Bumping into other cachers

[Haffy]

I was wondering how many of you cachers have been out looking for a cache and have bumped into other geocachers. When I went to visit with my sister this past November, I took a day off to do some caching in Lancaster SC where my sister lives. I had some bad luck with the first 2 that I tried to find that day and was getting pretty bummed about it. I hate those DNF's don't you? Anyway on my 3rd attempt for the day I finally found one. As I was getting into my car another car pulled up into the parking area of this park where the cache was hidden. This guy got out and I noticed that he had a Magellan in his hand and a bunch of printed out sheets which turned out to be the cache pages for all the caches he had printed out for the day. I struck up a conversation with him and told him that I had just found the cache and that I would gladly join in on his hunt. After we found the cache together we decided to go and find the previous other 2 caches that I had not found and a couple of others. Needless to say the other 2 that I didn't find ended up not being there at all because of being muggled. Guess it happens all over. Anyway I made a new friend and we email each other on occasion. So what do you people have for experiences with bumping into other cachers?

[Beach Comber]

I have seen people on a few occasions and if I am with another cacher I am always happy to strike up a conversation. It usually turns into an interesting talk and it's fun to learn from others and share stories. I have also been fortunate to meet a couple of cache owners this way.

On the down side, as a female caching by myself a great deal, I am reluctant to stop and talk depending on the situation. In general, I am a trusting individual, but I must admit I am not always comfortable to stop. Society and the media have unfortunately caused us (well, some of us!) to be a bit more paranoid than we need to be, I am sure!

[WhereRWe?]

We've only met another cacher on one occasion - while visiting the Birdsacre Cache. We were walking along the trial, and along comes a guy with a GPS in hand. He was from New York, and had MANY more caches to his credit than we did, but he was very sociable and a pleasure to talk to.

I don't know why we haven't run into more cachers. I took a shower before we left....

[tat]

I seem to run into Granithead a lot (4 or 5 times!)

I was hiking the Parker Ridge trail from the lean-to to the lake last summer. I had to walk right by Tumbeldown Challange. But, since I'd already found it, I was planning to just look to see if it was ok. Just as I approached the cache, this guy comes up to me and asks "have you seen a cache near here?" I said "that's a rather odd question, but yes, I have!" He completely caught me by supprise. I was just walking by, minding my own business, didn't even hava a gps with me. He said he was new to caching and he was with some freinds. A minite or so later, a whole troop of cachers came storming up the hill and went directly to the cache that took me two trips to find! I talked with them for quite a while and gave them a TB that I had in my pocket. I asked them to place it in the next cache they find, but I did not want to leave it on top of the mountain because it would be stranded. The TB is a key chain from a Canadian band the has played in Portland. One of the people in the group recognized it immediately and said it was one of the best bands they'd seen in Portland. I felt great, giving someone their first TB.

Later, when I got home, I logged the bug in. So far, they have never logged the cache or the bug. I can't imagine doing all the work finding one of Maine's toughest caches and not logging it.

[Geochicks]

Yeah, I met Noreasta that way, even before any of the BBQs. We drove into the parking area for the cache and sure enough there was his truck. So we walked around looking to see if there was anyone else with a GPS.

I've also met Jambon out while caching. This was after the first BBQ, so we knew what he looked like. He walked us to the are of the cache, we did our exchange and he walked us back.

Sometimes I watch other "hikers" to see if they have a GPS with them.

[Mainiac1957]

I was in Bangor at the original Play Ball cache two years back. As I was coming out I met up with Teamo Supremo. The waited paitently for me to come out of the woods. As I was introducing myself, Kelli says "Oh that's Jock the wonder dog isn't it". I was at a campground in NH and a guys walks in and told me he was a fellow cacher. Of course he saw my licence plate so it was quite obvious. I do like running into people now and again. There is always a story or hint to be shared.

[drbugman]

I've run into the Parmachenee duo twice, once near one of their caches and once near different one (not one of theirs). Good thing on the latter one as I never would have found it. The two of us using the GPS found that coordinates were off by about 80' (as both of our GPSs indicated) but the other half of Parmachenee found the cache.

[parmachenee]

The first year of geocaching I think we met one geocacher while actually caching. This year I can't even count them...or the caches, ha ha It's fun to meet cachers in the field as well as at the events. We've made so many new friends who we hope to know better and still meet many more. Thanks for such a great individual/team sport!

[Team2hunt]

I was one of those who bumped into Parmachenee this year, in Portland. I just keep bumping into log books that you have been to, just before us. LOL I enjoy reading logs from fellow cachers we have met. I know they too have enjoyed the place and finding the cache.

[Sudonim]

Parmachenee must be on the road all the time. I met them in Old Town this summer, one of two "in the field" meetings I've had. (And of course today, when we had experienced guides for "Etna Bog" cache