Geocaching on NPR

[+DavidMac]

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Originally posted by Bluespreacher:

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Originally posted by Jeremy (Admin):

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Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

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Like you, I'm puzzled how we got here from the NPR story, but I share your opinion about our 'right' to plunder archeological sites. After all, what have old pots done for US lately?

 

"We've got the hardware and the software, the plans and the maps ..." -- Citizen Wayne Kramer

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Trying to get out of a hole I don't know if I dug myself into or not...

 

Hope I dont sound like I'm for plundering or destruction of something of historic or other significance, not at all, in fact I think it's irresponsible; my point was that sometimes "protection" can be taken too far ( I know that topic has been beaten to death elsewhere so I'll stop). Sorry to stray far off topic, guess that's what happens with little sleep and no caffeine for 2 days...

 

...Not all who wander are lost... unless the batteries in their GPS die, their maps get ruined by rainwater when their pack leaks, and they find themselves in a laurel thicket. Then, they are probably lost.

[+briansnat]

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I would also like to add that taking a reporter on a bogus cache is a good idea, but you may want to send an email to the approvers and maybe get it post dated, just in case the reporter wants to add the link to the cache you visited or look it up when he/she is back in the office. I only say this because I believe a local cacher in my area did a report with a reporter and ended up getting skunked when they could not find the cache

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That would be me. I took a reporter and photog on a cache hunt and couldn't find it in an hour of searching. They finally pitched in too and the three of us came up empty. Pretty embarrasing . And to add to the insult a novice geocacher found it several days later without using a GPS!

 

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" -Abraham Lincoln

[CacheNCarryMA]

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Originally posted by MountainMudbug:

 

True, but another difference is that today people are much more numerous and irresponsible, or at least a good percentage of our enormous population takes the opportunity to be.

When I find what seems to be a secret, neat place off the beaten path somewhere, there's always the discovery of candy wrappers, beer bottles, etc. strewn across the landscape.

It is sad.

(I'm not saying geocachers are responsible for this mess)

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It's interesting that numerous archeological sites were dumping grounds back in the day -- cast off clam shells, remnants of food, broken pottery, old tools, bottles, etc. Modern people may be more numerous, but they're probably not more irresponsible than our predecessors.

[Jeremy]

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Originally posted by BrianSnat:

 

_1 b : to give up with the intent of never again claiming a right or interest in._

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The government is always redefining what a word means. For the NPS, anything left alone for 24 hours is considered abandoned property.

 

I'm becoming old hat at the geocaching story, but last year I was also blindsided by a geocaching story with an agenda.

 

Instead of refusing to interview after that point I decided it is better to speak than have articles only show one side of the story. If you watch any talk shows (or news) on TV, the worst thing to hear is "XX company did not comment" on an issue.

 

When I get a request I query the database for people who have given their location, either zipcode or lat/lon, and indicate it is ok that we send them email. I don't filter out people and rely on them to tell their own story. I have yet to read an article where someone put geocaching in a negative light who was a geocacher.

 

Sorry for that last post. I was testing out the forums which were being flaky last night.

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location

[+briansnat]

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It's interesting that numerous archeological sites were dumping grounds back in the day -- cast off clam shells, remnants of food, broken pottery, old tools, bottles, etc. Modern people may be more numerous, but they're probably not more irresponsible than our predecessors.

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That is quite true. Several years ago, I worked a dig where were excavating a 6,000 year old shell pile. Thousands, upon thousands of discarded oyster shells. It was used as a dump for a couple thousand years and was 10 feet deep in places.

 

Archaeologist get the most excited when they find the garbage pile. I remember the the dig director dancing with joy when we found what turned out to be the outhouse hole of a 200 year old dutch farmhouse (now in the middle of Brooklyn). As we dug into the hole, we found old chamber pots, dolls, a 300 year old pipe bowl, plates, you name it.

 

At the bottom, I started finding little deposits of seeds (blueberry I think) and suddenly I realized why they were there

 

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" -Abraham Lincoln

[+yumitori]

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Originally posted by Jeremy Irish:

 

The government is always redefining what a word means. For the NPS, anything left alone for 24 hours is _considered_ abandoned property.

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Man, I'm going to be seriously peeved when I return from my weekend hike into the backcountry to find my vehicle towed because it was 'abandoned'.

 

Ron/yumitori

[+MountainMudbug]

Cool, someday our garbage will be the center of an archeological dig!

 

I wish that 500 years from now I could walk through the halls of the great institutions of history much like we can today, appreciating the residue of generations long gone......

Look - The Hall of Beer Cans! And over there, the Temple of Prophylactics! Oooh its the Styrofoam Cup Corridor!

 

Hey, by that time the garbage will be totally different right, so ours will be interesting. I wonder what cachers will be trashing out in 500 years??? Empty personal-Jet-pack fuel canisters, maybe.

 

I'm glad to see that the NPR attracted new cachers, and some are already here in the forums.... Welcome, newbies!

[+Bud]

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Originally posted by skydiver:

Lastly, I'd say, if you take them on a cache hunt, take them on either a bogus hunt you setup (like we did) just for the purpose of taking them, or take them on one you've already been on, or hid yourself.

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I am glad to hear that there are some good outcomes to getting the story told. I particularly like the idea of taking a reporter on a fake hunt made especially for them. In the story that I'd already mentioned, the camera crew were taken to the first cache that we had in the S.A. area, the first one that I ever found (note emotional attachment). It was pretty identifiable by its landmarks, and was promptly stolen. It's since been re-placed and moved a bit so it's not taken again. Making one just for them to film could certainly avoid this problem. Thanks for the idea if this comes up again.

 

Budophylus

San Antonio, TX

5-star cache team member (because we can make the easiest 1/1 into a 5-* difficulty cache)

What started all of this? Well, I said to my friend: "I'm bored. Can't we find a new sport?" Now, hundreds of caches later...