Geo Cache and Hiking...

[Toli]

After an awesome 3rd hike of the Duncan Ridge Trail/BMT/AT this year, I thought I'd seen it all... Nope... Thanks to WB'er Shannon, theres something new to for me to do... Geo Cache... We found 4 "Caches", but there were more... The fact that someone stashed a Cache on top of Coosa Bald and the top of the climb after the Toocoa River Suspension Bridge was awesome!!! Great way to add to the fun of hikin'... I'm just sayin'...

[Tipi Walter]

I'm glad you got some inspiration out of it, but to me these boxes are just more human litter I stumble onto from time to time.

[Scrapes]

Geocaching is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, it takes you to a lot of out of the way places, that the average person doesn't visit. I personally practice cache in trash out as does most cachers leaving our parks a better place. It surprises me that someone could actually come across a hide, heck I can't find half of them when I'm looking.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I used to enjoy geocaching at my local parks, but I've never thought of it as something that should be done on the A.T.. Hiding cache's and searching around off trail isn't something I think is a good idea, at least up here in Connecticut where the A.T. has tiny trail corridors that are often times easements through private property. I've also seen signs warning that geocaching isn't allowed on some state/national lands, they consider it litter.

[Pioneer Spirit]

I recommend its older cousin letterboxing. Make yourself a signature stamp and you are set to go. A lot more artsy then caching. Atlasquest.com

[Tipi Walter]

Geocaching is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, it takes you to a lot of out of the way places, that the average person doesn't visit. I personally practice cache in trash out as does most cachers leaving our parks a better place. It surprises me that someone could actually come across a hide, heck I can't find half of them when I'm looking.

I stumbled on one atop Cheoah Bald on the AT and figured it to be more detritus left by my thoughtless brother hominids. It wasn't until later that I learned it's a "game".

[birdygal]

I have done some I think it makes hiking more interesting, Never done any on the AT but there is plenty of caches in the wilderness area where I live, Though I do see plenty of trash close to them so a lot of the people do not care about leaving no trace

[Tipi Walter]

I have done some I think it makes hiking more interesting, Never done any on the AT but there is plenty of caches in the wilderness area where I live, Though I do see plenty of trash close to them so a lot of the people do not care about leaving no trace

Can they be removed without incurring the wrath of some govt geocaching authority (I know, there isn't one), or some Geocache website-inspired backlash? Do the "cachers" have a deal worked out with the forest sevice, etc?? I know, it's all harmless fun, and I'm not so uptight as to get on a soapbox about this, I just have some reasonable questions.

[WingedMonkey]

Lazy folks down here don't want to get out of the vehicle, (too far, too hot, too wet) they drive on trails and paths to place them or find them.
I place them in the dumpsters.

[Tipi Walter]

Lazy folks down here don't want to get out of the vehicle, (too far, too hot, too wet) they drive on trails and paths to place them or find them.
I place them in the dumpsters.

Thank you for answering the main question.

[birdygal]

Can they be removed without incurring the wrath of some govt geocaching authority (I know, there isn't one), or some Geocache website-inspired backlash? Do the "cachers" have a deal worked out with the forest sevice, etc?? I know, it's all harmless fun, and I'm not so uptight as to get on a soapbox about this, I just have some reasonable questions.

Permission has to be obtained by authorities to place them in forest areas in order to get them posted on geocaching.com there is one on springer mountain , I ran into a geocacher up there . the places where I have gone that have lots of trash is also a civil war site that is heavily traveled I always see at least 3 or 4 cars parked in the parking spaces every day as I travel over the mountain to get to town

[Wise Old Owl]

Its a interesting distraction for folks who might have Attention Deficit Disorder- after you find a few - loaded with plastic toys, you realize it equal to treasure hunting for kids.... I am not going to disparage it completely, it gets some young folk away from the video games. I prefer the earlier version where a case of the advertising campaign of hiding a case of whiskey, I don't drink Canadian whiskey, but it sure was interesting and some cases are still out there .... image the $$$$$

In 1967, Hiram Walker & Sons launched their "Hide A Case" advertising campaign that involved enticing drinkers to seek out cases of Canadian Club that had been hidden at exotic locations throughout the world. Locations included Mount Kilimanjaro, Angel Falls, Mount St. Helens, and the Swiss Alps. The Mount Kilimanjaro case was not discovered until a Dutch journalist happened upon it in the mid-1970s. A small number of cases, such as one hidden above the Arctic Circle, were never found.
The first "Hide A Case" campaign officially ended in 1971, and a second was started in 1975. This campaign used cases hidden in locations intended to be easier to access, such as in Death Valley and on top of a skyscraper in New York City. This second advertising campaign ended in 1981; between it and the first effort, a total of 22 cases were hidden and at least 16 recovered.^[2]
The "Hide A Case" campaign has been revived for 2010. According to the contest website,^[3] there is a $100,000 grand prize, among other prizes, for the contest's latest incarnation.

[Pedaling Fool]

It seems to me that there would be a lot and I mean a lot of driving involved with geocaching. Can't really complain about gas prices when we so readily use up the oil.