MnGCA

Team Hooligan · Geocacher Joined: 22 Dec 2002 Posts: 94 Location: Hibbing

What do you consider a winter friendly cache to be? I only have a couple of my caches listed this way, since the others are subject to snow cover. However I have done caches that say they are winter friendly and I have had to "dig" them out, or in some cases give up searching because of snow. Of course here in Northern Minnesota we have a large portion of the year where snow makes caching challenging.
_________________
If I'm not Crazy, am I Sane???

Pear Head · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:17 pm Post subject:

I consider it winter friendly if I can find it in the winter. This may mean that I need to remove a couple of inches of snow from it, but if I consider it to be findable with a little bit of extra searching then it's "winter friendly".

If it's hidden under the sticks under a deadfall then it's not winter friendly. If it's in the middle of a stump that sticks up 4' then it's probably winter friendly.

To me the approach to the cache does not make or break "winter friendly". Anyone can hike through 2' of snow to get to a cache - you should know some of that before you head out to the cache.

Paklid · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:24 pm Post subject:

The definition I had always liked is a cache that won't get covered by snowfall. Then I placed a cache beneath a large horizontal hollowed out tree and called it winter friendly because even in winter, the cache would be about as easy to see as it would be in summer.

I caught a bunch of flak over it from the people who think winter friendly is 18" or more off of the ground. I thought they were wrong and I was correct until my cache (under that tree, but on the ground) was discovered by a cacher this winter who couldn't dislodge it because the loose soil it was nestled in had grabbed it but good when frozen. So, even though there was no snow covering the container, it was not really accessible in winter after all..... Maybe the elevation test is the better one - unless pains are taken to ensure the container won't get stuck by frost or any other winter freeze up.

In the Twin Cities, we very seldom get snow depth greater than 18" so that might be the lower limit for winter friendliness at this latitude. Up north, several more inches would probably be needed to pass the test.
_________________
-Paklid

CamoCacher · Geocacher Joined: 05 Dec 2005 Posts: 1391

All caches are winter friendly to me, some just take more work then others to get too.

Paklid · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:29 pm Post subject:

Arcticabn's idea of winter friendly means you can walk over ice (winter) to the cache instead of launching a canoe (summer) in the middle of the night to go get it.
_________________
-Paklid

northtrekker · Geocacher Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 115

If a cache page states it is winter friendly, then I usually
assume (ouch!) that I will find it either above snow level
or tucked into a hollow that isn't covered in 2 feet of snow.
I go with the idea that when I get to the location, I will be
able to find it without too much of a hassle of snow cover.
If it doesn't say anything about being "winter friendly" I
assume it will be buried.
Wink

~nt

celticwulf · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 5:48 pm Post subject:

I guess my thoughts on "winter friendly" are the same and yet different than others here. I also think "above ground level" when I think winter friendly, because to me anything that is able to be completely covered in snow so the "beacon" aspect of it is gone, is not winter friendly. This would include anything that is NOT hidden in a beacon but just in the middle of an empty field, because although it's the same in winter and summer, in winter there's a chance that it's frozen in place and there is MORE similarity to the ground than usual in summer...although with some of the weeds that could be different Laughing

Basically, if snowfall isn't going to affect the cache detrimentally (aka raising difficulty raiting) it's probably winter friendly.

But I also to tend to take the trail into account as well. If it's easiest to get by walking across a frozen lake than through the brush in summer, I'd consider it Winter Friendly. If the cache is not located somewhere walking there can get your leg can get broken by a mis-step in snow, it's probably winter friendly. So I'm the type that if it's basically off a marked trail in the woods and there's not much problems getting there, it's at least somewhat winter friendly.

But yeah, the second part is all just my current opinion that could change as quickly as the weather in Minnesota Wink

Celticwulf

Pear Head · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:06 pm Post subject:

I have yet to attempt a cache that was marked as winter friendly and not find it due to the snow. If someone tried one of mine and couldn't find it for reasons directly related to snow then I would likely change it's winter friendly status.

I feel around here that I can attempt these caches with some level of confidence that I can find it in the winter. I have not DNFed a cache yet that was marked as winter friendly. Knock on wood.

GeoPierce · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:16 pm Post subject:

Pear Head · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:22 pm Post subject:

GeoPierce · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:25 pm Post subject:

CamoCacher · Geocacher Joined: 05 Dec 2005 Posts: 1391

I went through today and marked with a write a note log those that I feel might be a bit difficult to find rght now with the new snowfall.

Pear Head · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:36 pm Post subject:

GeoPierce · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:37 pm Post subject:

I also remember some cache owners disabling caches at the beginning of the winter if they are not winter friendly. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

Pear Head · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:42 pm Post subject: