[Az-Geocaching] Caches being removed from Superstition Wilderness Area
Mike Ingoglia
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Mon, 20 Jan 2003 11:41:18 -0700
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Although disappointed with this whole situation it reminds me of =
something that's been making me crazy (a little off subject, but I'll =
keep it short). People need to stop putting food in their caches! =
Brian and I were at a cache recently where there was a chocolate covered =
wafer that was opened and one was missing. Not only was it food.... but =
it was an opened package! Anytime Brian and I find a cache with food in =
it we grab all food items and bring it will us to dispose of. Sorry to =
be the party pooper... but we'll continue to remove food from caches.
Food attracts animals to places where people gather. I don't think I =
need to preach this nor do I think there's any argument of this fact. =
When animals come to these places and get used to eating our food they =
become aggressive and may eventually have to be put down. DON'T LEAVE =
FOOD IN THE WILDERNESS! I don't care if you think ammo cans, popcorn =
tins, and Tupperware are air tight!
Even if leaving food didn't attract animals, do you actually believe: =
A) a fellow geocacher is going to eat opened/unopened food that was left =
by a stranger for an unknown amount of time or B) A candy bar will last =
very long in a closed container in the middle of the desert?
:-) =20
Didn't mean to sound so harsh, but the last thing the sport of =
Geocaching needs is negative press from a bear attacking a little girl =
because it was trying to "protect" a cache that it (the bear) knew to =
contain food. You thought the negative press concerning archeological =
sites was bad!!
Mike
Team Leaplab
----- Original Message -----=20
From: AZSaluki@aol.com=20
To: listserv@azgeocaching.com=20
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 5:37 PM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Caches being removed from Superstition =
Wilderness Area
We just returned from a trip to the Superstitions. Our intention was =
to hit the "Cholla Forest" Cache and then continue on to the "Other Side =
of the Needle" cache and the new "Really Fantastic" cache.
Things were going good until we arrived at the Other Side of the =
Needle. While looking for the cache a ranger from the Mesa Ranger =
District came up to us and said we were not going to be very happy with =
him. Turns out he had just removed the cache. Both the Other Side of =
the Needle and Really Fantastic caches were sitting right there in his =
backpack. He told us that they just found out about geocaching and have =
decided to remove all caches within the wilderness boundary. In =
addition to these caches, they have already removed all of the caches =
along the Peralta trail in the Freemont Saddle area. The caches in the =
Reavis Ranch area were also being removed today. They are basically =
citing the regulation that it is property that has been abandoned after =
24 hours. It seemed the biggest concerns were creating new trails and =
some of the items contained in the caches (food in particular).
He indicated that all of the confiscated caches would be taken to the =
Mesa Ranger station. The placers of the caches can pick them up and =
there will be no penalty or fine. We asked him if there was any chance =
caches would eventually be allowed in the area. He didn't give a =
definite answer but thought that with a proper permit and some advance =
approval from the district it may be ok. Hopefully the caches will =
eventually be able to return to this area, some of our favorite trips =
have been in the Superstitions. =20
I asked them to post a message on the list serve to let us know all =
the caches that were going to be removed. If you have hidden any caches =
in the area it may be a good idea to call the Mesa Ranger District of =
the US Forest Service.
On a side note, we are wondering if we should claim these two caches =
as a virtual finds. We made it to the cache sites and even found the =
caches (in his back pack). Unfortunately we couldn't exchange anything =
or sign the log books. =20
Hopefully there are not too many others in the Superstitions looking =
for these confiscated caches.=20
Jim & Kristen (AZSaluki) =20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Although disappointed with this whole =
situation it=20
reminds me of something that's been making me crazy (a little off =
subject, but=20
I'll keep it short). People need to stop putting food in their=20
caches! Brian and I were at a cache recently where there was a =
chocolate=20
covered wafer that was opened and one was missing. Not only was it =
food.... but it was an opened package! Anytime Brian and I find a =
cache=20
with food in it we grab all food items and bring it will us to dispose =
of. =20
Sorry to be the party pooper... but we'll continue to remove food from=20
caches.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Food attracts animals to places where =
people=20
gather. I don't think I need to preach this nor do I think there's =
any=20
argument of this fact. When animals come to these places and get =
used to=20
eating our food they become aggressive and may eventually have to be put =
down. DON'T LEAVE FOOD IN THE WILDERNESS! I don't care if =
you think=20
ammo cans, popcorn tins, and Tupperware are air tight!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Even if leaving food didn't attract =
animals, do you=20
actually believe: A) a fellow geocacher is going to eat =
opened/unopened=20
food that was left by a stranger for an unknown amount of time or B) A =
candy bar=20
will last very long in a closed container in the middle of the=20
desert?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>:-) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Didn't mean to sound so harsh, but the =
last thing=20
the sport of Geocaching needs is negative press from a bear =
attacking a=20
little girl because it was trying to "protect" a cache that it (the =
bear) knew=20
to contain food. You thought the negative press concerning =
archeological=20
sites was bad!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mike</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Team Leaplab</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3DAZSaluki@aol.com =
href=3D"mailto:AZSaluki@aol.com">AZSaluki@aol.com</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dlistserv@azgeocaching.com=20
=
href=3D"mailto:listserv@azgeocaching.com">listserv@azgeocaching.com</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 18, =
2003 5:37=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Az-Geocaching] Caches =
being=20
removed from Superstition Wilderness Area</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT lang=3D0 =
face=3DArial size=3D2=20
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF">We just returned from a trip to the =
Superstitions. =20
Our intention was to hit the "Cholla Forest" Cache and then continue =
on to the=20
"Other Side of the Needle" cache and the new "Really Fantastic"=20
cache.<BR><BR>Things were going good until we arrived at the =
Other Side=20
of the Needle. While looking for the cache a ranger from the =
Mesa Ranger=20
District came up to us and said we were not going to be very happy =
with=20
him. Turns out he had just removed the cache. Both the =
Other Side=20
of the Needle and Really Fantastic caches were sitting right there in =
his=20
backpack. He told us that they just found out about geocaching =
and have=20
decided to remove all caches within the wilderness boundary. In =
addition=20
to these caches, they have already removed all of the caches along the =
Peralta=20
trail in the Freemont Saddle area. The caches in the Reavis =
Ranch area=20
were also being removed today. They are basically citing the =
regulation=20
that it is property that has been abandoned after 24 hours. It =
seemed=20
the biggest concerns were creating new trails and some of the items =
contained=20
in the caches (food in particular).<BR><BR>He indicated that all of =
the=20
confiscated caches would be taken to the Mesa Ranger station. =
The=20
placers of the caches can pick them up and there will be no penalty or =
fine. We asked him if there was any chance caches would =
eventually be=20
allowed in the area. He didn't give a definite answer but =
thought that=20
with a proper permit and some advance approval from the district it =
may be=20
ok. Hopefully the caches will eventually be able to return to =
this area,=20
some of our favorite trips have been in the Superstitions. =
<BR><BR>I=20
asked them to post a message on the list serve to let us know all the =
caches=20
that were going to be removed. If you have hidden any caches in =
the area=20
it may be a good idea to call the Mesa Ranger District of the US =
Forest=20
Service.<BR><BR>On a side note, we are wondering if we should claim =
these two=20
caches as a virtual finds. We made it to the cache sites and =
even found=20
the caches (in his back pack). Unfortunately we couldn't =
exchange=20
anything or sign the log books. <BR><BR>Hopefully there are not =
too many=20
others in the Superstitions looking for these confiscated caches. =
<BR><BR>Jim=20
& Kristen (AZSaluki) =20
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