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I actually made three visits but only had the opportunity to search two times because of teenagers loitering on the cannon. They were sitting on top of the barrel. On my second visit, there was a lot of activity in the park and it was hard to search without looking like I was searching for something. I looked down the barrel and discovered a few coke cans and some assorted trash items. I actually touched the cache on my second visit but the camo job was too good and I thought I may have been doing something very bad.
As much as I hate to say it, I think there is a very good chance the cache may have simply been removed by a local teenager who happened to discover this bolt was not frozen in place like the other bolts.
Can’t wait to see the next two Nemesi.
On the same topic, though different caches, here’s our weekend experience:
Our “Mean Cutting” (anagram of “magnetic nut”). WP1 was made to look exactly like other bolt heads on a table, and a second one was made as a “decoy” for symmetry. They were in a location where a non-geocaching visitor shouldn’t find or dislodge them, and they were held on with a STACK of rare earth magnets. Very hard to get off.
Well, the one that has the coordinates on is missing. The decoy is still there.
One regular cache in Shawano torn apart
One small cache in Green Bay taken
One small cache in DePere, destroyed
Bison tube held in place inside a metal pole by a rare earth magnet, lying several feet away, open, in the middle of the grass.
Just makes you want to do a big “archive” run.
On the Left Side of the Road...Ya know, this really shouldn’t be surprising. The very nature of our game (leaving “things” around in public places for others to find) means that caches will be found by noncachers on occasion. If you spend any time dealing with the public, you will soon realize that there are a significant amount of idiots out there, who will destroy anything they can. If you let this bother you, maybe placing geocaches is not for you. Life is too short to do things which make you unhappy.
I thought the topic of this thread was called “Venting.” My mistake.
On the Left Side of the Road...I’ve done my share of very well hidden caches. I have a question and an observation. Was the cache a premium member only? Just wondering about that.
My observation is that one of your replies to the gang was that you are willing to give hints to anyone who asks. Perhaps somebody is resentful that some get what they may see as an advantage over someone working with what is given? From your description it does sound like the difficulty should have been a bit higher, which could have hacked somebody’s self-esteem.
Another thought is that I’ve enjoyed caching with a group from time to time, but when someone finds the cache and the whole group benefits by logging the find, it always seemed to water down the satisfaction to me. Maybe something like that has someone disturbed.
I also have a little trouble with a cache being a structural piece of an object where an observer could claim that vandalism is being done. However it does remind me of a few other caches that I enjoyed where a missing bolt was replaced by a cache. However, tools were not needed to retrieve. Was yours too tight for some fingers to undo?
I’m not justifying stealing a cache, just mentioning some thoughts that might profile the criminal mind.
Still venting? Well I can certainly add to this thread…
PUC | Grapes of Wrath : Chewed by animals
The Old Man | Takes Shelter : Washed away by rainstorm
Scout’s Honor | Modern Merits: disappeared
Big Sty Country: muggled
Across the River Styx: WP1 missing (hour into creation)
Duplicate Bridge Tournament: WP1 muggled or washed away.The Old Man | Lost His Sinkers: muggled
B.I.N.G.O.: eaten
The Old Man | Returns: Taken 3 times by mother nature
I Have Another Idea: broken by cacher (half hour)
Under Lock’n’Key | Treasured Memories: WP1 taken by squirrels twice (3-4 hours into those)
Laughing Waters | A Time It Was: Muggled
Pickin’ Through the Past | Slim Pickin’s: removed during construction
Boxed in a Corner: Final (cast iron rabbit) muggled
Real Gone | Shake It: muggled
Easy Peezy: Lost to carelessness
Lutz Got Some Ice Off That: Final muggled
Laughing Waters | Bridgemasters’ Quarters: muggled
Laughing Waters | Mr. Fitz Goes Sailing: muggled
Book of Armaments II: 9-21: mistaken as trash and removed
Real Gone | Green Grass: muggled
Hyde’s Web: unsure about initial container demise
Postmarked | DC: Fell in water – retrieved and replaced with smaller final
Urban Myth | Brothers in FFarms: broken by cacher (frozen in)
PUC | Good Grief Mr. Peabody: muggled
Under Lock’n’Key | Whistle Blower: muggled
Real Gone | Make It Rain: lost to nature
Artisans of Appleton | For the Brunn of It: cacher dropped container
Nifty Fifty: lost to nature
Real Gone | Clang Boom Steam: a WP removed by city work crew
For Immediate Release… : taken by nature
Real Gone | Hoist That Rag: parts lost due to nature
Pickin’ Through the Past | On a Mission: hidey spot removed by new owner
Duck, Duck… Goose: muggledAnybody else wanna B&M about there list?
Then caches removed by forces of nature like rain or hungry critters, you just have to accept. The ones that get muggled for no other reason then that they were not re-hidden well.. those are hard pill to swallow. Especially when you’ve invested hours into custom containers… beleive me, I know!
