A few years ago I got really addicted to caching, and would go out every weekend, both Saturday and Sunday from sunrise to sunset or later and try to find as many as I could. Sometimes I’d do 100 park and grabs, and other times I’d do 3 super long hikes in the woods. During the week I’d head out after work to cache with friends and go for the FTFs.
It was fun, but I got burned out and stopped for about a year but have recently started up again, doing a few whenever we’re in a cool area, but I’m starting to get frustrated again. Why? Because I’m noticing a lot of hides in dangerous areas or a whole hiking series that are all high difficulty.
I love caching because it has taken me to some wonderful places with amazing views, and I’ve met some wonderful people, some of whom have become close friends. Unfortunately, there are things I don’t like about it, like ticks, poison ivy and bad hides. Let me explain.
I’m not opposed to difficult caches or ones that require a physical challenge, but when I see a whole series of difficult hides along a beautiful trail with excellent views, I get discouraged. Why bring someone to a beautiful area and then make them search for a deviously hidden nano stuffed into the end of a branch, then have them walk 1000 feet to a fake rock in a huge pile of rocks with the next hide hidden 15 feet down a cliff where you could die if you fall?
How is that family friendly? I wanted to hike and cache with my wife and son along a certain ridge line this fall because the views are gorgeous, but when I looked at the caches, they were all high terrain and high difficulty. A friend, who had done a few of them and wouldn’t attempt some others, said they weren’t worth doing. The biggest problem is that this beautiful area is now “locked up” by this series of caches, and there are no spots to put any family friendly hides. When one looks at the logs, the comments aren’t great, and only a handful of people have attempted them.
I love the idea of a series of hides along a trail, but mix up the types. If you want to challenge people, make a couple harder hides but keep the majority easier. Is the point of caching to discourage and frustrate people or give people an opportunity to visit new areas and find them?
For me, I believe the closer a cache is to parking, the more difficult it can be, but if getting there requires a long walk, keep the hide easier. What are your thoughts?
