[The Lil Otter]

(watching like a hawk still)…

Grousetales.. you are so close to your 3000th post that I’d like to take this time to say HOW MUCH I appreciate all the time you’ve put into the WGA all through these years..

Congrats! (a bit early)
~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

I’m one at fault here for being such a ‘crazed’ otter when I was the WGA temp hider board member organizer at Devil’s Lake Picnic years ago.. the conservative board members were so concerned about all the temp hides done there.. I had reasons.. but just imagine the 50-100+ cachers trampling one of the most amazing State Parks with just a few caches to do. Many memories there.. my favorite: bnb’s first temp hide, I tried to mentor her on relaxing and enjoying herself.. finding a fun place to show off..just looking around and feeling her surroundings.. she took hours to place the temps.. she put forth her best… she had made a memory as did I. If I could turn back time now.. (I didn’t know about GC.com’s forum questioning our counts about temps) I’d have done it very differently. Geocaching was a “baby” back then.. we were all helping/mentoring each other and making mistakes as we go. Are we a “child” now or are we “men”?

one of my favorite quotes:
When I was a child, I thought like a child, spoke as a child.. when I became a man, I put away the childish things.

Using the phrases.. “others are doing it”.. “I’ve done it before so it’s okay”.. “Just ignore their comments”… “I won’t come if they are not there”..

This just seems a sad way to mentor others in their own growth of the sport.. if one of our own children were saying these things, I’d hope we as parents would step up to the plate..

The simple truth is.. either I’ll be pegged as an “old lady” stuck in the old ways and just rambling on.. or as a “old lady” wishing the best for the ‘children’ of this sport.

Enjoy your Adventures!
~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

I feel that the WGA represents us all and any official events done by them should follow all GC.com current rules and our by-laws. Why teach new members to just “ignore” what others say in regards to temp hides ‘counting as multi attends’.. why not just do it right and place (prior to the event).. some quality perm. caches. When we first placed caches in State Parks, it was under the radar.. now we have a bit more flexibility than we had ‘way back then’.. But after the event, check on each cache to see how much it may have been trampled.. tweak it a bit so that volunteer trails from the event can heal..

I keep hearing that ‘others’ (perhaps meaning other States) are scoring temp hides.. but does anyone actually know how many State Geocaching Assoc. take the stance of ‘you can log them or you don’t have to’?… but to log them you’ll have to do them by hitting “attended” 50 or so times.. why not just get some very creative volunteers to create 10 caches that can take hours to finish.. long hikes, creative multis etc.. which would continue to mentor newer members on how fun spending a few hours on just one cache can be.. Why not recreate/remix some of the ‘famous’ multi caches that others have created. Giving a taste of each of the local area talents into a “taste of Wisconsin’s Best”.. for those that have a limited budget and can’t travel throughout Wisconsin to see the original cache. Make a night cache ( I actually have one at a State Park but it’s still not ‘approved’ because of a mapping mixup of natural areas – but the Manager in the Ranger’s station passes out copies of it to campers & geocachers that he meets… ) Multi caches could intersect with the other caches placed.. giving a great way for groups to meet each other on the trails as they head off in different directions. I would be one to ‘archive’ my cache if the space is needed to allow new Event perm. caches to be hidden nearby to highlight the area.

Just tossing around ideas..
~The Lil Otter

I’ll be offline for some weeks.. so if there’s any type of voting.. could one of the staff please put my vote forward.

[The Lil Otter]

I saw a better way down in IL at an Event.. (years ago) What they did was make/hide actual ‘approved’ caches a few weeks before the event.. then had the approver ‘release’ them online a day or two before the event.. had printouts or downloads with these newly created caches at the event, for those that didn’t get a chance to grab them from online.

All I’d wish to happen after that is to have a few of the board members (or volunteers) walk to each and check out the condition of the cache, after the event. They then could post a need to “archive” any that have been too abusive to the lands.

