Nagging question

[+DirtRunner]

Hey,

 

I just returned from a cache and posted it on th e geocaching.com web site. The next day I read where there were also cachers in the park at the same time as I was and they said they hid from me and my daughter as we were leaving and quietly watched us.

 

Now, here's the thing that bothers me...

Why would they hide from us ? Even going as far as hiding in the bushes so we coudn't see them. If I got to a cache and saw someone else doing the same thing, I would at least say hello, but to jump into bushes and hide ?!? It makes me feel like there's something wrong...so the question I have is. Have you ever hidden from another cacher and if so why? Is there some unwritten rule that I am not aware of?

 

Any Feedback would be great

DirtRunner

[+Dawgies]

I've heard about them... read stories about them... even ran across sign on the geocaching trail... but, to this day, I've never seen another one.

 

Soon I hope!

 

Yes, I will say hello!

 

~Honest Value Never Fails~

[+Dawgies]

I've heard about them... read stories about them... even ran across sign on the geocaching trail... but, to this day, I've never seen another one.

 

Soon I hope!

 

Yes, I will say hello!

 

~Honest Value Never Fails~

[+culpc]

I've never run into another cacher, but I would stop and chat if I did. What an odd tale!

 

Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son!

[+culpc]

I've never run into another cacher, but I would stop and chat if I did. What an odd tale!

 

Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son!

[RobertLG]

My first cache site is not too far away, and I drive by the area occasionally. Whenever I do, I eagerly look to see if anyone is working it. My response would be to stop and introduce myself and speak with the seekers.

 

RobertLG

[+infosponge]

Just my two pennies...

If you're on the trail and see someone else with a GPS and so on, then stop and say hi, etc...

If you're at or almost to the cache and you see someone poking around, checking notes, etc...I usually will back off and let them clear the area before introducing myself.

[Magellin]

I would think that such behavior would warrent suspicion by Park Rangers or P.O's. If they were to be observed "Stalking" you.

That was so wrong of them to do and I hope others wont be the same way.

People like that are the ones you cant trust for keeping a secret with.

 

Now if I can only find that rock I dropped into the shag carpet.

[Magellin]

I would think that such behavior would warrent suspicion by Park Rangers or P.O's. If they were to be observed "Stalking" you.

That was so wrong of them to do and I hope others wont be the same way.

People like that are the ones you cant trust for keeping a secret with.

 

Now if I can only find that rock I dropped into the shag carpet.

[+Jeo]

In California (at least my area, Sacramento, CA) I've come across quite a few cachers while seeking. It could be because of the concentration of caches or the concentration of cachers (both good things). I tend to jump right in and say Hello. The first time I met Snowrider was at Scooby Doo (now archived) I asked him what he was doing and he said he couldn't tell me. Since the coords were obviously way off we both didn't have out the GPSs. Well we started talking and found out we were on the same quest and we found it. Personally I think it's a great way to meet people and share common interests. Now unless it's a newbie I reconize them because we have had a few meetings.

[+slinger91]

maybe they thought that if you saw them it might contaminate you'r caching experience. Maybe they thought being in the area was kind of like a spoiler. That would be my first thought. Or maybe they are just freaks.

[+Whidbey Walk]

I don’t think it’s such a big deal. We have meet fellow cachers at the parking area for a cache. We stopped and chatted for a few minutes. We also have been closing in on a cache and realized there were other cachers searching the area. That time we backed off, wandered another direction for a while until we saw them heading out of the area. That way they were able to find the cache themselves and so were we. After reading the log entries it doesn’t sound at all like stalking or such behavior. I don’t think there is much of an unwritten rule about meeting other cachers. It’s more of a personal choice kind of thing. Of course, there is an unwritten rule that it is considered bad form to reveal items in log entries that the cache placer choose to encrypt as part of the hint.

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~whidbeywalk/

 

[This message was edited by Whidbey Walk on July 14, 2002 at 01:14 PM.]

[+Whidbey Walk]

I don’t think it’s such a big deal. We have meet fellow cachers at the parking area for a cache. We stopped and chatted for a few minutes. We also have been closing in on a cache and realized there were other cachers searching the area. That time we backed off, wandered another direction for a while until we saw them heading out of the area. That way they were able to find the cache themselves and so were we. After reading the log entries it doesn’t sound at all like stalking or such behavior. I don’t think there is much of an unwritten rule about meeting other cachers. It’s more of a personal choice kind of thing. Of course, there is an unwritten rule that it is considered bad form to reveal items in log entries that the cache placer choose to encrypt as part of the hint.

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~whidbeywalk/

 

[This message was edited by Whidbey Walk on July 14, 2002 at 01:14 PM.]

[+briansnat]

Some cachers prefer to do it alone and make themselves scarce if they see someone already searching for a cache. Hiding in the bushes and watching other cachers is a bit much though and kind of odd IMHO.

 

If I encounter a cacher while out there, I'll just join forces with them. The few times that this has happened, they seemed to welcome my presence.

[BassoonPilot]

quote:

---

Originally posted by BrianSnat:

 

If I encounter a cacher while out there, I'll just join forces with them. The few times that this has happened, they seemed to welcome my presence.

