Knowing when to pull the plug
A cacher decides that they want to go out and hide a particular series of caches. They obtain all of the materials for the containers, log books, baggies, and any swag associated with the caches they put out, and get them ready for hiding. They pick out a spot to hide the series, go out and hide them, mark the coordinates, test that they are good coordinates, and eventually return home where they spend the time listing the cache. Eventually, the caches get published and the find logs start coming in. The cacher is happy that the response is good to his/her series and the work that they have put into it is not going to waste. Feels good to have given something back to the geocaching community.
However, time passes and some of the caches within the series fall in disrepair. Nothing too major like holes or being destroyed, but a few have fallen to the ground, or the logs have become wet, and eventually a few of them go missing. The owner goes out and does the typical maintenance on these caches. This is a pretty normal cycle of cache ownership that many of us have already experienced.
For some however, the desire to want to give back something to the geocaching community is overshadowed by something that many of us are in short supply: time. Unless you’re retired (and sometimes even then) most folks only have the chance to maintain their caches in their free time. With families, work, and other personal hobbies, sometimes it’s difficult to find the time to do the maintenance on your caches. It’s not that you don’t want to, it’s just that the maintenance of them seems to fall closer to the bottom of your priority list than perhaps picking up the kids, or buying groceries, etc. I suspect that this is how some (not all) caches fall into disrepair and eventually simply just turn into geotrash.
It is this particular situation I have fallen into recently. Back in September of last year, I started buying up containers for a very large series of caches that I had been thinking about hiding. After a conversation at one of the breakfasts, I changed my mind of where I wanted to hide these. Eventually, the series became known as The Story Teller series. This series consists of 100 caches which are hidden all throughout rural Salisbury and Elgin. All but two of them are winter friendly, and all of them are required to solve three different puzzles. They all can be accessed within 50M from a road and some of the scenery from that area is quite beautiful. That’s why I picked that area.
I’ve received a LOT of positive feedback and great logs from people who have done this series (and the puzzles along with it) and it has felt really good to give something like that back to the caching community. However, many of the containers have since lost their wires and have fallen to the ground. Some have become wet, and I have had to replace a few. As another cacher indicated to me, these guys won’t survive the winter.
About a month and a half ago, someone logged a NM on one of my caches in Dieppe. I have driven by that exact location several times. I checked for it once and it was definitely gone but I did not have any spares with me. I have since been by that location more than once and have yet to replace the container. Not because I am lazy, just that it keeps escaping me to do so. When I did think of it on a lunch hour, I stopped at a store to try and find something small enough to get, but couldn’t find anything. So right now, that cache is still disabled.
It got me to thinking about the caches on the Story Teller series. The logs tell me that many have fallen down but have been re-hidden and it got me wondering whether or not I should pull the plug on the entire series. I know there has been a difference of opinion on who should take care of maintenance but for myself, I feel that if I do not have the time to properly maintain and take care of the caches I have, then perhaps they should be removed for someone else to do a hide that they can maintain. This would thusly mean I’d have to archive the entire Story Teller series.
So, readers and followers of Cache Up NB, I send it out to you on what you think I should do about this. I love the series. Cachers seem to love the series, but some, and eventually all, of the containers need some TLC and trying to find the time to do it seems to be difficult. I want to keep the series alive but I also don’t want to see it fall into disrepair because of me not finding the time to fix up containers that need the TLC. I want to keep my reputation of having good, maintained hides.
As of right now, I want to archive the entire series as I just don’t feel it’s right to have those caches out there if I can’t maintain them.
What are your thoughts? What would you do in this situation?
When you first posted this new serie I was amaze on how many containers you had to buy and prepare to make this possible. I have done about half of this serie and was planning to get the rest eventually once I would have a full day to spend in the area. I came here on two seperate occasions but wasn’t able to finish the serie just yet.
I remember coming across a few caches where one end of the wire had given up. I fixed them the best I could and replace the cache where it belong. You had selected nice lock-n-lock and made sure that every wire was well taped but this kind of stuff sadly happens. Nothing you have to feel wrong about.
I can understand the feeling you are getting from this situation tho. If this problem would be from a few caches within 100 unrelated caches, this would pose you no issues at all to archive them. But the fact that you came with a story, assigned parts of that story to 100 traditionnal caches and took the time to prepare them all and hide them all is something and it’s harder to part with one of them.
