Some thoughts on Geocaching "Haters"

On one of my recent geocache finds (GC1DX1Z), there was an interesting exchange between some person who repeatedly visited the geocache and left notes in it, and the geocachers who came out to actually find the geocache. This person obviously does not think highly of geocaching or geocachers, but it seems odd that they would bother at all writing notes in this geocache. To make things even more interesting this cache is located pretty far out in the wilderness. You are looking at a minimum of a 7 mile hike, some of it off trail, and with a good amount of elevation climb on top of that, all at elevations above 10,000 ft! It got me thinking about what kind of person would leave such notes.

The first log entry by this mystery person appeared in 2014, where they call the geocache trash. The next entry by this person, some time between 2014 and 2015, threatens to remove the geocache. The next geocacher to find the cache in 2015 actually comments on the previous logs, asking the guy to chill out. The next log, from our mystery person, responds to this, and then proceeds with insulting people who geocache. They probably realize that each geocacher that finds this and leaves a message is unlikely to ever see the response, but maybe not. In general geocachers do not return to such wilderness caches for repeat finds. Just reading through the logs gives some semblance of a dialogue. And this made me smile because it is a dialogue between this one angry person and many geocachers who will probably never see the responses.

The next geocacher to find the cache in 2016 leaves a polite response to our mystery person, which then has a retort later that same year. This time the tone of the retort is more along the lines of geocachers not being able to find joy out here in this amazing spot, because they are blindly following their GPS devices to predetermined spots. As if the act of going to this amazing place would be better if someone came to it by some other "pure" motivation. This retort is followed by what appears to be another visit from the mystery person that same year bemoaning that the geocache is still in place and being found by "robots".

Three geocachers find the cache after this, a pair in 2016 and one in 2017, and the mystery person leaves another note after these finds that simply reads, "Connected Lemmings Suck.. try something on your own". It sounds like the issue this person is having is that people are using electronic devices to get out in the wilderness? If someone found these locations by map and compass, or just by following a trail guide, would that be ok?

It is at this point that I signed my own name to the logbook, and added a little note to the "conversation". Being curious about this whole exchange, and having had one of my geocaches targeted by someone opposed to the game in Tennessee, I left a note to this mystery person to contact me so we could talk... maybe over beers at a local watering hole. I figure it is a pretty remote chance that they will actually contact me through my geocahcing email, the last time I reached out to someone like this (the stolen cache in Tennessee) I got no response.

Ridge line within <.1m from geocache, and overlooking Nambe Lake below.

So who is this person and what is their beef with geocaching? Given the remote location of this geocache, and significant hike, this person is probably an avid hiker and lover of the Pecos. The Nambe Loop hike is probably one they do a couple times a year, and since 2014 they seem to check on this specific geocache whenever they pass by. And each time they find it they seem to be incensed by the presence of this geocache. It doesn't appear that it is just because the geocache brings people to this location, this person appears to be ok with people hiking and exploring the wilderness. Just  as long as they are doing it for some other reason beyond geocaching. The fact that people come to this cool spot because of the geocache appears to somehow taint the hike in this person's mind. They refer to geocachers as sheep, robots and "connected lemmings", all negative views that somehow people visiting this location cannot really enjoy themselves because they either lack the mental capacity to come here independently. But what would constitute coming here independently? Would doing this hike with a meet-up count? Would reading about this hike in a trail guide count? I find it hard to believe that this attitude can be strongly held without also disparaging all the other hundreds of people that come out into this wilderness under all sorts of different circumstances. To discount geocachers from being able to enjoy this route is to open up a door to discount many others. So despite the appearances of this person's comments, I have to conclude that their beef isn't really the fact that geocachers come to this spot.

The other main point this person has about not liking this geocache is that it is trash polluting the wilderness. I think this is likely the stronger sentiment, and one that I can relate to to a certain degree. My fondness for geocaching tinges my view that geocaches are not trash, but I do wrinkle my nose with disgust when I see trash carelessly left somewhere in a remote and beautiful wilderness. And when this happens, I ask myself, "who would leave this trash behind?" Seeing geocaches as trash in the wilderness I feel is a very legitimate sentiment and one that I think geocachers should attempt to reconcile. My own thoughts on this hinge on the fact that geocaches are hidden and meant to be found only by those seeking them out. When properly created in this fashion, they do not create the kind of visual pollution that even I find unpleasant. That doesn't mean they won't be stumbled upon by non geocachers though. And when this occurs it is not surprising that they often go missing. When considered from this point of view, a geocache is a mark that humans were here and how you respond to this can depend a lot on how you view the impact of humans in the local environment. There are loads of ways that people mark there presence on a landscape, both historically and in modern times. Aside from any practical reasons (like marking a trail, or giving signs for other to follow) I think many people feel an innate urge to mark their presence, a response to some kind of existential thought, that by marking your presence, you validate your own existence and experience. What you think when you encounter one of these markings can really vary. I'll give a few examples of the ways I see people leaving their mark on an environment:

• Leaving a summit register
• Posting about a route/location online
• Hiding a geocache
• Building a rock pile (cairn)
• Building a wooden cross
• Making a pattern in the dirt
• Cutting initials into a tree
• Chipping words or pictures on a rock
• Graffiti
• Building a small shelter/fort

I'm leaving out littering and other signs that are not intended to be found and recognized by future travelers. The above list shows actions that I believe are meant to be discovered by others, things that people do in part so that others can see that they were in a place. I have personal opinions about the items on the list, but they aren't black and white opinions. For the most part, I find graffiti and scarring a tree deplorable, and like the mystery person remarking how this geocache is just trash, I would probably judge folks who partake in these activities pretty harshly. A lot of the other items I find mostly harmless or even beneficial. I regard summit registers and online postings very positively, as a historical record of what people achieved, and how the experience was enjoyed. These can inspire others to explore and visit these locations. But I can see how some would find even these markings of a passage as something to avoid. In the end, I feel like everyone develops there own sort of sense for what human leavings are tolerable. And it is this spectrum that I think would be a good conversation to have with the mystery person, or even with other geocachers, hikers, bird watchers, city dwellers, my kids.... anyone.