Northeast Toughest Caches

[avroair]

Hey people,

 

Just curious what people think are the toughest 3 caches in the Northeast. (Not that I want to try them, I just want to be aware of them!). And, no, you don't have to have completed any of the three.

 

All answers on a postcard.

[+boxermom]

My vote is for Blood & Guts in Virginia (aka Iron & Stone) (GC73C2). It took 12 of us 1 month and over 500 hours to solve it.

[avroair]

What about your other two Boxer Mom

[+boxermom]

Not having to many caches under my belt it would be hard for me to choose two other but here goes.

 

1. B&G (GC73C2)- You know the story here.

2. Max Lange Attack (GCH2GC)- First time I had decoded it wrong and the second was a pain to find the first stage once I was in the right area.

3. Beware the Beaver (GCH1R2)- two attempt to find, the first time I searched for an hour and the second time I searched for 30 mins.

[+Team J&J]

I'll 2nd Blood n Guts as being the toughest. And I guess I'll also have to 2nd Beware the Beaver, since I've been out there twice, scrounging through mud and dirt, hugging logs (does that make me a tree hugger) while digging through roots, etc.

 

And the 3rd hardest would be one that I haven't found yet. Most of them I take my 8 yr old son to so I have to be careful in choosing where we go.

 

But I'd be interested in hearing what other cachers think was the most difficult terrain as well as the most difficult puzzle caches they've been to.

[+briansnat]

I'm gonna break the "just 3 rule", because tough to me means two different things....difficulty (of finding) and terrain (or physical). So here are 3 in each category.

 

The toughest, physically, that I've found - well in the last case a DNF - were Melvin's Multiple Madness (a slog through a salt marsh), Aircrash 3 (7+ mile RT hike, serious climb and stiff bushwack at the end) and vT_h (one brutal climb...DNF but I'm convinced its still there after corresponding with the last finder). If you are only looking for active caches, since vT_h has been archived, I'd replace it with GC5 which was one heck of a bushwack.

 

The toughest to find once I got there were Steam Power (since made a lot easier by a new hint...but in its orignial form nobody found it on their first visit and without additonal hints from the owner), The Fast Cache (never did find that sucker after 6 visits) and I think Creative Cache 3 is probably going to be on this list after a few more visits.

 

The toughest I've ever heard about is obviously the Blood n Guts cache. I'm not one for puzzle caches though, so its not something I'd ever try. And you still have to convince me that Virginia is in the northeast.

Edited March 3, 2004 by briansnat

[+Squealy]

Geocachers Geocache in NY near the VT border is one. I am surprise you have not done it Snat.

 

I need to think about the other two - but GC GC is a definite challenge.

[+briansnat]

 

Geocachers Geocache in NY near the VT border is one. I am surprise you have not done it Snat.

 

Hmmm, looks like a good one. When driving through the area, I don't usually have time for tough caches, but this one might warrant a detour.

[avroair]

i am disappointed you didn't mention Verona Park North in your hard to find cache, your log still keeps me laughing, excerpt below (sorry to do this to you! ):

 

I was doing errands in the area and decided I was going to go for Avro's Green Man cache. Good thing I checked the website before I left, or I'd have been out on a wild goose chase. That's quite a story! Anyway, I decided to go after the Verona Park caches, figuring they'd be quick and easy finds.

This one was pretty easy...at first. Got to ground zero and found the cache almost immediately. The only problem was that my hand was too big to fit in the hiding place to retreive it. I actually felt it with the tips of my fingers, but couldn't get a grip on it to remove it. Close, yet far!

 

I then fashioned a tool using sticks, but they didn't do the job and in fact, they pushed the container deeper into its hiding place. It had been floating on water in its hiding spot and I think I may have breached the container and caused it to sink. Sorry! .

 

I was determined to get it, so next I tried to build some stairs out of nearby materials to give myself a better angle. That didn't work, so I went to my car to find something. Well there was a lawn chair in the back (I had used it for ice fishing the day before), so I grabbed that. I got some odd looks from passersby as I walked through the park carrying a lawn chair, on this dreary, snowy day.

 

Using the chair, I was able to get a look into the hiding spot, but the container was no longer visible. I guess I really screwed things up. After close to an hour of trying to retreive this thing, I gave up and headed over to the VP II cache. My apologies to Avroair messing this one up.

 

Update: the cache is still there, despite the extreme beating. The log is now soaked and I will replace the container soon, in exactly the same little hole

[+Waterboy]

Lost in the Adirondacks is Wanikaminplay Mountain Cache. Hidden in June of 2001, we have been the only logged finders to date. There are two problems with this cache:

1. You might argue that there are two finders, “Jethro” who hid the cache also claims to be a finder. (We will excuse him, his stats show he is not an experienced cacher.)

2. Jethro lists this caches D/T as only 2.5/3.5.

 

We think some people are afraid of this cache.

 

It is tough, but not the toughest we have seen.

[+mikedx]

Sorry, but can only speak for West Virginia. Physically challenging is the key. Here's the three for me.

 

#3. Rapid-Cache (GC1E44) Notable because I almost drowned. Catman and Jeepman made it more difficult as well..

 

#2. Hatfield's View (GC1272) 0.35 miles, with a change in altitude of over 900 feet. This cache and it's replacement (GCGT98) have both been archived.

 

#1. South Peak Summit (GC7A11) I don't know what "leading 3 pitches" means, so I'll leave this one alone. tmp went around, not up.

 

#1 and #3 made more difficult because some of us are too stubborn to go the recommend routes (boating, climbing) and just choose to swim/climb around.

Edited March 4, 2004 by mikedx

[+dhenninger]

#3 The Ironman - Nice Steep hike

#2 Putnam Project - Hard Micros

#1 Five Star New York - No Comment (havn't found yet)

 

But i only have 40 finds so I'm still looking

 

Dave (dhenning25)

[+ski]

My 2 cents....

 

#1 Melvin's Multiple Madness GC39A3 (New Jersey)

 

#2 Muskrats, Mosquitos, & Muck GC2F59 (New Jersey)

 

#3 The Pines On S.I. GCGE4V (Maryland)

This one is 8 months old and has not been found or even attempted...

 

Ski...