Frustration and just being pissed....

Last Monday I got online and found an email from a caching friend, they wanted to know why my cache "Backseat Driver" GC1DGZA had been archived. I didn't know what he was talking about because I hadn't been that far into my emails, but sure enough there it was, a note that my cache was being archived.
WHAT THE HELL!!!
So I went and read the note left by the reviewer (not the same one that published it) and found that he claimed he had received complaints about this cache and was tired of it and just going to archive it. Well, you can read the postings on this, just go look at it.
So, I just couldn't understand this. I've found that normally when people have issues, they email you directly and move forward from that point. I had never once received an email stating that anyone had an issue. I couldn't understand why it would be archived without a single word to me from ANYONE. I hadn't heard a peep.
Me being curious I sent a nice note to the reviewer that archived the cache to see what the deal really was. Needless to say, I am still waiting on a response from said reviewer, and 3 emails later I have yet to hear a peep.
The cache doesn't violate a SINGLE rule, there aren't any questions about it, PERIOD. Its a nice right of way cache on top of that.

This cache is however a tough 5 star cache, that isn't easily found. I believe the last person to find it even admitted that they found it by luck. In their email to me they stated how they enjoyed it and liked the hide itself.
I've actually received a great deal of support on this. Even from a couple people I don't know. Via forums and on the cache page itself.
I guess some just don't like the tough nature of 4/5 star hides.

To further my questioning of this issue, I noticed that one cache I have been watching is now a month past a "needs maintenance" issue and NOTHING has been done to it.
I also notice another cache that is located on a federal postal sorting center that shouldn't be there hasn't had anything done to it. I've noticed several caches that are currently down for maintenance that have been such for months, still are just setting there.

So, why the rant.... I'm just wondering if someone got pissy about not finding backseat and complained over and over and well...you get my point.
I've had a theory for a short time now and all this did was add fuel to it.
I don't need to say too much more. Its just given me less of a thrill to even want to hide more caches. I even have a few nice locations too..OH WELL...

That was fun...

The other evening we had a chance to get out to find a few caches. We grabbed our book with cache info in it and went on about finding them.
We found the first cache and it was interesting, a matchsafe with a hook on it in a tree. I saw it when we pulled up and it was quick. I figured a good sign for the day. The next location was a high muggle area, and we moved on, the next location left us a little baffled and finally we gave up, figuring we were missing something and would find the data when we got back home. Sure enough, I figure we will get it on our return trip. We headed onto the next location and upon arrival to the COORDS figured quickly that the COORDS and clue didn't add up. Using the clues, I quickly located the cache, but had to wait for muggles to depart.
Next cache was a "beyond" cache and we didn't find it, needless to say, I know the location now, I guess another scouting trip for this one.
We found a few more, 2 total earth caches and wrapped up the trip on a cache that when we arrived home, found to be archived. Oops.!

It was a fun 8 finds for the day..... Should have had 2 others, possibly 4 more, but oh well...

Back again...

We did make it out last weekend, to grab a few, but only got 1. It was actually a recheck, after we logged a DNF, turned out the cache was buried under debris... Then we headed after a tricky micro, and guess what, we didn't find it either. Funny, when several DNF's go out, I would figure a check might be in order.
So I now turn this into a rant.

What is so hard about maintaining your caches? I guess I realized early on that placing a cache 30 minutes from your house in the "wrong" direction, won't allow you to maintain it as needed. Some people place caches a couple hours away and then complain about 'having to maintain their caches'....its a "WHAT THE HECK" moment from my standpoint.

I look around my area, and I often times wonder why some people placed caches that they did.
I have one cache near me that the owner lives over an hour and a half away and in their email it was said "It is hard for us to maintain this cache due to the driving distance" and "we will deal with it when we can!" Oh brother. Another cache that will lay dormant until they can deal with it.
Why bother? Leave this open for locals to use! Not that I would probably place a cache there, but others might. This best encourages people that are new to caching to start placing a cache, or gives them a place to put it.
To me, 5 weeks is long enough to get out and maintain your caches. If you can't do so, then you need to just archive it and move on! No, I'm not saying that one must drop everything and get out there, but 4 weeks in my eyes is plenty of time to deal with it.
If you have a cache that is so far away and you can't get to it, then its TOO FAR FOR YOU!

