Skeg to Ness Driveby series

[gushoneybun]

207 drivebys from Skegness to Ness on the Wirral:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.aspx?key=Skeg+to+Ness&submit4=Go

[gse1986]

We've just noticed them too

[gushoneybun]

32 of them within ten miles of home I though you might have gone out for some of the Gareth?

[gse1986]

32 of them within ten miles of home I though you might have gone out for some of the Gareth?

Will see tomorrow on the way to work, too many lessons to plan tonight

Surprised you're not out either

[gushoneybun]

Can't be bothered. I am in Stoke tomorrow morning but up to Macc in the afternoon so will grab a couple on the way past.

[alicephilippa]

I've just raised a NM log against #185 of the series. 'twas a bit full of water with a sodden log when I FTF'd it at 11pm.

[JeremyR]

I've just raised a NM log against #185 of the series. 'twas a bit full of water with a sodden log when I FTF'd it at 11pm.

Do they look like they've been there a while? I wonder how long they sat in publication limbo?

[alicephilippa]

The placed date is 1st Feb. So they've been out in the weather a wee while. I know when I spoke to JohnNW a couple of weeks ago they were working with the reviewers with the aim of them all going live at once. Probably explains why Deci has been a little quiet recently.

#185 is a breathmint tin in a cavity in a tree which ha obviously not provided enough shelter of the cache. I have to say that I'd not have used something of that nature for the container - I like caches to stay dry.

[The Syllogiser]

oh dear ------- Someone's going to be busy ---- Nottingham to Ness on the Wirral - 100 + caches to maintain ......... gonna be a lot of fun just watching .. the reviewers watching ... us watching .... Oh - and for caches "like that" = I use Gerber by the way - or a heel and very large stone the tops just flert off and the logs fly right out into me hand

[Deceangi]

The Reviewing of the series has been a team effort by the UK Reviewers, I just acted as liaison for our side. The Imp for the owners side. After a conversation with the Imp last night, the series went live at 21:00. The system was running slow last night, so it took slightly longer than expected to get them all out .

Deci

[ferreter38]

Not looked at the series yet but it could break the monotony of the drive to an event at Sandringham in April... at least get me off the M62, however, it does depend on what type of roads as I don't really like driving a large van down narrow country lanes.

Now the ulitimate drive-by series would be Lands End to John O'Groats, a 1000 caches in a 1000 miles - I know it's not a 1000 miles but it's near enough

[muttoneer]

Now that would get me a darn sight closer to my 1,000... I wonder if I they could all be done in a day? Might have to see if I can arrange a day off to have a go at the full lot...

[The Bolas Heathens]

Google Maps is estimating something like 5 hours for the drive alone, so perhaps double that and add an hour or so for stopping to find them. I reckon it's do-able in a day, albeit a long day.

We hope to give my theory a go very soon - just need to organise the logistics...

I wonder if I they could all be done in a day?

[Foinavon]

so all those arguments about trails being much better than lots of individual caches because you are not having to constantly start and stop your car. Did I dream that people were saying that!?

[bargee72]

so all those arguments about trails being much better than lots of individual caches because you are not having to constantly start and stop your car. Did I dream that people were saying that!?

Too true
I havent yet looked at the series but when i read about them My heart sank, but I will still pick up the odd one as i pass in the future, though if what AP says they wont be very pleasant.

Though I think John's comment was that he didnt like stopping getting out walking .2mile and then back to the car to drive to the next one.

These remind me of Cannonedwards series between Market drayton and Newcastle (under Lyme) and nantwich that appeared a couple of years ago, good for numbers but not inspiring.

[Foinavon]

so all those arguments about trails being much better than lots of individual caches because you are not having to constantly start and stop your car. Did I dream that people were saying that!?

Too true
I havent yet looked at the series but when i read about them My heart sank, but I will still pick up the odd one as i pass in the future, though if what AP says they wont be very pleasant.

Though I think John's comment was that he didnt like stopping getting out walking .2mile and then back to the car to drive to the next one.

These remind me of Cannonedwards series between Market drayton and Newcastle (under Lyme) and nantwich that appeared a couple of years ago, good for numbers but not inspiring.

It wasn't just John actually. I know we had a very interesting debate about the merits of rings but its been constantly put to me over the years I have debated this subject that loops and trails are better environmentally because you use less petrol and the ratio of walking to driving is much higher than it would be otherwise. Sure John used this argument again in our debate this week but I have heard it many times before. I always thought that these claims were not strictly true (because of the distances people drive to the trails) and any savings in petrol were at very least a by product of the doing a series and not the reason for doing it. I think the undoubted popularity of this series will blow that argument out of the water completely. 99% driving 1% walking.

