› Forums › Geocaching in Wisconsin › General › Numbers, numbers, numbers—waxing philosophical
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baileyhk.
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06/16/2009 at 9:05 pm #1728422
We were chatting just yesterday with another high numbers cacher in the state and agreed….who wants to try and maintain a pace like this? We’d come off a great day Sunday with just a few but very memorable caches on the Wisconsin River shared with Black Cat and Honeybunnies. The past month, we’ve tended to only cache one of two weekend days, doing other things the other day. Even on the days we cached, we weren’t getting nearly so many as usual, but picking some destination caches and getting what was on the way. Or stopping for a real lunchtime or dinner with caching friends and calling it a day.
It’s a nice way to operate. Our life circumstances of late have sort of forced the issue now, so that those big numbers days will be less and less of an occasion for us anyway…..and we feel a sense of relief about that, actually.
So, for all of you out there going for big numbers, tell me….what’s driving you? Not just the competition, which we understand. Why give up all the spare time to “get numbers?”
Please be respectful of everyone’s opinions in this discussion. I am NOT wanting it to become a slam fest of “quality versus quantity.’ There truly is a place for all approaches in the sport. I’m just curious to hear a variety of viewpoints.
In fact, at the first sign of any critical posts, I will exercise my option as a board member for the first time and delete the whole thread.
The POWER!!! 😈
06/16/2009 at 9:28 pm #1909741I was really driven last year to get to 1k and when we finally reached it there was a big let down. During the time since then we have concentrated more on destination caching. Last Saturday we went to Old World Wisconsin, walked around there for 3 hours and had lunch at the Clausing Barn. We followed that up with 5 finds, 3 of which were at historic sites. Sunday we went to Cedarburg and rode our bikes on the Interurban Trail and found 6 caches along the way. That is a typical caching weekend for us now. I go out a grab a few during the week and we’re actually finding more per month than when we would try for bigger quantity days. I am looking forward to hitting 2k which is only a few months away, but only because it is a number that not really many geocachers will stick with the game long enough to achieve. Events and caching with other teams is also something we are enjoying to do more of. We also get more satisfaction out of the response to our hides, than our number of finds.
06/16/2009 at 9:43 pm #1909742I’m wondering which side of T&B posted here. I’m guessing T…..
So, how about a little ‘quality over quantity’? Come on over to Selzzup, and have a ‘dangerous daze’ cache run. We can do all S|S caches, anyone of which might kill you!
Climbing trees, crawling in tunnels, down rabbit holes, along cliff edges, whatever!
06/16/2009 at 9:53 pm #1909743June 15th was my 3 year anniversary of caching. After I had been doing it for a little while, I set a goal of 365 at the 1 year mark. If I remember right, I fell short and reset my goal for 730 after 2 years. I had a major set back 5 months earlier when we were burglarized. We were off line for about two months and the psychological stress on me was incredible. Still working through issues from that. So, my goal was reset yet again. I just wanted to average at least one cache find per day. That’s it. Back in January, I had my work cut out for me. I cached hard one day per week, and I had a few other caches thrown in here and there along the way. Most of my big days were between 15 and 25 caches. As of the 13th, my goal was finally met. And with two caches to spare. Hitting one here or one there around home is one thing, but I figure if I am driving somewhere to cache, I will have to make it worth my while. The cost of gas has gone up pretty good now. I can relax a little bit now, but I just don’t want to have to go nuts to get back to that one per day.
Now I need 1,462 finds by this time next year.
06/16/2009 at 10:25 pm #1909744So, for all of you out there going for big numbers, tell me….what’s driving you? Not just the competition, which we understand. Why give up all the spare time to “get numbers?”
Awhile ago (2/20/09) I changed my profile page and stopped tracking “my stats”. That was the day I decided to end my addiction to numbers. It felt really good to just stop tracking it all and worrying about the numbers. I also pulled the plug on my addiction to ftf’s early this year as well.
So I guess you can say I decided quality over quantity though that’s not really “it” either. It was really more of an end to an addiction. Now I leave new caches all around home to be found another day or maybe next year or never. It feels good to stop. Really!
I enjoy geocaching when I can and I certainly don’t “post big numbers” anymore.
I have now found a substitution drug for my addiction to numbers. I now play in the land of make believe Pirates, Vampires, and Mafias.
06/16/2009 at 10:53 pm #1909745Marc, This is actually the B half of the team, but we’re on the same page….for now!
