I’ve been in a couple of similar scenarios, but the CO’s have always been upfront / honest with me. In one case I did a replacement, in one the CO was with me and we couldn’t find it, and in another the CO arranged for a replacement to get put out by his trail boss.

I would only assume that if the CO was communicating that they would be upfront / honest about any potential issues you may run into. That’s only proper courtesy.

I’ve also had occurences where I’ve been unable to get a response from the CO. These cases become “cacher beware” and potential “Needs Maintenance” or “Archive” logs are applicable.

Ditto Sammy Claws …….

A cache owner should be aware of what’s going on with their caches. That means reading logs from finders or DNFers. And hopefully, cachers will post DNFs so you have an idea. Then, trying to judge when its best to actually check the cache.

I have one that routinely fluxuates between finds and DNFs. I’m waiting for 4 DNFs. Never got past 3., before someone logs a find.

If someone asks a question, it is important to respond.

@rcflyer2242 wrote:

Next thing I knew it was archived with no other responces. All that work wasted and the pride in seeing correct on the geo checker is all for not.

I’ve had the same thing happen with a number of puzzles and it’s unfortunate. It happens and sometimes there’s just nothing that can be done about it.

Right or wrong the cache owner has the right to do what they want. I’m not a big fan of puzzles even though I have solved and found quite a few. I have about 20 solved and may or may not hunt them. I just solved a newly published one an hour away just for fun. I’ve hidden over 160 caches and for some of the problems brought forward I don’t create desk puzzles. Personally if I would have been the cache owner in this situation I would’ve allowed you to log the find once I had confirmed you had the correct coordinates. Having found this particular cache it was a very easy find compared to solving the puzzle.

@smashing ground wrote:

@Mister Greenthumb wrote:

I just solved a newly published one an hour away just for fun..

Hey that was my puzzle 😀

Now I don’t know whether to go geocaching or fishing tomorrow.

@rcflyer2242 wrote:

I would like opinions on this. I had solved a 4.5 star puzzle cache. The last person to log had a DNF. I emailed the owner letting them know that I was going to try for the find and had asked that if it was not there if I could replace it. The reply was that the trees had been cut down and there is no place left for the cache. The cache was only a micro. I looked with bing maps and see that there is a street light about 8 feet from GZ.
I had put a lot of work to solve the puzzle and had even met the owner a few times. The last time we meet I let him know that I had solved it and was going to make the grab soon. Never was it mentioned about trees being cut down.

My question is this.
A. Would you just ignore emails and archive the cache?
B. Would you place a temp on the pole then archive?
C. Would you have meet me at gz so I could make the find?
D. Would you have said something about it at our last meeting in Feb.?

I understand that things happen and caches do have to be archived, but in my opinion, if a person emails me and says they have the solve and I knew that the cache was gone for months, but had not yet archived it. I would have worked with them in some way or the other.

Please give your honest opinion.

Cache owners sometimes do things you might not understand, agree with , expect, or would do yourself. A cache owner does not owe the finder an explanation of what they plan to do. It would be courteous but you’re expecting just a bit too much in your described scenario. Don’t expect cache owners to do exactly what you would do in a certain scenario. In most cases, You don’t know what you don’t know and that’s okay.

Given the scenario you present, I would just throw the solve into the solved pile until the cache was found, maintained, or archived.

RC, if it makes you feel any better, I spent over a year working on solving Baffled and Bewildered. I got to the point of knowing all the names of the people and was working on the common thread between them and the cache got archived. Also, I have had some caches in Tosa that I spent hours on, only to go seek the cache and find it gone. I sent the owner an email and without a response he archived it. Wywrdson followed the rules and did what he was supposed to do. My GSAK is full of solved puzzles, I am pretty sure I will end up only finding 75% of them. It is part of the game.