Blog Template Musings about Geocaching: Uh Oh . . . someone didn't read the cache page

Musings about Geocaching

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Uh Oh . . . someone didn't read the cache page

I have a cache placed right next to a small parking spot at the beginning of a hike, which has several intersecting, and parallel trails. On the trails, there are more than 15 caches. In the cache description of the "Parking Spot Cache," I explain in detail how to get to the main trail and even provide a trail waypoint, as well as a link to the next cache up the trail.

To the WNW of this parking spot is another cache, on a parallel trail, however, the cache description doesn't mention that cache, only the one to the south. The three caches, and the trail waypoint look like this on my Mapsource map:


I feel very bad for the person who got on the wrong track, because they were from out of town, and their bushwhack struggle really cut into the fun they could have been having on the trail.

Without reading the cache page, and by trying to go to the "Tunnel of Shade" cache, which is on a parallel trail, it would be easy to get lost. That parallel trail is separated from the road by impenetrable chaparral vegetation, something I mentioned in my May 17th blog entry. You really can't get from the parking spot to the other trail . . . although this cacher apparently did . . . after an hour-long struggle.

I posted a Note to the cache page, and included an image of the caches, and the trail waypoint, mentioned in the cache description.

There was a recent thread in the Forums about people not reading the cache pages where one experienced cacher stated that the cache page looked like this to him:
Coordinates

Blah, blah, blah

Hint

So, I'm not sure any additional text on my cache page would be helpful . . .


2 Comments:

  • Good coordinates should be all that is needed. While other information may be helpful, if the coordinates are good, folks should be able to find the cache. It may be more of an adventure, but those tend to make the better memories.

    By Blogger Bob, at 4:58 PM  

  • Yes, you would think so. However, this particular trail goes around Private Property, on National Forest land. The Private Property is posted with "No Trespassing" signs. To avoid any problems, I thought by directing people to a "trail waypoint" and then to the next cache on the correct trail, I was doing them a service. By not reading the cache page, and by trying to get to a cache on a parallel trail, which is impossible to get to, this person was unhappy. They left a log on the cache page stating, in BOLD that the directions on the cache page were terrible . . .

    Miragee

    By Blogger Miragee, at 12:30 PM  

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