While most geocaches are cleverly hidden and easy to open, others are located in plain sight and require you to be stealthy as you solve a puzzle to open them. This is one such geocache field puzzle. The geocache is located at the coordinates (use a GPS device, geocaching app, or smart phone map app to locate it.)
The Intro to Nantucket Geocaching geocache is secured shut with a padlock which you must open in order to reach the treasure inside and sign and date the cache logbook within.
-To learn the code must find it on the cache's digital page (I reccomend reading everything on a cache page before seeking any of my caches.)
After you open the cache, trade for treasure, and sign the logbook, please:
- re-close the containers carefully
- place both containers back inside the box, then close and latch the outer container
- CLOSE THE LOCK ON THE BOX'S LATCH, COMPLETELY thus securing it
- rotate the dials on the padlock so the code remains secret and cache remains secure.
Remember to practice proper Nantucket geocacher etiquette:
Be stealthy. Don’t draw attention from strangers while geocaching because if the muggles (people who don’t geocache) discover the hidden caches, they may tamper with them, spoil them for other cachers, or steal from the cache.
Trade up, trade even or don’t trade at all, anything else constitutes stealing from a geocache. In order to take a trinket from a geocache you must leave something of equal or greater value. Pebbles, pennies, leaves, used hair ties,, and business cards are not items any cacher thinks are worth trading for. Unique swag, waterproof toys, crafts, useful items, and collectable coins are ideal. Never put food in a cache..
If you find a Pathtag (special collectible coin like tag) in a geocache, you may only take it if you leave something special. Pathtags cost several dollars to make and are highly saught after by serious geocachers. Each year this geocache's owner creates a new unique commemorative Nantucket Pathtag. Just 100 are produced and each month just a few are placed in a random Nantucket caches for geocachers to trade for.
Don’t take travel bugs unless you intend to place them in another geocache very soon. If a trinket is attached by a keychain to a tag with a code on it, that is a travel bug not a prize you may trade for. Experienced geocachers purchase travel bug tags and attach them to small items and hide them in geocaches for other experienced geocachers to discover, log the codes into geocaching.com, and photograph, log, and move the travel bugs to other geocaches along the mission the travel bug owner has listed in the bug’s digital profile. (Some bugs travel the globe for years gathering fascinating log entries and even eventually make their way back to their owners, other travel bugs’ travel is cut short when newbie geocachers mistake them for prizes and take and keep them.) Be aware, travel bugs left on Nantucket often take a long time to leave the island. Experienced cachers: if you are going off island and will be near a cache elsewhere, grab a bug or two to drop in a cache near your destination.
Don’t trash a cache. Place the items back in the geocache as they were or in better condition, keeping in mind the importance of the contents be protected from moisture. Don’t ever leave food or inappropriate items in a geocache, don’t take writing implements from caches and don’t hog space in a log with huge signatures. Be sure to re-hide the geocache at the coordinates where you found it and do what you can to protect it from discovery by muggles so the geocacher who finds it next enjoys finding the cache as much as you did.
Make thoughtful log entries. When you log your geocache find online, include a bit about yourself, the story of the find, why you liked or didn’t like the geocache adventure, include a photo if you can, and mention the condition of the geocache. This entertains and helps future geocachers who may read the digital log to help them find a cache or decide if they should seek it at all. It also rewards the geocache owner for their efforts and helps them maintain and improve their geocache. Most cache owners love long digital log entries and loath brief “Thanks For The Cache” entries which don’t help them know the condition of the geocache and whether or not a maintenance visit is needed or if the cachers enjoyed or didn’t like the geocache they worked hard to create.
Remember to CITO and leave only footprints. Cache In Trash Out. Collecting and disposing of litter you see while geocaching helps us keep our environment clean, safe, and enjoyable for all. At the very least you should try at find and remove at least two pieces of litter for every geocache logbook you sign. By mindful of the environment, don’t trample plants or touch turtles or bird nests. Keep dogs on leash while geocaching. Many local geocaches are hidden along nature trails within sight of where some endangered local wildlife nest on the ground.
Creating a geocache is a commitment. Only place quality geocaches you can regularly maintain and that contribute to the game in a positive way.
The best geocaching experiences on Nantucket are had by people who are prepared.
-Carry a pen or pencil to use to sign cache logs with.
-Bring something simple or awesome to trade with so you can be ready for when find something you want in a cache.
-Carry dog waste bags and use a leash if you bring your dog with you geocaching.
-Wear sunscreen and/or bug repellent. Cooling breezes cause people to forget how much sun they are exposing themselves to.
-Wear orange when geocaching during hunting season and/or carry a loud radio.
-Protect and check yourself for poison ivy and ticks.
-Familiarize yourself with the logos for the Conservation Foundation and Land Bank. Posts with their logos indicate land, parking, roads, and trails owned by these organizations that are open to the public for recreational purposes. Most local caches are hidden along their trails.
-If you are lost or you can’t tell if you are following a deer trail or people trail, try looking at a satellite view on your smart phone. People trails are more visible by satellite than deer trails.
-Bumpy dirt and sand roads must be taken in order to reach some of the island’s geocaches. If your car is low to the ground or lacks four wheel drive, you should be extra choosy as to which geocaches you attempt to seek. Read geocache pages carefully to make sure the route, level of difficulty, container size, etc. match your personal required criteria.
-Geocache coordinates are meant to bring you to the cache zone. Know your device’s limits. Power lines, cell/water towers, tree cover, movement, and varying satellites at different times of day may alter your device’s GPS readings by more than 30 feet.
-Most of Nantucket’s geocachers aren’t competitive or care about statistics. If you need help finding a geocache, feel free to contact the cache owner or other local cachers for assistance. Lots of Nantucket geocachers enjoy re-finding Nantucket geocaches each year, so long as you note the repeat in the log, most local cachers don't consider it “cheating to alter stats” like many main land geocachers might. This is Nantucket afterall, nostalgia, conservation, and enjoying nature and adventure is what we are all about.