HHH's Lunchtime GotD: A DNF - A Valuable Lesson: Check Those Logs!

Whenever I do my Lunchtime Geocache of the Day posts I always try to put some little nugget of knowledge that may be useful when you go out geocaching. Most of them are actual incidents that happen while I am looking for that particular geocache.

Something will happen and I'll go, "Hey, that would be a cool thing to discusss."

Todays DNF (Did Not Find) is brought to you from just such an experience.

Ever go after a geocache where you searched and searched then searched some more only to find out that it has not been found since 1864? Okay maybe not THAT far back but maybe it has a string of DNF's that goes back for months or even longer? Wouldn't you want that 30, 45, hour+ back to go looking for something instead of wasting your time on that geocache?

Here is my geocaching suggestion for the day. If you are really having issues trying to find a Difficulty 1.5 or 2 and it is taking more time than you know you should be searching for it. Check the latest logs!

Many of the paperless geocaching gizmos out there like smart phones, certain GPSr units, netbooks, PDAs, etc. allow you to see what the latest logs are for a particular geocache. Many of them are right up to the latest minute if you have Internet connectivity. There are also other applications for computers like GSAK that will tell you right up front the last four or so DNFs a geocache may have but you have to look first. (Note - there are filters and macros that won't even put a geocache available to you if here are more than x recent DNFs logged - but that's another posting).

The point with today's DNF is that it had not been found for well over a year. If I had checked the logs via Geocache Navigator after the first 15 minutes or so of not finding it, I wouldn't have had such a rushed lunch.

Just something to keep in mind when geocaching. If you can't find that geocache and you know you should have found it by now. Check the geocache logs, you'll save yourself some unneeded headache.

-HHH

GeoCache: I'm NOT Obsessed... Right?
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HHH's Lunchtime GotD: FTF-No DNF-Yes - Wall Hunt

Well no joy in Mudville today. I knew I was in trouble when I noticed no one bagged this FTF geocache. There are oodles of FTF hounds in the area and an FTF just does not sit for more than a few minutes in these parts.

Then as I walked to ground zero I realized my suspicions were justified. For before me was a wall sometimes up to 80 feet high and about .20 of a mile long. The chosen spot for ground zero was actually curved where the wall took a 90ish degree turn. This meant that the ground zero coords were within 60' for a very long stretch of said wall.

I tried my darnedest to find it but many of the brick joints have tons of small stones on them so if it is a nano the finder is going to have quite the challenge to figure this one out.

I just plain ran out of time for this micro in a wall hunt and will give it another go in the future.
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Lunchtime Geocache - You Can't Win Them All - DNF

Yeah well, sometimes when you go geocaching you just can't always find the geocaches you seek. When that happens we mark them a DNF or Did Not Find it.

It's not a disgrace to the potential finder. Sometimes a geocache gets muggled, moved or just plain destroyed. Sometime even with our best efforts we didn't see it. No biggie and this happens all the time. So for me and today's Lunchtime geocache we get no smiley. Better luck next time. Just remember to keep on trying until you succeed.

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About @%&*$%&$# 'n Time

Took me almost a year and countless attempts for this bad boy. It was out of action for a bit but recently opened back up. I DNFd yesterday but was determined to find it. The fact that it was 60 feet from the coords may have had something to do with it. Phew another DNF off my list. YES!!!

Much to my surprise the geocoin that I took from the geocache to move along turned out to be unactivated. A prize as it were. I thanked the op big time.

Day For Finding Past DNFs

Well today seemed to be a perfect day for taking previous Did Not Finds off my list. This geocache I attempted last fall and the area way very swampy even for horse trails. Went out today and walked right up to it. Not bad for a Friday the 13th.

Nano - Nano, Shuzbott and Stuff

For a quick lunch time grab this was a great day. One particular geocache on my way to work has plagued me for almost a year now. This little bugger geocache has caused me more Did Not Finds than a guy trying to seek Paris Hilton's virginity... Just popped in my head don't ask...

After way more attempts than I will ever admit I went out today during lunch and took another stab. Then as if by magic there it was, just sitting there. Now I know I have looked there before. I know I have and yet, BINGO - Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, there it was. How weird is that? Could I have been so obsessed with trying to find this nano that my mind blocked it when I looked in that area? Dunno but it is signed, resealed and put back in place.

Really does make me think that some caches do have mini cloaking devices and only reveal themselves when they want. It would explain a lot...

Finally Another DNF Found

Phew, another DNF off my list today. Tried this one four times and a PAF to finally get it. It was a whole this or that side of the fence sort of thing. Doh, okay I thought the property was private...

