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The Spring EC’s you and Brian have put out have some great history behind then Renee. I don’t feel those are lame at all. Actually.. I learned a lot about the area, Wisconsin, the healing waters, etc. (me not being a native and all I had no clue). It has been an interesting hunt for Springs in WI. Many have been made into shrines of sorts. The one in Waukesha down by the Post Office, The tile work on that Spring house is quite interesting. I do stained glass and the mosaic style reminds me of that. Many of the springs here remind me a lot of Thermopolis, Wyoming and the healing hot springs and resorts they still have there.
I have done some in other states that were…well….pretty insignificant. One was a 6 inch little pipe in tall grass, that you could barely even see. That is when a spring is a spring is a spring. Dan and I did one in Illinois that we THOUGHT was gonna be just another pipe in the ground, but were very pleasantly surprised and I got some kewl pics. that one was called GC11K34 Water Defying Gravity
We have enjoyed the Waukesha springs, too. I also had no idea of the history of the area and the significance of that area as a spa-type spot in the past. When there’s an interesting story behind a feature, it makes for a good earthcache. Not everything on the earth is a spectacular cave or rock outcrop, but it all is part of the geological story.
I agree about the spring with the gorgeous tile work, too. We haven’t done all of them down that way, but that was one we did. I also thought the idea of the little “ghost spa” in the Kettle Moraine unit was rather cool.
(Especially the day we did it, when the thermometer on the dashboard read minus 21!)This is a frustration I’ve had in the field and pertains to other types of caches as well but I wonder if it would be a good practice for the owner to list any logging requirements in the hint of the cache (in addition to the description). The reason I suggest this is becuase the hint is usually part of the data that gets transferred to the GPS (depending on the model of course). Some models get the description (or part of it) as well.
This is especially handy when you can’t lookup the description readily and don’t have the print out with you.
Thoughts?
I think if you are doing Earthcaches without reading the cache page or visiting the location without printouts (or full electronic text with pictures included) you are not getting the intended experience. To go to an EC site with a scrap of paper or a few jotted down requirements to fill at the site would be a shame. Earthcaches are meant to be learned from and not just logged for the smile and forgotten.
So long as the logging requirements are posted once (albeit clearly) I think that is plenty. Also I once tried to post tools needed in the hints in addition to the page text and was asked to not do that by a fellow cacher because “some people do not read those”.
@auntienae wrote:
Sorry if the many Spring Earthcaches seem lame.
I have been enjoying learning the history related to each one and sharing that with the Earthcache location. Waukesha had some very beautiful private parks and spas during the height of the Springs Era. As I can find photos and more information, I have been adding that to the cache pages as “well”.
I have another in the works but I am not finding much for the history so I have been holding it back.
Hi Renee,
I dont know who told ya they were lame, but they were wrong. When I wrote about lame earthcaches, I was referencing a particularly lame one in IL, that was just a small roadside boulder.
I have only visited 2 (maybe 3) of your Waukesha Spring earthcaches and enjoyed them. The fact is, Earthcaches are gonna be different in different areas of the world cuz the geology is different in different spots, so ya got to work with what you have. Waukesha has a long history of springs, so it is only natural that you highlight those interesting bits of earth history in your area. I look forward to visiting more of em.
I am most jealous of Passing Wind, as he has some great geology to work with in northern WI and NE Minnesota, and has put out some Earthcaches that look very fascinating. While I have looked at the pages, I havent visited any yet, but am really looking forward to making a trip up there. (If they turn out to be lame, I will let ya know.) 🙂
zuma
Run, don’t walk, to visit PW’s “St. Peter’s Dome.” It was awesome, and though it requires a long hike, it’s not too bad for those of us used to putting in some distance to get to a cache. Plus there are a couple other caches on the way in. When we got home from our last trip, a bunch of new things popped up in the area, too.
We’re heading up to Mackinac tomorrow. We’ll let you know what the dozen plus ECs in that area are like upon return!
If our butts aren’t too sore to sit at the computer after all the biking! 🙄
@Trekkin’ and Birdin’ wrote:
Run, don’t walk, to visit PW’s “St. Peter’s Dome.” It was awesome, and though it requires a long hike, it’s not too bad for those of us used to putting in some distance to get to a cache. Plus there are a couple other caches on the way in. When we got home from our last trip, a bunch of new things popped up in the area, too.
We’re heading up to Mackinac tomorrow. We’ll let you know what the dozen plus ECs in that area are like upon return!
