Winter Caching

January 23, 2005

We went caching today, and noticed that many caches in our area haven't been found since November. Why don't people like winter caching very much? In my opinion, it adds more fun to the adventure.

January 23, 2005

Cuz it's frickin' COLD!!!

January 23, 2005

well, yeah, it is cold. It's the reason the beaches are devoid of people. Why not ask why people don't sunbathe outisde during the winter?

The other reason is snow. Most cache pages I have seen do not specify whether the cache is "winter friendly" or not (though some wisely do).

The question has to be asked, am I going to go looking for a 5 stage multi when I have no idea if they were hidden at ground level and now under 2ft of snow? Am I going to trek long distances through said snow without having any idea of whether I am going to be able to locate the cache?

I do cache in the winter and even the snow, but I am much more selective in what I search for. As a result the number of caches eligible is less than during the warmer months.

Also I have found most of the caches I want to seek within a comfortable driving distance from me so I mainly look for new cache placements and there don't seem to be too many in the winter months.

Bottom line is the reason caching isn't as popular in the winter is the same reason sunbathing (or any other summer activity) isn't as popular in the winter.

January 23, 2005

Well the reason I haven't gone is it has been Ffing cold and the snow around here has made it very difficult to locate anything but the easiest . The terrain is also another factor lots of hilly terrain so ice and snow make very slick to find most of these . So taking all this into consideration winter caching is something for ownly the bravest (or the most fool hardest) .

3k · January 23, 2005

Fewer daylight hours makes a difference too.

I'm not much on night caches, but during the summer I can slip out after work and have plenty of daylight. During the winter, I slip out during work

Best thing about winter caching: fewer bugs.

Edited January 23, 2005 by cache_test_dummies

January 23, 2005

Best thing about winter caching: fewer bugs.

2.6k · January 23, 2005

Cuz it's frickin' COLD!!!

It's pretty dadgum warm around here. :huh:

January 23, 2005

Just went today!

Check it out!

:huh:

January 23, 2005

Opps.

January 23, 2005

Here's one I posted a while back:

Top Ten Things I Like About Winter Geocaching

10) Less interference from the tree canopy. :huh:

9) There's no reason to make a lot of noise when you're

hiking in bear or rattlesnake country.

8) No DEET.

7) You can find a cache a week after it was posted, and

still have a chance at being the FTF. Well 2TF, if you

live near GaiterMan.

6) You're not as likely to get your jeep stuck in the mud

when you take it off-off-road.

5) The hornets are a lot slower.

4) You don't need a boat for level 5 water caches (just an

ice-saw, and a dry suit).

3) Fewer geo-muggles.

2) You can use your hiking staff for hiking, instead of

constantly waving it in front of you to knock down

all the spider webs.

And the number one thing I like about winter caching:

1) Hypothermia is a less painful way to go than heat-stroke!

3k · January 23, 2005

Just went today!

Check it out!

Nice find! And I love the picture of Ozzie with the snow covered face

We got about 20 inches of snow here in southern New Hampshire last night (they had upwards of three feet in some spots in Massachusetts just south of here). I'd be willing to bet we see a significant drop off in the number finds in this area for the next week or so.

2.6k · January 23, 2005

A boiling fifty degrees yesterday.

1.3k · January 23, 2005

So far, winter and early spring seem like the only time we DO cache. I love hiking on brisk, winter days. I don't love the ticks, mosquitoes, flys, heat, etc... that you have to deal with in the summer. I also love boating, and most of my summer free time is spent doing that.

Also, living in Maryland (Baltimore) cuts down substantially on snow problems.

January 23, 2005

I never thought I'd enjoy caching due to the cold. Once I figured out how to properly dress for the conditions, I've found it to be quite enjoyable. One aspect I really enjoy is all of the animal tracks in the snow and attempting to figure out if it is a bob cat or a dog (or a yetti ). I tend to stay away from longer hikes in rugged terrain - ice can make some a bit more hazardous as I'm sure you well know. Beach Buddies' list really sums up well many of the good aspects of caching. It all boils down to a personal choice. MS :huh:

January 23, 2005

enjoy is all of the animal tracks in the snow and attempting to figure out if it is a bob cat or a dog (or a yetti ).

Hey,

I resemble that remark! :huh: The Yeti, that is!

January 23, 2005

Because even after you brave the -17 wind chill. Poke frozen fingers thru the snow into every stinkin stump and tree crotch. Get broken wrist from tring to turn over rocks frozen to the groung. You finally find the ammo can and the darn thing is frozen shut so well that a sledge hammer wont open it, I like winter camping, I like winter hunting. But cacheing weather should be at least 30 deg. F.

38.2k · January 23, 2005

Me taken about 1 1/2 hours ago at this cache.