This is the reason I try to be so vocal about replacing caches how they were intended to be hidden by the owner. You cache long enough, you recognize the hiders intent, and sometimes it’s not enough to “hide them like you find them” as they are already more exposed than they were intended to be.
My rule is this, if I can see the cache from 6 feet away, it isn’t hidden like it was supposed to be (pretending that I am a muggle and don’t recognize an urban cache for what it is mind you). I will always leave something a little better concealed then I find it, even if that means that it is hidden harder that the owner intended. Better a lasting cache and a FEW DNF’s than a cache with lots of finds that goes MIA
Well, s|s, you win! (Or lose, as the case may be.)
On the Left Side of the Road...@seldom|seen wrote:
Still venting? Well I can certainly add to this thread…
PUC | Grapes of Wrath : Chewed by animals
The Old Man | Takes Shelter : Washed away by rainstorm
Scout’s Honor | Modern Merits: disappeared
Big Sty Country: muggled
Across the River Styx: WP1 missing (hour into creation)
Duplicate Bridge Tournament: WP1 muggled or washed away.The Old Man | Lost His Sinkers: muggled
B.I.N.G.O.: eaten
The Old Man | Returns: Taken 3 times by mother nature
I Have Another Idea: broken by cacher (half hour)
Under Lock’n’Key | Treasured Memories: WP1 taken by squirrels twice (3-4 hours into those)
Laughing Waters | A Time It Was: Muggled
Pickin’ Through the Past | Slim Pickin’s: removed during construction
Boxed in a Corner: Final (cast iron rabbit) muggled
Real Gone | Shake It: muggled
Easy Peezy: Lost to carelessness
Lutz Got Some Ice Off That: Final muggled
Laughing Waters | Bridgemasters’ Quarters: muggled
Laughing Waters | Mr. Fitz Goes Sailing: muggled
Book of Armaments II: 9-21: mistaken as trash and removed
Real Gone | Green Grass: muggled
Hyde’s Web: unsure about initial container demise
Postmarked | DC: Fell in water – retrieved and replaced with smaller final
Urban Myth | Brothers in FFarms: broken by cacher (frozen in)
PUC | Good Grief Mr. Peabody: muggled
Under Lock’n’Key | Whistle Blower: muggled
Real Gone | Make It Rain: lost to nature
Artisans of Appleton | For the Brunn of It: cacher dropped container
Nifty Fifty: lost to nature
Real Gone | Clang Boom Steam: a WP removed by city work crew
For Immediate Release… : taken by nature
Real Gone | Hoist That Rag: parts lost due to nature
Pickin’ Through the Past | On a Mission: hidey spot removed by new owner
Duck, Duck… Goose: muggledAnybody else wanna B&M about there list?
Then caches removed by forces of nature like rain or hungry critters, you just have to accept. The ones that get muggled for no other reason then that they were not re-hidden well.. those are hard pill to swallow. Especially when you’ve invested hours into custom containers… beleive me, I know!
This is the reason I try to be so vocal about replacing caches how they were intended to be hidden by the owner. You cache long enough, you recognize the hiders intent, and sometimes it’s not enough to “hide them like you find them” as they are already more exposed than they were intended to be.
My rule is this, if I can see the cache from 6 feet away, it isn’t hidden like it was supposed to be (pretending that I am a muggle and don’t recognize an urban cache for what it is mind you). I will always leave something a little better concealed then I find it, even if that means that it is hidden harder that the owner intended. Better a lasting cache and a FEW DNF’s than a cache with lots of finds that goes MIA
Wow!!! quite a list of lost caches. I guess one of the advantages of an ammo can in a hollow tree is that loss to natural forces will be less, but I guess that would not be as special.
zuma
@zuma wrote:
I guess one of the advantages of an ammo can in a hollow tree is that loss to natural forces will be less, but I guess that would not be as special.
zuma
You’re speaking volumes there. Probably THE most rewarding aspect of GOING caching, as opposed to sitting here and thinking them up, is the occasional find of a truly creative cache, like a Metamorphosis or a Hog Heaven. I really don’t get much out of finding ammo cans or keyholders unless their hides are unique or creative, or there was a creative puzzle involved which I had to solve first.
When I began creative caching, I spent a ton of time on unique final containers and was constantly challenging myself to come up with the next cool hide. As the most creative containers began disappearing with regularity while the non-creative ones didn’t, I soon realized that I faced a loosing battle and gradually shifted my focus from creative containers (which I do still get out there from time to time) to creative puzzles that have simple keyholder or pill bottle finals.
This has helped temper my frustration with lost caches and also makes it easier to maintain the growing number of caches I have out there.
I am in one of those slumps right now actually, where about a half dozen of mine need attention and that certainly pulls me away from other aspects of the game. I’m not even on the LCG board for July yet…
So, here are a few words of advice from a cacher that knows a thing or two about putting them out:
1. Keep making your special ones, but try not to invest TOO much time into making them “perfect”. Inevitably your coolest ones will disappear while your keyholders will stick around forever. BUT, without the cool final containers, the sport looses some of it’s luster and appeal (for me at least).
