Why do people cache under under thick trees?

May 3, 2003

I am a newbie, but two caches I have found in Maine so far were under thick evergreen trees. Its frustrating to be navigating just fine until you get a few hundred feet away, and you then lose reception. While it was scenic, it wreaks havoc on the GPS. I like tromping through the woods to find one, but I would suggest putting it where the trees thin out so reception is good near the cache.

2.6k · May 3, 2003

That would eliminate the challenge.

I am the result of genetic manipulation of superior Geocacher DNA. Faster, stronger with superior reasoning and logic.

Mokita!

9.4k · May 3, 2003

Move to New Mexico. We don't have trees.

5.3k · May 3, 2003

Heres a suggestion for you on how to make things a little easier.

From Markwell's FAQ

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."

May 3, 2003

wuss.

May 3, 2003

What fun would it be if it was near one solitary little tree in the meadow?

1.4k · May 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Team GPSaxophone:
Move to New Mexico. We don't have trees.

Thats true... They don't have trees

May 3, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Team GPSaxophone:
Move to New Mexico. We don't have trees.

I saw some little ones in a mall parking lot...

Actually I'd rather be out in the woods rather than looking for caches scattered around town. The scenery is much better and you don't have to worry about someone seeing you find or put back a cache. The caches seem to last a little longer that way.

Take along a compass and when your GPSr starts losing a signal, get a reading of distance and bearing and head in that direction and keep track of how far you've walked. If it's a long way, see if you can find a clearing or less overgrowth and get another lock on the sats.

2.3k · May 3, 2003

Try Arizona. No trees, either, just every cache is under ROCKS. Small rock piles, big rock piles. Rocks on the mountains, rocks on the flatlands. Doesn't make a difference. I have done so many "buried under the rocks" caches I can spot a fake rock pile a mile away.

Can't wait to visit Michigan in a couple of weeks, maybe caching up there will give me a change of pace.

May 3, 2003

Funny you should mention AZ. I just returned from vacation in Phoenix and found two caches, but not the third. It was supposed to be on a big outcrop covered with loose rocks!

quote:
Originally posted by TEAM 360:
Try Arizona. No trees, either, just every cache is under ROCKS. Small rock piles, big rock piles. Rocks on the mountains, rocks on the flatlands. Doesn't make a difference. I have done so many "buried under the rocks" caches I can spot a fake rock pile a mile away.

Can't wait to visit Michigan in a couple of weeks, maybe caching up there will give me a change of pace.

May 3, 2003

Give it time, and you'll be excited to try and find some of the caches in areas that make reception tough. If it's just trees, there are many things you can do such as move around slightly to find good reception spots, or use an amplified external antenna.

If you really want fun looking, try heavy tree cover in a deep canyon. You may find the canyon walls result in your having to pick the right time of day to where there are even satellites visable, then you work the tree issues etc. You get good at figuring out how to maximize reception on your unit, and even how to triangulate from a distance with a compass or by other means. Easy caches tend to get boring in a big hurry.

May 3, 2003

quote:
Try Arizona. No trees, either, just every cache is under ROCKS. Small rock piles, big rock piles. Rocks on the mountains, rocks on the flatlands. Doesn't make a difference. I have done so many "buried under the rocks" caches I can spot a fake rock pile a mile away.

No trees in AZ? you need to take a drive north and do some caching.

1.7k · May 3, 2003

We also have trees in the desert too. Palo Verde, Ironwood, mesquite. I've seen caches located among the branches of trees. Helps keep that desert heat off us.

***********

It's a dry heat? So is he**

May 3, 2003

I searched for a cache in a heavily wooded area recently. I did not find the cache but I did come home with two ticks. shudder.

May 3, 2003

I'm not real impressed with caches are intentionally placed where GPS reception is spotty. That's just too easy for the hider.

I'd much rather do caches where my GPS easily gets me to within the normal error bounds, but yet I'm totally stumped by a clever hiding location (and I don't mean the needle-in-a-haystack types...I find those lame, too).

Usually this happens with micros. Larger things like ammo cans are really hard to hide, so in that case I like them where they're hidden so well that a muggle (or even a newbie geocacher) would never see them.

George

May 3, 2003

Geomaineiacs, What GPS are you using?

2.3k · May 3, 2003

Apologies to the Flag area cachers...I should have said Phoenix, not Arizona...don't worry, once it hits 110+ down here, I am sure I will be visiting up there quite often...whew...

May 3, 2003

quote:
Apologies to the Flag area cachers...I should have said Phoenix, not Arizona...don't worry, once it hits 110+ down here, I am sure I will be visiting up there quite often...whew...

Hopefully the forests won't be closed due to fire danger before then. It's not looking too good though.

2.8k · May 3, 2003

quote:
Helps keep that desert heat off us.

Having lived in the Sonoran Desert: ROFLMAO

1.4k · May 3, 2003

We just placed a cache under an evergreen treed canopy where it is next to impossible to get a signal. We really wanted to show off this park and the solution was to prepare the final leg of the cache to be done with a compass.

So far, only three people have logged it but all expressed that they liked it.

Here's the cache description page:

WWII - Irene Pearce Trail

-----

May 4, 2003

Approximately 34% of the U.S. is forested. Avoiding trees means over 1/3 of the country is off limits.

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

"The time has come" the Walrus said "to speak of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and Kings".