Each year we in Wisconsin get hammered for all these multi “attends”… we then mentor newer players that it’s alright to do this to “score” up the temps.. We have so many caches in Wisconsin that those wishing to only “cache” could find plenty within each area.. As I have said before.. Events were changed from “found it” to “attended”… I saw that as GC.com’s polite way to mentor us.. I would have found it highly embarrassing for any to question my count (my integrity)… with stating I attended multi times at an event, so that was why I had not logged temps after “attended” came into the picture.. as well as to change my past finds of temps to Notes… It changed none of my memories of each hide.. nor did it take away from all the adventures I had at the events..

We can keep playing the game as we all wish to.. but I’ve also heard of events/temps being abused (none really hidden) where those ‘event temps’ were just there to add “points”.. Back when I was a board leader, we used to check ‘stamped’ books to have them ‘qualify’ as ‘legal’ temp cache “finds”… is that yet done? It is the responsibility of the cache/event owner to remove/delete faked logs… but we call it the “honor” system.. we change the rules to suit our own needs.. yet we worry that no one would come to events if no temps are hidden.. I proved that wrong with my CITO Rochi-a-Cri event.. we busted butt and had a blast… so do we keep looking for ways to get around GC’s rules on legal caches (so those can Count) or do we actually hide caches that can stand on their own and be enjoyed by others after the event is long over?

Just my thoughts again on this subject,
~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

[The Lil Otter]

I actually own a pony… well she’s actually a horse.. “Rosy” is a half Quarter horse/Arab.. bay (copper colored with black mane and tail) She lives at my daughter’s home and she’s over 25 years old. I almost thought I lost her about a week ago, but she’s up and about. I’m not good at figuring out how to put in her picture here so.. you’ll just have to take my word on it (smiles)

~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

(raises hand)… yep.. I’m still an active member and enjoy reading about the candidates.

~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

Will tell you how much fun that ‘doubling’ a cache container (in the same location) was for me when I was in Show Me the Cache’s area.. he was a blast to hang with.. but didn’t realize how talented he was when I was at his cache (that gave me the idea).. it was a open ended hollow log that he placed a “big” container in one end.. naturally found that one .. went to the next waypoint.. that waypoint oddly took me back to the same hollow log area.. didn’t realize it.. found the ‘same’ cache again.. duh.. went to the same .. well you get the picture.. after about 2-3 walks back and forth.. I finally found the small micro.. I loved that cache..

So.. just tweaked his idea.. because at the Gauntlet there is only the high/low roads.. and no real spot to walk without difficulty.. (smiles)

~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

If lyin’ will get you back up to visit.. I’ll let you dig deeper.. but now all the containers sit at the back of my closet… which won’t be much fun… but then again.. I could be lying.. I decided to work up another cache in the Dells.. gave up my Gulch.. but there’s a few other spots of value yet.

~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

well the “cave” caved in.. (grins)

I wanted to make this whole idea differently.. easier.. after I archived it.. perhaps if the Gauntlet would have survived and we had our “survivors gathering”… I might have added better hints or clues or actually let out the whole thing.. the Gauntlet was an evolving cache.. just didn’t know it would end up ‘here’.. but can we bury it soon.. it’s been a JOY and a HEARTACHE..

~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

I have TWEAKED the cache from the start… felt guilty of complaining of driveups and making one myself… first used the nearby wayside with HISTORICAL.. but we all know I overdid those.. so I pulled it.. I had only one FIRM second waypoint given to the Admin.. but could tweak things from there..

I used tricks from others on in my old caching days.. a way to honor those that really made me go “wow”.. or “****”

Everyone took the “Big” container at face value.. none stumpled over the clue or micro.. thought it was over and had a blast anyways.. I had to check the micro a couple of times just to make sure that someone didn’t think it was ‘trash’ and walked off with it.. at one event.. it was actually very visible.. but all were reading and laughing so much that when I put the container back.. none noticed my ‘owner maintenance’.