2. Make sure you are creating a cache that even a novice cacher will be able to replace as you intended. I can’t tell you how many times I go to check on mine after “seasoned” cachers, much less newbies, have visited and my first reaction is “c’mon, guys, you know better!” when I see it out in the open or a half-arsed attempt at putting it back (no finger pointing, just an observation). Even the simplest of hides can get replaced poorly.
3. Find the cheapest sources for your supplies and ALWAYS BUY 2, of everything you need to create the container! Whenever I create a new custom container, I create 2 of them at the same time. I have a whole box of “spares” on my cache bench on hand for the next time one goes missing. If, after the 2nd one goes MIA, and I am certain the location is compromised, I will consider changing up the hide or archiving the cache.
4. Attach the cache to it’s hide spot with some type of lanyard, fishline, cable, etc. This doesn’t stop all the critters from walking off with your cache (the squirrels that took WP1 from Treasured Memories chewed through cable to get the container free!), but it will prevent some from doing so and may be enough of a deterrent to prevent a curious muggle or frustrated cacher from removing it as well.
I live with my caches and try to get to the replacements when I can, but can’t always do so in a timely fashion which leads me to my last one;
5. Enlist the assistance of a “trailboss” or co-author for cachers that are outside of your immediate home area and supply them with a replacement in the event your cache goes missing. I have many helpers in the field (AND I AM SO GREATFUL TO ALL OF YOU!), but oftentimes find that I cannot ask them to replace a missing cache since the container is custom-built and I didn’t give them a back-up. I’m working on this one myself.
Keep up the good work all you creative cachers. And remember, I’d rather know that a cache of mine was in trouble because you accidentally broke it, then find out months later that it is broken and damaged beyond repair because it sat too long in disrepair.
[/u]
In your #2, you forgot to mention “caching tours.” By the time the last person gets the log to sign, the first person who actually found the cache is halfway back to the car. Now where did the finder actually find the cache? Ah, who the heck cares, I got my smilely which was fun for me, so I’ll just drop it where I’m standing. 🙄
On the Left Side of the Road...There was a period about a month and a half ago where we seemed to be on the trail of an out of state cacher. Over the course of a couple of days we had come across 8 to 10 caches that had zero effort put into replacement. A camoed PB jar sat 5 feet away from the nearest bush. The guy was too lazy to even just give it a heave into the bush.
@gotta run wrote:
In your #2, you forgot to mention “caching tours.” By the time the last person gets the log to sign, the first person who actually found the cache is halfway back to the car. Now where did the finder actually find the cache? Ah, who the heck cares, I got my smilely which was fun for me, so I’ll just drop it where I’m standing. 🙄
Even if there are only two of us caching at any given time, our rule is that the person who removes the cache replaces it.
I don’t create creative cache containers but I admire the ones that I’ve found or read about. Here’s one you may want to check out if you’re ever in the Cedar Falls, Ia., area: GC1DRM6 This looks too cool to last.
@sbukosky wrote:
I’ve done my share of very well hidden caches. I have a question and an observation. Was the cache a premium member only? Just wondering about that.
My observation is that one of your replies to the gang was that you are willing to give hints to anyone who asks. Perhaps somebody is resentful that some get what they may see as an advantage over someone working with what is given? From your description it does sound like the difficulty should have been a bit higher, which could have hacked somebody’s self-esteem.
Another thought is that I’ve enjoyed caching with a group from time to time, but when someone finds the cache and the whole group benefits by logging the find, it always seemed to water down the satisfaction to me. Maybe something like that has someone disturbed.
I also have a little trouble with a cache being a structural piece of an object where an observer could claim that vandalism is being done. However it does remind me of a few other caches that I enjoyed where a missing bolt was replaced by a cache. However, tools were not needed to retrieve. Was yours too tight for some fingers to undo?
I’m not justifying stealing a cache, just mentioning some thoughts that might profile the criminal mind.
My observation is that if something bothers you about a certain cache, then avoid it, don’t steal it. And, if someone was bothered by this cache for any reason, whether it was because it was structural, or they were affraid to ask for help, or whatever the case may be, They could have contacted me to discuss it, and, once again, not stolen the cache. Again, I’m still not completely certain the cache was stolen by a cacher.
There were no tools required to remove this bolt, unless a previous cacher had tightened it with a wrench and I had not know about it. Thing is, the last person to touch it (CacherClan0 is a close personal friend beyond the caching world. I’m certain he didn’t tighten it.
tyedyeskyguy, we didn’t put the amount of effort into our cache as you did on yours, but you might find this interesting.
One of the hides we checked on today was a bison tube that we used duct tape to hold a rare earth magnet to. That in turn was placed inside a metal pole, not visible.
After seeing logs that it was on the grass, we checked it out. The tape was removed from the main part of the tube (but not the top) and the magnet was gone. The cache itself was still closed and the log in good order.
Now, if a muggle finds this and decides to mess with it, why leave the container? Or does a cacher just need a rare earth magnet so badly? Just very bizarre.
On the Left Side of the Road...
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