[The Bolas Heathens]

Not at all. I made the point that parking up, walking .2 to get a cache, walking .2 back to the car and then driving along to the next one and repeat is something less preferable than just getting out of the car and walking around the dreaded loop (which could, for example, be on Angelzarke) while finding caches and coming back to the car at the end of the day.

I don't see caching as so black and white / compartmentalised as you are implying though. A series where you have to drive along getting caches like this new series, with everything being very quick and fast paced is great fun too. It's not for everyone but we like our caching very varied as at the end of the day, variety makes things interesting and keeps us coming back for more caching.

I'm happy to do a series like this one day, a loop of decent varied caches another day, a day doing the repeated .2 walks another day. It's all good fun and all enjoyable for us .

so all those arguments about trails being much better than lots of individual caches because you are not having to constantly start and stop your car. Did I dream that people were saying that!?

[The Bolas Heathens]

That's another very good point but I would add that if you go out and find a good few caches every week, you soon clear your local and not so local areas and HAVE to travel to go caching. We do have the personal argument that I work from home and do not usually drive at all during the week and so the mileage I do for caching one day a week is usually *far* less than most people do for a commute. I'd imagine your weekly mileage from Blackrod to Runcorn every day soon mounts up for example .

I don't think I have ever used the environmental argument though (or if I did it was by association and not intentional) . I don't ever want to tell people how to cache as it's none of my concern and to be frank, I don't really care what they do as long as they enjoy it .

It wasn't just John actually. I know we had a very interesting debate about the merits of rings but its been constantly put to me over the years I have debated this subject that loops and trails are better environmentally because you use less petrol and the ratio of walking to driving is much higher than it would be otherwise. Sure John used this argument again in our debate this week but I have heard it many times before. I always thought that these claims were not strictly true (because of the distances people drive to the trails) and any savings in petrol were at very least a by product of the doing a series and not the reason for doing it. I think the undoubted popularity of this series will blow that argument out of the water completely. 99% driving 1% walking.

[The Bolas Heathens]

That was my initial thoughts too about the new series. Cannonedwards also did one from Telford to Newcastle. We managed FTF on virtually all of the 3 series and deliberately did them as fast as possible as that kind of really intense, very fast caching is really good fun. I'll agree the caches were not that inspiring though, but the overall experience was, for us, really good .

I'll add the usual rider that this is obviously not for everyone, but if we were all the same then life would be very dull . I'd hate to have to do that kind of caching every day though, but once in a while it really floats my boat (and Isaac's) .

These remind me of Cannonedwards series between Market drayton and Newcastle (under Lyme) and nantwich that appeared a couple of years ago, good for numbers but not inspiring.

[Foinavon]

That was my initial thoughts too about the new series. Cannonedwards also did one from Telford to Newcastle. We managed FTF on virtually all of the 3 series and deliberately did them as fast as possible as that kind of really intense, very fast caching is really good fun. I'll agree the caches were not that inspiring though, but the overall experience was, for us, really good .

I'll add the usual rider that this is obviously not for everyone, but if we were all the same then life would be very dull . I'd hate to have to do that kind of caching every day though, but once in a while it really floats my boat (and Isaac's) .

These remind me of Cannonedwards series between Market drayton and Newcastle (under Lyme) and nantwich that appeared a couple of years ago, good for numbers but not inspiring.

John you don't have to justify using more petrol to me at all. How much petrol you use (for work or caching) is none of my business. All these arguments about these things tend to revolve around what you and Isaac do just because its usually you that replies to the posts and takes me on in the arguments! I do try (or at least I hope I do) to generalise in these debates as much as possible and not focus on individuals.

I have met the Imp, he is a nice bloke and he doesn't do things by halves. The fact that he got up at stupid of clock to come all the way from Lincoln to my Winter Solstice event shows this. There's not much more I can say about this series than I haven't said already about others. I'll just say that given a series like this The Bolas Heathens boat is floating happily on the waves while HMS Foinavon is a rusting wreck at the bottom of the ocean covered in barnacles,algae, seaweed , shoals of fish and divers poking around to see if they can find any lost artefacts!

[The Bolas Heathens]

Long may the 'arguments' continue though as I really enjoy a good debate .

All these arguments about these things tend to revolve around what you and Isaac do just because its usually you that replies to the posts and takes me on in the arguments!

[Dan1980]

so all those arguments about trails being much better than lots of individual caches because you are not having to constantly start and stop your car. Did I dream that people were saying that!?

