Are You Sure It's Gone?

[+Jamie Z]

I thought some of you would like this one. Not very long ago I was in Florida in an area which has been hit by a couple of Hurricanes recently.

 

Here's the link, but I'll summarize below.

 

I searched for a cache which I couldn't find. Based on what I saw at the site, I was fairly certain the cache was either gone, or buried in sand. I included a couple of pictures of my findings.

 

The cache owner responded with a note to the cache page confirming that the cache was still there. I guess I just missed it. Then a few weeks later, the cache owner posted a note that she was wrong and that the cache is gone.

 

Moral: Don't confirm the cache is still there if you don't know.

 

Any similar experiences?

 

Jamie

[+Jamie Z]

I guess this isn't a frequent occurance, but here's another:

 

I.C.U

 

This cache was reported missing by the owner on August 13 and disabled. Subsequently someone found it on August 24. The owner then reported two months later that he found it, and the cache was re-enabled.

 

Jamie

[+Jamie Z]

Here's another!

 

The cache owner archived the cache saying he checked and the cache was gone.

 

A few weeks later, two people posted a find.

 

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny

 

Jamie

[+Harry Dolphin]

Yeah, I know what you mean! I went looking for one with twenty-one finds between March 29, 2003 and March 14, 2004. Two DNFs, April and July, note from Admin on September 2nd. September 13th, owner said the caches was still there. Three DNFs in December (including mine). Archived in May, 2005 with note about 'Building going on nearby.' I figure it had been missing for a year, and the owner never checked on it. Oh, well.

[+Lil Devil]

Interesting stories. Here's one from the cache owner's perspective.

 

One of my own caches is very difficult and somewhat intimidating to find. It's in an outdoor courtyard at a local shopping mall; an ultra-high traffic area. The cache is 20 feet from elevator doors which open without warning to disgorge muggles, and is protected by a security camera right above the cache

 

A couple of years ago, after a DNF or two, I checked on it and couldn't find it so I disabled it. Later I stopped by and hid a replacement. A few finders later someone found BOTH caches

 

Many months later, after a month and a half with no logs at all, I was in the area and checked on the cache again. After an exhaustive search I determined that the cache was missing again. I decided not to replace it again, so I archived it. A couple months later, my wife and a friend were unaware the cache was archived and casually checked on and found the cache while having lunch nearby

 

Nowadays I pretty much ignore the DNF logs

[+briansnat]

Slightly different, but I received a DNF log for a cache of mine. The person was certain the cache was MIA. It was in a small, white round plastic container hidden in a rotting tree stump.

 

The person e-mailed me a photo of a small, white round plastic container laying empty on the ground next to a rotten stump. Things didn't look too good so I headed there to check on it and the cache was right where I had hidden it. But About 40 feet away was

a small white plastic container laying on the ground next a stump.

[+Shifty]

My only problem and experiance with this is when you get the hiders with the "The cache is so remote is MUST still be there, no need to physically check on it"... That type of attitude really grates me to no end. Especially if there have been numerous DNF's on it. I don't care if you want to hide a remote cache, but you had better be prepared to do maintenance on it whenever it needs it. That's called being courteous to your fellow cacher.

[+lillaurel]

Chatfields Chimney was like that. Someone said they found it after several DNFs and it being disabled. We went to check it out and see, but no luck.

[+4leafclover]

my story

[+Renegade Knight]

I've been on both ends. Can't find my own cache becasue someone moved it. Someone with a lot of hides emails me that they can't find it so it must be gone and that if I go confirm it's there and email them they may grace my cache with another hunt. Those same people foret to log a DNF. Without that DNF I may forget to go confirm the cache is there.

[+tozainamboku]

I have three stories

 

I posted this DNF on November 25, 2004

The only cache I didn't find on the Palisades loop today (besides the Mouse-of course). The coords put me in the middle of the trail so I looked on both sides. I'll come back when either <cache owner> confirms its there or someone logs a find.

 

The cache owner responded

Oh, he's there.

 

I went back the next day with the hints the cacher owner had sent me (I already had a pretty good idea what to look for) and still couldn't find the cache but I didn't bother to log the DNF.

 

On December 5, 2004 another cacher logged a DNF. The cache owner then disabled the cache until she replaced on December 20

Dang... he really was gone. I think he was a victim of the weather.

He's back now, though, and kinda easy to spot this time of year.

I didn't have any small enough trade items, but there is a travel bug in the cache.

 

I found this cache on March 14, 2004:

Had trouble finding this one as well. Decoded the hint and it didn't help. Was about to quit when I took one last look. The preposition in the hint is wrong. Perhaps someone decided to hide it better than they found it. I wound up hiding it as I found it, because I couldn't find a place that matched the hint exactly that wasn't too easy to find. Took Where's George, left Sacagawea.

 

I hadn't noticed that the cache owner had replaced the cache the day before with updated coordinates after it was reported missing

After seeing the *moist* report and the DNF, I checked on it. Muggled!  I placed a new and better container, moved it not far from the original location and updated coords this morning. Maybe the new loc and better camo will help it last. Thanks <another cacher> for reporting the DNF.