But the facts you mentionned preventing you from maintaining them are fully legit. I mean, we all have lives and geocaching is a hobby. If it weren’t for people like you who hides tons of caches for us fellow cachers, it would be hard to plan cache runs and long caching days.
I might not bring any solutions to your problem, but I just wanted to tell you that I will fully respect your decision. You are doing so much for the geocaching community in NB that it would be selfish to ask you to keep on maintaining these.
First, I will do a bit of brown nosing. You do a shit load for the caching community and no one can take that away from you. Kudos my friend!
Now, you know how I feel about the maintenance of caches and I have said enough, perhaps too much sometimes on this subject.
I will just say this. Every cacher that hides caches should realize when they reach their personal “quota” of what they can maintain, taking into consideration the time they have on their hands. Perhaps a cacher only has the time to maintain 10 caches, while some other can actively maintain 150 no problems. I would caution any cacher outthere to hide caches over and above their personal “quota”. If at one point one wants to come out with another series, yet they only have time to maintain one, then one needs to decide if it’s time to part with the old one! I personally rather see fewer caches in good shape than tons of geotrash.
I am not saying you need to get rid of this series, I say you need to be honest with the time you have on your hand and decide what you want the most: putting out new ones, or maintaining the ones you have. Perhaps you haven’t reached your quota yet, only you know (not entirely true, I know cachers outthere who are way above their quota and they do not seem to realise it! And no, you are not on that list). A very personal choice, but thoughts that should be in all cachers mind before going out to put caches.
Now if you need a hand, I am sure that there are cachers outthere that would be more than happy to help. Didi and I have been doing some maintenance lately on caches here and there. When I’ll end up doing your series, it would be our pleasure to help with the maintenance.
I know there has been a similar problem here in Fredericton with the Viking series. In both cases, it has nothing to do with the quality of the caches, but with the elements just taking their toll.
I know that at one of our past breakfasts, Mr. Viking asked for help in maintaining this series. All it takes is for whoever is planning on going out there to complete it to bring a few spare log books, tape, etc. The response, as far as i was able to see, was positive. I have, along with Coopdquared and a few other cachers, replaces some containers and log sheets along this series.
I think there is an expectation that the hider has to make sure he (or she) is able to handle the maintenance of his own caches, however, it is not unreasonable to ask for help when needed, especially if it comes down to having to archive such a well loved series. From my experience, geocachers in the area are always willing to lend a hand. If you put out an SOS and still get no help, then it might be time to consider other options. Its all about paying it forward. if you put the time in creating the series for our enjoyment, we should be able to help out once in a while when needed.
Almost completed the Dobson Trail caches and did the Viking Caches .We replaced any wet log sheets and repaired any caches. There are so many new caches that it take time to get around to all the caches. Do not be in a big hurry to cancel your caches. There are still many roads and sites that do not have any caches.
I have always said that the cache finder should help in maintaining the caches they are finding.
On a caching trip Sunday to Fredericton I have placed a log sheet in a cache that the book was missing and repared a cache where the wire was broken.
This is to thank the cache hider who placed the caches for me to find.
Digger1952 and TRH&SG fixed one of mine on the Dobson Trail ( and I thank them ).
If they are beyond repair I would wish that the cache finder would take the old cache and throw it away for me and state this in the log.
That way , if I want to keep the cache I will return and replace it with another cache but it also gives me the option to archive it without returning to retrieve it.
And I think that the new finders of your caches should do the same.
I hate to see caches archived, especially when I have not had the opportunity to find them beforehand. I have had trouble maintaining my caches in the past and I understand your difficulty. I have found myself looking for caches in the past only to find out that they are missing or I find a cache in need of replacement. I would have absolutely no problem with doing maintenance for my fellow cacher, as long as it would not be considered a breach of etiquette. If and when I go out to get the Story Teller Series, I would gladly drop you a message to see if you needed any caches replaced/repaired.
I do not think that I am alone with my opinion. I am very grateful for the work that fellow cachers put into their caches. If I could help when finding them, it would be my pleasure.
My 2 cents …
Well, after seeing the comments on here and getting some feedback from folks at a recent event, my thoughts for right now are to leave the series as is until at least the spring. The winter will really tell the tale on whether or not I decide to pull the plug.
A lot has been said about there being merit in having your finders help out with your maintenance and I do think it is a valid point, but I also still feel somewhat responsible for making sure these get taken care of when they should so it’s sort of a mixed bag. I’ll revisit this in the springtime to see what happens.