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Thread: A Confession

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Jackson, Maine
    Posts
    109

    Default A Confession

    I’ve been trying to figure out how to word this confession for a very long time, but never seemed to come up with the right way to say it…so….I’m going to just say it any old way it comes out. I’ve been a member of the geocaching community for about a year now. I only have 12 finds so far (which, to some of you, means I’m a newbie) but I just want to say I’ve had the time of my life doing the ones I did. MOST of them required some help, and ONE of them I didn’t actually find myself….I pointed my husband and granddaughter in the direction my gps said it should be and they brought the cache back to me so I could see the goodies and sign the log. (That one was the Jay Rec cache)
    You see, I’m disabled and have to find my caches using my mobility scooter. Unfortunately the scooter can only go so far on a trail..and I can only walk very short distances. I have only found one this year (that was Fill ‘er up) because I got impatient and tried to go across a field too early in the season and got bogged down in the mud and wrecked my scooter. I’m hoping to get another scooter soon( I found a sort-of offroad scooter that looks pretty neat)…but THIS year doesn’t look too promising.
    Anyway, what I am hoping to accomplish with this thread is that our local geocaches (meaning Midcoast Maine) have some sort of note as to whether it is wheelchair accessible.
    The very first cache I ever found was Don’t lean on the railing…and I did it all by myself on my scooter. I’ve kept it on my watch list, and it makes me feel really proud of myself when I read the logs that said how scary it was. I just tootled right on across that bridge with my scooter.
    I know I’ll never have the kind of numbers a lot of you have, but every cache I find is a major event for me!...and I really, really love this game. I wish it had been going when I was younger and healthier. For now, I enjoy hearing all of your stories about your adventures.

    Rose

  2. #2

    Default

    Rose,

    You rock! Keep up the good work!

    Dave
    "When I get back I'm bringing a weedwacker and a stun gun!"


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Auburn
    Posts
    2,134

    Default

    The 101 Dalmation Series caches have many that are handicapped accessable.

    It's not about the numbes!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Solon, Maine
    Posts
    5,965

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mainelyroses
    Anyway, what I am hoping to accomplish with this thread is that our local geocaches (meaning Midcoast Maine) have some sort of note as to whether it is wheelchair accessible.
    Actually, any cache that has a difficulty/terrain rating of 1/1 is supposed to be handicapped accessible. Too bad so many cachers don't understand this, and you'll find that a vast percentage of 1/1 caches can't be reached in a wheelchair or motorized scooter.

    But let me give you a few caches in this area that can be reached:

    South Solon Meeting House Micro
    Big Box of Books (You can get within a couple of feet of this one)
    X Marks the Spot
    The Puzzle of Bens Bum

    And there are very many that you canget VERY close to, but you just can't put your own hands on the container! LOL!

    Good luck!

  5. #5

    Default

    While you're waiting to get your scooter, maybe some of the folks in your area could suggest some caches you could do without it. Perhaps they could even hide a few that you could access .
    Hopefully you can get your scooter soon.


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Unity, Maine
    Posts
    3,874

    Default

    Here are a few possible caches in the Greater Jackson area that may be do-able . . .

    Before Lizzie Borden
    All Gave Some
    Benton Riverside
    China Lake Micro
    Acer Saccharinum
    Outer Limits
    Fort Halifax

    Also Cameo released a dalmatian down in Northport that was a 1/1 rating.
    "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."

    "Death is only one of many ways to die."

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Bangor, ME
    Posts
    6,343

    Default

    Your story is a good example why the numbers don't mean much when comparing them between users. Kudos to you for challenging yourself and having fun along with the rest of us, as well as being a part of our online family.

    If you're looking for someone to swap mobility-challenged geocaching adventures with, try contacting Pyewacket. She used to spend a lot of time in the national Gecoaching chat and always had interesting caching adventures to tell and seemed very nice. I'll bet she'd share some with you as well.

    There is a web site, Handicaching.com, which allows caches to be rated for accessibility. I'm not sure how many Maine caches are rated with this system, perhaps we should try to promote this. Check it out and see if you think it would help and let us know.

    This is also a good time to remind people that a 1 terrain is supposed to indicate that the cache is wheelchair accessible. Many caches are rated as a 1 terrain and there is no way you could get to them in a wheelchair.
    DNFTT! DNFTT! DNFTT!

    "The funniest thing about this particular signature is that by the time you realize it doesn't say anything it's to late to stop reading it..."

  8. #8

    Default

    Rose, thanks so much for sharing your story. I hope it inspires more people to cache!

  9. #9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by firefighterjake

    Also Cameo released a dalmatian down in Northport that was a 1/1 rating.
    Yes, Damien, that bad dog! He is a 1/1!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Gainesville, Georgia
    Posts
    3,893

    Default

    Well ,from looking at some of the caches listed by Jake and Bruce I wouldn't say that some of them are 1/1 at all. In fact most of the ones that were listed I don't think could be accessed with a scooter or wheelchair. I guess that's where the interpretation of the 1/1 comes into play. For me I would think that the cache can be attained by the person who is handicapped, is this true? I suppose if you could leave the scooter or wheelchair and crawl to the cache then yes it is 1/1 but otherwise they are not accessible. To me 1/1 is where you can reach the cache from the confines of the chair or scooter and most of those that were just listed can not be reached from the apparatus. I think you are an inspiration to us all and hope that maybe others who live in your area can make an attempt to place more of the kinds that you can access. Thanks for your story.
    Just smile it won't crack your face

    The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is
    suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best
    friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.

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