How Far Are You Willing To Walk?

January 31, 2005

So, how far are people generally willing to hike to a cache? I'm getting ready to hide my very first cache and obviously I want people to visit it, but I also want people to enjoy the trip and views.

How far is considered to far from where you park your transportation?

1k · January 31, 2005

Hi

I guess each to their own, but I am planning to find a multi-cache which will take me four days of walking. It was set up as a four-wheel drive only cache, but I am going to turn it into two, two day circuit walks.

I aslo have some weekend hike cache hides planned for the upcomming winter (our bushwalking season). Of course I don't expect a lot of finds on these ones.

Regards

Andrew

Edited January 31, 2005 by Aushiker

4.2k · January 31, 2005

Totally up to you.

I have caches that are less than a quarter mile to the cache as well s one that requires a 9-mile round trip.

While the shorter hike gets more finds, the 9-mile cache gets better reviews.

24.7k · January 31, 2005

Totally up to you.

I have caches that are less than a quarter mile to the cache as well s one that requires a 9-mile round trip.

While the shorter hike gets more finds, the 9-mile cache gets better reviews.

That's the general rule of caches.

January 31, 2005

Lets see......I have walked up and over mountains, and then back again. Hooked, crazy, wacked, addicted? Nah, just good healthy aerobic exercise with scenery attached to it. Been to and found some really cool places I would have never seen or known about without geocaching also. Its worth it.

2.7k · January 31, 2005

The majority of my caches are from 5 to 10 miles, round trip in some real back country. And there are those that just love those hikes, I'm gonna do a series cache for May 5, 2005 and it will be a real 5x5. About a 5 mile hike on the first one and a 10 mile hike on the second that wind up around 11,000 ft. Which means that you will have to hike about 15 miles just to log one cache.

January 31, 2005

Consider first... what is at the location I want to place this cache? Distance then is secondary.

January 31, 2005

As far as my body will take me.

I have one that is about 3 1/2 miles in and 2,500 feet elevation gain.

This is on the way to a place that has a cache I go to all the time and it is 4.2 miles in and 3,500 feet elevation gain.

Another one I enjoyed was only 1.5 miles in but gained 3,000 feet .

I like most anything over 1/4 mile hike.

January 31, 2005

Some people like long hike while others prefer drive by caches where you hop out of your car, trade swag, sign the log book and get on your way to the next cache. Others prefer something in the middle of the two, it depends on the cacher. The shorter hike caches will more than likely have more finds though.

2.7k · January 31, 2005

I love longer hikes, but have less time than I want. .5 miles to the cache is usually a nice walk. Anything over 1 mile is a hike, depending on terrain. I like hikes.

3.8k · January 31, 2005

The majority of my caches are from 5 to 10 miles, round trip in some real back country. And there are those that just love those hikes, I'm gonna do a series cache for May 5, 2005 and it will be a real 5x5. About a 5 mile hike on the first one and a 10 mile hike on the second that wind up around 11,000 ft. Which means that you will have to hike about 15 miles just to log one cache.

Will special equipment be required? I'm pretty sure 4.5 is the max terrain without special equipment, but having not planted a cache like that, I don't know for sure!

Sounds fun though, would be worth the effort to find it I'm sure!

2.2k · January 31, 2005

Here is one that requires a 9 day round trip hike.

2.6k · January 31, 2005

Will special equipment be required? I'm pretty sure 4.5 is the max terrain without special equipment, but having not planted a cache like that, I don't know for sure!

Well, then, he'd better require some special equipment. It's irresistible to hide a 5/5 on 05/05/05. Gotta do it

The longest I've walked for one smiley is six miles, but I totally loved it. I've never not done one because of distance, that's just the longest one so far in my caching area.

2.2k · January 31, 2005

Will special equipment be required? I'm pretty sure 4.5 is the max terrain without special equipment, but having not planted a cache like that, I don't know for sure!

Well, then, he'd better require some special equipment. It's irresistible to hide a 5/5 on 05/05/05. Gotta do it

The longest I've walked for one smiley is six miles, but I totally loved it. I've never not done one because of distance, that's just the longest one so far in my caching area.

Want some help on that AW? Im not too far away from you and I think the idea of hiding a 5/5 on May 5th is great .