I thin cheeto sort of hit it on the head. This hobby has the potential to attract addiction, obsessions and the likes of that when you start “playing” at this level. We’ll do numbers once in awhile, but we’re really feeling more relaxed about it right now.
Interesting comments so far, keep the conversation going!
06/16/2009 at 11:54 pm #1909746We only found a total of ten caches in two FULL days of caching this weekend. I would have to say that we’re certainly on a “quality” kick.
THB has mentioned a few times that he isn’t motivated by big numbers. I’m sure that’s true, but you really have to wonder what would happen if THB ever got motivated. 😆
06/17/2009 at 12:56 am #1909747[quoteTHB has mentioned a few times that he isn’t motivated by big numbers. I’m sure that’s true, but you really have to wonder what would happen if THB ever got motivated. :lol:[/quote]
You wonder how Seth is holding up this week sitting on 9,998 and waiting for the big day this Saturday.
06/17/2009 at 12:58 am #1909748Wait a moment ……. ! Addiction? Obsession? Really?
Wait another moment! What’s wrong with such?
I’m addicted to chocolate, reading, good food, life, geocaching, stirring the pot, driving, etc …….
Makes life interesting!
06/17/2009 at 1:11 am #1909749@Mister Greenthumb wrote:
You wonder how Seth is holding up this week sitting on 9,998 and waiting for the big day this Saturday.
My thoughts exactly. Meanwhile, zuma has been logging like mad today.
06/17/2009 at 2:05 am #1909750What I’ve often wondered is how you can rack up massive numbers yet have time in your life for anything else. Well that isn’t real eloquently stated but I think you get the idea.
It took us three years to get somewhere around 1,200 caches and I think we cache a lot. I know our kids think we cache too much. So how do you run up 2, 3, 4, or more times that? It seems you must have to cache every weekend, and ideally both days, as well as several days during the week. I would guess you plan vacations around dense cache areas.
So how do you do this and attend little league games, hold down a job, tend to family obligations, or do anything non-geocaching related?
This is not a criticism, it is just something I have wondered about for some time.
On the Left Side of the Road...06/17/2009 at 2:57 am #1909751@gotta run wrote:
So how do you do this and attend little league games, hold down a job, tend to family obligations, or do anything non-geocaching related?
This is not a criticism, it is just something I have wondered about for some time.
I currently don’t have a family that has these obligations, but I agree with gotta run here. Sure, I’m not one of the “big number” people yet, but caching is my hobby, not my obsession. I look forward to spending days with SGH/BB and/or my dad for the time and stories, caching is just a GREAT addition to those days. (not to mention the satisfaction I got teaching my students about it) There are so many positives about caching, and I hope to be to 1000 some day, but I’m not making it a race.
06/17/2009 at 4:33 am #1909752@gotta run wrote:
What I’ve often wondered is how you can rack up massive numbers yet have time in your life for anything else. Well that isn’t real eloquently stated but I think you get the idea.
It took us three years to get somewhere around 1,200 caches and I think we cache a lot. I know our kids think we cache too much. So how do you run up 2, 3, 4, or more times that? It seems you must have to cache every weekend, and ideally both days, as well as several days during the week. I would guess you plan vacations around dense cache areas.
So how do you do this and attend little league games, hold down a job, tend to family obligations, or do anything non-geocaching related?
This is not a criticism, it is just something I have wondered about for some time.
I’ve obtained my Bachelor’s degree (Summa Cum Laude-4.0), earned my Master’s Degree (3.92–that one darn B! 😉 ), all the while working full time as an Accountant and traveling for business at times, read countless non-academic books, raised an awesome son who I watched perform as a tri-athlete (Basketball, Track, and Baseball–though I will honestly say I did not attend his track meets), and now I’m preparing to send my son off to college.
How do I fit in non-geocaching related activities: time management. I don’t sit on the computer much unless I’m at work working, and I don’t watch much television either.
😀06/17/2009 at 4:37 am #1909753I am able to walk away for as long as it takes….up to 288 days without a cache. I am trying to make at least one cache a day, which I think my string is around 36 days, but if something comes up where I don’t get around to it….oh well.
Riding the Harley and working on the cabin at Chute Pond were more important the last two years than any numbers could be to me. My goal was 2000 finds by the end of the year, and I walked right past that last month.
I also wonder how all of the high number people that are married and working do it. 😉
06/17/2009 at 12:12 pm #1909754that are married
is the key here….
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