Winter caching is very popular in this area. Logs are coming in consistently throught the winter months. A lot of people save the local swamp caches for the winter because there are no mosquitos and the ground is frozen. Also the canoe caches can be reached by walking on the ice, so you see those caches get hit a lot in the winter.

Edited January 24, 2005 by briansnat

3.8k · January 24, 2005

put on some gloves brian, or you'll shoot your eye out.

38.2k · January 24, 2005

put on some gloves brian, or you'll shoot your eye out.

Hey I had to set the camera's self timer and run back in the snow in time for it to take the shot. No time to put the gloves back on :huh: .

1.3k · January 24, 2005

I don't mind the cold air as long as it's not windy. Like today, it never got out of the 20's and the friggin wind was gusting all day. There isnt' enough fat on my body to keep me warm enough to cache in that.

If it is about 35 and above, I consider easier caches. 40+ I'm happy!!!

Long live long underwear, gloves and stocking caps. But it is weird how the screen on my GPS and PDA get fuzzy. Poor batteries!!!

CACHE ON my friends. Spring will be here soon along with the frigging ticks!!!

:huh:

3.8k · January 24, 2005

put on some gloves brian, or you'll shoot your eye out.

Hey I had to set the camera's self timer and run back in the snow in time for it to take the shot. No time to put the gloves back on .

:huh:

back on topic, i like caching in the winter. makes it a different experience than the summer (especially with snow on the ground) but still a lot of fun.

January 24, 2005

it was only -35 with the windchill where I was yesterday (thats celsius)

January 24, 2005

Bout 17 degrees out today but theres no snow and I didn't go caching.

3.9k · January 24, 2005

Caching doesn't seem to slow down around here at all. We just got about 13" and I'm sure I won't be the only one out there tomorrow.

2.4k · January 24, 2005

I don't know why, but I just haven't had the desire to go out this winter. Last year, I had a great time winter caching. Of course, it could be that I've cleared most of the local caches, and don't have as much free time this year.....I did pick up a couple this week, but that was in New Orleans, and doesn't exactly qualify as "winter caching", even though it was only about 40 degrees there.........

January 24, 2005

For me, I get out there every chance I get. But the high here today was 9 with a wind chill of -6. We did get out yesterday when the temp was hoovering around freezing and rain / ice / snow mix pelting us from above. All we could handle was 1 cache as my cach'n bud stepped in a mud puddle that didn't look deep but it ended up soaking his boot. We're going back out on Thursday though. It will be a heat wave compared to what we have been seeing, a sweltering 41 degrees is the forcast. I also have a trip to FL lined up next month and can't wait to get out caching a day away as I sometimes did in the summer / fall here.

January 24, 2005

Winter caching is no different than any other caching. Know the cache, know the area, know the conditions, and decide if and how you can get there and if you think you can find the cache. If you don't know this information, you shouldn't be out there at any time of year.

Plus, what about caches that can only be found in the winter, unless you have a boat? My two nearest unfound caches that had me waiting for winter:

One from another cache done a couple weeks ago. When do you get to see this in the summer?

Regards,

Anthony

Edited January 24, 2005 by Gonzo-YT

January 24, 2005

Winter's the best time to cache in TX IMHO. Fewer mosquitos & spiders & the nasty fireants are a lot less active in the cold! Of course the definition of 'cold' & 'winter' are different in Texas!

20.7k · January 24, 2005

Over the last few years, I've done almost no caching during the summer. Its just too darn hot and buggy here. I tend to cache often during the winter, however.

There is a slim chance that we will be moving to MN soon. I'll probably have to rethink my winter caching policy.

Edited January 24, 2005 by sbell111

January 24, 2005

the definition of 'cold' & 'winter' are different in Texas!

EVERYTHING'S different in texas!! :wub:

Skillett: texas transplant

January 25, 2005

We have just the opposite issue down here in South Texas. Our caching activities drop off in the dead of summer June-September with temps in the 100s, mean plants (briars and poison ivy,) and critters. So for us, winter is the prime time for caching. By the way, we're expecting a high of 76 to day.

1.3k · January 27, 2005

Well, we cached this week, after an 8" snowfall in the Baltimore area, and I have to say it adds a level of difficulty to the hunt.

It also made me feel guilty because we left a traceable path to the cache area. A check on one log confirmed my fears because the next cacher said he felt like he was cheating because he followed our trail.

Since many/most caches are off the beaten path by at least a couple of hundred feet, how do you manage to search without leaving evidence of your presence in the area?

1.6k · January 27, 2005

I'm getting sick of how warm it is in Washington right now. 55 yesterday. Yuck!

I don't care when I cache. In fact, I enjoy winter caching the most because there aren't tons of people around to interrupt your caching adventure.