3.8k · January 31, 2005

Well, then, he'd better require some special equipment. It's irresistible to hide a 5/5 on 05/05/05. Gotta do it

maybe he can suggexxxx..... uh require a hiking staff from El Diablo.

2.7k · January 31, 2005

Will special equipment be required? I'm pretty sure 4.5 is the max terrain without special equipment, but having not planted a cache like that, I don't know for sure!

Sounds fun though, would be worth the effort to find it I'm sure!

Level 5 for Terrain can be a misnomer, I have one that requires a high clearance vehicle or a jeep, But the walk to the cache is only about a 1/4 mile. So is it a level 5 for terrain. One needs to take into account the effect the altitude and what altitude sickness is.

Here is a general description of the trail. (Name withheld until cache release)

Description:

The ***** Mountain trail can be reached via the ******** trailhead on the southern end and the ******** Park Road on the northern end. There is ample parking at the ******** trailhead. The trail travels along the edge of the ******** Peak Wilderness. It begins at an elevation of 8,150 feet west of the ******** trailhead and steadily climbs to an elevation of 11,190 feet near ****** Mountain. Follow the road to the **************** for about .3 miles to reach the trail. The trail climbs up the steep, open hillside making many switchbacks. It then travels about .5 miles to where it intersects the ****** and ****** Fork trails. From here the trail travels northwest along the ******* Ridge for 4.6 miles to ****** Mountain. The upper end of this trail is badly eroded and very rocky, making it difficult to hike or ride horses on.

Near *****l Mountain the trail becomes faint where it crosses the tundra. There are some rock cairns to help mark the way.

Hike Profile.

From my own personal experiences it is a level 5. And one is going to have to do the first part which is another cache that requires a 5 mile round trip, just to get some information about where the second cache starts.

Edited January 31, 2005 by Tahosa and Sons

2.6k · January 31, 2005

Want some help on that AW? Im not too far away from you and I think the idea of hiding a 5/5 on May 5th is great .

Good heavens, WH, I didn't mean I was going to do it. I think my shins would explode or something. I was just applauding Tahosa's excellent idea.

I might've managed a 4/4 on 04/04/04, but the boat has already sailed on that one

1k · January 31, 2005

Here is one that requires a 9 day round trip hike.

Thanks for that. That would be a special tick indeed. Sadly the cache does not appear to be there anymore.

Andrew

Edited January 31, 2005 by Aushiker

38.2k · January 31, 2005

I'll walk as far as necessary. Of course the longer hikes are put off until I have the time. I currently have a cache that requires a 12 mile hike on my to-do list and hope to get to it some time this spring.

38.2k · January 31, 2005

The majority of my caches are from 5 to 10 miles, round trip in some real back country. And there are those that just love those hikes, I'm gonna do a series cache for May 5, 2005 and it will be a real 5x5. About a 5 mile hike on the first one and a 10 mile hike on the second that wind up around 11,000 ft. Which means that you will have to hike about 15 miles just to log one cache.

Will special equipment be required? I'm pretty sure 4.5 is the max terrain without special equipment, but having not planted a cache like that, I don't know for sure!

Sounds fun though, would be worth the effort to find it I'm sure!

Not really. The definition for 5 star terrain states: "Requires specialized equipment and knowledge or experience, (boat, 4WD, rock climbing, SCUBA, etc) or is otherwise extremely difficult..

January 31, 2005

I am a lazy 13 year old so i guess that for one cache 1 1/2 miles if it is supposed to be a great cache, i would go all the way!

January 31, 2005

So, how far are people generally willing to hike to a cache? I'm getting ready to hide my very first cache and obviously I want people to visit it, but I also want people to enjoy the trip and views.

How far is considered to far from where you park your transportation?

It depends. I like to cache with my kid who is 5 with some corrected heart defects, but he still can't be exercised too hard(no competitive sports). I took him on a 2 mile multicache with some hills and that is about the max I think I would try with him.

I think 5 miles is about the longest I would do by myself unless I had an entirely free day (no family or work responsibilities) in which case I might go longer if I felt the experience would be worth it.

The location would be key, I would want to see something worthy of taking photos of on the way or at the location. If the location was ho-hum then I would expect to find a $100 bill as swag. Of course any 5 mile hike in a natural area is likely to be worthwhile.

