[Az-Geocaching] More on abandoned Caches

[Eric Quinn]

--- "C. Sullivan" <feedle@feedle.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> On Thu, 16 May 2002, Eric Quinn wrote:
> 
> > I think someone needs to go find caches that have
> > a higher terrain difficulty than a 2.5 before 
> > saying how soon someone should be able to get 
> > to a cache site.
> 
> Ouch.  That's personal.

It wasn't meant to be personal, well it was but only
regarding what you have accomplished.

> Not that I haven't tried, mind you.  I've tried to
> log a number of high-terrain and high-difficulty 
> caches.  Oddly enough, a lot of them tend to not
> be there.  I wonder why.

I've had better luck finding the more difficult ones
than the urban caches. I assume you haven't tried any
in South Mountain, Phoenix Mountain Preserve or the
San Tans or McDowells.

> Being as I don't own a 4WD, and I have medical
> problems that restricts my ability to attempt some
> of the longer hikes, I don't have the liberty of
> pursuing the most difficult ones.  If you'd like to
> remedy the situation and take me offroading on
> cache finds, I'd appreciate it. 

Sorry but my wheels are more suited for Firebird
Raceway than any sort of off-road trail.

> But I have attempted.  

Congratulations. But by your own admission, you
haven't seen some of the very difficult ones.

> Watch Your Step had really piqued my interest.  
> However, I'm not going to risk life and limb to 
> pursue a cache that might not be there. I had 
> gone so far as to drive to the base of the hill
> before I decided that it just wasn't worth it,
> especially when recent reports show the cache as 
> missing.

You may want to look at a topo map before making the
drive. If I see that someone who doesn't have much
experience with caching in AZ reports something
missing, I take it with a grain of salt. If I see one
of the regulars reports something missing, I take it
seriously. 

> And on that note, I've pursued a few (Bloody Basin
> comes to mind) that did push my abilities as an 
> owner of a large sedan.

I got to a dip in the road and decided to turn back.

> I could retaliate that somebody who hasn't become a
> Charter Member equally has no right to complain.  
> But that wouldn't be fair, would it?
> 
That would be comparing apples and concrete. I'm
commenting on *YOU* complaining, not the lack of a
feature on the main site.
> 
> > You'll find that a large number of people believe
> > that maintaining a cache involves checking to see 
> > if it's there occasionally and seeing if the 
> > finding is damaging the terrain.
> 
> Based on your reply, I'm going to assume that you
> disagree with this.
> 
> > I personally don't see an ammo box sitting in the
> > desert for a few months between visits as
> > littering any more than a utility box is.
> 
> Because what if the ammo box's contents somehow get
> liberated?  I've encountered more than one cache
> who's contents had been raided (usually by homeless,
> so this is largely an urban problem) that have been 
> strewen about.  But that's urban caches.

Which I wasn't talking about.

> As far as ones in the middle of nowhere.. you see
> utility boxes in the middle of nowhere? I recently 
> drove Apache Trail, and I don't recall even seeing
> as much as a phone pole in some of the more remote
> parts.

Oddly enough, someone who has lived here most of their
life usually has seen more than someone who recently
arrived. If I hadn't seen utility boxes in very remote
areas, I wouldn't have said it.

> If Nature didn't put it there, it's littering. 
> Justifying it by saying "well, it's no worse than 
> a utility box" is pretty pathetic.

This must be revenge for being personal. Face the
fact, according to every statute I am aware of, what
we do is littering, unless permission is given by the
property owner or applicable agent. How far you
justify this to yourself is between you, your
concience and the police. I take it to a degeree that
I believe doesn't harm the environment or degrage the
visual experience others receive. Like I said, no
worse than a remote utility box.

> Especially considering that usually utility boxes
> get visited once every couple of weeks and are
> actively being monitored 24/7 by remote... I'll
> bet you if something happened to that utility box,
> somebody would be there within 24 hours.

If I got paid to visit caches, I'd be there in under
24 hours as well.


Eric
TD

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