The Most Discouraging Thing About Geocaching Is...

June 3, 2004

Don't get me wrong, I like geocaching, but sometimes the world seems to bring you down.

Burning 2-3 gallons of fuel per geocache (might be a North Dakota thing)

Mosquitos

Ticks

Mud

Dead batteries on final approach.

Winter (again might be a North Dakota thing)

Having a new cache denied.

Having a cache muggled.

Twisted ankle.

Hitting a deer.

Ending up on the wrong side of the lake/river/riven/fence/swamp/highway/track/etc...

Darkness and not having a portable sun (flashlight).

Still not finding it after 3rd attempt.

After all that and more, I still do battle the world by geocaching as often as I can.

1.1k · June 3, 2004

All just elements of the adventure in my book.

Unless of course you where looking for a micro, then it is a miserable misadventure.

9.1k · June 3, 2004

Out of that horrific list, I would definitely have to cast my vote for ticks.

Ticks are everywhere this year. I see log after log mentioning them.

24.7k · June 3, 2004

Everything on that list is fun. I rather enjoy smashing ticks. Gas isnt' fun but converting it to geoaching is. And only 2-3 gallons? Wow!

1.5k · June 3, 2004

Don't get me wrong, I like geocaching, but sometimes the world seems to bring you down.

Burning 2-3 gallons of fuel per geocache (might be a North Dakota thing)

Mosquitos

Ticks

Mud

Dead batteries on final approach.

Winter (again might be a North Dakota thing)

Having a new cache denied.

Having a cache muggled.

Twisted ankle.

Hitting a deer.

Ending up on the wrong side of the lake/river/riven/fence/swamp/highway/track/etc...

Darkness and not having a portable sun (flashlight).

Still not finding it after 3rd attempt.

After all that and more, I still do battle the world by geocaching as often as I can.

And the bad is where?

June 3, 2004

But at the end of the day when you lay your head down....aren't you tired and HAPPY ?

4.8k · June 3, 2004

Out of that horrific list, I would definitely have to cast my vote for ticks.

Ticks are everywhere this year. I see log after log mentioning them.

I am more concerned about the rabid hamsters that have been seen around caches here. They are everywhere this year. I see log after log mentioning them.

June 3, 2004

Out of that horrific list, I would definitely have to cast my vote for ticks.

Ticks are everywhere this year. I see log after log mentioning them.

I am more concerned about the rabid hamsters that have been seen around caches here. They are everywhere this year. I see log after log mentioning them.

And I thought it was only me!

9.1k · June 3, 2004

It's quite simple, really. The solution to rabid hamsters is to just kidnap them from the cache and hold onto them for a year or so. The Leprechauns' Rabid Hamster

4.8k · June 3, 2004

Poor little missing rabid hamster.

June 3, 2004

I think the worst thing is not finding a cache after attempting it many times. Theres 3 local ones i have been after all week. A micro, i have attempted twice. I think i know where it was but theres always to many people around for me to be digging behind a sewer grate. the 2nd is finding a 'becon on the ground then walking x many steps, then lookinhg for the cache. 3 times no success.

And the other is a multi micro cache. Found the first 2 micros fine, but had to have some one tell me where the last one was. couldnt find it for the life of me.

Pulled a tick off of me yesterday. Luckily it was just crawling and hadnt set its self in.

Yes, GAS PRICES SUCK.

aj

June 3, 2004

Out of that horrific list, I would definitely have to cast my vote for ticks.

Ticks are everywhere this year. I see log after log mentioning them.

I have never even seen a tick, let alone gotten bit by them.....wait correction, I saw one on my dog the day I brought it home from the humane society, but other than that.

June 3, 2004

i can agree with dead batteries, darkness without a flashlight and ending up on the wrong side...or completely opposite of it haha, thats the best part though!

you know??

even better is when your GPS says your a mere 25 feet away. you think to yourself, "how can that be when i'm standing with my face against a 35 foot cliff!!!"

you look up and notice a small overhang 20 feet up you smack yourself and figure its a joke. somethings wrong with the satelites or something. your friends urge you not to climb it.

you go for it anyway!!! you give everything to your group and then start this arduous climb up the cliff. almost falling a few times. you finally reach the overhang and realize,...you left your GPS in your friends hands!!!!

they throw it to you, you check it again and see you're still 15 feet away from it...its getting late. you're hungry and tired. you're practically stuck on a ledge 20 feet off the ground!!! you get smart and climb up even higher to the top of the butte....

only to FIND the cache AND a dirt road leading right up the back of the mountain!!!

that...that my friends...is when geocaching can get you down...when you're stuck on that cliff 15 feet away from the cache with no other logical place to go...be like me, do it the hard way haha

1.1k · June 3, 2004

Monday morning I was up early, drove all the way accross town. Bushwhacked for a mile in the mud. When I located the cache it was 5 feet from a major trail. I could have saved myself time, energy half a bottle of tecnu, a car wash and a load of laundry.

But then again I wouldn't have seen 6 deer or stood in the middle of a babbling creek and watched the sunrise.

I like it rough.

2k · June 3, 2004

...
Having a cache muggled.

...

I thought we were calling that "Barnstabled"?

2.3k · June 3, 2004

Everything on that list is fun. I rather enjoy smashing ticks. Gas isnt' fun but converting it to geoaching is. And only 2-3 gallons? Wow!

I have this vivid image of RK stomping all aove the place squashing ticks.

June 3, 2004

The EVIL CHIGGERS. I have about 30 bites on each leg and many near my waist:(

8.4k · June 3, 2004

I think my geocaching motto says it all:

Geocaching: Wayyyyy more chances to contract West Nile, or Lyme Disease than the average person.

Sn gans

BTW- I may be printing up T-Shirts with that motto soon.

June 3, 2004

I love caching in the winter! No bugs or snakes around and not as many muggles out braving the weather.

That's it, I am moving to the Arctic Circle! Any caches up there?

June 4, 2004

I have never even seen a tick, let alone gotten bit by them.....wait correction, I saw one on my dog the day I brought it home from the humane society, but other than that.

Better not come to the Colorado mountains, then. Growing up in Coloardo, I've seen LOTS of ticks. When I was a kid, my little brother got a tick on one of his appendages, and it wasn't an arm or a leg, if you get my drift (trying to be family friendly here). I have no idea how it got there, but he was four years old, so who knows what he was doing?

I usually wear pants instead of shorts and long-sleeved shirts to protect my fair skin from the sun, and that's a protection when it comes to ticks. They don't like having to burrow through clothing.

June 4, 2004

You would love caching on Guam. No ticks, chiggers, poison ivy or thorn bushes. I did run into a rather un-amused carabao (water buffalo) once, which could have ruined my day but didn’t.

1.5k · June 4, 2004

The Most Discouraging Thing About Geocaching Is... WOOOORK!!! This working for a living thing really cuts into quality caching time. The need to experience your whole list on a daily basis... well, except for that hitting a deer thing, that can be pretty discouraging.

1.1k · June 4, 2004

I want to know how you get by with only using a couple gallons of gas. I went out last week and burned about 12 gallons for three FTF's and one DNF. Then I went back to get the DNF off my list. I still missed out on it. Again.

So far, just for that one cache I have yet to find, I am down about 300 miles and 25 some odd gallons of fuel plus about 3 hours crawling on my hands and knees through the brush, rocks, dead fish, wild roses, garbage, rodent holes, fishing line, sagebrush, rabbit brush, etc. I will even be going back sometime next week. I will have the metal detector next time to see if that helps out. As well as the machete, chainsaw, rockbar, powder and caps, etc.

And the area I am in now is so cache poor, I have to go about 35 miles any direction just to start looking for one. Crow miles even. Road miles are about double plus that distance. I am thinking about making me a sock puppet account just so I can go find the nearby ones again. I gotta get my fix soon.

Ticks are neat to watch under a magnifing glass. You get it just right and poof, a shot of smoke and no more tick.

