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Are Cache Machines A Northwest Thing?


The Navigatorz

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I have been curiously observing these cache machines as they develop and then reading a few of the logs afterwards. Sounds like fun and a great way to meet fellow geocachers and rack up a few finds. I have not participated in any yet. The closest I came to being in one was when my wife and I decided to hunt for caches in Bremerton and kept running into this group of people (or should I say almost getting run over). I may or may not join in on one some day, haven't decide yet, because although I do like to get as many as possible in a day, I don't think it would be as fun if I felt rushed. Anyway, I'm not here to knock cache machines, like I said, it does sound like fun.

 

My question is this: Are cache machines a Northwest event? Did it start here? Who thought of it? Makes sense if it did since geocaching itself started here. I did a search for cache machines and only the Olympia cache machine came up. Just curious.

Edited by The Navigatorz
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Hmm....let me dig into the depths of my memory. Bear in mind that I'm putting Christmas lawn deer together and drinking wine, but I recall thusly:

 

Once upon a time, a geocacher who shall remain nameless so as not to embarrass poor Travis any more than he already is, realized that new cachers such as myself were having great success finding and FTFing caches he had failed to find. This worried poor nameless cacher (Travis) as both a geocacher and a father. “How shall I increase my find count and impress my little girl,” he wondered, “if I can’t find even my own caches?” Late one night he had a dream, some say it was a vision (I say it was a drunken stupor), in this dream, an angel who looked like Jeremy appeared before him. The angel put his hand to his chin and said unto him, “Bring me cachers, two by two, or even six by six I don’t really care, but bring together cachers and force them to do thy bidding. Make them find the caches in great numbers, numbers so great the earth shall shudder and be trampled so that even the hideyest caches shall be obvious to thee.”

 

The next morning, while he should have been lawyering for the man, he pulled together great volumes of cache information and plotted it onto Microsoft’s streets and trips maps. “Behold!” he exclaimed in a booming voice, “I have created the first Great Cache Machine!” Naturally, his co-workers were very concerned and so his boss gave him the afternoon off.

 

On the day of the big event, Travis….er….I mean, the nameless cacher, logged a number of caches and there was much rejoicing. Later, other cache machines caused more rejoicing. But alas, along came Satan (Martman) who would continue to torment the nameless cacher known as Travis. Satan would find and log caches with vigor and accuracy, even at night. Travis continues his quest for respect even today, planning more and greater cache machine events. Some say that if you are still and listen, really listen just before you open the cache container, you can hear Travis’ voice faintly echoing in the wind, “I found it geogrrrl, I really found it!”

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I wish I understood how these cache machines actually work. I understand there is one in the planning stages for the southwestern portions of the northewestern US.

 

Or, in the Rogue Valley

 

They are really pretty simple; you've likely done something similar yourself.

 

* Find an area with a lot of caches you haven't found yet.

 

* Since the idea is usually to hit as many as possible, select for caches that can be visited fairly quickly. Travis avoids multis, puzzles, and such I believe, as well as ones with higher terrain ratings.

 

* Put together a route to visit them efficently.

 

* If you want to make it a public affair, put together an event and post it to geocaching.com.

 

* Make the inevitable changes as locals tell you your plan is screwed up.

 

* On the day of the cache machine, have a killer time...

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Yup -- that's about it in a nutshell. I'm helpless out in the woods with only my GPS for company, so I invite as many people as I can to find the cache for me :-)

 

Yumitori's got the organization down pat. I avoid multis because of the extra time they take, and puzzles -- even if the owner is willing to hand out the right coordinates -- because it's not fair to other finders who worked hard to solve the puzzle. I also limit my pocket queries to 3/3 or easier.

 

Aside from the planning, the biggest question I get is about how these things work in reality. In an e-mail to Black Acorn earlier this week, I wrote:

 

> At 7:00, we all meet at the start point. As a group, we figure out

> the information for the first cache (a virtual), then at 7:15 we drive

> off in a cloud of dust to the second cache (another virtual). I've

> done this one, so I figure everyone will just see it and log it from

> inside their cars.

>

> Then, as one large convoy, we head on to cache number 3. Someone will

> get lost on the way. Someone will have already done number 3, so

> they'll jump ahead to number 4. Most of the group will arrive at

> number 3 within 60 seconds of each other. If it's an easy find, the

> first person may have already logged their find and re-hidden it by

> the time the second person arrives. Otherwise, the finder will have

> to wait until everyone present logs the find, and then the finder has

> to re-hide it, making them the last one out, and (theoretically) the last one to the next cache.

>

> By the time we get to caches 7, 8, 9ish, the group is starting to get

> spread out. Often, it's possible to find the cache, log it, and

> re-hide it before the next section of the group arrives.

>

> Some folks will fall behind, and leisurely wind their way through the

> route, getting maybe 25 caches or so on the day before it gets too

> cold and dark, and heading to Red Robin. Some folks will fall behind,

> and skip a cache or two to catch up to the main group. Some folks,

> might jump ahead for a few caches, but because it's almost always

> easier to find caches with a dozen sets of eyes, the main group will

> usually catch up to them.

>

> The group tends to fragment quickly. A lot of the time, you'll be

> walking to the cache (particularly if there's a ¼ mile hike), and

> you'll pass someone who's already logged it and who are on their way

> out. Often, you'll be walking back to the car, and see another cacher

> pull into the parking lot. And sometimes, you won't know if you're

> ahead of the main group or behind the group until you see the logbook.

>

> Generally, everyone hits the caches in order, until it's almost dark,

> at which point folks head to Red Robin, maybe picking up a few

> straggling caches on the way there. But maybe only 20% of the caches

> you hit will have what we refer to as the "sticker scrum", where one

> person in the center of a mass of people is holding the log book, and

> 20 arms are reaching towards him with stickers to put in the log book.

