tell the difference between a weed and an important native plant anyway.. I'm lucky I even know poison oak). But around here, if you're walking in a canyon, you're wading in the little red leaves. I do like to be warned about steep slopes involving loose dirt and little round pebbles, but that's a personal thing..

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I don't know what poison ivy looks like. Yea, I know there's some threads here which have pics of it, but that still doesn't help me. It's a mental block or something.

 

I've been swimming in it on several caches, and didn't know it until I looked at previous logs. Either I'm resistant, or lucky. I always wear a long sleeved shirt and long pants.

 

I placed my first cache recently, only to be told that there was poison ivy in the area. I updated the description to warn people, but I don't think I'll move it or archive it.

 

----------

One banana, two banana, three banana, four.

Four bananas make a bunch and so do many more.

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quote:
but if I had any sense I'd wear long pants caching.

 

Two alternatives I've found useful for the summer:

 

1. Those convertible pants with the zip-off/zip-on legs.

 

2. A set of goretex chaps that strap on to your belt but cover your entire legs (these from my motorcycling youth).

 

Either one gives lets me hike in shorts but add full leg protection without carrying another pair of trousers. Because of their water repellant qualities, the chaps are handy on damp days.

 

max

Just visiting this planet

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quote:
I personally can't wait for winter and the nice geocaching weather.

 

Gosh really?!?! icon_confused.gif

 

I guess different places have different problems. I'm not saying that you can't Geocache in Utah in the winter but it makes a lot of the caches very difficult to find under 2-5 feet of snow depending on what canyon or mountain they are located in. One cache says that it is a nice hike in the summer and snowmobile only in the winter. I also hate icon_mad.gif to get "stuff" in my shoes and socks but I guess that it happens so often that I just pick it all out and move along. Maybe I need a "Winter Home" somewhere that has good Geocaching weather

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quote:
I personally can't wait for winter and the nice geocaching weather.

 

Gosh really?!?! icon_confused.gif

 

I guess different places have different problems. I'm not saying that you can't Geocache in Utah in the winter but it makes a lot of the caches very difficult to find under 2-5 feet of snow depending on what canyon or mountain they are located in. One cache says that it is a nice hike in the summer and snowmobile only in the winter. I also hate icon_mad.gif to get "stuff" in my shoes and socks but I guess that it happens so often that I just pick it all out and move along. Maybe I need a "Winter Home" somewhere that has good Geocaching weather

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I'm with Rubber toe.... it probably depends on when the cache was placed. I never thought about it until I went out to find a new cache this last spring. As I scrambled up the damp hillside, I realized that I did NOT want to be going for this cache in a Northern California summer when it would be SURROUNDED by PO and stickers. The cache HIDER might not have even realized that at the time.

 

And yes, we DO seem to do more of the 1/1 "in a local park" type of caches this time of year. Now I know why!

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Don't be a wimp! icon_wink.gif Thorns, PI, snakes, etc. are just part of the challenge! If you think that stuff is hard on geocachers, try orienteering. Orienteers run through the stuff trying to find their control points as quickly as possible. When I geocache, I've got a pretty good chance of coming home with just a few minor scratches. If I don't come back from an orienteering run bloodied and covered in PI, it means I wasn't trying very hard. icon_biggrin.gif I'm just glad I've got good insurance. And they haven't asked too many questions.

 

25021_1200.gif

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Don't be a wimp! icon_wink.gif Thorns, PI, snakes, etc. are just part of the challenge! If you think that stuff is hard on geocachers, try orienteering. Orienteers run through the stuff trying to find their control points as quickly as possible. When I geocache, I've got a pretty good chance of coming home with just a few minor scratches. If I don't come back from an orienteering run bloodied and covered in PI, it means I wasn't trying very hard. icon_biggrin.gif I'm just glad I've got good insurance. And they haven't asked too many questions.

