What Happened???

[+Anonymous']

I don't know what happened. Up until this month I wanted to go geocaching every hour on the hour. I would bug my parents to go caching every day. They almost never took me, but I always asked anyway. I wish I knew what happened.

[+The Leprechauns]

It happens to lots of people. If it doesn't seem fun, if it feels like a chore to get in the car and drive to the next tupperware, then take a break from hunting caches. Eventually the urge should come back and you'll rush out and find a whole bunch and have lots of fun again. I have taken several breaks like that... three to five week periods with few or no finds at all.

 

You could also take a break from the forums....

[+Anonymous']

I guess part of the reason is because of all the carpy caches around here.

[+AuntieWeasel]

My numbers aren't high, but still I've cached out most of the kind I like to do close to home. It becomes more difficult every weekend to find the perfect destination.

 

Of course, "close" is defined by the condition of my car, which I am determined to limp over the 200K mark.

 

Still, when I hang around all weekend without caching, I become dull and lifeless. Or perhaps that's my kitchen floor.

 

No, that's waxy yellow buildup. My hair is dull and lifeless.

 

Adjectives are so confusing.

[+High-Tech Redneck]

I guess part of the reason is because of all the carpy caches around here.

At least they are just Carpy. The trouty ones around here are driving me nuts!!

[+Team Virginia Browns]

my issue is that the nearest unfound cache to me is over 45min away drive time. everything else has been found. What's a cacher to do..... Guess I'll place some.

[+The Leprechauns]

I guess part of the reason is because of all the carpy caches around here.

Carpy is in the eye of the beholder. Sure, your area has some forgettable caches. So does every other major metro area. But you live in freakin' SEATTLE. Some of the most spectacular geocaches anywhere in the world can be found in your home state. I have flown to Washington twice to go geocaching, and one cache is so special that I visited it on both of my trips. Five of my 68 best caches of all time are in Washington (see bookmark list linked below).

 

So persuade your parents to hop the ferry to Whidbey Island. Start at Deception Pass and work your way south so that you do Ebey Bluffs Cache at sunset. It will change your caching life. Or take the 405 South and get on I-90 and head east until you see all these huge things with snow on top of them. There is a geocache on top of every one of those. You may have to hike 12 miles but it will be worth it.

 

Sorry, but I will not let you get away with calling Washington caches "carpy" no matter how big a funk you're in. People like me would kill to live where you do.

[+Ambrosia]

As I've mentioned before, my first year I did 250 caches. And then, I lost interest and only did 50 in my 2nd year. But as I was trying to get that300 number by my 2 year anniversary, I had to slam a few caches, and caught the bug again. After making my goal, I did 50 caches in one month, the same amount that I had done the whole previous year! Now, I've done 270 in my 3rd year, and I still have over a week left until my anniversary, and feel more like caching than ever before.

 

It ebbs and flows.

[+Renegade Knight]

Interest ebbs and flows. It's the nature of things. Time spent wondering about it is time lost that you could be doing whatever it is that does interest you just then. Maybe you will get back to it. Maybe you will take up birding. Maybe you just got a new girlfriend.

[+sbell111]

It happens. I hit a lull almost every summer.

[+Metaphor]

Because the Wednesday night sailing race series starts next Wednesday!!! And the Saturday sailing race series starts on May 14th!!!

[+monimoni]

yeah, you know what they say.....the only thing constant is change.....

(and who are "they" and why do they keep saying those things....?)

 

hey, but since you do apparently live in Seattle, and while you're waiting for your cache drive to uncrash........have you visited the music experience thing next to the Space Needle? I visited it this past summer, and it was excellent - very smartly done (but some of the "learning" you'll experience there is very subtle and insidious, so beware....)

[+Anonymous']

I guess part of the reason is because of all the carpy caches around here.

Carpy is in the eye of the beholder. Sure, your area has some forgettable caches. So does every other major metro area. But you live in freakin' SEATTLE. Some of the most spectacular geocaches anywhere in the world can be found in your home state. I have flown to Washington twice to go geocaching, and one cache is so special that I visited it on both of my trips. Five of my 68 best caches of all time are in Washington (see bookmark list linked below).