This is a great example that the most direct path to a geocache is not necessarily the correct one. Let me divulge the meanings of my statement. The geocache shown above stated in the description that there was indeed patch of private property nearby and to beware. I parked about 100 feet from ground zero in what I ASSUMED to be the correct spot. Sure enough there was a wire fence near the cache site. With some heavy trees overhead and ground zero appearing to be only a few feet on the other side of the fence I ASSUMED it was just off a few feet and the micro I was looking for was somewhere on the fence itself.. Do you know the Benny Hill-ism about the word assume? That it can make an ASS out of U and ME.... Well...

I scoured the place and found nothing.. Few weeks later I repeated the perplexing ponderance. Another week again, the same thing. Put out the PAF in an email which was sent back to me and then months went by before I tried again. Only this time it was different and with the subtle hint (like - Hey HHH drive down a 1/4 of a mile and drive to this spot.. note lines and arrows) I parked on the correct spot and walked to ground zero.. yes, yes it was on the other side of the fence and still not on private property. After a quick walk and thrusting myself through some really rosebush thick Charlie Brown kite eating tree like thorn bushes I eventually made it to the cache and my prize. Hokey - Smokes...

So again a little hint from the HeadHardHat. If you are out and about geocaching and your GPS is not getting the job done no matter how hard you try. Come back around from a different angle. You will be surprised how the correct pathways will open up to you and your new found smiley...

Why DNFs Are So Important In GeoCaching

Yesterday was beautiful out with all that bright sunshine yet chilly temps. Here in Raleigh, NC we have had a week or so of cold and gloomy days. Not the norm and when I left from work to sparkling blue and that big bright shiny thing in the sky I just had to try for one geocache.

One in particular has been on my radar all last year. It was an exit further than I usually travel when going home and was next to a lake. "Why not?", I thought to myself. The sun this time of year is out just a tad longer so I would have plenty of time to find this regular sized cache.

I was rather giddy when I took my walking stick from my car trunk. This was a nice 300 foot walk in the woods and I could see the setting sun reflecting off the lake. At the very least I can get a couple of good photos. In no time I was at ground zero and poking everywhere with my walking stick. Then I poked some more, even more and more after that.... nothing. I spiralled out from GZ until I had about 45 feet all away around - nada. Checked every possible hole, log, hill, tree, bush and still nothing. With the sun now close to setting the wind had kicked up and it was getting dark. "Well shoot", guess it was time to call it a day.

I hate marking DNFs or "Did Not Finds" at Geocaching.com but I still do. Lets face it, nobody wants to say, "hey look at me, I failed!!!". Many geocachers do not log their missed finds for just that reason but that does not help anybody. I don't care how many finds you have or have not found. Nobody checks your stats that closely and then ridicules you because of them. In fact, DNFs have a very important purpose. I went back and checked the latest logs for the cache and sure enough there were half a dozen logged DNFs for the sight. Now if I had done that in the first place I wouldn't have even tried but this just goes to show you that this cache is either really buried somewhere or just plain gone. Having a bunch of DNF logs is a clue to the geocache owner that maybe they better check and see if it is still there, but they won't know that unless geocachers log their DNFs.

So that was what I did. I logged the DNF, uploaded a couple of my photos that I had taken and then flagged the cache for maintenance. This way I know the owner is aware of the possible condition of the cache. Hopefully I can find it after the all fixed is sounded.

See ya on the trails!

One Cache Found In Fuquay Varina, NC - Good Enough

I just had a day at work today and was in a mood that stated, "Must Get Out" or maybe it was my wife giving me a loving suggestion to go geocaching for an hour or so. It was late in the evening and I only had about an hour before the sun was completely gone. So with no particular place to go I decided to head over to Fuquay Varina, NC. As I approached a likely caching zone I remembered about a particular DNF I had from a few months ago. Why not, it was in a particularly wooded spot and with the sun fading fast I would have to look quickly. Boy what a difference that little amount of time makes. The area was now extremely overgrown and there was a ton of places for bad things to happen. A slightly steep but climbable downgrade, rusting metal, leg eating holes, spots for snakes to ambush and I personally saw four different types of spiders I had never seen before. Pity it was so dark out cuz I would have loved to have taken some nice closeup photos. Anyways, I finally made it down to what was left of the trail and looked at a very familiar spot. Shook my head and walked right up to ground zero and chose a likely spot. Sure enough there was the cache. Now in the photo I took out the actual cache for others who may recognize the background can enjoy the hunt as well. It is an area where an old mill once stood. Very peaceful with the sounds of the woods and water flowing over rocks which once powered a huge wheel.

It felt good being out in the fresh fall air and as I climbed out of the greenery my phone rang; it was Mrs. HeadHardHat wanting to go out for dinner. With the pangs of the day now subsided it just goes to show how geocaching can be such a stress relief. So the grand total of caches today was exactly one but that was more than good enough to help me find a little inner tranquility. Ahhhhhhh.