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Post by SSO JOAT on Oct 13, 2010 22:26:31 GMT -9
So, night cache season is upon us again. I've had ideas for putting out one or two myself, especially since the only central Kenai night cache was archived a couple months ago.
Let's hear some local opinion on listing a night cache. I bring it up because there are a number of night caches around Anchorage that are listed as puzzles. it seems the consensus on the national level consider a night cache to be a multi.
My opinion is that a night cache is a multi-cache. The coordinates are for the actual start of the trail. Each reflector is a stage along the trail toward the final cache. It fits the definition of a multi-cache about as perfectly as you can make it.
The use of the puzzle cache seems confusing. By definition, a puzzle requires solving some kind of problem prior to hunting the cache. There is no such step in a night cache trail.
Any thoughts on this topic?
And while you're here, what are your favorite night caches in Alaska?
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Post by FrostG1anT on Oct 14, 2010 16:16:53 GMT -9
Night caches started out as ? (Unknown, Mystery) as they did not fit into any then known genera. Th name Puzzle has sort of evolved over time for the question mark, but was originally intended to be the catch-all for cache categories.
If you look at the dates that (night) caches were placed there is a trend as to what icon they are covered under. It all depends as to what was the vogue of the day when they were placed. Also if they get placed under a multi then they must meet the placement distance requirement and then less area can be used for real caches. There didn't used to be a flashlight attribute either, that has only come about in the past 10 months.
Favorite night cache? Hands down, Law of the Jungle.
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Post by davemeister on Oct 14, 2010 19:53:33 GMT -9
Multi would make more sense, I will definately be putting out another one in a week or two. I'll be listing it as a multi. Many good night caches around, my fave was "Aliens hid Malcore's Ducky" and Blah Blah Bleh was my intro to night caches...took 3 hours, 9 people and was completed in -20 degree weather. Probably wouldn't have taken that long but for a hard to find tack or two.
Have had some good comments on Torturous Slog..it's up and ready and it isn't a misnomer!
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Post by ladybugkids on Oct 14, 2010 23:52:26 GMT -9
From the Groundspeak Knowledge books after a search for "night cache:""Section 3.8 - Night caches are most often listed as multi-caches or mystery-caches. " So, that didn't help very much. My take - if all the information necessary to complete the cache is available along the cache route, list it as a multi-cache. If the cache owner specifies the reflectors as "stages of a multi-cache," then the 0.1 mile proximity rule applies to each marker. If the cache owner specifies the reflectors as "reference points," then the proximity rule does not apply to each marker. The proximity rule always applies to the final stage that has the container and log. If research, puzzle solving, etc., is required ahead of time, list it as an unknown cache. As pointed out by others, night caches placed before the advent of cache attributes do not conform with the above convention. The mystery cache designation was used to "warn" cachers there was something special about the cache. However, now that the "night cache" , "recommended at night" and "flashlight required" attributes are available, the mystery cache designation is unnecessary. My favorite night cache(s). Maybe I'm just sentimental, but Alaska's first night cache trilogy of Operation Blue Moon, Mission Impossible, and Tactical Advantage trilogy still occupy a warm place in my heart. All the night caches are memorable in one way or another...
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Post by SSO JOAT on Oct 15, 2010 12:00:29 GMT -9
LBK already hit it, but as far as each point where you've installed reflectors, you do not make a multi-cache stage. You have the published starting point as a reference point and then the final cache. The route in between doesn't have to be recorded as intermediate waypoints. Thus, only the final cache is subject to the tenth mile rule.
The night cache attribute is new, but the night recommendation and flashlight ones have been available for over 2 years.
The Frisbee golf course in Kenai had GCYKMG as our only night cache. It was archived as the owner is no longer an active cacher and expansion of the course exposed the final cache to repeated muggling. I want to rebuild that one and push the final back further into the trail system to place it out of harm's way. And then the trails off of Skyview HS are just begging for a night cache trail. Of course those trails are restricted to ski & snowshoe in the winter months.
I have a couple batches of Fire Tacks that I bought from one of the company's clearance sales last year. I expect those will work pretty well for this application. They certainly are bright!
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Post by caprahircus on Oct 17, 2010 3:00:51 GMT -9
Aha! This thread is covering many of my questions about this genre. Multi sounds right to me for MOST night caches. The Tactical Advantage trio would seem to require that the third and final remain a Mystery cache.
My vote would have to be for Tortuous Slog. Definitely do it in the deep of winter! Polgera and I had a blast.
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Post by ladybugkids on Oct 17, 2010 6:07:14 GMT -9
Aha! This thread is covering many of my questions about this genre. Multi sounds right to me for MOST night caches. The Tactical Advantage trio would seem to require that the third and final remain a Mystery cache. That's my take on things. Today, Operation Blue Moon and Mission: Impossible would be classified as multi-caches and Tactical Advantage would be classified as an unknown/mystery cache because one needs to find the first two caches to get the coordinates for the third. However, they are currently classified as an unknown, a traditional, and a multi- respectively. They are classic originals still hanging in there even though their owners have either left the state or left the game.
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Post by squarebear on Oct 20, 2010 20:47:59 GMT -9
I've placed a few night caches and have done quite a few, my favorite was Control the Night. I'd like to work on a new one I have a few ideas but I need to get my bearings around here before I go placing a cache.
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Post by tomanoble on Oct 25, 2010 21:02:00 GMT -9
My favorite night caches seem to be based on more the social setting involved. Night caches are great to do en masse or as a small group effort. I missed the large group effort on Aliens Abducted . . . so I haven't done any Large group night caches.
Blah, Blah, Bleh was very fun when we did at -20* with the 9 person group. So was our DNF on Here Comes the Sun (archived). Of course Law of the Jungle and Torturuous Slog rate high up there as night caches. Both of these were done as a 2 person effort. In fact, I can't really say I have done a night cache I didn't like.
And what about the cache container at the end of Ole's Simple Night Cache(archived)?
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Post by SSO JOAT on Oct 30, 2010 7:44:59 GMT -9
<Insert sounds of night crickets chirping here>
Before this forum makes it to a full week without a single new post...
Please describe (or does anyone have photos) the cache at the end of the archived Ole's Simple Night cache.
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Post by Malcore on Oct 30, 2010 14:42:32 GMT -9
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Post by SSO JOAT on Oct 30, 2010 19:27:01 GMT -9
Very cool! ;D
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Post by li1gray on Nov 9, 2010 20:15:37 GMT -9
Just incase you are wondering there will be a new night cache listed on Thursday night after the event in Anchorage
I noticed that the Outdoor stores have quit carrying the fire tacks locally but the same company came out with a new style, A bread twist tie like item. I was impressed with the initial use of these at dusk, they are very bright but that could be the newness of them. So come prepared on Thursday night. I would like to tag along after the event if you let the CO come along too...
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Post by alaskarambo on Nov 15, 2010 22:34:27 GMT -9
Hey I saw firetacks (but I think it was labeled reflector tacks) at Accupoint on Saturday.
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