This topic contains 7 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by 
labrat_wr 9 years, 8 months ago.
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Each year we have the “Giver or a Taker” discussion question and I thought I would put a different spin on it this year.
Are you a Hider or a Finder?
Following the signals from space.
GIVER OR TAKER? I’m a Libra, so of course, I’m balanced between the two. My answer will be simple.
I see the opportunity as a Board of Director to “give” to a new dimension. The comittment of two years to the WGA is going to be my gift of time, leadership, teamwork, skills, and talent to the membership. I couldn’t think of a better way to express giving to the geocaching community.
I see the opportunity as a Board of Director to “take” away a rewarding life-learning experience.
I’d Rather Be Lost Geocaching, Than Found At Home!
Good question. We have limited ourselves to a few hides that are close to home and can be easily maintained. We have taken a lot of time and pride in the caches we have created and hidden. Given the choice though, I would have to say that I am more of a finder. I seek out certain areas that take us to different places around the state. The satellite map is reviewed, the parking areas are researched, the cache pages are read (mostly), and the time to depart and return is established. I have a habit of overplanning (whether that trait is good or bad). I like to be prepared in any situation by doing the research and collecting the data that is needed to have a successful venture no matter if it’s geocaching or a trip to the grocery store. And there is almost always a Plan B if Plan A does not work.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
-Henry David Thoreau
We enjoy hiding caches for others to find but seeing as we currently have 158 hides (including events) and almost 7500 finds I would have to say I am more of a finder than a hider. I love the many places we travel to make the finds and the wonderful people we meet along the way.
Well shoot! I took the old Giver – Taker and not the new spin of Hider – Finder. So I best submit a new response. I’m still a Libra, so I’m balanced as a Hider and Finder.
Hider — I do enjoy putting on an events from Flash Mobs, CITOs, and the regular types. It’s fun to see who comes and from how far away. It’s always a pleasure to meet new cachers and introduce ‘muggles’ to caching. It was fun to place and be trail/boss for 3 WGA State Park Hides in the Lake Superior North Woods Region and to put out over 20 new hides for the 2015 WGA Fall Picnic at Pattison Park and a Campfire Event. I felt a bit of self-pressure to meet high standards for caches similar to others I have found at other WGA Events by other WGA cachers. Not too hard, but not too easy with a variety of caches. It seems Pattison’s Easiest Multi became a hit with Team Northwoods who placed a picture of the cache on the Geocacher Hiders Facebook Page. Lastly, to my surprise, my first historic series was awarded a WGA Cache-of-the-Month and I barely knew what I was doing! I still need to update the historic cache pages with pictures, now that Timberline Echoes showed me how to post them.
Finder — I try to have “geocaching goals” every year. Last year I was finishing 365 calendar days (366 this year Feb. 29th!) and the Fizzy grid. This year I’ll work on challenges, Jasmer grid, finding some old state caches, a few other state finds, and all WGA State Park Series caches – only 32 more to go! Having goals keeps me focused and takes me to new places in and out of Wisconsin.
I’d Rather Be Lost Geocaching, Than Found At Home!
Currently I have only been a finder. I’ll admit I have been a little nervous in hiding any caches, as I want to make sure that I do it correctly, and that I am able to properly maintain them. Last summer someone was offering a few of their caches up for adoption, so I took over 4 of them as a way of getting my feet wet. Recently I took on two more. I’ve had to replace a few containers, but it’s been really fun seeing the logs and comments on them. I have a few containers now, thanks to labzone, and I’m looking forward to placing a few of my own this spring.
~ **~ All posts are my opinion and do not in any way reflect the opinion of the WGA Board of Directors ~**~
Excellent question, I would say that I am balanced when it comes to hiding or finding. I have hidden a number of caches close to home, and have plans on hiding more in the very near future. I have also held events in Sheboygan for a number of years with my wife Karen.
94 caches owned (61 active, 33 archived) with a mix of adoptions.
Total Found…………3,426
Traditional Geocache…..2672
Multi-cache …………..240
Virtual Cache…………..15
Letterbox Hybrid………..13
All Event Cache Types……81
…Event Cache………….61
…CITO events………….13
…Mega-Event Cache………7
All Mystery Cache Types 368
…Mystery Cache……….367
…Geocaching HQ…………1
EarthCache……………..27
Wherigo Cache……………6
NGS Benchmarks *…………7
Lab Cache……………….4But it is not All About The Numbers!
What is really behind the Hider/Finder issue in my opinion is the idea of how one shares the experience. There are so many creative people out there placing caches for others to enjoy and there are those who share the experience with others. What better way to thank someone for placing an enjoyable cache than to spotlight these by bringing others to find it.
While both hiding and finding for me has slowed down the past several years, mainly because my home range shows mostly smiley faces on the maps, there are ideas floating out there about more cache placements in the future. Waushara County has lots of public land just wanting someone to visit and the beauty out there is something to behold. It has been my pleasure to give my fellow cachers a reason to explore and hope to have more hidden treasures out there in the coming year.
(now, did I answer the question? <shrug> )
Disclaimer : Always answering to a higher power.
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