January 31, 2005

I am a lazy 13 year old so i guess that for one cache 1 1/2 miles if it is supposed to be a great cache, i would go all the way!

January 31, 2005

I would walk/hike farther if I new it was a regular size container with some good trade items. I don't enjoy busting my tail just to find a film canister with only a log.

January 31, 2005

Four Cache Loop (GCD100) is a four part multi, that requires a 10 mile+/- loop to be hiked. This cache is very popular in Souteast Texas.

18.9k · January 31, 2005

Furthest one I have done is about 5 miles one way but I would be willling to go further if it was an area that I want to see and a quality non-micro at the end. However, most people won't go much more than about .5 miles one way. Any further and there won't be a lot of finds (but thats ok too!).

January 31, 2005

Would love to do 1 longish cache a day rather than drive point to point for a bunch of short ones. Hard to find many longer than .3 or so in an urban area with most being under .25m.

Always nice when you can string 5 or 6 from the same parking to make a nice half day or so. Also tough to find nearby when you cache a lot.

Guess I should move...

January 31, 2005

Wow, thanks for all the replies guys!

If I'm understanding you correctly it sounds like, there really isn't a distance limit as long as "its worth it".

That said, it also sounds like for those caches that are "quickies" or "kid friendly" the max distance is between half a mile and one mile.

10.1k · February 1, 2005

Long distance caching? I've done a few. Did a 12 miler on the AT north from the Delaware Water Gap. Three caches. It was a lot of fun! Sometimes, I like the long hikes. I've done a number of 3-5 milers. Depends on my time availability. My brother, on the other hand. does a number of very long, day hikes. (Including oe that he was the only on to find, in July 03.)

I'll do some long hikes, incorporating a few caches, along with a section hike. My sister, Circles, and I did the Presidential Traverse, Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire, last summer. Okay, so it was not a caching trip, but we managed to bag two caches along the way: Lake of the Clouds Hut, by KBer, and Mount Washington Memorial. 24 miles, and 9000' of climb in four days (so, we're slow!) And if I decide to put up the Mount Washington Cam as a Web Cam, there'll be a third cache on that section. Both caches are available as day hikes, if you so choose.

That being said, Most of the caches that I've done are less than two miles of hiking.

February 1, 2005

As a cacher with a 7 month old and a 3 and a half year old, we don't go for really long walks. If it were just my wife and I, we'd probably be happy to hike all day long, but the kids are a handful, and just can't handle walks. The longest we've had to walk was 2Km (About 1.3 miles) one way, and that was too much for the kids - I wound up with 21 kilograms of 3 year old on my shoulders for the better part of the trip.

So, for now, we stick to stuff that's gonna need less than about 500m (1/3 mile) walking. Bit disappointing, but it's what we need to do for now. When they are older, we'll go further.

February 1, 2005

ThePup, I feel your pain I have a six year old and a five year old, and until the youngest hit about four anything outdoors was an adventure, that made me pine for my Army days.

Droping ninety pounds of ammo in razor-edge boxes into your ALICE, throwing that bad boy on your back, hoisting a 26-pound weapon and stepping out smartly...is nothing compared with precariously planting a squirming three year old on your shoulders and giving them nothing to hold onto but your hair.

February 1, 2005

I walk 12-14 miles a day on average at work, and I've been known to go just as far when hunting... granted I'm new at geocaching but I'm sure I'd do a 6-8mi in 6-8mi out hike for one.

2k · February 1, 2005

So, how far are people generally willing to hike to a cache? I'm getting ready to hide my very first cache and obviously I want people to visit it, but I also want people to enjoy the trip and views.

How far is considered to far from where you park your transportation?

For me anything over 4 miles round trip is to far.

February 1, 2005

My favorite distance would be around 4 to 5 miles round trip on foot and around 15 to 20 miles on a bike in the backcountry.

February 1, 2005

[What is this <_< supposed to men i am sure mosed kids my age would post the same thing!]

February 1, 2005

i'll go however far it takes. wish there were more long hikes in my area than there are. -harry

February 1, 2005

I am a lazy 13 year old so i guess that for one cache 1 1/2 miles if it is supposed to be a great cache, i would go all the way!