 

25021_1200.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by cannonlaw:

 

Gosh really?!?! icon_confused.gif

 

I guess different places have different problems. I'm not saying that you can't Geocache in Utah in the winter but it makes a lot of the caches very difficult to find under 2-5 feet of snow depending on what canyon or mountain they are located in. One cache says that it is a nice hike in the summer and snowmobile only in the winter. I also hate icon_mad.gif to get "stuff" in my shoes and socks but I guess that it happens so often that I just pick it all out and move along. Maybe I need a "Winter Home" somewhere that has good Geocaching weather


 

Well winter here can be with or without snow, usually there is some. I'd prefer winter without the snow because it would be too easy to follow other cacher's footprints icon_smile.gif The strange part of getting the "stuff" in my socks (seeds etc.) was that it pinched really bad with each step I took. Since I was in snake country I kept freaking out that perhaps that last thing I felt was a snakebite rather than the pinching of something already in my socks icon_smile.gif I would think a good pair of snakeboots should kill two birds with one stone though. By the way, the cache I was talking about where this happened to me was in No. California.

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quote:
Originally posted by cannonlaw:

 

Gosh really?!?! icon_confused.gif

 

I guess different places have different problems. I'm not saying that you can't Geocache in Utah in the winter but it makes a lot of the caches very difficult to find under 2-5 feet of snow depending on what canyon or mountain they are located in. One cache says that it is a nice hike in the summer and snowmobile only in the winter. I also hate icon_mad.gif to get "stuff" in my shoes and socks but I guess that it happens so often that I just pick it all out and move along. Maybe I need a "Winter Home" somewhere that has good Geocaching weather


 

Well winter here can be with or without snow, usually there is some. I'd prefer winter without the snow because it would be too easy to follow other cacher's footprints icon_smile.gif The strange part of getting the "stuff" in my socks (seeds etc.) was that it pinched really bad with each step I took. Since I was in snake country I kept freaking out that perhaps that last thing I felt was a snakebite rather than the pinching of something already in my socks icon_smile.gif I would think a good pair of snakeboots should kill two birds with one stone though. By the way, the cache I was talking about where this happened to me was in No. California.

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Last year was our first year caching and I got poison ivy 4 times! This from caches no more than 100 feet off trail. This year, I have been applying Ivy Block to my arms before every cache. Then been washing with a special poison ivy removal something which I can't remember the name at the moment. I guess the point is to be prepared for every cache, regardless of the difficulty. If it's in the woods and off the trail, expect poison ivy. Stickers/Briars...scrapes and cuts we can deal with as there are no itching blisters and oozing welts that pester you for days on end. Scratches and such....Battle Scars

 

"Wow! What happened to your legs?" said the man.

"We went Geocaching this weekend." said the Geocachers.

"That sounds like Something Wonderful..." said .............

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quote:
Originally posted by moghedian:

This year, I have been applying Ivy Block to my arms before every cache. Then been washing with a special poison ivy removal something which I can't remember the name at the moment

Ivy Block before caching.

TECNU after I'm done.

Cortisone shots/pills from the doctor if I forget.

 

25021_1200.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Rubbertoe:

Depending on what time of the year the cacher hides the booty, there might not really be any signs of the growth that happens in the spring/summer.


 

Exactly what I was going to say. We placed 2 caches in May, and the last time I went to check on them I was surprised at how much growth had occured. I expected some, but what I found surprised me.

I am sure that most people, dont intend on placing a cache someplace full of poison ivy/oak, but as the summer wears on, it pops up.

 

Laugh now, but I've got plenty to do when I'm the last person on the planet

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For the sake of new folks, one thing that I've found is that sometimes you should just follow the trail and keep an eye on your GPS. Generally the hider is no more eager to trek through the jungle than you are. There have been many times that if I'd just exercised a little patience and not been so eager to bushwhack, I could've reached the cache with minimum exposure to anything nasty.

 

That isn't always the case, but it's worthwhile to scout around a bit instead of just plunging into where you think the GPS is leading.

 

-honeychile-

 

'*+.,_,.+*'`'*+.,_A joyful heart is good medicine!_,.+*'`'*+.,_,.+*'`

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I'm relatively new to geocaching, and maybe it's just MY LUCK, but almost all of the 9 caches I've found, I came at from the wrong direction! A friend and I went looking for a 1/1 rated ez cache, and drove up to a thick wooded area with a strange truck parked in it...but we simply went another block down and around and there it was right off the sidewalk! Today in fact, I was hunting a cache in a trailed area, decided to slide down a 45 degree hill on my butt! There were rocks and spider webs and scratchy branches...10 feet down the trail was a set of stairs going down! So I've learned that I can make the hunt a lot harder than it is!

 

And I quite enjoyed sliding down the hill on my butt! It was fun and my dog thought I was cool for it.

