1st Cache/winter Cashing?

[farleywilbur]

Well, I'm hooked already! Bought a GPS (Garmin etrex Legend) on Friday and found my first cache yesterday! It was only 350 meters from my backyard but I needed to walk 2.2 km through the woods along a river to a bridge so i could get across to the other side! My gps led me right to the spot, within a few feet although it was so well hidden it took ten minutes to find.

 

I walked all the way home with a silly grin on my face! I haven't have so much fun since playing capture the flag at Camp Ponacka 20 years ago! I made a mistake by giving away the location when noting my find online but got a very nice email asking me not to mention specific cache location when posting a find.

 

These forums are an amazing source of info for a novice and my wife thinks I must have a girlfriend sending me secret messages as I have been on my computer for hours this weekend! So I am taking the wifey and dogs out today - have three more caches loaded and ready to find!

 

I woke up to -10 c on the thermometer this morning and wondered if I will be out of luck soon when the snow starts falling here in Ontario? Is this a winter sport too? Do people design winter caches hidden off the ground? I've got my snowshoes ready to go if the answer is yes! If not, I may have to try creating one or two in the Guelph area for those who like to get out in the sub-zero months!!

 

Thanks for getting me hooked! This seems like a healthy, productive hobby/sport that gets families out as a group and brings people together!

[+briansnat]

These should answer your question:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2004 by briansnat

[Tahosa and Sons]

If the adage that a " A picture is worth a Thousand Words" then Brian has given a 7,000 word dialogue on Snow Caching.

 

Sometimes all you have to do is follow the tracks. But here in CO most of the Mtn. caches get shut down till spring. A few die hards do go back in after the snow flys.

[+RichardMoore]

Sometimes all you have to do is follow the tracks. But here in CO most of the Mtn. caches get shut down till spring. A few die hards do go back in after the snow flys.

But follow the tracks coming away from the cache. It's a more direct route.

[farleywilbur]

Fantastic photos and beautiful landscape! Thanks!

[+IV_Warrior]

I was just gonna add that I cache all winter long.....actually started caching mid-winter, my first finds were with snow and ice on the ground......then I noticed I'm in one of those pictures BrianSnat posted, and realized he said it for me

[+amytincan]

you could always travel to a warmer place, like california.

[farleywilbur]

Headed to Arizona in January and already noted that there are close to 3000 caches there!! Hmmm, how many could I do in a week?

[+TotemLake]

Sometimes all you have to do is follow the tracks.  But here in CO most of the Mtn. caches get shut down till spring.  A few die hards do go back in after the snow flys.

But follow the tracks coming away from the cache. It's a more direct route.

The smart finders will have given you several fake paths to follow.

[+AuntieWeasel]

My very first cache was in February. It was frozen solid inside a log. I mean, I couldn't budge it. I was afraid I'd break it, so I finally gave up.

 

I was elated AND REALLY CRANKY at the same time

[+RichardMoore]

Sometimes all you have to do is follow the tracks.  But here in CO most of the Mtn. caches get shut down till spring.  A few die hards do go back in after the snow flys.

But follow the tracks coming away from the cache. It's a more direct route.

The smart finders will have given you several fake paths to follow.

Sure, and I've done that on numerous occasions, but...

Not all cachers do it, and even those with the best intentions are often cold and want to get back to the car as soon as they can. So their efforts may be haphazard.

So when I'm caching in the winter and someone has found the cache since the last snowfall I'll stand in the area and just look for a couple of minutes.

Looking for what?

*An area that has more footprints or is flattened, indicating that someone spent more time in that spot, possibly while signing the log.

*A pile of snow that isn't smooth and natural looking. It's harder to pile snow on top of a cache than leaves or branches and make it look right.

*My favorite, the impression of Tupperware or an ammo can in the snow on top of a log.

When I'm winter caching and my footprints are the only ones out there I'll take the cache a distance away from its hiding spot to do sign the log and trade. I'll make more tracks around that spot and disturb the snow to make it look like it was piled up by a person rather than nature. When I rehide the cache I'll try to make it look like someone looked there but was unsuccessful.

If several cachers have already been there, there is nothing that I could do to lay false trails because there is already a confusion of footprints.

[+TotemLake]

Sometimes all you have to do is follow the tracks.  But here in CO most of the Mtn. caches get shut down till spring.  A few die hards do go back in after the snow flys.

But follow the tracks coming away from the cache. It's a more direct route.

The smart finders will have given you several fake paths to follow.

Sure, and I've done that on numerous occasions, but...

Not all cachers do it, and even those with the best intentions are often cold and want to get back to the car as soon as they can. So their efforts may be haphazard.

So when I'm caching in the winter and someone has found the cache since the last snowfall I'll stand in the area and just look for a couple of minutes.

Looking for what?

*An area that has more footprints or is flattened, indicating that someone spent more time in that spot, possibly while signing the log.

*A pile of snow that isn't smooth and natural looking. It's harder to pile snow on top of a cache than leaves or branches and make it look right.

*My favorite, the impression of Tupperware or an ammo can in the snow on top of a log.

When I'm winter caching and my footprints are the only ones out there I'll take the cache a distance away from its hiding spot to do sign the log and trade. I'll make more tracks around that spot and disturb the snow to make it look like it was piled up by a person rather than nature. When I rehide the cache I'll try to make it look like someone looked there but was unsuccessful.

If several cachers have already been there, there is nothing that I could do to lay false trails because there is already a confusion of footprints.

Well of course! I agree with everything you say.

 

However, my point was I wouldn't depend on the straight to the cache path. I would mistrust my fellow geocachers just enough that I would do my own thing anyway.

[+RichardMoore]

However, my point was I wouldn't depend on the straight to the cache path. I would mistrust my fellow geocachers just enough that I would do my own thing anyway.

That reminds me:

Don't follow my footprints. I have a tendency to walk through streams, mud and slush instead of going around. People that hike with me have a saying, "Don't follow Richard."