You're not that lazy. You put forth the effort to change your font and color. <_<

February 2, 2005

With a 4 and 7 year old, the hikes we do are not much more than a mile in and mile out. On a good day when the youngest has eaten and we have plenty of snacks for him along the way, lol. We've come up with lots of fun games for them to play along the way to keep them going. We did do a 4 mile round trip with the youngest...he slept very well that night!

With just dh and I we like the longer hikes (5-10) round trip. Even longer if it is bike accessible. But where we are, there are not many, if any, that far!

February 2, 2005

I find that a long hike for one cache is boring for the kids (13 year old and 6 year old). I like places where there are several caches in one area or a nice multi. If the area is generally interesting, that helps, too. We have a park that has about eight caches nearby. In over 1500 acres, that spreads things out a bit, but not too much. You don't want to saturate the area, but try to keep the interest.

February 2, 2005

I hiked 7 miles roundtrip for a DNF.

Three different times.

Fourth trip I found it :unsure:

February 2, 2005

Although very new to geocaching, I get the sense that in 95% of the cases "drive through cache" == "McToy content". Can one say that?

Jan

February 2, 2005

Although very new to geocaching, I get the sense that in 95% of the cases "drive through cache" == "McToy content". Can one say that?

Jan

Not always. I've found a lot of drive up caches that were great and there was no McToy in sight. I've also done some that are an all day trip into the woods just to find a box full of broken McToys.

IMHO, it's not just what's in the box that makes a cache great. It's what you see and do on the way.

3.8k · February 3, 2005

Although very new to geocaching, I get the sense that in 95% of the cases "drive through cache" == "McToy content". Can one say that?

Jan

<PSA>

you CAN, however it's not good form to "bash" one type of cache over another. every cacher has their preferences and every cache has its merits. it's almost like it's "the cool thing" (ie easy way to be 'accepted', like PC users who bash Macs! :rolleyes: ) to gripe about a certain type of cache but it's not really necessary.

</PSA>

Like cache_us_if_you_can said, there are some well-done "drive up" caches, and some poorly done ones. There are some well-done caches that require long hikes, and some poorly done ones.

Thanks for listening.

1.1k · February 3, 2005

I hiked 7 miles roundtrip for a DNF.

Three different times.

Fourth trip I found it

<sigh>

20 miles RT for a DNF.

I'm going back... but if I DNF it again, that'll be the last time I make the trip up that particular mountain.

I don't particularly care what's in the can when I get there... as long as there's a log book, I'm a happy grrl.

-=-

michelle

1.5k · February 3, 2005

I hiked 7 miles roundtrip for a DNF.

Three different times.

Fourth trip I found it

<sigh>

20 miles RT for a DNF.

I'm going back... but if I DNF it again, that'll be the last time I make the trip up that particular mountain.

I don't particularly care what's in the can when I get there... as long as there's a log book, I'm a happy grrl.

-=-

michelle

In the snow... uphill both ways? :rolleyes:

February 3, 2005

I'm getting ready to do a 10 mile hike to a cache tomorrow.

February 4, 2005

I'm sure many of these points have been made, but here I go. Many of the caches I've found recently in Oklahoma are, hidden in the center of a briar patch 100 yards from edge, which is reached after crawling on hands and knees or duckwalking for 1/4 mile through thick low handing blackjack oaks. Several have involved 1/2 mile walks before reaching the difficult part. I think this about pegs my fun meter. I don't mind longer hikes, but I do like to balance the pain to find ratio. I've been know to walk longer trail systems, but they are in pursuit of multiple caches hidden at various points. I believe that you will find limited finds of true 5/5 caches.

February 4, 2005

For a Micro- 1.5 miles

For an ammo can- 15miles

For a 5 gallon bucket or bigger- anywhere

February 7, 2005

I like a 2-3 mile hike on an average with an ocasional longer one time permitting. :anitongue:

February 8, 2005

Here is a cache with a 13 mile hike which rewarded the first finder with $100.

I was laid up with a broken shoulder at the time so I couldnt participate in this one. I would love to find this one. This is my favorite place. Check out some of the pictures in the log.

$100 cache

How Far Are You Willing To Walk?

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment