Failure

[ecw2f]

Hi All,

We live in Yakima and with a new Garmin GPSMAP 60CS we set out to conquer the world of Geocache. Guess what? Our success rate so far is zero for five. The GPS always takes us to a likely spot which matches any clues. But,after 10 to 15 min. of searching we find nothing. We are probably underestimating the cleverness of the hiders and giving up too soon. Any advice will be appreciated.

Also, are under rocks and in dense weeds or shrubbery legit hiding places?

Regards,

Lea&EC Welch

ecw2f@nwinfo.net

[+travisl]

Almost anywhere is a legit hiding place. When looking for a cache, keep in mind that you certainly won't find it anywhere that a non-geocacher would see it, because caches like that tend to disappear quickly. If it's a micro-cache, especially in Yakima, keep in mind that magnets may be part of the hide.

 

Lesseee.. what's a good Yakima first-timer's cache...

 

Crash N Burn is a good one (although I see it's moved a bit since I found it). Entering Yakima Canyon would also be a good first cache -- you should definitely be able to find that one.

 

Definitely hit Popcorn and a Movie. Easy find, great view.

[koz]

stick w/it and hunt hunt hunt...they'll turn up and you'll be hooked...good luck and welcome!

[+Shop99er]

Don't feel bad and don't give up. On our first one we hunted it 3 times. The first time for over an hour. The second time another hour. The third time...under an hour. After that one they got easer...although after 250 or so we still can't find some that are 1/1!

 

You'll develope a cachers sense and they'll come a lot easier. Don't be afraid to ask for a hint. Most people who hide caches don't want to make it impossible for you to find and suck all the fun out of it. They're happy to help you have a successful hunt.

 

Good luck!

[+WeightMan]

Also take note of the difficulty rating on the cache page. When you start out you should stick to one star and two star caches until you get the hang of it. Those tend to be placed in the more obvioius places without a lot of subterfuge in the hide.

 

When you are looking, look for things that are not natural. Nature does not normally stack sticks in parallel rows.

[+briansnat]

Do't pay too much attention to what your GPS says. With your units margin of error and that of the hider's, the cache can be 20, 40 or 50+ feet from where your GPS is telling you the cache is.

 

Novices often concentrate their search right where the GPS says the cache is and ignore the surrounding area.

[+Shop99er]

I've been standing right at the hiding spot, signing the log, and my gizmo will insist that I'm 40, 50, or more feet from the cache.

 

Remember, the machines are very, very stupid.

 

[+k7-wave]

When your GPS unit has you within 35 feet, put it away. Look around. Ask yourself "where would I hide it?". Check the cache page to have an idea of the physical size of the cache. Is it regular, micro or "other"? Rarely will the cache be in plain sight. Decrypt and use the hints. They can be very helpful.

[+evergreenhiker!]

I always ask where would Moun10Bike put it. Here in Montana, it's all open...you can get down to single digit accuracy so for this area, inside 20 would be my advice,but in forested areas...definitely start searching at 35 ft to go.

 

Be sure to read the cache page through and through. I'm guilty of not doing that alot. LOL. the posted coords might just be for parking and the "money" coords are buried in the text somewhere. Also some people don't correctly classify their caches...it might actually be a multi or puzzle cache. Another reason for reading carefullly.

[+Square Bear]

I was lucky on the first couple that Rose had years of experience in finding my wallet and my car keys for me. The GPS can throw you off when you get close when I went home and took my Dad out Geocaching he found more than I did because I spend more time looking at were the GPS said it was and he spend more time just looking when we got to the general area. The best thing is to look for some thing that looks out of place, a pile of sticks, rocks, bark, moss, or a hole in a stump. Good luck and keep trying.

[+Phone guy]

Make sure you calibrate your compass before going and use "off road" when you get out of the car and follow the arrow. Try to imagine where you would hide something you did not want just anybody to find. Dont be afraid to look at the hint if you are having trouble, gas is $ and multiple DNF's is frustrating.

[+niskibum]

Just a thought, are you sure your gps is set up correctly?

 

Hmm, I just noticed Travisl joined up the same exact day I did. Let me guess, you got a gps for Christmas in 2001?

Edited September 15, 2004 by niskibum

[+travisl]

Hmm, I just noticed Travisl joined up the same exact day I did. Let me guess, you got a gps for Christmas in 2001?

Yup - asked for it, Santa brought it, and then I said to myself, ''Self, what are you going to do with this thing?'' I searched the net for software that would work with it (it was a PalmPilot based GPS device), and found something that decoded geocaching hints. From there I looked into geocaching, and the rest is history.

[+the4Grays]

For the first one try to grab some kids and when you get to within 30 to 50 ft tell them to start looking for the prize , you would be surprised to see how fast a couple of 9 year olds can find something when they want to. after a few caches you will be able to out do them but never underestimate how well children can find something when they want to.

[+George501949]

Hi, I just sent you an e-mail with my phone number in it. Give me a call, I'll help you get started.