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quote:
Originally posted by Geo Quest:

I'm going to have to come in on the side of claypigeon58. I really don't see any reason to place in a cache in briars, brambles, stickers, prickers, or nettles. Keep 'em out of the poison stuff too; sumac, oak, and ivy. It's an uncreative way to try and create a challenge. It's more like an ambush or a trap.


Along with misleading ratings and useless clues, dumb hiding places are a pet peeve of mine. It seems like some cache owners don't think and don't care. I'd hate to be guests in their home. I try to avoid these caches if I can dope it out from the logs (assuming I have time to read them). I appreciate it when other cachers point out problems.

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I agree with everybody.

 

The time of the year makes a lot of difference. If you have to wade/swim, winter is perhaps not the best time. If there are stinging nettles, winter may be perfect. (Oh yes, I have come across both at the same time. How to cope? Used a wetsuit. Protected against both water and stinging vegetation.)

 

There is often another way to the cache, that's a lot easier.

 

Read the logs, and sometimes the clues, to get hints of how to attack the cache, and what to expect.

 

Be prepared. Even on a hot day, shorts and a t-shirt may not be the smartest thing in the woods. If you consider everything else too clumsy and warm, well, that's when you start longing for a geo-suit... icon_biggrin.gif

 

Anders

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I agree with everybody.

 

The time of the year makes a lot of difference. If you have to wade/swim, winter is perhaps not the best time. If there are stinging nettles, winter may be perfect. (Oh yes, I have come across both at the same time. How to cope? Used a wetsuit. Protected against both water and stinging vegetation.)

 

There is often another way to the cache, that's a lot easier.

 

Read the logs, and sometimes the clues, to get hints of how to attack the cache, and what to expect.

 

Be prepared. Even on a hot day, shorts and a t-shirt may not be the smartest thing in the woods. If you consider everything else too clumsy and warm, well, that's when you start longing for a geo-suit... icon_biggrin.gif

 

Anders

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It would be unfortunate to think that fellow cachers would intentionally lead us through something potentially dangerous or derive joy and pleasure from knowing people are tripping and cursing their name as they fight with the almighty blackberry bush. And there are some I'm sure that revel in such thoughts.

 

I'm deathly allergic to poison ivy, sumac, oak...anything with 3 leaves, and mosquitos think I'm tasty, but that's just part of the world we live in (or maybe it's me in the midwest here...). No cacher can control nature, too bad, they would be highly revered. icon_wink.gif

 

I squeezed myself through some huge poison ivy a few weeks back to rescue a travel bug, I must have looked like a secret agent traversing laser beams in order to steal the largest can off Deep Woods OFF in the world! I was so bent on getting that bug that I didn't care if I got a little poison ivy, but that's just me. But sometimes, I tiptoe through the PI because I went the hard way!

 

But beware of the mosquitos right now, get that deep woods off and extra B-1 thiamin, that West Nile virus has killed two birds at our zoo, one as an eagle, but I guess that's another topic! icon_smile.gif

 

Tellulah

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It would be unfortunate to think that fellow cachers would intentionally lead us through something potentially dangerous or derive joy and pleasure from knowing people are tripping and cursing their name as they fight with the almighty blackberry bush. And there are some I'm sure that revel in such thoughts.

 

I'm deathly allergic to poison ivy, sumac, oak...anything with 3 leaves, and mosquitos think I'm tasty, but that's just part of the world we live in (or maybe it's me in the midwest here...). No cacher can control nature, too bad, they would be highly revered. icon_wink.gif

 

I squeezed myself through some huge poison ivy a few weeks back to rescue a travel bug, I must have looked like a secret agent traversing laser beams in order to steal the largest can off Deep Woods OFF in the world! I was so bent on getting that bug that I didn't care if I got a little poison ivy, but that's just me. But sometimes, I tiptoe through the PI because I went the hard way!

 

But beware of the mosquitos right now, get that deep woods off and extra B-1 thiamin, that West Nile virus has killed two birds at our zoo, one as an eagle, but I guess that's another topic! icon_smile.gif

 

Tellulah

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Great topic..

There are so many variables with every cache. Nobody is suggesting geocaching naked [sounds like fun], cachers need to be prepared for most anything. Sandals are not a good idea, poison ivy grows at ankle height. Although, sandals are great for wading in small streams. A good pair of hiking boots and denim trousers seem to be the order of the day. Cache raatings will vary with locale as well. Don't expect a 1/1 to be the same in West Virginia or Colorado as a 1/1 in Indiana or Kansas. We have found it is a good idea to walk around the bush at a cache location to see if we can't avoid bushwacking...

