micros are killing me

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 3:40 pm

First off I'm sure I will be pissing somebody off but I really need to get this off my chest. Why Why do people insist on hiding micros just off the road? If thats not bad enough but withing a mile of this one hide there are five not one not two but five lakes. With the price of gas I am not about to drive twenty minutes just for a micro on the side of the road.

Now I know micros have there place, like IN TOWN not out in the woods. Now these kind of hides might be fine down south but up here with all the woods around here all they do is take up room.

Is it just me or is this really what people want these days?

WGA Member Joined: 2007-11-26 Posts: 3258

Be prepared to get a number of responses from people who say if you don't like these hides just don't find them, don't tell me how to play the game, I like these hides, etc etc etc....that's pretty predictable.

In the intererst of disclosure we do own a "roadsider" ourselves. But I agree with you and, IMO, these types of hides becoming the rule, rather than the exception, has changed the nature of the game, and not in a good way. The "Quest for Road Signs" does not carry the long lasting appeal of "Treasure Hunting in Interesting Places."

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:27 pm

Look on the bright side...there are five nearby lakes that are available to hide caches. Use the opportunity to place the kind of caches you'd like to find.

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:02 pm

There may not be any public land nearby on which to place larger caches. Is the land around those five lakes all private except for maybe a boat landing? If so, no go.

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:08 pm

Plus micros aren't as interesting, or as easy, to "walk away". They do go missing, but losing a $20 ammo can, or a $50 fake rock, stinks! Mad

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:22 pm

The the area this one that got to me is also one of the areas that I hunt. So area is pretty open.

As for doing my own hide I had thought about it but I have four hides now three in another area that I hunt. These three have only been found a total of nine times. With almost seven months between the last couple of finds. These three are no park an grabs but also not super easy to get to either. Kinda makes me scared to do anymore hides since it seams like people don't like these kind of hides.

What kills me is all these park an grabs and than you hear about COs complaining about the TFTC logs.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-02-03 Posts: 2182

YOU ARE PISSING ME OFF. THERE ARE 20,000 CACHES IN WISCONSIN. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE MICROS CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE TO LOOK FOR. IF THERE WASN'T A PLACE FOR MICROS GROUNDSPEAK WOULDN'T OFFER IT AS AN OPTION. I DON'T GET MAD VERY OFTEN, BUT I'M REALLY SICK OF SEEING THIS TOPIC COME UP.

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:28 pm

I'll take your few quality huntin'land hides over a stop sign/guardrail anyday!
There are fewer cachers in your area, thus fewer finders, especially in winter.
But don't let that discourage you from hiding some more! Northern Wisconsin geocaching is a whoooooole other experience, which I don't get to enjoy often enough!

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:39 pm

Their is a really simple solution to this problem just don't include micros in your pocket query, when I don't feel like hunting micros I just exclude them. I must be honest though that I often enjoy finding a "well placed" micro that has been well thought out and is a challenge to find.

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 6:06 pm

I have some cache hides that require long walks where there are no trails, or use of a watercraft. These are seldom visited. I also have some park and grabs on the side of the road. These get visited a lot more. As a CO, that tells me that most people prefer the P&G's over the caches that require more work. I try to vary my hides so that there are some for everyone. I know cachers who are not physically able to hike a mile to find an ammo can, but can manage the walk from their car to the speed limit sign without a problem. There also may be a reason that the CO chose the spot. Maybe it is by a friend's house, or by a favorite hunting or camping spot. I drove 60 miles out of my way to get an FTF on a micro on the side of the road today.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-11-26 Posts: 3258

Kumbaya...

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:05 pm

We own 4 roadside micros within a few miles of our house. There's nothing creative or challenging about them, but they are all part of the Rustic Road (WRR) series. The idea of the series was to showcase Wisconsin's rustic roads and create a series that enables finders to qualify for a challenge cache. There's a place for roadside micros along with all the other types of caches. For us, this variety is what makes the game fun.

Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:26 pm

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder...

Joined: 2009-06-05 Posts: 2123 Location: Menominee, MI

Don't forget LighthouseNuts' Top Spot series. They take me to rural roads that I otherwise would not drive on. Seeing the scenery on those rural roads are awesome. I don't mind roadside micros like this.

Now if you were to complain about a micro in the woods where there is room for an ammo box, that's a different subject altogether. I DNF'ed two micros in the woods today and both were in areas where there were also room to place a regular size container or at least a small one.

WGA Member Joined: 2009-07-04 Posts: 375

Micros in the woods....now that is just unnecessary IMHO. I don't mind the park and grabs along the roadside, although when it is a super busy "highway" type, I question the safety. I love those longer hikes in the woods, though and would take those any day over the roadside grabs. We have been known to hike into the deep forest to find an amo can or two. One of my favorite hike into the woods was definitely the Harry Potter series in Camp Vits over by Manitowoc. I will vote for any board member candidate who vows to make it "illegal" to place a micro in the woods! Smile