 

I guess someone did hide it better than they found it because I found the original coffee can at the original coordinates.

 

The final story is my own cache. After it had gone unfound for almost a year (I don't think anyone even attempted it during that time) I went to do maintenance on it

I was going to leave a yellow Jeep travel bug in the cache (or rather with the cache as it is a log only micro). I took a picture for the contest and then looked for the cache. I couldn't find it.  Given the cache location it is very unlikely that it was muggled. I didn't have a replacement with me so I'll disable it till I can get back. I left the Jeep in my Fascinating Cache GCF405 instead.

 

Given it was a long hike, I didn't get back to replace the cache for 10 months. This time though I found the orginal cache hidden slightly differently than I had left it

It seems the cache was there all the time. Teaches me for hiding a micro in the woods  Looks like one of the finders hid it in a different place. I left it there because I think its a better spot than I had it in and hint still applies. I made some changes to the cache page to account for the passage of time. Come and get it.

 

I guess the moral is - Don't be sure its there and don't be sure its gone.

[+pwcorg]

The other side of this coin is what I term "geo-arrogance". It's when a, usually high find count, cacher can't find a cache and assumes in the log that it's gone. I have DNFed plenty of caches that were later found. I have learned that just because I can't find it dosen't mean it's not there.

[+fishingisfun]

Everything everybody says is valid...But let's face it these Gpsrs are only at best 20 feet correct. in either direction...And a mini cache in the bushes can still be next to impossible sometimes...My newbie bottom line: Cache hiders remember difficulty factor when placing....just my 2 cents,,,,

Edited December 16, 2005 by fishingisfun

[+bikinibottomfeeders]

One thing i've noticed is that as I find more types of hides my ratings on my caches tend to go down since I no longer consider it that hard.

 

anyone else have similar experiences?

 

bbf

[+Alan2]

A year or two ago I went to check on one of my caches after a three people couldn't find it. When I got there I couldn't remember the exact place I hid it - the whole area had grown all sorts of weeds. Embarrassingly, I didn't find the spot I originally hid it and posted no notes. I held my breath and waited. A few months later someone posted the find and it's still there getting found.

 

I sure hope I never have to do maintenance on it.

Edited December 17, 2005 by Alan2

[+Jeonlyep]

This cache has moved around some in the last year. GCMRB7 I found it once and the hider has photos on the page for where he hid it. but it some where else now. Still getting finds. By reading the logs you can see when it got moved.

 

"

April 22 by katdude (885 found)

After bending over and looking up for 10 minutes started walking back to truck and saw cache in baggy lying on the ground.

Placed back where thought it should go at the coords.

Maybe this one should be magnetic.

Really strange seeing a locomotive out in the middle of somewhere like this.

 

May 26 by ksprairiepartners (153 found)

Looked for 30 minutes without finding the cache. Don't know if we need new glasses or if the cache is gone. My kids rode on the DCF&B a few years ago on a class trip and loved it.

 

June 24 by barondriver (1924 found)

..drove by and checked on cache and didn't find it either..so I'll put it down and replace it the next time that I'm out..

 

June 24 by kcseagull (275 found)

Funny how things can come down sometimes. We pulled the data sheet on this cache on May 13, 2005 while we were still in Biloxi, Mississippi. We drove up here and found it without any problems. Came to the library in Dodge City to post our find only to find that it had been temporarily discontinued. Don't know how we did it but we found it.

To bad the old thing can't be saved....it thought it could.

SL

Kcseagull

 

June 25 by barondriver (1924 found)

hmmm..guess it's still there and I just couldn't find it...

"

 

And so the story goes.....

 

DAryl

Edited December 19, 2005 by Jeonlyep

[+Isonzo Karst]

I just a placed a cache near an old log cabin in a county park. There had been a cache there when I started caching, last find on it April of 2004. It was archived after a series of notes (no DNFs, just notes) about not finding it. I published my replacement 12/02/05, and the very first finder found not only my cache, but the original ammo can, fairly near it's original coords and hidden as per hint! I immediately contacted the owner and offered to archive mine, if he wanted to get his unarchived, but he declined - actually offered me the ammo can if I wanted to pick it up.

 

I also had a series of DNFs on one of my early hides (a micro in the woods, I learned a lot from that hide - what NOT to do). I couldn't find it and archived it, only to a have Found IT log come in that very evening. I stuck by my archived, and had another long drive to go hunt it again to remove it. Finally came up with it about 120 feet from it's original spot, probably wouldn't have found it without the extra info that the last finders emailed me.

[Mustcache]

One of my caches uses a small magnetic container which has been described as a "nano". In the past there have been dnf's and since I work within 100 feet of the location, I check right away. Twice I've had to replace the missing cache (on a metal fence of the same color).

One day a fellow cacher sent me an email that now there were TWO there. So, I went to look and guess what? There were THREE there. Seems that since the container was so small, finders had failed to place it back in the exact spot. They ended up about 10+ feet away from the original location.

I never thought to look beyond where I placed it and since it was so small, I didn't notice the misplacement. So, now I have the other two that were "missing" as backup and all is well.