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Originally Posted by kai
Shannon- just be sure when you hide it that you're not interferring with park regulations. Sometimes when a cache is hidden, it creates an unusual traffic pattern that disrupts natural wildlife/natural habitat which may affect animal populations. Its good to check with the admin (if there is one)- i'm thinking mainly city & state parks where there is endagered birds populations, but there might be other sensitive features that may not be obvious...
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Excellent points, and ones that worried me when I first heard about geocaching. I used to be under the misunderstanding that geocachers sometimes buried their caches, and that was especially worrisome (images of people with shovels and pickaxes on the side of a trail...) I think geocaching enthusiasts need to pursue the activity with the same responsible and educational attitude that (most) serious rock climbers pursue the sport of climbing. It only takes a few "bad apples" who don't follow the rules to get an entire group of people (climbers, geocachers, mountain bikers, etc.) banned from a park they were once allowed to enjoy. So, I definitely second the "if you participate, do so as an informed individual and, when in doubt, consult the park staff/authorities."
I read on a site today about the virtual caching that you mention. I think Geocaching.com even offers those (though I think it's a subscription-only feature, as they try to recoup some of their operating costs of the website). That's actually more like what I first thought about doing when I got my GPS -- posting coordinates of particularly memorable or unique scenic overlooks, natural structures, etc. I haven't done enough hikes with my GPS to do much more than map out trail junctions and such, so far.
(PS: I edited my post twice, so something must be in the air tonight...
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