Etiquette Involving Adopted Caches

[+ByronForestPreserve]

Being the caching representative of a forest preserve, I've had a few caches on our property given to my care over the years. I have four that, for one reason or another, don't get many visits, and had a couple of questions about their longevity.

 

Two are celebrating milestones for local cachers. I feel like I need to leave these be, but one has had only had 4 visits in the last two years. The other's traffic would be similar except that it's close enough to our education building that I take Girl and Boy Scouts to it a couple times a year. I was considering archiving these to make room for a GeoTrail series when we get our geocoin prizes made, but I also kind of don't want to archive them since they are special to a few people.

 

Another is a Premium cache, and I was thinking about removing that aspect and opening it to all cachers. Would this aggravate people, do you think? It's hardly ever found and I think that might increase traffic.

 

The last is a challenge cache, and I think the requirements can't be met anymore (I've emailed the person who could answer that for me; it's a "come to our Sunday Breakfast Events" challenge, and they haven't had one in almost a year, so). I guess their answer will solve that issue, but honestly that one is rarely found, too.

 

 

TL;DR: not sure what the etiquette is in archiving or changing caches that were adopted to me.

[+cerberus1]

They're your caches now...

You're giving it some thought and that's good.

Do what you think is best.

Edited January 22, 2015 by cerberus1

[+Sivota]

That's right, they are your caches now and being the CO you need to look at changing situations, like requirements that can't be met anymore or the reasons caches have been made premium member only etcetera.

 

I was wondering, "the two caches that celebrate milestones", could it be attractive to incorporate them in your geotrail?

You might want to look at that possibility.

 

[+niraD]

What's the point of the cache? What's the point of the adoption? As the adoptive owner, you're the only one who can answer those questions. And your answers will determine what you do with them.

[+dprovan]

Yep, I agree with everyone else that they're yours, so don't worry about it if after considering everything, you think some should go. Now some of the specific issues:

 

I personally would avoid archiving them for no other reason than to replace them with more park suitable caches, but at the same time, I have no objection if you want to do that.

 

The challenge cache sounds like it should go unless someone involved in the breakfasts wants to adopt it, but rather than archive it immediately, you should post a note warning about its demise in case anyone qualifies from years past but hasn't gotten around to finding it yet.

 

No big deal changing from premium to normal. That's entirely up to you.

 

And, finally, I don't mean to try to talk you out of anything, but I just wanted to mention that being infrequently visited isn't necessarily a bad thing, particularly if the cache is in an offbeat location. If it's not in the way, and it's not causing any maintenance problem, then there's no particular reason to archive it just because not many geocachers make it to that area very often.

[+Dame Deco]

Archive them, time for some new caches.

[+Trotter17]

Regarding the challenge cache: If it's you're cache now and the logging requirement is something unusual like attending a breakfast that you can't guarantee will be held or not, just go ahead and archive the cache or change the challenge (if you can)while giving any watchers a warning. Otherwise, that cache is surely not going to get visited.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Regarding the challenge cache: If it's you're cache now and the logging requirement is something unusual like attending a breakfast that you can't guarantee will be held or not, just go ahead and archive the cache or change the challenge (if you can)while giving any watchers a warning. Otherwise, that cache is surely not going to get visited.

 

IF you change it, it's no longer the same cache...

 

If the qualifying meetings are not regular/regular enough Archive it.

You could Temporary Disable it, with a warning it will be Archived. It will show in any Pocket Queries, and those that have it on a Watch List will be warned. Two weeks to a month after, Archive it.

 

PMO caches, your choice. You could make it available to all.

 

The less often visited caches... What makes them less visited? THAT could be the reason to keep them!

 

But, as others have said, they are YOUR caches now, do as you think best.

[+narcissa]

Another is a Premium cache, and I was thinking about removing that aspect and opening it to all cachers. Would this aggravate people, do you think? It's hardly ever found and I think that might increase traffic.

 

I think this is a great idea.

 

If you publish some new ones, that will probably bump traffic to all of them.

[+ByronForestPreserve]

I personally would avoid archiving them for no other reason than to replace them with more park suitable caches, but at the same time, I have no objection if you want to do that.

 

The locations aren't bad, but I know the forest preserve better than just about anyone, and there are some more interesting places close by. I've placed two just outside of the 1/5 mile range of the two I was discussing with Boy Scouts, but since I had them choose their locations, they're also not as good as I would have selected. Archiving the two as well as the Boy Scout ones opens up a huge area, including some really neat hidden spots that would otherwise go unappreciated.

 

The challenge cache sounds like it should go unless someone involved in the breakfasts wants to adopt it, but rather than archive it immediately, you should post a note warning about its demise in case anyone qualifies from years past but hasn't gotten around to finding it yet.

 

That's a great suggestion, and I will do that, thank you.

 

And, finally, I don't mean to try to talk you out of anything, but I just wanted to mention that being infrequently visited isn't necessarily a bad thing, particularly if the cache is in an offbeat location. If it's not in the way, and it's not causing any maintenance problem, then there's no particular reason to archive it just because not many geocachers make it to that area very often.

 

True...what I'd like, in the end, is for them to be placed so that someone could hike in a big circle and get all of the caches at the main site. The locations right now just don't line up well, and this one ends up getting ignored because it's in the opposite direction of the others. On the other hand, there's also more room around that one, and maybe putting another in a path toward it will help.

 

Thanks, all--that really answered my questions. And to fill in a blank--I got a quick answer that the breakfast events are on indefinite hiatus, so archiving that one definitely makes sense.

[+K13]

I see you are involved with the forest in some official capacity. Why not include these "Classics" in your new series? Prior finders may enjoy revisiting them, and the coin or other bauble for finding x of y in the forest will still be available to them. This way, the old caches are still there and the new ones can be rotated as wanted.

oh, and I would lose the Challenge cache and make them all non-PMO.

[jholly]

I see you are involved with the forest in some official capacity. Why not include these "Classics" in your new series? Prior finders may enjoy revisiting them, and the coin or other bauble for finding x of y in the forest will still be available to them. This way, the old caches are still there and the new ones can be rotated as wanted.

oh, and I would lose the Challenge cache and make them all non-PMO.

That's were I'm at. Nothing wrong with lonely caches, some folks like finding them. But if you can include them in the new series, do so by all means.