How hard should the description be?

[+ETDiver]

I am getting ready to place a new cache. I want your help .I have placed one where I listed where to park and suggested the trail to start on. I have also listed one that I did not even list what road it was on. That one you could get there from one of 2 parks. There are 2 trails that would get you near it although one requires more bushes whacking than the other does. In both cases I gave clues that would slowly give you information so you can get as little or as much help as you need or want.

(Example: park on the south side of Central Park, follow the trail with the blue signs, till you reach the bench, behind the bench. look for the tree with the 3 forks)

How do you like it everything handed to you or keep it hard with just your GPS to lead you there?

[rag-a-muffin]

I generally stick the coords into one of my mapping programs (MS Streets & Trips, Mapsend Streets & Destinations, DeLorme Street Atlas USA) to get an idea where the cache is. All I really need to know is maybe where to park and if there's anything I need to know unique to the particular cache. It helps to know whether or not I need to bushwhack or get wet/muddy, too. Besides that, I don't like too many details...it ruins the hunt most of the time. Put the more detailed info in the encrypted hints section.

 

My $0.02.

[+briansnat]

I appreciate parking coordinates, but many geocachers don't even want those. What I do for my caches is encrypt the parking coordinates in thecheater and put the word "parking" in [brackets].

 

If I want to lead cache hunters along a certain route, I'll make it a multi to force them to go that way.

 

But to tell them which trail to take and exactly where to turn off, that's a bit much...unless there are sensitive areas, or private property that you don't want people crossing.

 

"You can only protect your liberties in this world, by protecting the other man's freedom. "You can only be free if I am" -Clarence Darrow

[+RichardMoore]

I like parking coordinates if the parking area is hard to find. For example: a pull-off on the road that looks like it may be private property but it's okay to park there, or a small local park were the cache may be closer to a residential area than the parking lot.

In some cases it's nice to know where the trail starts, just saying 'northeast corner' would be enough.

I guess what I'm trying to say is 'Get me started and I'll take it from there.'

I think I've been to all of your caches and haven't had a problem with your description or clues. Keep up the good work. Place more caches. Hurry, I'm running out of new caches to go to!!!

 

RichardMoore

 

www.geocities.com/richardsrunaway

[enfanta]

Anything connected with driving: give me as much info as possible. I'm not in this sport for the driving. Give me road names, parking suggestions, etc. The less time spent driving around the better. (Please also keep in mind that not everyone has access to mapping programs or the internet 24/7. Not that you must accommodate all people all the time, but it would be nice if you could keep it in mind.)

 

Once I'm out of the car all is fair in love, war and caching. At that point I'm checking distance to the cache, scoping out trails and figuring approaches. Hints and suggestions are okay but I wouldn't fault any cacher for leaving them out.

 

And of course all this is just MHO.

 

X is for X, and X marks the spot, On the rug in the parlor, The sand in the lot, Where once you were standing, And now you are not.

[+georgeandmary]

Just the coords are enough, that and a acurate ratings make it possible to find most staight forward regular caches.

 

I like trying to figure out which trial to take and which road to take.

 

george

 

Pedal until your legs cramp up and then pedal some more.

[+Renegade Knight]

It really depends on what you want. Do you want them to follow the trail with the blue signs because as the crow flies is bushwacking?

 

Or does it not matter at all?

 

If it does matter, be specific. If it doesn't, no need to be unless you want to be.

 

==============================

Wherever you go there you are.

[+WildcatRegi]

I actually have mixed feelings about this now.

 

I had posted on a page with my 'no-find' that I really needed parking coordinates.

 

The cache was in an area where it looked like parking would have been on private property, then on my next trip, I found a place to park more than half a mile away but having to cross busy intersections, finally on my third attempt, I found a more logical place to park.

 

This cache was exceedingly frustrating and frankly, I nearly gave up on it. After sticking to it, I was glad to have finally found it. All that being said, my experience would have been more enjoyable if I knew of the safer, more logical parking spot on my first attempt.

 

The actual cache was still enough of a challenge even knowing where to park.

 

 

"The hardest thing to find is something that's not there!"

[+RJFerret]

Think of it this way, if you were playing cards and someone over your shoulder told you every card to play and move to make, would you enjoy it?

 

Same thing... Give too much and you take the game away, now I'm just following directions (or will ignore them). Often I've NOT parked where suggested or used the trails and turned a 1/2 mile hike through uninteresting terrain to a simple and pretty/enjoyable 0.1 mile bushwack!

 

Parking is important if there are BAD options likely to be chosen (my night cache specifies this to avoid nearby residences being disturbed.) If the cacher will be ticketed or such otherwise...

 

Some of the best caches intentionally put you on the wrong side of the river/cliff/chasm/mountain/impediment without specifying where to cross/go around--it's those discovery's that often provide the reward.

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

[+Sissy-n-CR]

Yeah! Just the coordinates, general description of the cache, and any information to keep me out of jail or shot at, if it's not obvious, is all that's needed.

 

Keep the hand holding in the cheats.

 

Interesting information about the area is nice, but don't get long winded as generally I'm reading this on a handheld.

 

Oh, about parking coordinates. I like to keep those a mystery as well. We've posted DNFs because we were so focused on the coordinates we failed to look on the opposite side of the road for an obvious clue as to were to park--like "Such-n-such Parking!" DUH! We drove past it probably 4 or 5 times all the while looking down every road or trail for two miles in either direction on the side the cache was on. The parking was on the other side. IMHO, it added to the hunt.