January 27, 2005

Come to Nova Scotia(Canada) 3 feet of Snow in the 8 days, it's -25c

January 27, 2005

Will+Bill, I really think it's more your area than anything else. I spent some time in Bloomington and a lot in Fort Wayne since December started and no one has been out even on the warm (60°) days. Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo still have a lot of activity over the last couple months. I think the IN Cachers must just retreat into holes when the snow drops. Oh well. That just means I get to run around in snowshoes all the more without worrying about covering my trails. After all, if Cachers won't go out, no one will. (And that's the truth. In these parts, at least.)

From Ohio with 180 OMGIC Points (108 came from a single cache in -6°)

[EDIT:Whoops... I switched the name around...]

Edited January 27, 2005 by Bjorn74

January 27, 2005

i don't worry about the cold, i have the right clothes. i do worry a bit about if i can find the "woodsy" caches under the snow or get the lids open in below 20-degree temps, but my biggest concern right now is leaving tracks, although i could probably let the dog run all over and track up the entire area. i too would hate to leave a big arrow to a cache site, so i'll concentrate on looking for good cache hiding spots to plant a few in the spring. now seems like a great time to research for those multi's that use info on signs and such, as the usual tourists aren't around, plus there's good sitting around the fire time to be had with putting together the clues!

p.s. love the picture, bjorn!!

p.p.s. also love gonzo's dog picture--that blonde butt is exactly like what i see when nugget and i are out caching!! :unsure:

Edited January 27, 2005 by denali7

2.1k · January 27, 2005

I'd do more winter caching...but there's 3-4 feet of snow everywhere around here right now that seems to have a compelling argument otherwise.

I love going out when it's not in the negative F windchills and less than 6 inches of snow. I went out near the New Year and tagged quite a few caches in my area. But I don't think I have the energy to dig/trudge through 3 feet of blizzard right now. :unsure:

January 27, 2005

p.s. love the picture, bjorn!!

It's part of COG's solution to not enough winter caching. The OMGIC ICFMF Logo needs to be finished up before the thaw so we can make Tshirts and Hoodies...

For those interested, you get points for caches you find in temperatures below freezing. Multiply the star rating by the degrees Fahrenheit below freezing (local daytime low) to get the total for the cache. 200 qualifies for our prize. We might need to lower the points needed.

Anything to win a prize, right?

2.5k · January 27, 2005

Cuz it's frickin' COLD!!!

Nuff said.

Seriously.. Some caches aren't accessable in Winter. I have one that the parking to it doesn't get plowed, so it adds about a mile each way to the trip if you're going to do it in snowl.

January 27, 2005

I would rather deal with the bugs than the cold!

January 27, 2005

I would rather deal with the bugs than the cold!

I suppose it all depends on your location. People farther south call one thing cold, my idea is quite another. Any time you are north of say 40 deg. lat. winters can get bad, and the bugs in summer usually aren't bad. Farther south, it is just the opposite... At least that seems to be true in the eastern US.

1k · January 27, 2005

This might be why...

January 28, 2005

OK, heat wave here the past few days. It's been in double digits and I found 1 more cache today than the high temp. The high temp for the day was 34 and I found 35 caches with 2 dnf. brrrr wooo hoo I've been home about 4 hours now and finally warming up. I don't think I'll be doing this again anytime before spring or summer time.

January 28, 2005

the winter is better caching here cuz the rattlesnakes are sleepin'

<_<

January 28, 2005

yeah well me and my boyfriend have gone a bunch of time, we got new coats for xmas so we're always warm.we just don't go if there's snow bc we don't know exactly where to look and such.also we don't have gloves so we're not going to go digging too much.

January 28, 2005

I am new to cachng and being new to it I can't get enough of it. I started in November and since it's cold and snowy it just adds a challenge. What's the fun in walking right to a cache that is plced at the base of a tree in the open. Besides theres no bugs :blink: <_<

Edited January 28, 2005 by Dave1976

5.3k · January 28, 2005

I guess in the N. the snow is a real problem in the winter, But in places like Palm Springs and Death Yalley the best time on the year to be outside is in the winter.

I made the mistake of going to Palm Springs once in Aug. a few years ago. The hot tub being over 100 degrees was the place to cool off.

Edit for pre coffee typos

Edited January 28, 2005 by JohnnyVegas

January 28, 2005

Cold usually means snow here! If the snow is fresh then I dont really care how cold it is.....fresh snow means NO TRACKS to follow more fun to cache this way otherwise you're just following someone elses track.

January 29, 2005

I actually enjoy winter caching. There's no problem with gnats, ticks or snakes and I usually see more deer and other wildlife than in the warmer months. After the trees have shed their leaves, you can see things in the woods that you would probably miss in spring and summer.

January 29, 2005

I enjoy caching in the snow but unfortunately in Tahoe the caches are several feet or more under the snow unless they are hidden up high in the trees. Besides enjoying snowshoeing to the cache, it's also nice not to have to worry about yellow jackets.

Winter Caching

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