May 4, 2003

The bigger the pines, the better. They show up great on ortho photos.

-WR

"Besides physical caches, we have VIRTUal and VIRTUeless."

May 4, 2003

Ummm Yeah...

I was gonna say, maybe the cache was placed in the winter. But then I remember you said evergreen. But my suggestion could work for some winter placed caches. When searching for caches in April I noticed that it was easier to get closer to the caches in February when there were no leaves on the trees.

2.6k · May 4, 2003

First off, welcome newbie.

Second, you're off to a bad start if you're worried about trees. Because people are going to hide things, hide them creativly and do things to make the cache hard to find. They will disguise them, as rocks, logs, mushrooms, stumps, sprinkler heads, etc etc. They will place them high up trees, on islands, underwater, over a cliff, etc etc...

If you think tree cover is hard.... just wait.

george

Wanna go for a ride?

1.7k · May 4, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by pdxmarathonman:

quote:
Helps keep that desert heat off us.

Having lived in the Sonoran Desert: ROFLMAO

After 30 plus years in the desert, I'm happy with anything that will cool me off by even a degree.

That moss-covered bucket I hailed as a treasure,

For often at noon, when I returned from the field,

I found it the source of an exquisite pleasure.

Samuel Woodworth The Old Oaken Bucket

May 5, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by nincehelser:
I'm not real impressed with caches are intentionally placed where GPS reception is spotty. That's just too easy for the hider.

I'd much rather do caches where my GPS easily gets me to within the normal error bounds, but yet I'm totally stumped by a clever hiding location (and I don't mean the needle-in-a-haystack types...I find those lame, too).

Amen brother! I'll just add to that the caches hidden on top of a mountain (GPS reception is usually really good there). And I don't mean those where you can drive, or take a 4 wheeler, all the way up the mountain. I much prefer those where a couple hours of hiking is required.

---------------------------------------

"We never seek things for themselves -- what we seek is the very seeking of things."

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

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May 5, 2003

Because we can.

Where you all at?

May 5, 2003

THIS cache had almost no sat signal anywhere near it (best I could get was 100 foot accuacy, several hundred feet from the cache), but the instructions and hint made it possible to find, while still making it a challenge. I'm glad the hider found a creative way to make a findable cache there, it's a great park, that I intend to go back to, even though it is over 50 miles from home. (there is no shortage of parks near me either).

_________________________________________________________

If trees could scream, would we still cut them down?

Well, maybe if they screamed all the time, for no reason.

Click here for my Geocaching pictures and Here (newest)

May 5, 2003

geomaineiacs,

Well that's a first. I can't believe you didn't get slammed big time with that question. You acually got some decent answers. Stunod's was great. That's why a compass should be a part of your caching gear. Very Important in my book. searching-ut's was very well put. You will find that to be very true. And georgeandmary's advise should be well heeded. Just have fun. You will get very frustrated at times, but that will pass. Next thing ya know, your a pro. Enjoy the game/hobbie. You will be lead toplaces that you never thought existed. Happy & Safe Caching. And as always my comment are JMO.

rocker

give to the world the best you have,

and the best will come back to you.

...............MaryAinge deVere

3.1k · May 5, 2003

Lousy reception is a pet peeve of mine. Hopefully when a cacher puts one out with zero signals they'll at least include some super hints. With zero satellite readings we may just as well be letter boxing.

Of course before I found the signal strength window on my gps I did the same.

I place most of my caches in a forest, since I live in one. But there is always a meadow or little opening somewhere close by a great location. I think accurate coordinates are a must.

May 5, 2003

Another reason some people place under heavy trees is because that's what's in their area. I live where there are redwoods. The reception sucks, but the redwoods make for some great hiding places.

Don't get discouraged, just remember to look at every possible hidey hole.

______________

Live Long and Geocache!

4.7k · May 5, 2003

'coz it's cool and shady under there.

it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six.

May 5, 2003

I've found a couple of caches in the redwoods. That is a really pretty area and I had fairly good reception, but I can see where there would be places that you probably wouldn't get any signal through. Like I said earlier, I'd rather be in the woods than in the middle of concrete and asphalt downtown. Also, were surrounded by mountains with lots of pine and fir and other trees that make for great 4-wheeling and caching.

May 6, 2003

One variation is to specify coords of a recognizable object, natural or unnatural (e.g. URP), in some relatively open area, and provide distance and bearing of one or more legs to the cache location from the object. We've done one of these and found it a nice change.

2.7k · May 7, 2003

Don't that beat all!

God put a heavy canopy of trees right where *I* chose to put my cache!

The NERVE!

Caint never did nothing.

GDAE, Dave

20.7k · May 8, 2003

I cache under thick trees because the cache is hidden next to the trunk covered with sticks.

6.5k · May 8, 2003

Oh great anothr whiner. I have only been to Maine a few times but I do remember it being pretty wooded. So I guess since you have a lot of trees, the caches will get hidden in them. Besides, where else could you hide these nasty little bas@#$%s if there were no tree limbs to clip them on. Don't fret it Geomaniacs, soon you will trust the force more than the GPS'r and use it to get you in the area while your keen instincts locate the cache.

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes;

Nothing remains quite the same.

Through all of the islands and all of the highlands,

If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane

May 8, 2003

The thick trees are OK, I have a hard time with rivers and lakes (my gps get wet) also the cache has floated away by the time I get there

Why do people cache under under thick trees?

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