Running out of easy local caches!

Aside from the single car family issue that we're dealing with right now, I'm bumping into a problem that's really impacting how often I get to go out and cache.

I have run out of easy, local caches on any of the routes that I use to travel to and from both work sites.

Exhibit A - the caches near where I live:

The one green icon cache on the map is called Cookies, and it's currently disabled. I even went looking for it after 3 people with over 10,000 finds between them logged DNFs.

Exhibit B - the caches near where I work:

In this case, I have everything that's close to work, and the ones that are within my longer range driving area are all ones that I need to devote some time to, and right now, with one car, I'm not even taking lunch breaks  so as not to log too few hours at work.

I like that I've managed to pick up all of the shopping center LPCs and guard rail caches along the Blue Route and Rt. 320, and all of the easy hides along Lancaster Ave., but now that I've had a few weeks with almost no caching time, I really miss being able to just stop by something on the way to work.  Sure, those type of hides are not exactly a challenge, but they are still caches, and they still require stealth and ingenuity to pick them up.  Without practice I fear that I'll soon revert back into my normal bumbling giant ways and have to start over from scratch again.

I guess I'm really just whining, and on top of that, I really miss caching.  Blogging about caching is a poor substitute for getting out and finding caches, but it's all I have at the moment I guess.

Oh well, whining session over.  With the holidays right around the corner I'm pretty busy outside of work anyway, and at least I get to focus on my plans for my new hides.  I've been planning a really neat multi hide, and if I'm trapped in the house I may as well make the most of it.

12-12-12

Just a quick post.  I haven't had a chance to get out caching in a few weeks, and it looks like we're going to be a single car family for at least he short term, which puts a damper on things.

I was able to pick up two quick caches today up at the Plymouth Meeting Metroplex shopping center.  My wife and I both had  the day off, but she needed to stop by her work for a little while.  My parents had reminded me about the 12-12-12 souvenir, and since I had an hour to kill I picked up an LPC right in the middle of the main parking area near Best Buy, and another hide around the back of the shopping complex.  Easy peasy.

With the holidays right around the corner and one car available for both my wife and I, I don't expect that I'll get much caching done until January at the earliest.  This isn't really a bad deal, as it gives me time to get more work done on some new cache containers (Pac-Man, Joust, and Plants vs. Zombies) and get more material together for the blog.

Caches in this post:

• Camp Pns Still Hungry
• Food 4 Thought

On solo caching

I haven't been able to cache for a little while, due to the holidays and work schedule, but I've still been frequenting the forums, checking blogs, and watching YouTube videos about caching.  One thing I've been wondering about is how many people cache solo, vs. how many people cache in groups.

I'm a solo cacher.  Not totally by choice, mind you - I'd be perfectly happy to go caching with a local sometime, but I don't happen to know any of the local cachers.  I've cached with my dad and my father-in-law, and occasionally Emily mentions that she'd like to take a short caching day trip on a weekend (when we have time), but aside from Jack joining me on some weekends, I really just cache by myself.

A lot of what I like about caching is the solitude.  When I first found the Springfield Trail, my favorite part of the discovery was that there was nobody there.  Nobody was in the park on the way to the trail, nobody was on the trail, and I had this whole private nature area to myself.

Now, I know that people go back there. I saw some bike tracks and footprints in the dirt, and the path was pretty clear of leaves and debris, but just having that 20 minutes of privacy was awesome.

There have been plenty of hides where a second set of eyes would be useful, though...  Dunno.  Maybe I'll look for a local event, just to meet some of the people whose Geocaching names have become so familiar.  That would be neat, and for some hides at least, it would be great to combine skills and brainpower and whatnot.