Numbers, numbers, numbers—waxing philosophical

[Bushwhacking Queen]

@-cheeto- wrote:

that are married

is the key here….

and I have been married for 24 years.

[JimandLinda]

My son, and caching partner, jjcool719, is a “numbers” person, just because his cache time is limited, and he sets numbers goals for himself.
If he caches with me, he rarely hits his daily goal, because I’m pointing out other things to experience while in the area.
But if he wants to go out and find 50 caches in a day, he will still have some great experiences to share over the phone!

‘Numbers’ ARE a reason to cache. For some cachers, it might be THE reason to cache.
A few other reasons to cache are:
exercise,
hobby,
geology (EC),
scenic views,
social events,
CITO,
family bonding,
‘quick cache’ for lunch,
(feel free to add to this list).

There probably won’t be a thread questioning these ‘reasons to cache’.

Doing a ‘numbers’ day is good practice for the West Bend Cash Bash, when a cacher receives 1 raffle ticket for each cache found.

‘Numbers’ are only 1 way to “play the game”. And as it has been said in past threads, this is a game where the player can set some of their own standards and goals.

(If memory serves correct, I think we saw half of the T&B cache couple RUNNING to see how fast they could get the caches at last years WBCB! Was that a numbers or exercise goal? 😆 ).

Bottom line…numbers are as good a reason to cache as any other!

[-cheeto-]

and I have been married for 24 years.

Congratulations!

[jenhen1]

I would personally LOVE to cache more and rack up bigger numbers and explore larger areas of our great state, but I know that my wife would not want to, my kids would get sick of geocaching and I would get burned out pretty quickly. Of course, every relationship is different. Some partners and their kids are A-OK with the other being gone alot doing their own thing, or even enjoy caching at the same level as they do. That’s great! I admire that degree of understanding. Plus being single and/or retired is a big key too.

We are at 1148 since 2004 averaging around 200 caches a year. Fearing burnout, I know for a fact that our modest pace is the key to our enjoyment of the game. It keeps us excited about the next time we can go because we don’t know when it will be! It’s not a given that this weekend or next weekend or after work we’ll have time to go, so every opportunity is precious. I’m confident that at this pace we’ll be enjoying geocaching for as long as we can physically do it, well into our retirement!!!

[gotta run]

@-cheeto- wrote:

and I have been married for 24 years.

Congratulations!

Agreed…now there is a real milestone!

[Oh BTW, coming up on 20 for Mr. and Mrs. gotta run this year! 8) ]

On the Left Side of the Road...

[Trekkin and Birdin]

Trekkin’ and I celebrated 29 years on Sunday, out canoeing and caching. It helps that we both enjoy this, and that our sons are mostly grown up. Our younger son has been known to geocache, with us and on his own with friends, but rarely logs his finds. He probably has at least 50, too. So, not a numbers guy there.

When the boys were home, this wasn’t our “game,” but we had other pursuits we enjoyed. We made their events first priority, but tried our darndest to raise them to appreciate and enjoy active outdoor pursuits, too. Some of it seems to have stuck, though they express their interests differently on their own terms.

Actually, geocaching is one thing that has helped combine our separate interests quite nicely, and we’ve found that we probably spend more time together as a result than before, when I’d go birding alone and he’d be hunting or fishing, as examples. Each situation is surely unique.

[sandlanders]

@Trekkin’ and Birdin’ wrote:

Each situation is surely unique.

Just like it is in how everyone plays his or her own caching game. Not known for our numbers, it works better for us if we space out the caching days a bit, and half of the team would prefer to take winter respites from caching. But if it gets us off our rears and on the trails (a line I’ve been know to use) . . . I wouldn’t take just a “walk” like some of them we’ve done for caches–up, down, twisty trails, heat, cold, skeet, ticks, knee-deep snow. Still won’t do much swampin’, though.

Retired, have the time available, but lots of other things on the agenda. All things in moderation (except chocolate!).

[kansas64]

I know for us we have slowed down some, in our first year we did the Counties Challenge, the Delorme in South Carolina and Wisconsin and made it to 1000 finds. And then we said now what?
We have a challenge we are working on this year but this challenge is more about quality of the cache than the quantity. I suppose we could go on a numbers run and hit 2000 by the end of year 2 but if we get the other challenge done by the end of year 2 and say only have 1750 finds that would almost be better. Certainly this second year has had its own unique milestones that have nothing to do with numbers, we now own bicycles and a kayak that we have (or will soon) used for caching

[Timberline Echoes]

I Mrs. TE usually have no clue what number we are at. Mr. keeps better track of that as he has always been good at remembering numbers.

We have never done a challenge, have not done the delorme, county or any terrain rated ones. Have thought about finishing the counties but have not done it yet. The only goal we have ever had is to not let a calendar month pass by with out getting one. That was back when WI only had 500 geocaches.

We enjoy traveling, have always enjoyed hiking and being in the outdoors. Caching adds a reason to get out of the car, stretch and see a few things we may have never found if it were not for caching.

We have also found that the places that we would have stopped at,if there was a cache or not, usually have a cache nearby that tends to enhance our journey, or answer our questions.