---

 

It's always fun to meet other cachers!

[+CYBret]

It happened to us once. We were looking for a cache a little distance off a path. I looked up and saw two guys walking the trail and then they turned and walked in at the same point we did. When they spotted me, we exchanged hellos and then I said, "What are you guys looking for?" Their reply was, "Uuuhh, berries?" Then we each held up our gps's like they were badges or something.

 

It was a good thing we met up that day--the cache was a bit off from the coordinates and we really needed an extra set or two of eyes.

 

Great couple of guys, we had a good time together.

 

Bret

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again."

Mt. 13:44

[+Zzzoey & illDRIVEuNav]

We did however once walk past a guy coming down a trail (we were going up) in the middle of NOWHERE.. he appeared to be holding something electronic but it didn't look like the standard Garm or Mag, so I thought it MAYBe was a digital camera. He said hi, scurried past us, then stopped on the trail and was staring at the briars on a slope up from the trail. I remember thinking "Gosh if he IS a cacher he must have some bad coords-cuz yippee yippee WE have the right ones and it is UP HERE!".. well we searched for at least 2 hours, gave up and headed down, only to discover that we had done the math wrong and that the cache could have been, and most likely was near those briars! If only we had spoke up, but taking that chance..

 

I have had people (especially elderly folks and kids) walk up when I am reading my printout and holding my GPS, and ask "You look lost"... I just say "yeah, just learning how to use one of these new-fangled electronic devices".. they usually get a "oh hope she doesn't start telling me about it or asking me questions" look and quickly depart.

[+Mr. Snazz]

My girlfriend and I ran in to anouther caching couple once. We had just finished logging a cache, and were photographing a nearby rabbit when they came into the area and started milling around. We joked that maybe they were cachers, but we weren't sure so we didn't say anything.

 

When we got home and logged the find, we saw that they were cachers, and they thought we weren't! They complained about the couple (us) milling around and having to wait to go to the cache.

 

The kicker is, my girlfriend and I both had Geocaching.com hats on!

 

[+Mr. Snazz]

My girlfriend and I ran in to anouther caching couple once. We had just finished logging a cache, and were photographing a nearby rabbit when they came into the area and started milling around. We joked that maybe they were cachers, but we weren't sure so we didn't say anything.

 

When we got home and logged the find, we saw that they were cachers, and they thought we weren't! They complained about the couple (us) milling around and having to wait to go to the cache.

 

The kicker is, my girlfriend and I both had Geocaching.com hats on!

 

[+Prime Suspect]

I don't see anything odd about their behavior at all. If I'm out looking for a cache, and I see someone else obviously geocaching, and they're ahead of me, I'll hang back and let them find it first. And if I don't know them, I may very well not say anything to them afterwards, just to be sure I don't get a reply like "Yeah, it's a pretty easy one - just look under the fallen tree by the bridge." AAARG!

 

That said, there have been a few times when I've come across cachers and we've teamed up to locate the cache. And if I've already found the cache, I won't hesitate to strike up a conversation. It's all situational.

 

[+cachew nut]

I just read the post by the ones who were hiding from you, and it seems to me that perhaps they were on the way to the cache, and so were you. They may have hid, not knowing that you were caching also. They were probably trying to be discreet about their activity, to prevent non-cachers from knowing what they were doing. That's what it seems like to me from reading the logs, I could be wrong.

[+Whidbey Walk]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cachew nut:

I just read the post by the ones who were hiding from you, and it seems to me that perhaps they were on the way to the cache, and so were you. They may have hid, not knowing that you were caching also. They were probably trying to be discreet about their activity, to prevent non-cachers from knowing what they were doing. That's what it seems like to me from reading the logs, I could be wrong.

---

 

Wow! We agree.

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~whidbeywalk/

[+Whidbey Walk]

quote:

---

Originally posted by cachew nut:

I just read the post by the ones who were hiding from you, and it seems to me that perhaps they were on the way to the cache, and so were you. They may have hid, not knowing that you were caching also. They were probably trying to be discreet about their activity, to prevent non-cachers from knowing what they were doing. That's what it seems like to me from reading the logs, I could be wrong.

---

 

Wow! We agree.

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~whidbeywalk/

[+Jerry_cds.com]

I'm new to this sport but if I saw another goecache person I'd go say Hi. I'm a MAJOR introvert in person but even I could muster up the strenght to say a greeting. I wouldn't tell them where it was however if they hadn't found it but I'd confirm that it's not missing. If we were both looking for it I'd play it by ear. If they didn't invite me to look with them, I'd back off and let them find it alone, then I'd find it alone afterward too.

[DisQuoi]

I once approached a cache where it was abvious to me that they were geocachers. I was excited to have met actual geocachers! Unfortunatley, they seems perturbed that I didn't wait at a distance. It's always left a bad taste in my mouth.

[+sbell111]

I realize that this is going to make me sound antisocial.

 

Sometimes, I go caching alone because I want to be alone. I may not want to meet new people.

 

Certainly, I don't always feel this way. I have met some great people on-trail (and some real A-holes).