[Az-Geocaching] AZ STATS

[Roping The Wind]

"The Effort Avoidance Theory in Geocaching"

This is the theory behind the ChallengePoints ranking.

When it comes to urban caching... I am all about the Effort Avoidance 
Theory. :) I like an easy to find urban cache. I dont like looking like I am 
acting suspicious or whatever else. I like to walk up to a park bench... and 
find a cache. Coordinates take me right to it. For me, the fun is in using 
the GPS to guide me there. Its fun to work your way into a neighborhood only 
to find the cache is behind a house and on the other side of the wall and 
you find out you have to drive all the way around to the next neighborhood 
over to get into the cache site. I have seen some cleverly placed caches in 
urban areas that try and trick you in such a way. One such example might be 
the "another brick in the wall' cache in south Scottsdale. I just enjoy 
caches that require using the GPS's mapping features and just the GPS's 
basic features to guide you to a cache.

I dont care for puzzle caches and such and will very rarely do them anymore. 
Geocaching is all about the GPS. Any cache that takes me more than 10 or 20 
minutes to find and I dont find it.... I move on. There are plenty other 
urban caches out there to find! There are a bunch of caches that have been 
on my 'first page' for years and I still havent found them and never will. I 
do enjoy a good cleverly disquised urban cache.. a nice camo job or 
something creative like the 'Lock out Muggles' cache (the one in Gilbert 
that is a two part multi... need to find the 'keys' to open the cache). That 
was a very creative cache. I dont like caches so small you cant fit a 
respectable size logbook in them either. Typically, those kinds of caches 
require lengthy searches.

So when it comes to urban caches... the Effort Avoidance Theory is what I am 
all about. :))))))

On the flip side of the coin...

When it comes to terrain/hiking caches... I am just the opposite. I love the 
challenge of trying to get to a cache in a remote area... whether it 
requires a 4x4 truck to get back to it, a lengthy hike or a good climb to 
get to it or whatever else. Anyone that knows me... knows I often times like 
to use the "RTW theory" of how to get to a cache. That is.. "the shortest 
distance is always best".... ie: rather than go around the mountain and 
switchback your way up.... just go straight up!!! :)  LOL Usually, in 
reality, that takes ten times more effort than taking the easier route up! 
But that is normally the RTW way. :)  So, with that said.. I believe the RTW 
theory should be applied to the math used to calculate the ChallengePoints 
ranking system. :)  If you use this method... you get more points. :) LOL

Scott
Team Ropingthewind