 

So persuade your parents to hop the ferry to Whidbey Island. Start at Deception Pass and work your way south so that you do Ebey Bluffs Cache at sunset. It will change your caching life. Or take the 405 South and get on I-90 and head east until you see all these huge things with snow on top of them. There is a geocache on top of every one of those. You may have to hike 12 miles but it will be worth it.

 

Sorry, but I will not let you get away with calling Washington caches "carpy" no matter how big a funk you're in. People like me would kill to live where you do.

I've been wanting to go do the caches there but ferry rates are very high

[+briansnat]

It seems to happen to a lot of people. Some with hundreds, or thousands of finds.

 

Personally, I like to keep it fresh. I easily go for weeks without a find or hide. I make geocaching a part of my life, not the focus. When I see someone with several thousand finds or relative newbies with hundreds of finds over a few months I wonder how its possible that they aren't burned out. I know I would be.

 

I was like that with softball for a while. I played in 5 leagues for a few years, plus tournaments. Well over 100 games a year. Sometimes as many as 3 in a day. I'd look at the schedule and if I had a day or two off in a row I'd rejoice. It became a chore. I eventually cut it down to one league and about 15 games a year and now I really look forward to softball again.

Edited April 29, 2005 by briansnat

[+Oo-v-oO]

Try hunting some Benchmarks. I know there are loads of them around my area, and they're something different. It's neat to find one and realize that it probably hasn't been seen by another person for many, many years.

[+The Jester]

Try hiding some caches. It'll get a different part of the brain going, and may change your outlook on caching. If nothing else, it'll lower the precentage of "crapy" caches in our neck of the woods (not that I hold the same opinion, except when I can't find one...).

 

I've had a couple of 6-8 month 'time-outs' in my four years of caching, but alway came back looking for more. Keep the faith.

[+Gas Guys]

With almost everything in life (but not in things like eating or sleeping) it's good to take a little break or change things up. Fortunately, I have a built in geocaching offseason. Before I ever discovered geocaching, I loved fantasy football and watching the Steelers. We get our most convenient (grandma) babysitting on Sundays, so that's our primary caching day. However, football takes priority from Sep - Dec, giving us a little break.

 

It's nice - before I get sick of geocaching, football starts. Before I get sick of football, it ends and geocaching starts.

 

Changing things up within geocaching is also nice. Before, we were trying to find ALL of the caches close to us. Recently, we've been after more difficult hides. It hurts the numbers, but boosts the fun.

 

(Plus, I hear over and over that the numbers aren't important anyway... )

[+Anonymous']

Thanks for all the suggestions guys

[+Subterranean]

I'm burnt out, too. Either that, or I'm just kinda "over it." Geocaching has really lost most of its appeal for me... for reasons unknown. It's sad because at the beginning, I was so enthusiastic about it.

 

[+paul2tele]

I guess part of the reason is because of all the carpy caches around here.

Carpy is in the eye of the beholder. Sure, your area has some forgettable caches. So does every other major metro area. But you live in freakin' SEATTLE. Some of the most spectacular geocaches anywhere in the world can be found in your home state. I have flown to Washington twice to go geocaching, and one cache is so special that I visited it on both of my trips. Five of my 68 best caches of all time are in Washington (see bookmark list linked below).

 

So persuade your parents to hop the ferry to Whidbey Island. Start at Deception Pass and work your way south so that you do Ebey Bluffs Cache at sunset. It will change your caching life. Or take the 405 South and get on I-90 and head east until you see all these huge things with snow on top of them. There is a geocache on top of every one of those. You may have to hike 12 miles but it will be worth it.

 

Sorry, but I will not let you get away with calling Washington caches "carpy" no matter how big a funk you're in. People like me would kill to live where you do.

I've been wanting to go do the caches there but ferry rates are very high

Walk on at Anacortes with your bike, and go after all the new ones on Lopez Island!

[+reveritt]

I'm in a lull, too. I think it's mostly that I've become more selective about what caches I want to hunt. Also, camping, fishing, and soccer seasons have arrived.