>

> It's definitely a social event. Bring an FRS radio if you have one;

> if you don't, hook up with someone who does.

 

Someone else came up with the term cache machine to describe a cacher who got 50-some odd caches in one day, a year and a half ago. I think BruceS was the cacher being described. I liked the term so much, I stole it.

 

You'll probably never see me plan a Tacoma cache machine, though. See, not only am I a helpless thief, but I'm also selfish. A Tacoma cache machine would hit too many caches that I've already done, so what's the fun in that?

 

“How shall I increase my find count and impress my little girl,” he wondered, “if I can’t find even my own caches?”

 

You saw my recent logs for Silly Old Bear, didn't you?

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...Later, other cache machines caused more rejoicing. But alas, along came Satan (Martman) who would continue to torment the nameless cacher known as Travis. Satan would find and log caches with vigor and accuracy, even at night. Travis continues his quest for respect even today, planning more and greater cache machine events. Some say that if you are still and listen, really listen just before you open the cache container, you can hear Travis’ voice faintly echoing in the wind, “I found it geogrrrl, I really found it!”

You spelled Santa wrong.

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...Later, other cache machines caused more rejoicing.  But alas, along came Satan (Martman) who would continue to torment the nameless cacher known as Travis.  Satan would find and log caches with vigor and accuracy, even at night.  Travis continues his quest for respect even today, planning more and greater cache machine events.  Some say that if you are still and listen, really listen just before you open the cache container, you can hear Travis’ voice faintly echoing in the wind, “I found it geogrrrl, I really found it!”

You spelled Santa wrong.

107436_8300.gif107436_8300.gif107436_8300.gif107436_8300.gif107436_8300.gif107436_8300.gif107436_8300.gif107436_8300.gif

Hey Martmann check your total posts...666 equates to Satan! I like numbers so I notice things like that. reminds me of oen of my favorite movies...The Omen-Gregory peck and Lee remick.

Edited by evergreenhiker!
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Who's going to distribute the Wunderbars??

 

If its help handin those out, I could help. Of course I don't know if any will be left to hand out, after I test them.santa2.gif

:P Thanks George! :)

You may have a vast selection to 'test' from, so don't worry! We WERE going to bring TimBits :bad:, but I don't think US Customs would let us do that. Apparently, they're getting really stickly with cross-border food, effective December 12th. :bad: I hope we'll be OK with the candy bars though. We'll see.

Edited by cacherunner
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Travis, you forgot:

 

> Some folks are cache-purists, and will skip over all the virtuals, putting

> them ahead on the cache machine route. Since some of the more prolific

> cachers feel this way, even more folks will skip the virts too in order

> to keep up with the big names.

 

One of my cache-machine peeves... :P

 

I especially liked the virts in Spokane, especially since we don't plan to be going to Spokane ever again. It combined caching event and city tour all in one.

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I especially liked the virts in Spokane, especially since we don't plan to be going to Spokane ever again. It combined caching event and city tour all in one.

I live here and wonder why you will never ever return? Cache Machines are fun even if we didn't get to fully participate. We did have fun at the Ghostly Mansion playing with cachers arriving to find "Lady Ghosts Favorite Haunts" :P I'm just a cuious Ghost!

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Hmm....let me dig into the depths of my memory. Bear in mind that I'm putting Christmas lawn deer together and drinking wine, but I recall thusly:

“I found it geogrrrl, I really found it!”

Criminal,

 

I just gotta meet you in person.

What a hoot ,I was ROFLMAO too!!!!

 

Pepper

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I especially liked the virts in Spokane, especially since we don't plan to be going to Spokane ever again. It combined caching event and city tour all in one.

I live here and wonder why you will never ever return? Cache Machines are fun even if we didn't get to fully participate. We did have fun at the Ghostly Mansion playing with cachers arriving to find "Lady Ghosts Favorite Haunts" :ph34r: I'm just a cuious Ghost!

 

You know Spokane is at the end of the world, right? People never go there without a reason???? Unless, of course, you live in Pullman (as I did for 2 years), and Spokane is where you go anytime you need to shop, dine, see a movie.... :lol: Personally, I like Spokane and will surely be back from time to time.

 

I think that Romulusnr is mostly trying to make a point that virtuals are a great way to see a city that you might not have a chance to explore otherwise. I agree with him about that. Pepper and I had fun exploring downtown Spokane & the riverfront by taking in a few virtuals (we even ran into Romulusnr while we were there).

 

BTW, "Lady Ghosts" was one of my favorites (certainly most memorable) during the cache machine!

 

Cin

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Hmm....let me dig into the depths of my memory.  Bear in mind that I'm putting Christmas lawn deer together and drinking wine, but I recall thusly:

“I found it geogrrrl, I really found it!”

Criminal,

 

I just gotta meet you in person.

What a hoot ,I was ROFLMAO too!!!!

 

Pepper

:ph34r:

If you have rabbits or stuffed bunnies, whatever you do don't let Criminal touch them. For the love of GOD!

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I especially liked the virts in Spokane, especially since we don't plan to be going to Spokane ever again.

I live here and wonder why you will never ever return?

Well, we just came back from our twice bi-weekly drive to Yakima, which is always preceded by a drive to (and back from) Ellensburg. :D We do quite a lot of cross-state and halfway-across-state-and-back driving, and aren't eager to do much more :lol:

 

Nothing's wrong with Spokane, but there's lots of other cities and towns to visit, many that are quite a bit closer... sorry :ph34r:

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