Your GPS has settled in, and you are at Ground Zero (GZ)... and you are standing in the middle of a bridge. You check the railings... and find nothing. Then you realize that you didn't look closely enough at the ratings.
Every cache has a rating on a scale from 1-5 for the Difficulty and the Terrain. This is referred to as the D/T.
DIFFICULTY is how hard it is to FIND the cache.
TERRAIN is how hard it is to GET TO the cache.
The scale is set by the CO, based on the following suggestions set by Groundspeak:
For Difficulty, a level 1 should be able to be found very quickly, even by new cachers. A level 5 might cause problems for even the most experienced cachers, often resulting in repeated trips to GZ or special equipment to find the cache. Some factors that go into the rating include how common the container is, how well it blends in to its surroundings, if special tools are required to locate the cache, and how much time it might take someone to find it.
Sometimes the coordinates are encoded in a puzzle, and the difficulty of the puzzle is also factored in to the ratings.
For Terrain, a level 1 should be easily accessible to everyone, including those confined to a wheelchair. Level 5 caches usually require special equipment to get to the container, like an extension ladder, boat, scuba, or even rock climbing equipment. Some factors that go into the rating include how close you can park to the cache, the difficulty of the hike, elevation of GZ (or even the container, as it may be in a tree), amount of bushwhacking needed to get to GZ, and vegetation near the cache.
Since the earth is a pretty diverse place, the ratings might vary from region to region. What might constitute a T5 in LaCrosse might only be rated a T3 in other places where a 5 mile hike and 6000 foot elevation change mountain climb are considered a T5.
Cache is a camo taped pill bottle in a tree a little ways off the trail. It will likely require a little bushwhacking and a small amount of tree climbing. Make sure to write down the number written on the lid of the bottle, you'll need it for the final exam.
To pass Lesson 3, make sure you sign your name and write an appropriate log.
Experienced Cachers: Feel free to share an example of a cache that caused you a headache, whether it be a D1 or D5. (Just a description is fine, no need to give out the GC code.)
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to Jayne Collins of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/findapark.html