Trogdor! Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 There are a number of caches up in the hills here, which were in the path of the Simi Valley fire a couple of days ago. I’ve got four caches, which have potentially been burned that I’ll be checking on later today. Due to the length of the hike back into the area (a minimum of 1 to 2 hours each way) I was going to stop at all of the other nearby caches to check their condition. My question is if I come across a badly damaged cache should I: When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! Quote Link to comment
+Doc-Dean Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I couldn't just leave garbage laying there. If the cache is burned up its no longer a viable cache and its now geo-litter. CITO! Free your mind and the rest will follow Quote Link to comment
Swagger Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I voted to pack them out and notify the owner. Normally I'd say to leave them and notify, but I know a lot of the cachers in our area would appreciate the help. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Ordnarily, I'd say let the owners take care of their own caches, but under these circumstances, I'd pack them out if you have the room. I'm sure the owners will appreciate it. "You can't make a man by standing a sheep on his hind legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position, you can make a crowd of men" - Max Beerbohm Quote Link to comment
+Planet Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 For the particularly burned out ones I say, pack it out, perform an archival ceremony, and pack IN seedlings. Speak to your local forestry department and ask if there is some way you could help. I cache, therefore I am. Planet Quote Link to comment
Trogdor! Posted October 29, 2003 Author Share Posted October 29, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Planet:For the particularly burned out ones I say, pack it out, perform an archival ceremony, and pack _IN_ seedlings. Speak to your local forestry department and ask if there is some way you could help. I cache, therefore I am. Planet Sorry, although it may be a good idea in some areas seedlings are not appropriate here as the hills are not forested. The fauna in these hills are a type of chaparral, which is mostly brush and grasses that re-seed themselves through the fire process. The only trees are oaks which for the most part survive the ordeal. When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! Quote Link to comment
+Polgara Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Will be interesting to see how the ammo cans held up! "The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the Creator." - Louis Pasteur Quote Link to comment
+Planet Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Trogdor!: quote:Originally posted by Planet:For the particularly burned out ones I say, pack it out, perform an archival ceremony, and pack _IN_ seedlings. Speak to your local forestry department and ask if there is some way you could help. I cache, therefore I am. Planet Sorry, although it may be a good idea in some areas seedlings are not appropriate here as the hills are not forested. The fauna in these hills are a type of chaparral, which is mostly brush and grasses that re-seed themselves through the fire process. The only trees are oaks which for the most part survive the ordeal. When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! Thanks for the information. I didn't know that. But on the news footage it sure looked like trees to me in a lot of places. Maybe just because the flames were so high it appeared that way. I can't stop thinking about how awful it must be over there. My thoughts are with all those in danger. I cache, therefore I am. Planet Quote Link to comment
+Criminal Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I'm sure some cache owner will want to stop picking through the rubble of their house looking for family treasures just to go retrieve a cache. If it's obviously trash, pull it and notify the owner by email and a note on the cache page. http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/ Quote Link to comment
skydiver Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I'd say check with the owners first, a process that probably should have been started a couple days ago to give people time to respond. Some owners might want to go in and see the cache exactly as the fire left it. I had a cache get devoured by the Black Mountain Fire here this summer, and I looked forward to going to see it in it's original spot. I'd have been disappointed to find out someone removed it for me first. --------------------------------------- "We never seek things for themselves -- what we seek is the very seeking of things." Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) --------------------------------------- Quote Link to comment
+Bilder Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Be sure and take some pictures. Will be interesting to see what shape the caches are in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have never been lost. Been awful confused for a few days, but never lost! N61.12.041 W149.43.734 Quote Link to comment
+AmishHacker Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Yes, please take pics and post. I wonder how the contents in Ammo Boxes would fend. I am sure they get real hot! .-=Amish_Hacker=-. Quote Link to comment
+Lone Duck Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Ammo cans are water tight, not fire proof. They'll cook like a can of beans given the same heat that you would cook beans with. That Quack Cacher: Lone Duck When you don't know where you're going, every road will take you there. Quote Link to comment
Trogdor! Posted October 29, 2003 Author Share Posted October 29, 2003 O.K. here’s what ended up happening. Two of my caches made from plastic Costco nut jars were totally gone no sign of the container. The only things that remained were little pieces of metal. I ended up totally replacing both containers logs etc. One cache was a camoed Altoids tin where everything got real hot. A George $ inside got crispy enough that its dark brown and rather brittle. I must have been the first one up the road after the fire as one cache which used to be under a bush was just sitting there out in the open with all of it’s cover burned away. It was a ammo container. The gasket was melted as was everything inside. Someone had left a jar of bubbles in the container so everything was wet. The container was in pretty good shape so I moved it about 5 feet into a small gulley. I’ve a needs to be archived note on the cache page letting the owner know that it’s toast but the container maybe re-useable. The next cache was also an ammo container but it had blown up from the heat and stuff inside burning. It also was standing out in the open, as the brush it was hiding in was gone. I decided to bring this one down off the hill, and placed a needs to be archived note on the log The next cache was an ammo container hidden in rocks. It survives rather well except for some large melted plastic bag like thingy and the Ziploc for the logbook. I replaced the Ziploc and took the melted thingy. I logged my visit with a note. The last cache wasn’t mine and as I remembered it was also a plastic nut jar. I couldn’t find a trace of it anywhere. However I didn’t have my GPSr with me so I could have been slightly off. Going from shoulder high chaparral to no vegetation at all makes things look a lot different. I just posted a note on the log. I couldn’t find our digital camera before setting out. It was last seen the other day when we were told to evacuate. Someone stuffed away in a safe place and forgot where they put it!!! When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! Quote Link to comment
+Etrex Pirate Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Trogdor, I was thinking of your newly placed Caches the day the fire fire everywhere thread was started. I'm sad that some of your caches were lost but glad that more than one survived. It is interesting that placement seems to be more important than the container. It is nice that you took time to go back and check your caches and others so soon after the fire. I hope it was done safely. The way the Val Verde - Simi - Chatsworth - Stevenson Ranch fire has swept through the last week I know there are many more caches destroyed along with most of my newly found hiking trails. I'm the good kind of pirate... if there is such a thing Quote Link to comment
+Bull Moose Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Trogdor, was it neccesary to lay Southern Cali to burnination? ---Stats banner used to be here.--- Quote Link to comment
+Woodbutcher68 Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Trogdor wrote: quote: The fauna in these hills are a type of chaparral, which is mostly brush and grasses that re-seed themselves through the fire process. I think you meant flora. Fauna are the animals. On the brighter side, the fires are reducing the number of PLASTIC McToys out there! Maps?!? I don't need no stinking maps! I got coordinates! There's a fine line between Geocaching and mental illness, I'm just not sure which side of the line I'm on! Quote Link to comment
Trogdor! Posted October 30, 2003 Author Share Posted October 30, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Bull Moose:Trogdor, was it neccesary to lay Southern Cali to burnination? ---Stats banner used to be here.--- Ouch! On the local web site I have stopped calling myself Trogdor the Burninator!! Flora, Fauna, hey I'm a geologist I don't know anything about that living stuff! If you want your cache to survive in a fire area, metal container under or between rocks works best! When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! Quote Link to comment
+Doc-Dean Posted October 31, 2003 Share Posted October 31, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Bull Moose:Trogdor, was it neccesary to lay Southern Cali to burnination? Is that how the fire started??!?!?!?! -------------------------------------------- Free your mind and the rest will follow Quote Link to comment
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