Couldn't have said it better, Scott.............Flatiron and Mrs. Wrangler
----- Original Message -----
From: Roping The Wind
Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2004 7:51 PM
To:
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] forwarded forum post about micro/urban caches.. from Daniel J. Karam
>>Microcaches - The Death of Creative Geocaching By Daniel J. Caram
aka jmarac
My son Paul has been geocaching half of his life. He was probably one of the
few two year olds in the country that could say the word "Geocaching". I
have pictures of him bouncing along in my backpack, patiently enduring the
prickers, heat, and mud. One such quest took us a couple of hours up the
side of a mountain and ended up with me having my boots literally sucked off
of my feet! Eventually it became an understanding between us, that Paul's
reward was to be able to choose his prize from the spoils when we actually
found the green box. But recently a whole slew of microcaches have flooded
our area, prompting the now 4 year old Paul to inquire - Where is the green
box? Although I have other reasons for asking it - it is a good question -
Where have all the green boxes gone?
We all remember the first time we went geocaching. I became fascinated in
the sport after reading a lengthy article in the local Erie Times News. Soon
afterwards, I purchased a Garmin Etrex from Amazon.com which I still refer
to as the best $100.00 I ever spent. My first few caches were found at
Presque Isle State Park. I have lived in Erie, Pennsylvania all of my life
and had been to this beautiful area of forests and beaches more times than I
could count, but I discovered my first cache in an area of the park to which
I had never ventured. "Wow, I never knew this place existed!" I exclaimed I
found myself making that statement repeatedly as the geocaching bug bit me,
taking me to beautiful overlooks, pastures, and state game lands all around
my hometown.
Not only was I impressed by the locations, but also by the creativity of the
individuals who had placed them. One cacher did a series based on Tolkien's
"Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Another fellow had devised a couple of caches
where the green ammo box was to be found high in a tree, only to be accessed
by finding a rope that would lower the cache from a pulley system! Yet
another had stashed a multi-cache based on Star Wars; one stage involved
finding a hidden set of binoculars and then using them to read clues of a
sign posted far away Little mini adventures! I applauded this thinking that
was "outside the box" (no pun intended). I appreciated the time and energy
that was invested into making them clever. Geocaching provided a great way
to spend a pleasant afternoon, seeking a diversion away from the city on a
little hidden scavenger hunt adventure.
But slowly, this escapism and creativity has been fading away with the
inordinate number of microcaches that have been flooding the geocaching
landscape. Instead of a green ammo box or substantive container cunningly
squirreled away in a beautiful area, there are little Altoids tins or
magnetic keyholders or tiny green cylinders hastily stuffed right smack dab
in the middle of a bustling public area. Many of the cache descriptions have
the following disclaimer - "be discreet while retrieving this" or "this is a
high traffic area so beware of muggles", or "use stealth when obtaining this
one". Why!? Why should I have to act like a petty criminal up to no good
when I'm trying to obtain a cache? I like fresh air and scenic overlooks -
not wondering what that whole row of houses across the street thinks of me
poking along their fence trying to find a tic-tac container. I do not enjoy
sneaking around trying to look nonchalant in a public place!
One microcache in our area was actually hidden right on the base of a
rock-climbing wall in a family sports park. This place is usually teeming
with people so I went early in the morning to try to get it, only to have a
police cruiser slow down and observe me. I finally found it but had to admit
to myself- "I really didn't enjoy that". I'm into geocaching for the
challenge and the scenery, but I want to do all this without having to act
suspiciously. Is that too much to ask? A fellow geocacher, who lives about
30 miles from me, said that in his area, microcaches are showing up in
laundromats, parking lots, and newspaper boxes. "Geocaching," he lamented,
"is becoming organized littering".
Why do geocachers place these little microcaches? Two reasons: Because
generally, they are a fast and cheap way to rack up more numbers next to
your name. 1) Fast - because they do not involve much planning or
creativity. You don't need to put any real time or energy in the creative
process putting a little magnetic holder on a bridge post. 2) Cheap - You
can procure a dozen little containers for a couple of bucks. A green ammo
box is at least $5.00, plus you want to stock it well (another $10) so
probably about $15 for an average cache. As I write this, the number next to
my name is a measly 82. That works out to be about one cache a week. I was
never into geocaching for the numbers and I never will be. I would rather
find one thoughtful, creative or scenically placed cache, than ten hastily
dropped and ultimately annoying microcaches. I have some great memories and
experiences while geocaching - almost none of them involve microcaches.
There are exceptions, of course, to all of this.Creativity and microcaches
do not have to be mutually exclusive. Micros aren't always horrible and ammo
boxes are not always creative. While I was on business in Pittsburgh,
geocaching brought me to a spectacular overlook of the city that could only
have accomplished with a microcache. Conversely, I have seen people just
drop an ammo box in the midst of some poison ivy infested area behind the
rest room of a state park.
Of course, if you live in a strictly urban setting like New York City, you
are probably resigned to microcaches, but for the majority of us with many
parks and acres of forests around, we don't have an excuse. I steadfastly
reject the argument that we are running out of places to hide caches. I used
to look forward to my weekly email from Geocaching.com heralding the new
caches in my area - now this list, replete with just more and more
microcaches, inspires a disappointed yawn.
I write this article not to be critical, but because I love geocaching and
want to see it survive. Perhaps I'm not as annoyed with the microcache
containers themselves as I am with the complacency and lack of originality
they seem to engender. Next time you place a cache, tap into your hidden
reserves of creativity and let's get back to what made us want to go
geocaching in the first place. Oh and by the way, if you're caching out in
the Erie, Pennsylvania area - put a toy in the green box for Paul. <<
Scott
Team Ropingthewind
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