There is a lot more snow in South Western Ontario this year then there was last winter. Last winter it seemed like we would get a bit of snow and then it would melt. Then start the process all over again. This year we just keep getting snow on top of snow on top of snow.
We want to know what your most memorable WINTER cache has been this cold season. Post them in the comments!
I just received an email that I have a new souvenir. And there it is. My Ontario souvenir for all to see! One of many new souvenirs coming out.
Souvenirs or Badges as I like to call them are ways to show off some of your accomplishments.
I recently received an email stating that a souvenir I voted for is coming to light soon. 100 trackable logs.
I think it is kind of cool that Ground Speak has decided to create all of these souvenirs as a reflection of your accomplishments. It seems that just about every social website includes some sort of token to show your accomplishments.
Watch for lots of new souvenirs coming soon!
Vote for Souvenirs and more info about souvenirs at Customer Feedback for Geocaching.com.
Also posted on TAG
Badly placed caches have been a bug in my side lately. I have seen more then my fair share as of late.
We all understand the concept of “Placing a Geocache” don’t we? Or do we?
Lately I have been finding caches just a little too easy. Caches that are placed in front of homes on rural roads, a cache in a playground set, one in a stop sign in an urban setting and even a few in a playground area right near the houses bordering it.
When we place caches, we should look around us to see what others might see. If it is near a playground, think of what it would be look like if a 55 year old man, dressed in his finest caching clothes, holding a gps and wandering around would look like. If you had kids at that playground, would you think something fishy was going on watching this person fish around a pine tree?
I think I would.
Pulling up across the road from a home in a rural setting. Looking around a tree or stump. Not a normal thing to see on a normally abandoned road. And yet as I drove in, I see 10 other stumps that AREN’T in front of a home. Why would you choose the one directly in front of their home where they can see me pull up while they are watching TV. Now difference here is that if the owner knows about the cache, then say so in your cache description. Tell me that the occupants know what is there. I really don’t need to feel like any minute now the police are going to drive up with sirens blaring.
I have also seen caches on the side of the road of main thoroughfares in the country. The other night I stopped for one of these and believe it or not, as I was coming out of the ditch, an officer stopped to ask if everything was ok. Now I am ok with explaining geocaching to each and every officer that has asked, but I don’t see why I should have to worry about it. I have now been asked by half a dozen officers about what I was doing. They have been pretty good with my explanation of geocaching, but I am waiting for the day that one of them doesn’t grasp the concept and into the back of the cruiser I go. Good thing I am pretty clean cut!
I have also encountered caches that just seem to be out in the open. Sometimes I wonder how they don’t get muggled. Just plain luck? I know that sometimes caches get moved around after the hide. But it seems that some are just plain out in the open and there wasn’t anywhere to hide them originally. A small sized cache sitting in the crotch of a tree in a playground is going to come up missing more than once!
So let’s just think about our surroundings when we place caches. Look around. Don’t just jump out of the vehicle, hide it, take the coords and run.
I would love to hear about some of your pet peeve hides! Post your comments below!
It’s that time of year again when the wind blows cold, the wet stuff turns to white stuff and people start using that 4 letter swear word again. Yes it’s SNOW!
Just when you start to think that the season has turned to a point where you are going to just stay inside, you load up your gps with geocaches, suit up in the warm clothes and decide to head out just to see what it is like. You may find it amazingly beautiful at this time. There are no bugs, there are less weeds (although the wild raspberry bushes seem to still be sharp) and the poison ivy is non-existent.
I know that some geocachers like to stay close to their vehicles as it is one of those warm shelters when the wind is blowing. I will admit, that if the wind is whipping the old white stuff around I generally do the same. Drive by’s are usually on the order. But even then, just when you think you have a drive by, you end up wandering 100 to 200 meters away from the vehicle and it can get mighty cold in a short time.
I do prefer trail caching in the winter time as the bugs aren’t bugging you (as they do best on a hot humid day), it is so much easier to take off a few layers to cool down then it is to try and cool down on a 30C day. I like to try to choose days that aren’t as windy also, but I find that once you wander down
the first 100 meters or so of a well treed trail, the temperature change is noticeable and the cold wind doesn’t whip through you like a banshee. The week before New Year’s I took my son on a newly opened trail near here to place 6 caches. I was afraid at first that the trail ran west to east and we had a strong westerly wind, that my son wouldn’t go. But after placing the first cache near the road (I like that on a trail for those who may just want a quick drive by) and walking in about 50 meters, we were surprised that that it was very comfortable and the wind just didn’t reach us.
Last year I did a lot of winter caching with groups. We had lots of new caches on the trails in Brantford and it made for great fun. With all the laughing and carrying on, it was a great time. Plus the fact that we all took turns signing everyone’s name at each cache made it so your finger weren’t cold all the time. Bouncing from one cache to another and making fun of each other was the greatest. A group of us even spent some time caching a wooded area near Thorold.
So remember, just because there is snow a flying doesn’t mean that you can’t get out to enjoy grabbing a few caches or a lot of them.
Some things to remember to take when winter caching:
Take extra socks and pants – wet feet hurt after a while. Believe me!
All in all, winter caching can be just as fun as summer caching. You may even be able to get to those places that would be quite a bit more difficult in the summer time. Just remember to don’t always trust ice and make sure you test it well if you do walk out on ice.
Happy winter caching!