So my rant and the question comes in "how far is your farthest cache?" Simple........ 3.4miles!
Yup, I'm thinking about one that would be close to 10 miles, but still haven't made up my mind. The wife must be able to maintain them as well, so I like keeping them close by.

So, in closing my rant, CACHE OWNERS------ Please maintain what you have, if you can't, archive or adopt them out.

Finally got out!

We finally got out today. This weekend had family in and I just figured it was a lost cause to get out. But, we did make it out there and did some caching Sunday afternoon.

We made a familiar visit to one cache, that always eludes us, well it did again. I may just wait til winter time and less leaf/brush to deal with.
We headed down the road and after what I call our southern territory. We made a quick grab and head on, arriving at another location you had a nice large hill and down the other side to the cache location. It was in a large wooden fence post, but it was missing. So 1 of 3 so far.
We racked up our first virtual cache today, nice busy location, but we found the needed info and moved on. We also stumbled across our first micro coin, it was a evil micro, and it's been moved to its new home. That cache took entirely too long to find.
I finally just stepped back and said "where would I hide this thing" and wham, there it was. I also pinched my finger closing the cache.

We stumbled across a couple ammo cans, both of them today where sealed so tight that I barely got them open. The second one opened much better. I chuckled as we walked away.

I think we logged 8 or 9 caches today, and 3 DNF's... oh well.

Now that isn't funny

Decided that since I hadn't been out in a while I needed to post something.
While coming home the other evening, I noticed that "Backseat Driver" had been messed with. More or less, MUGGLED accidently.
See, there was an accident at the location and I would assume that in the cleanup process that "Backseat" was accident prone and well, it had to be replaced.

So, there is a new cache, new cache container and slightly new spot. Its still within the problem limits and I won't change anything to the site page.
Just pay attention when looking. This new container and log holder have made it a 10 of 10 on the EVIL scale!!!!
_________________________________________________

On another note, I'm still planning on placing the next set of caches out there, just haven't had the time to so far. So keep an eye open, it will happen.

Gas that bad?

I have to really wonder if the cost of gas is effecting geocaching worse then I thought. While I have been vocal in forums about gas prices costing the average geocacher more and more, I never thought it was that bad.
That is, until recently.
Why?
I've noticed fewer logs being posted in my email during the day and even on weekends.
Sure there are those cachers that find 10 caches per day, but those too have shrunk.

I recently placed 2 new caches out, they have been found by 3 cachers and that is it.
Are they tough? Yes, but findable for sure. I'm not evening seeing too many DNF's either, or just notes being posted. I'm beginning to think it is the cost of gas.
Why else?
It just seems across the board, that fewer people are getting out there. This weekend was beautiful and perfect for caching, yet in the 30 mile radius logging email I have, we only had 23 finds over 3 days! That is IT. And those had been posted by 8 cachers and that was it.

I'm guessing that I a correct in my assumption.
That and I see that "main drag" caches are the ones getting the Found logs.

Get out there people!!!!!!!

Just grab 1?

Ya, sometimes I question the point in it.
Yesterday evening we just went for a drive. Little did I know that it would lead to a find. I use google earth to recon a lot of caches around these parts, since most are out in the open areas and few in the deep woods. I try and remember as many aerial pictures in my head that I can. Yesterday this came in handy.
While pulling into a small town just south of us, I recalled that a cache was here and that it was in a tree along the fence. A few short minutes later and we had it in hand. No COORDS, nothing more then just a little brain power to recall that.
What will that brain power get you? Well, today while browsing, it obviously failed my as we drove past 2 other caches that we could have had and we missed 4 others within a half mile.... Pays to take the cache book huh...
I loaded more POI into the old TomTom and we won't be driving past these anymore!