I had a blast.. great memories..
~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

For the last few days I was dragged into a gc forum about my cache. I didn’t want to involve WI into the mess. I finally had enough of their nitpicking and snapped… spilled a secret I had kept for almost two years.. It was a multi if you had dug deeper you’d have found a small micro that took you to a park.. there was again “something” to do.. making a long story short.. The ending ‘surprise’ was – There’s such a BEAUTIFUL place in WI Dells that doesn’t cost an arm or a leg to get into.. it’s the backdoor to Witches Gulch.. Witches Gulch is in a Natural Area… (would never be approved as a waypoint).. but by doing the Gauntlet.. you could pay (was $2 now $3) and park by the concession stands that feed the “Duck tours” and walk in the depths of the gulch on their boardwalk. Only Locals know about this “cheap” trick..

I was going to rework the whole cache another time.. but all this ‘anger’ I faced these last two months took the wind out of my sails. I’ve shed a few tears and I just wish this whole mess would go away soon.

I again wish to stress.. I’m asking as a personal favor to not have any “Personal Attacks” happen towards those that found fault with the Gauntlet.

I also want to state.. that this natural area is open to paying traffic… no cache container was hidden there.. It was only an OPTION to go to the Gulch.. Thousands of DUCK “people” walk it each season.. but pay a very high price for seeing the natural beauty of the Dells up close. I love that place and wished to share it.

The cache was reworked long ago because of my realizing that if Kbraband could drive so far and be fooled why not tweak it ‘correctly’ so I can truly state “I did not lie”.. “everyone else did”..

~The Lil Otter

Edited/added: I also see that I could be torn apart because it was an offset.. or mystery.. or .. I give up.. I really don’t KNOW what to call it now ..

[The Lil Otter]

@zuma wrote:

@LightningBugs Mum wrote:

@Coastiegirl04 wrote:

*cough cough zuma cough cough*

I am not saying, but I MAY have called LO an unprintable name for this forum, just before we both busted out laughing. LOL….Cant recall what that name was, but LO might recall.

zuma

(giggles) I recall very well (grins) and I am still confused on why you think I’m someone’s ‘son’

Wow.. this is the first night I’m actually laughing about my Gauntlet in the last month.. THANKS guys for sharing these memories..

~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

Ooops.. sorry about that.. here’s a perfect story in the Today’s Cacher (online geocaching magazine) that explains my cache

http://www.todayscacher.com/2006/nov/liarscache.asp

side notes:
I’ll be picking up my DNR archived caches in the Dells as well as the Gauntlet in the next few days.. Thought it best to stay out of the woods during hunting season.. also I’ve been battling health issues the last few years.. I hit a deer a few years back and got smucked in the face by my rear view mirror.. not understanding that there was damage done to my upper jawbone, it turned into a major infection, one step away from gangerine.. I’m on my second or third root canal (had one last Wednesday) to save my teeth as well as needing another year before the bone in my jaw grows back in.. no energy.. so it was fun “adventuring” online through the Gauntlet.. So no smuckin’ me in da face over this cache.. deal? (grins)

~The Lil Otter

[The Lil Otter]

@CinemaBoxers wrote:

Honestly guys, not to be a downer, but after what I heard, Im glad I didnt take the time to do it. We have a little guy who we would have had to send with grandma, and had I wasted time on a cache, when I could have spent the day hitting some of the more nearby ones, I would have been LIVID.

Theres so many great ones locally, I would have felt crappy wasting driving time when those hours could have been used more, well.. productively.

(shivers)… Thankfully those that did come up from IL seemed to have understood and enjoyed the experience… and didn’t make my life a living hell because they were LIVID..

Geocaching sure has been changing these last few years.. “productively” was never discussed as we all ‘chatted’ by the Gauntlet.. it was always friendship and bonding.. but I guess that doesn’t “count” for much now adays..

I have tried for the last month to not respond to personal attacks etc because of some LIVID ‘players’ hopefully they think they WON.. if all you’ve heard is just ONE side of a tale.. then it’s your loss too..

The Gauntlet was never a “TRICK” it was a way to bring so many together.. I have always been to any “gathering” that posted their intent of coming…. and NEVER ONCE did I think I was wasting my time because I didn’t earn a point.. or could be doing other things..

~The Lil Otter
I’m just hoping to enjoy my holiday.. so if any have negitive comebacks.. please feel free to email me and keep it from these boards..

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