As far as big numbers day, we have tried that once or twice and did not like it so we just plug along at our few a day. We wouldn’t travel on our vacations to the areas we do if we were shooting for numbers.

Considering where we live, we work on cleaning out areas we live near by, doing what ever kind are available.

As we travel we tend to get ones close to the road we are going down.

It is a game that enhances our life, we don’t care how anyone else plays it we just hope everyone is having fun.

[zuma]

For me it is not about the numbers, but I do think that the numbers are interesting and appeal to me as a statistical reference. I like to look at numbers per month, per day, per year, per county, and like the D/T numbers. The numbers are not the focus, just a side benefit of caching often.

To me, caching is about exploration and visiting new places and learning about other places, and I cannot get enough of that, so the numbers do tend to pile up, though that is not the reason that I go out. When I am caching alone with just myself and Jesse the geodog, we look for caches off the beaten trail where she can run free and I can enjoy the walk on the way to the cache.

Once a week or so, I often take make a “numbers run” with friends and I will admit that it is fun to set a goal of 60 or 70 caches and see if can hit that. The numbers run days are more about sharing the trails with friends, talking smack (I cache with the best smack talkers possible) and seeing what we can along the way. A numbers run day with friends is a lot of fun, but a very different experience than a Zuma and Jesse day in the woods. But I enjoy both types of days. Doing both kinds of caching keeps it fresh and fun for me.

Since I enjoy both types of caching myself, I respect the choices made by others on the way they want to cache. Some folks like to get a lot of urban micros, and some folk s like to get a handful of ammo cans in isolated places. Both types of caching are great in my book, and I think we are all free to cache the way we like.

As far as the “quality vs quantity” discussion, I think that of course we all want quality first. However, it is very hard to tell ahead of time what is a quality cache until you actually do it. Therefore, finding a good quantity of caches is really the only sure way of finding the wheat among the chaff.

I do think it is a bit ironic that we have this thread where it appears that some people think that finding a lot of caches is weird, while at the same time we have several threads congratulating folks on their 1200th find, or whatever milestone they happened to hit recently.

And, on a side note, I would have stuck with golf longer if I had known then that it is preferable to triple bogey every hole and just go out once a month or so. If we applied the same anti-numbers reasoning to golf, we would have to say that Tiger Woods is whacked for wanting to do it on a regular basis and doing it well.

zuma

[bartrod]

@Bushwhacking Queen wrote:

and I have been married for 24 years.

38 years tomorrow for Mrs. B and I. Unfortunately she lost any possible interest in geocaching a couple of years ago when we were caching Brunet Island State Park and she lost her watch which had some sentimental value.

Oconto...the birthplace of western civilization:)

[gotta run]

@zuma wrote:

I do think it is a bit ironic that we have this thread where it appears that some people think that finding a lot of caches is weird, while at the same time we have several threads congratulating folks on their 1200th find, or whatever milestone they happened to hit recently.

I didn’t get the impression of “weird” anywhere in this thread. It seems reasonable to say “I don’t know how you can accomplish that” or “I don’t think I can do that” or even “I don’t want to do that” yet still recognize people who do accomplish that.

On the Left Side of the Road...

[jenhen1]

And, on a side note, I would have stuck with golf longer if I had known then that it is preferable to triple bogey every hole and just go out once a month or so. If we applied the same anti-numbers reasoning to golf, we would have to say that Tiger Woods is whacked for wanting to do it on a regular basis and doing it well.

That’s actually a really good analogy and probably explains the difference between mere mortals, like many of us, and the few who are able to cache enough to gain such impressive numbers. I like golf, and hunting and fishing and geocaching and backpacking and watching tv. If I did any of these things everyday on my day off for years on end I would get sick of it. (even eating ice cream) It’s enjoyable to just get out and do these things every now and then.

Then there are the Tiger Woods, Michael Jordans, and Mother Teresa’s who are driven by something else. Driven not to simply do or to be good, but to be great! Their passion for what they do never wanes because of their drive. I think that is extremely impressive to have the motivation to pursue something to the point of greatness. I admire and am envious of those who have that drive, at anything, because I know I don’t and I wish I did! I’d probably be more successful if I did.

I’d bet many of us who enjoy watching the exploits of our fellow active cachers are a bit envious and wish we had the passion to enjoy something that much. I know I do.

[jim1830]

I geocache mainly to get out and see new places, and go places I never would have if not for geocaching. I was excited about the numbers at first – I think we all are to start with – but it’s not now, or was it really ever, the reason I cache. Every now and then it’s fun to go out and do a ton in a day, but it’s exhausting (not to mention expensive for gas!) so mostly I don’t worry about the numbers. I’ve taken a number of geocaching only trips lately, where I plan a route, and then cache along the way. I pick caches that sound interesting and are close to my route. Whether I do a ton or a few doesn’t really matter – I just like the trip. I’ve had to take a couple of forced breaks, for several months at a time, due to health issues, so maybe that’s helped keep me from burning out.

[bartrod]

@sandlanders wrote:

[
Retired, have the time available, but lots of other things on the agenda. All things in moderation (except chocolate!).

Exactly the same with me…but if they’d allow chocolate to be put in caches, my numbers would undoubtedly be much, much higher[:D]

Oconto...the birthplace of western civilization:)

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