Snow Caching

[+Team Tayjam]

Central Iowa is under 16" of snow after our first real snow. Does anybody go out and cache in this stuff? If so, how do you do it? How is it different from caching when there is not snow?

[+carleenp]

I love snow caching! How? Well, if you pick rural caches, you can snow shoe or cross country ski to the cache. In any case, be prepared for the difficulty to increase because the cache may be under snow.

 

I like to do what would normally be easy urban caches in the snow. It makes them challenging. Last year I dnf'd a tupperware under a tree that was normally so easy to find that people posted they expected it to get stolem anytime. Things are different when under several feet of snow!

[+Mudinyeri]

I'm getting ready to try my hand at it. We'll see how it goes.

 

Here are a couple thoughts based on other outdoor activities in snow.

 

1. Wear rubber knee-high boots to keep your feet dry.

2. Layer your socks. First layer = silk liners. Second layer = wool.

3. This may be your opportunity for a FTF if others aren't willing/able to do it.

4. Neoprene or other waterproof gloves could come in handy when pushing snow away.

5. If you're not FTF, it should be "easy" to find - you'll see the tracks of others before you. Heck, you should be able to find it without a GPSr.

6. I know some people use snow shoes. I don't.

7. Deep snow and young kids without snow shoes - not a good combination.

8. Consider ski or snow pants to keep your legs dry in very deep snow.

[+carleenp]

I'm getting ready to try my hand at it. We'll see how it goes.

 

Here are a couple thoughts based on other outdoor activities in snow.

 

1. Wear rubber knee-high boots to keep your feet dry.

2. Layer your socks. First layer = silk liners. Second layer = wool.

3. This may be your opportunity for a FTF if others aren't willing/able to do it.

4. Neoprene or other waterproof gloves could come in handy when pushing snow away.

5. If you're not FTF, it should be "easy" to find - you'll see the tracks of others before you. Heck, you should be able to find it without a GPSr.

6. I know some people use snow shoes. I don't.

7. Deep snow and young kids without snow shoes - not a good combination.

8. Consider ski or snow pants to keep your legs dry in very deep snow.

Very good points.

 

Here is how to do it wrong, just as I did this last weekend in cold rain and some light snow! Don't do what I do!

 

1. Wear your old leaky boots because you have been too cheap to buy waterproof ones.

2. Wear any old pair of socks (OK, I did actually wear wool ones this past weekend).

3. Wear those thin stretchy cotton gloves.

4. Wear jeans and fall in a mud puddle.

5. Forget your hat.

 

[+Mudinyeri]

Oh, man, do I ever want to snow cache with you, Carleen! Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then.

[+Mudinyeri]

One other idea - put your GPS on a lanyard. Those little devils could be hard to find in 14" of snow (or more).

[+mole275]

snow cacheing is much easier you just follow the footprints of the person before you and hope they found the cache without to much wandering around aimlessly with that said ill be out there caching tommorow

[+Team Tayjam]

Thanks for your comments. Now all I need is a new cache to go out and find around here!

[+carleenp]

Oh, man, do I ever want to snow cache with you, Carleen! Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then.

The January 3 logs on this cache (especially Stunod's) tell part of the story. In Corp of Discovery's posted pic, I am wearing big work gloves borrowed from Stunod since my own had gotten soaked much earlier in the day.

 

I did order new waterproof boots and some nylon pants yesterday. Talk about learning the hard way!

[+Team Tayjam]

Oh, man, do I ever want to snow cache with you, Carleen!    Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then. 

The January 3 logs on this cache (especially Stunod's) tell part of the story. In Corp of Discovery's posted pic, I am wearing big work gloves borrowed from Stunod since my own had gotten soaked much earlier in the day.

 

I did order new waterproof boots and some nylon pants yesterday. Talk about learning the hard way!

Ha! At least it looks like you were all having fun.

 

This is why I asked the question -- so I wouldn't have to go out and learn the hard way. I can learn from your mistakes!

[+Renegade Knight]

I'll ignore adding gear advice (other than snowshoes and a shovel)

 

They flat out get harder to find in the snow. Some at the base of a tree can be easy, and a lot of remote caches are not hidden much harder than that. However you need to do your homework and *gasp* read the clues before you go.

 

The cache and the clues may be buried. "Cache is under the log" is going to doom you in the woods. "Cache is at the base of the Black Spruce in the middle of the quaken asps..." now you can probably find it.

 

Your judgment on what can be found based on the area, snow depth etc. comes into play. The shovel is because hicking sticks and gloves don't do well for digging in teh snow. Besides once you find it, you are going to put it all back to prevent the cache from being discovered on accident...

[+Team Tayjam]

My wife rented cross country skis for the weekend from the outdoor rec department of the university where we work. It will be our first attempt at cross country skiing and we may try to incorporate some caching while we're at it.

 

It should be an...interesting weekend!

[+WindChill]

On thing that no one has mentioned....Along the way, and especially if you do find the cache, make sure to leave lots of extra footprints. Walk around and disturb the snow in other areas and around other trees. Leave the trail several times along the way.

 

This not only makes sure the next cacher cant just follow your path, but also makes non-cachers less interested. If you are walking down a trail in new snow, and the set of footprints you are following suddenly leaves the trail, dont you wonder why? Would you follow them to see where they went?

 

Have fun.

[+Melrose Plant]

I normally try to make extra footprints to a WRONG place, and while I'm doing that, drag a branch behind me in an attempt to obliterate my footprints to the RIGHT place (assuming I've found it at all).

 

It's hard to do that with this icy crap we've gotten around here lately, though.

[+Mr.Zoo]

The real trick is to not leave tracks!!!!!!

[+Just 1 More]

I bought my first GPS unit Jan 4th, it was delivered in time for the snow! just my luck. My first solo cache was buried along a fence under 18" of snow. Luckily I carry a big stick in my truck and used it to poke through the snow and feel the cache without too much digging.

[+GeoMom]

I went out this morning, hoping to be a FTF'er. Someone beat me to it, but interestingly enough, their tracks were not near the cache (?). They signed the log book this morning and there were tracks in the area, but how the heck did they do it without leaving tracks at the cache site?

 

I did leave tracks and I walked around quite a bit, but it will be pretty obvious where the cache is anyway. Big snowfall predicted for tonight, so only the people going out today will get clues from MY tracks.

[+Saman]

snow caching-this is an example of snow caching in Czech Republic , nothing for me

[+The Northwood Goonies]

Go and search for Locationless caches. Read though the listings and brainstorm where you think you seen where it is and go and find it. Heck I found 2 without specifically looking for them. A good example is the round barn. I found one but didn't have my camera or gps so I have to go back for that one.