 

CR

 

[+Team GPSaxophone]

If you think parking coordinates (or a description of where to park) are needed, post it.

Same thing for what trail to take.

Some caches are placed off of well-established (even numbered) trails. If the trailhead is in a not-so-obvious spot, you might want to let them know. You don't have to give anything away, just say, "There is an established trail that will take you within 50 feet of the cache."

 

[+yumitori]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sissy-n-CR:

 

Keep the hand holding in the cheats.

---

 

As long as the information is directly concerning the cache location. There's nothing more irritating than decrypting a clue after you've spent an hour searching to find out that all it tells you is where to park.

 

Ron/yumitori

[+ETDiver]

 

Thanks for all of the replies. I guess I should have made it clear what I list in the description and what I Encrypt. But from the sound of it I will keep doing what I have been

My “ Bacon Woods “ cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=61109

I gave where to park because you can get .2 mile by following the road but large cliff and privet properties lie between the road and the cache and no parking. From the park it is over .6 mile hike. So I gave the parking location and encrypted the info that would help you find it once you are close.

At my “On the Diagonal” cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=34653 the whole area is park land and it does not matter which of 2 parking lots you use. There are trails from both that will get you there. I encrypt the best place to park and give in for that will get you close and help you find it.

It looks like the new ones I am working on will be the same. Elyria,OH

[+tozainamboku]

One thing that make geocaching so interesting is that there are several parts to finding a cache. I've seen it described as GEO = figuring out how to get to the coordinates + CACHING = finding where a cache is hidden once you get there.

Each of these can be further broken down:

How to get to the coordinates:

Where to park?

What trail to take?

When to start bushwacking?

Etc.

Finding the cache once there:

What kind of container am I looking for?

Where is it placed?

Etc,

 

If you feel any of this information is critical for safety, environmental, legal, or other reasons you should put it in the cache description. Otherwise it can go in the hints or just leave it out to make for a more difficult cache.

I like to put the nature of the hint in brackets so that the seeker knows whether or not to decode any part of the hint. For example: [parking] Ba svefg fgerrg. [hide] Oruvaq ebpxf.

 

-- I found it in the last place I looked.

[Northern-Lights]

I did a cache on a business trip where I was not familiar with the area. The cache was near a river where trails went every direction. I ended up doing a 5 mile hike to find the cache because I took the wrong trail...then ended up finding a parking place only .13 away from the hide spot....

 

Now, some would be mad.....but I still consider this a very good find. I stuck with it...found it...had a great walk. Sometimes too much info takes away from the hunt.

 

Earth First!!! We'll cache the other planets later!!

[+evergreenhiker!]

Depends on the cache I'm placing. Two of them are out in the boonies and I basically guide them up to a point where the r4est is up to them. Lots of roads to get off track on in those areas and I want people to enjoy themselves.

 

One of my micros...I'm not giving hints at all as I want it to be hard. Usually, I will give hints, but if users email me, I'll give them a hint.

 

Also, I make a point to note if bushwacking is or not necessary. We don't need to help naysayers with more ammo for complainign about geocaching. If off trail is required, I'll have a specific hint.

 

Parking coords are included if I feel it could be ambigous. I do like Brian's idea about encrypting parking coords. I wasn't aware that some cachers don't want Parking coords.

[OuttaHand]

I didn't get TOO detailed in one that I did where parking makes a big difference..Un-SubDivided I just gave the basics of the situation and let it up to the individual searcher to figure out the best way to approach it. I wrote:"There are several little roads and cul-de-sacs in this area. If you get to the right one, the walk is relatively short. If you park in the wrong one, well -- have fun." If you read the logs on that, most people must have figured out the best place to park -- but a few didn't. I figured it was good enough just to warn them that they might want to explore alternative parking locations before committing to the first one.

[+JohnnyVegas]

Just the coords are fine. I have three map software programs I use to plan my trip before I go, that is part of the fun.

 

Believe it or not, I know one cacher that even includes spoilers when he hides a cache. At this cache site there is only one bench

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?pf=&ID=50469&decrypt=y&log=

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

I see nothing wrong about putting parking coordinates in the description. After all they don't have to use them. Don't have to program the gps if they want more of a challenge.

 

I do quite a few out of town caches. I appreciate knowing which roads to take. Stick that info in the decrpted part in case someone wants the challenge.

 

I will usually give away the location on my more difficult to reach caches in the decrypted part. After all it isn't a bit of fun beating the bushes and coming up empty.

 

Don't hate me cause I'm beautiful

[BassoonPilot]

I think the key is to write the description as if you were going to seek the cache.

 

I would include parking coordinates if there was only one legal access point from which to start; if there were several trailheads/legal access points, I wouldn't. (Despite that, it won't be long before someone includes that information in their log. ) I would mention if there was a blazed trail or whether bushwhacking was necessary.

 

I would include clues or hints in the cache description based on the intended rating; as the number of difficulty stars increased, the clues/hints provided would similarly decrease. I would provide encrypted "dead give away clues" for relatively easy caches, but not for any cache that is rated 3 difficulty stars or higher. People seeking those caches are anticipating a challenge, so I wouldn't want to tempt them unnecessarily by providing clues they don't really want.