So far, all your "complaints" just seem like part of the game as I, and several of the others it seems, have been playing it. Am I - or are "we" - all doing it all wrong? Am I missing out on something here somewhere?

logscaler.

2.3k · June 4, 2004

The most discouraging thing about geocaching is that people keep placing new ones.....it will keep getting harder and harder to get them all.

Of course that's also one of the best things about geocaching.

June 4, 2004

<snip>
And the area I am in now is so cache poor, I have to go about 35 miles any direction just to start looking for one. Crow miles even. Road miles are about double plus that distance. I am thinking about making me a sock puppet account just so I can go find the nearby ones again. I gotta get my fix soon.

<snip>

So far, all your "complaints" just seem like part of the game as I, and several of the others it seems, have been playing it. Am I - or are "we" - all doing it all wrong? Am I missing out on something here somewhere?

logscaler.

I think I found a partial solution to the 'discouraging thing' about gas.

I created a breakfest/carpool geoevent to western North Dakota for July 17.

I wanted it to be just a carpool event, but this event concept was rejected by the gods above (one of those other 'discouraging things') Read event guidelines to see why.

I am not trying to flame here, just trying to point out the humor in this situation, but it seems from the last post that I set of a nerve or two. Like I said in my original post. 'Don't get me wrong, I like geocaching, but sometimes the world seems to bring you down.'

Again, no flame intended especially to the gods above.

Oh mighty ones.

Forgive us for our complaints.

But why did you create a place to post them?

By the way, someone pointed out that work is the most discouraging thing, I agree, but work is part of the double curse of some of the other 'discouraging things'. Some of the 'discouraging things' require cash.

4.8k · June 4, 2004

Again, no flame intended especially to the gods above.
Oh mighty ones.

Forgive us for our complaints.

But why did you create a place to post them?

I suppose that is a good point. :lol: A little healthy yet respectful venting can be good for people at times. Still, I prefer to look at the good side of things. Then I have no need to vent because I am happy. I am notorius for avoiding angst.

So, when I backed my car into a rock caching, I didn't sweat it, found a cool GPS sticker in the cache and then happily stuck it on the car by the scrape and had a fun story to tell. When I totally scratched up the front of my shin caching (among other mild injuries), I compared my wounds with my caching friend and we had a fun time trying to proudly prove who was more injured. When I coated my car and myself in mud hiding a cache, I had fun telling people in chat about it. If gas prices get too high, maybe I will enjoy some bike rides to caches. When I pick ticks off me, I happily go find a thread to post that ticks are everywhere this year....

I guess my point is that it is all a state of mind. Put yourself in the state of mind to enjoy things even in the face of obstacles and turn the obstacles into fun experiences and you suddenly will not be disheartened. :lol:

June 4, 2004

I guess my point is that it is all a state of mind. Put yourself in the state of mind to enjoy things even in the face of obstacles and turn the obstacles into fun experiences and you suddenly will not be disheartened.

Ok, I just have to say this (in a humorous manor).

Baah Hum Bug!!

4.4k · June 4, 2004

NOTHING!!!!

4.7k · June 4, 2004

the most discouraging thing about geocaching is that i've torn the middle of my left patellar tendon, resulting in an inability to hunt most of the caches in my area. i'm totally good with anything that doesn't involve any kind of going downhill or down stairs, so although i might be able to hunt a number of caches, the return trip will be problematic.

on the bright side, i've had plently of time to post to the forums.

4.5k · June 4, 2004

I hate ticks. Just today I picked up a Lone Star Tick the one that transmits RMSF. Usually I get Deer ticks and have to worry about Lyme.

Can't wait for the snow.

June 4, 2004

the most discouraging thing about geocaching is that i've torn the middle of my left patellar tendon, resulting in an inability to hunt most of the caches in my area. i'm totally good with anything that doesn't involve any kind of going downhill or down stairs, so although i might be able to hunt a number of caches, the return trip will be problematic.

Just walk backwards down the hill! :lol:

The Most Discouraging Thing About Geocaching Is...

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