 

Also, I discovered bookcrossing, which is not as time-consuming as geocaching, but does provide an outlet for...whatever strange instinct makes me want to do this kind of stuff.

[vagabond]

I got a bug up my -ss last year and wanted to crack a kilo I needed a little over 500 to do it well it was done but that ol burn out thingy is sure hitting me hard.

Although I am planning on a caching vacation in July hopinig to get around 300 in 9 days, shouldnt be that hard only a little over 33 a day

[+Logscaler and Red]

We went on a minor raid last weekend and hit 74 caches in about 14 hours of caching over three days. We where trying to break the 2K mark before our 4th caching anniversary. We did something like 58 caches in 9 hours one day to make it to the 1999 mark. Then I went on an 12 mile 6 hour power hike Monday to find # 2K and plant another cache further out. The differences between the mad dash and the stroll levels things out for me and keeps my interest up.

 

Maybe you have been to intense on the hunt and need to change the type your after. Skip the easy ones and take on an all day hike to find one or two caches somewhere in the outback.

 

Or plant a flock of caches along the line of your favorte find's style.

 

Maybe you could plant a "fake" cache and sit back and watch the DNF's roll in. Then go place the cache for real and listen to the next batch of people say it was an easy find, no problems.

 

Logscaler.

[+Anonymous']

I guess part of the reason is because of all the carpy caches around here.

Carpy is in the eye of the beholder. Sure, your area has some forgettable caches. So does every other major metro area. But you live in freakin' SEATTLE. Some of the most spectacular geocaches anywhere in the world can be found in your home state. I have flown to Washington twice to go geocaching, and one cache is so special that I visited it on both of my trips. Five of my 68 best caches of all time are in Washington (see bookmark list linked below).

 

So persuade your parents to hop the ferry to Whidbey Island. Start at Deception Pass and work your way south so that you do Ebey Bluffs Cache at sunset. It will change your caching life. Or take the 405 South and get on I-90 and head east until you see all these huge things with snow on top of them. There is a geocache on top of every one of those. You may have to hike 12 miles but it will be worth it.

 

Sorry, but I will not let you get away with calling Washington caches "carpy" no matter how big a funk you're in. People like me would kill to live where you do.

Oh yeah, I don't live in Seattle, I live about 20 miles northeast of it in Snohomish county. Seattle is in King county. I don't like King county.

[+Anonymous']

I went caching today with a bunch of cachers. I thought it was a lot more fun then caching by myself.

[+Kealia]

I went caching today with a bunch of cachers. I thought it was a lot more fun then caching by myself.

I've done about 1/2 a dozen group hikes and they seem to add some additional fun to things. Always good to mix things up!

[uber_bike_geek]

It seems to happen to a lot of people. Some with hundreds, or thousands of finds.

 

Personally, I like to keep it fresh. I easily go for weeks without a find or hide. I make geocaching a part of my life, not the focus. When I see someone with several thousand finds or relative newbies with hundreds of finds over a few months I wonder how its possible that they aren't burned out. I know I would be.

I've got a whopping 25 finds over two and a half years... "I make geocaching a part of my life, not the focus" - Brian, you hit the nail on the head with that one!

I've found all but 3 of my finds by bike, and as Londonderry, NH isn't as cache-dense as some other areas, it does take some time to get to each cache... Homework/School usually ends up as #1, Boy Scouts as #2, and Caching as #3... As a result, I might have as much as 24 hours a *month* to go caching in... factor in the weather, because my parents don't like it when I ride during snowstorms or when it's raining, or otherwise crappy, and I might get about 3-5 hours a month for caching, although more during the summer, because there's no school :D

 

There's the solution: Skip school and go caching!! (Then get back and browse the "GPS and Education" forum for a likely excuse!!!! )

[+justybug]

there's bound to be good caches in snohomish co.. there's phenomenal hikes available which usually=good caches..

i've not been caching that long, but i found out really quick that there's only so many parking lot micro's etc.. that hold my interest. it's more about a decent hike, or a pretty cool spot to get to.

maybe spend some time hiding the kinds of caches you'd LIKE to be finding. might inspire someone to do the same!

[+Robespierre]

I know. Wear a different funny beard every time you go caching.