What ever it takes, keep on caching! icon_wink.gif

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Great topic..

There are so many variables with every cache. Nobody is suggesting geocaching naked [sounds like fun], cachers need to be prepared for most anything. Sandals are not a good idea, poison ivy grows at ankle height. Although, sandals are great for wading in small streams. A good pair of hiking boots and denim trousers seem to be the order of the day. Cache raatings will vary with locale as well. Don't expect a 1/1 to be the same in West Virginia or Colorado as a 1/1 in Indiana or Kansas. We have found it is a good idea to walk around the bush at a cache location to see if we can't avoid bushwacking...

What ever it takes, keep on caching! icon_wink.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Trudy & The Beast:

Cache raatings will vary with locale as well. Don't expect a 1/1 to be the same in West Virginia or Colorado as a 1/1 in Indiana or Kansas.


Why is that? The rating system is reasonably objective. Although terrain, vegetation and climate will be different around the country, a 1/1 should still be accessible to those with physical disabilities and easy to find. Higher ratings, especially above 2, will vary more locally but I'll bet 10 experienced cachers will still come within a point of one another if they use the rating system.

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I swear and attest to the following:

 

When I placed this cache there were no obvious plants of the ‘poisonous’ variety. There were no briars or, if there were briars, it was not necessary to go through them to get to the cache. It was not raining at the time that I placed this cache but it is possible that it may rain at this location at some time in the future. I acknowledge that the presence of rain may make the ground soft and the rocks slippery. On the day that I placed this cache the air temperature was in the low 70’s and the sky was slightly overcast. Increasing the air temperature and/or decreasing the cloud cover could result in less comfortable conditions for the search. Likewise lowering the air temperature might result in the formation of ice and/or snow and might also make the ground very hard. I have also noted the presence of gravity at this location, which may make any climbing more difficult and stumbling a possibility. I noted no wildlife in the area but am fairly certain that some does exist. It is therefore possible that you might be bitten, stung, mauled, chased, chewed upon, killed, or inconvenienced in some way. I saw no source of potable water at the cache location so thirst is also a possibility. You may also assume that no source of food exists so hunger could also result (attempting to eat any indigenous plant or animal life is done at your own risk). I further attest that I did survive the ordeal of placing the cache and am able to swear to this statement without the need for assistance from medical personnel or life support equipment of any kind.

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quote:
Originally posted by bigeddy:

The rating system is reasonably objective. Although terrain, vegetation and climate will be different around the country, a 1/1 should still be accessible to those with physical disabilities and easy to find. Higher ratings, especially above 2, will vary more locally but I'll bet 10 experienced cachers will still come within a point of one another if they use the rating system.


 

Bigeddy also said "Along with misleading ratings and useless clues...." earlier in this thread. I believe Bigeddy has seen some of the same variability. Other threads have been devoted to this subject.

 

What does the term "slight incline" mean to a to a West Virginian vs. a Kansan? Our perceptions vary with our environment. I admit that while there may be room for a cacher to disagree with a rating, there is no reason to get into a no-win debate on how some caches are rated. I am only saying that we need to be aware that there is some variability here.

 

I agree that a 1/1 should be accessable to those with physical limitations. But, how many of them are? I also agree that we are going to see greater variability at the highter ratings. And if 10 experienced cachers are going to come within a point of one-another, why are we even having this discussion?

 

Keep on Caching icon_wink.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by bigeddy:

The rating system is reasonably objective. Although terrain, vegetation and climate will be different around the country, a 1/1 should still be accessible to those with physical disabilities and easy to find. Higher ratings, especially above 2, will vary more locally but I'll bet 10 experienced cachers will still come within a point of one another if they use the rating system.


 

Bigeddy also said "Along with misleading ratings and useless clues...." earlier in this thread. I believe Bigeddy has seen some of the same variability. Other threads have been devoted to this subject.

 

What does the term "slight incline" mean to a to a West Virginian vs. a Kansan? Our perceptions vary with our environment. I admit that while there may be room for a cacher to disagree with a rating, there is no reason to get into a no-win debate on how some caches are rated. I am only saying that we need to be aware that there is some variability here.