If our butts aren’t too sore to sit at the computer after all the biking! 🙄
Yeah, that is one of the ones that I want to visit. I have already been there, a few years ago, and got the 2 physical caches reachable from the same parking area, (maybe there are more now?) including Lil Otter’s great cache at Morgan Falls. The view is great from the top there. Plus I really like the specialness of the seclusion of Morgan Falls, a great falls that is not overrun with tourists.
zuma
My view is even more restrictive, so I don’t expect many to agree with it, which is fine, but I’ll throw it out there just for kicks and giggles. [ 😀 ]
I remember when Earthcaches were rare and very special and unique to find because the original intent was to showcase a natural feature, unique geology or sensitive area that was off limits to geocaching like National Parks, SNA’s, etc… or where heavy traffic would damage a fragile ecosystem. The requirements were very stringent and the logging requirements were tough as well. I would like to go back to that system, although I can understand why that probably won’t happen.
In my opinion (and my opinion only) alot of them have become glorified virtuals where alot of locations could support a regular geocache. If a regular geocache is allowed, I say place a regular geocache and give a really nice writeup on why it’s a unique and special location, or make it into a cool multi. Save the earthcaches for places off limits to geocaching. I would even support earthcaches abiding by the .10 mile limits.
Logging an earthcache has lost a bit of it’s luster because there are so many of them and many deal with common geology. To me, earthcaches are more about quality than quantity, and believe the more difficult the requirements and more unique the phenomena, the more special they are and will be.
But that’s just me…..too much of a traditionalist. [ 😉 ]
@jenhen1 wrote:
In my opinion (and my opinion only) alot of them have become glorified virtuals where alot of locations could support a regular geocache. If a regular geocache is allowed, I say place a regular geocache and give a really nice writeup on why it’s a unique and special location, or make it into a cool multi.
Good point. Here’s one still waiting for a visit: Ma & Pa Kettle (GC1DB6R). Have a look at the GC Terrain map of the area, it’s pretty cool.
PASSINGWIND
@passingwind wrote:
@jenhen1 wrote:
In my opinion (and my opinion only) alot of them have become glorified virtuals where alot of locations could support a regular geocache. If a regular geocache is allowed, I say place a regular geocache and give a really nice writeup on why it’s a unique and special location, or make it into a cool multi.
Good point. Here’s one still waiting for a visit: Ma & Pa Kettle (GC1DB6R). Have a look at the GC Terrain map of the area, it’s pretty cool.
PASSINGWIND
SSSSHH!!!
I’m still hoping I get the chance to be FTF when I go camping up there next week.
@jenhen1 wrote:
If a regular geocache is allowed, I say place a regular geocache and give a really nice writeup on why it’s a unique and special location, or make it into a cool multi. Save the earthcaches for places off limits to geocaching. I would even support earthcaches abiding by the .10 mile limits.
The counterpoint I would offer here is that people don’t take the time to digest cache pages for interesting and important info. In fact, in the culture of number runs and power caching you’re lucky if they read pages, period. It’s just a waypoint on the screen and off to the next one. An earthcache, even a simple, plain, basic one, at least requires the finder to stop and take notice and actually do something.
@jenhen1 wrote:
Logging an earthcache has lost a bit of it’s luster because there are so many of them and many deal with common geology. To me, earthcaches are more about quality than quantity, and believe the more difficult the requirements and more unique the phenomena, the more special they are and will be.
I would only say that my guess is that most geocachers do not have a deep geological background. So, having earthcaches deal with common geology is good for the community as a whole. There are probably many earthcaches with redundant phenomena among them, but the average cacher is unlikely to run into too many, I would think. If it gets (or stays) too specific, it’s really just a type of cache that is serving a very limited constituency.
Our kids also like finding the answers to basic geology questions, so that’s another aspect.
On the Left Side of the Road...@LightningBugs Mum wrote:
@passingwind wrote:
@jenhen1 wrote:
In my opinion (and my opinion only) alot of them have become glorified virtuals where alot of locations could support a regular geocache. If a regular geocache is allowed, I say place a regular geocache and give a really nice writeup on why it’s a unique and special location, or make it into a cool multi.
Good point. Here’s one still waiting for a visit: Ma & Pa Kettle (GC1DB6R). Have a look at the GC Terrain map of the area, it’s pretty cool.
PASSINGWIND
SSSSHH!!!
I’m still hoping I get the chance to be FTF when I go camping up there next week.
Never mind. 😡
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