 

I agree that a 1/1 should be accessable to those with physical limitations. But, how many of them are? I also agree that we are going to see greater variability at the highter ratings. And if 10 experienced cachers are going to come within a point of one-another, why are we even having this discussion?

 

Keep on Caching icon_wink.gif

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quote:
I have also noted the presence of gravity at this location, which may make any climbing more difficult and stumbling a possibility.

 

icon_biggrin.gif Heh, yes...gravity, what CAN we do about this nuisance called gravity, and rain, forget about it. I'm boycotting rain too. icon_biggrin.gif

 

I've only been geocaching for a few weeks, and maybe I'm just looking at the bright side, but it's one the coolest ways I've seen humans interact in a long time!

 

Gotta go! There's bushes to whack and poison ivy to catch!

 

Tellulah

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quote:
I have also noted the presence of gravity at this location, which may make any climbing more difficult and stumbling a possibility.

 

icon_biggrin.gif Heh, yes...gravity, what CAN we do about this nuisance called gravity, and rain, forget about it. I'm boycotting rain too. icon_biggrin.gif

 

I've only been geocaching for a few weeks, and maybe I'm just looking at the bright side, but it's one the coolest ways I've seen humans interact in a long time!

 

Gotta go! There's bushes to whack and poison ivy to catch!

 

Tellulah

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quote:
Originally posted by Bob & Jill:

I swear and attest to the following:

 

When I placed this cache there were no obvious plants of the ‘poisonous’ variety. There were no briars or, if there were briars, it was not necessary to go through them to get to the cache. It was not raining at the time that I placed this cache but it is possible that it may rain at this location at some time in the future. I acknowledge that the presence of rain may make the ground soft and the rocks slippery. On the day that I placed this cache the air temperature was in the low 70’s and the sky was slightly overcast. Increasing the air temperature and/or decreasing the cloud cover could result in less comfortable conditions for the search. Likewise lowering the air temperature might result in the formation of ice and/or snow and might also make the ground very hard. I have also noted the presence of gravity at this location, which may make any climbing more difficult and stumbling a possibility. I noted no wildlife in the area but am fairly certain that some does exist. It is therefore possible that you might be bitten, stung, mauled, chased, chewed upon, killed, or inconvenienced in some way. I saw no source of potable water at the cache location so thirst is also a possibility. You may also assume that no source of food exists so hunger could also result (attempting to eat any indigenous plant or animal life is done at your own risk). I further attest that I did survive the ordeal of placing the cache and am able to swear to this statement without the need for assistance from medical personnel or life support equipment of any kind.


 

You forgot meteors, earthquakes, and giant mutant squirrels--unless you promise that I'm safe against them, I'm not going anywhere near your cache.

 

wcgreen

 

--

Wendy Chatley Green

wcgreen@eudoramail.com

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quote:
Originally posted by wcgreen:

 

You forgot meteors, earthquakes, and giant mutant squirrels--unless you promise that I'm safe against them, I'm not going anywhere near your cache.


 

Okay, the meteors and earthquakes are now in the ammended statement. The giant mutant squirrels, however, is one of those local things that have been discussed here that make ratings different. You see, we live about 15 miles from TMI...

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quote:
Originally posted by Trudy & The Beast:

quote:
Originally posted by bigeddy:

The rating system is reasonably objective. Although terrain, vegetation and climate will be different around the country, a 1/1 should still be accessible to those with physical disabilities and easy to find. Higher ratings, especially above 2, will vary more locally but I'll bet 10 experienced cachers will still come within a point of one another if they use the rating system.


I agree that a 1/1 should be accessable to those with physical limitations. But, how many of them are? I also agree that we are going to see greater variability at the highter ratings. And if 10 experienced cachers are going to come within a point of one-another, why are we even having this discussion?


Because many cachers, even experienced ones, don't follow the rating system. They just make up their own, or just leave it at the default 1/1.

 

If local conditions are more difficult than in other parts of the country, the logical result would be caches of higher average rating in that area, not adjustment of the rating system as if it were a grading curve.

 

I hunt caches outside my area and appreciate it when cache owners follow the rating system. I can't always research the topo maps and logs in detail ahead of time, and it's very annoying to climb 1000 feet off-trail to a 2-terrain cache. What are they thinking?

 

At a 3 rating and above, I allow for more variability per the guidelines, but I should be able to depend on lesser ratings to be short of a "character builder" except in unusual circumstances (off-season, bad weather).

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