I've got to agree with you on that one Paul - a drive-by series is my idea of hell... and I don't even drive!

[pete37038]

Looking at them at first I first thought, 'oh great a shed load of drive by's just what caching needs', which is what they are and fair play they don't hide the fact and it will have taken a load of setting up, I think what a lot of folk can forget is that some people aren't able to walk far or hardly at all and something like this gives them the chance to go and bag quite a few caches with minimum exertion or difficulty, there are some out around Sandbach way, and a shed load in Glasgow which were put out solely for this purpose, for people in that position this must be an exciting prospect, I really hope that is why it's been done, hats off to them if it is.

Doing all of them isn't something 'I'd be interested in, if I'm in or pasing through an area with them in I'd do some no bother but there is no way I would consider spending a day off or more driving one end of the country to the other picking up caches on the side of a road, not while we have great countryside and coast and I'm thankfully able to walk in it, that would be a waste of a day for me where I could be as far away from the roads as possible, I'd have to have a word with myself if I was thinking of spending a day doing that out of choice, asking myself exactly why I was doing it in the first place (the whole caching thing), but horses for courses and all that..I'm sure lots of people will be whizzing round in their cars now stop/starting & clogging the roads up looking for FTF's. Best of luck to them Nowt like a bit of debate.

[Deceangi]

Now the ulitimate drive-by series would be Lands End to John O'Groats, a 1000 caches in a 1000 miles - I know it's not a 1000 miles but it's near enough

Funnily enough I said the very same to someone last night, just after the series had gone live. The reply was

No No No for heavens sake don't post that

To which I replied

I wonder how long it will take some to make the suggestion

Deci

[The Bolas Heathens]

Not looking great so far looking at the logs. 3 DNF's (looks like caches missing) and 3 or so soggy logs. That's just on the stretch between the Wirral and Northwich .

I think we'll wait a while for the wrinkles to be worked out before looking for any of them.

updated to increase the DNF"s to 3 .

[alicephilippa]

To answer Sheila's question, it looks like a mix of minor roads and lanes. Well, at least the bits I've looked at are.

[Foinavon]

There's another thing about this series which has struck me. I feel like the little boy in the story of the Emperor's New Clothes for pointing this out. If I had driven a long long way on a "coast to coast" trail set by the "Coast To Coast" cachers, do you know what I would expect to find at the end of the trail? The Sea. As far as I can see the final cache (207) is about three miles from the sea. If there was a ever a Pennine Way trail you would not have the last cache three miles before Kirk Yetholm. If you are travelling on the Trans Siberian Railway you wouldn't bail out 3 miles before Vladivostock. Why does it not actually go from Coast To Coast?
I think the play on words of Skeg to Ness is very good but that shouldn't stop them from actually getting to the coast?

[pete37038]

If you are travelling on the Trans Siberian Railway you wouldn't bail out 3 miles before Vladivostock.

PMSL @ that Paul, conjures up a great image, right bye then, I'm off here, aaaarggghhhhhhhhhhhh thud.

Sorry, I sound like Don

[ferreter38]

Looking at them at first I first thought, 'oh great a shed load of drive by's just what caching needs', which is what they are and fair play they don't hide the fact and it will have taken a load of setting up, I think what a lot of folk can forget is that some people aren't able to walk far or hardly at all and something like this gives them the chance to go and bag quite a few caches with minimum exertion or difficulty, there are some out around Sandbach way, and a shed load in Glasgow which were put out solely for this purpose, for people in that position this must be an exciting prospect, I really hope that is why it's been done, hats off to them if it is.

Pete, I agree with you there - I can walk a reasonable distance but it does leave me shattered. aching and high on pain killers... even more so if the CO has put the damn cache down a ruddy steep, muddy slope. It can be bad enough walking to the cache without having to balance on a slippy slope trying to reach the damn thing.

One thing I am wondering though is just how suitable the back roads are for a LWB Transit hi top van. A some of the caches seem to be on unclassified roads and they can be really hairy in anything larger than a car, some B roads ain't much better either.

I haven't done many drive-bys the only ones I went after intentionally were on the A9 south of Perth.

[pieman]

My blackberry starting buzzing madly yesterday evening with all the local ones in this series. I can't say that it filled me with joy to see that they were all part of a huge drive-by series. Having said that they will get a lot of finds and they aren't hurting me other than in the tedium of ignoring them individually (shame that Groundspeak can't make the process a bit easier). They seem like the fast food version of the gourmet cache Sea to Shining Sea (GCGNE0) http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=e709784f-cfea-496f-8b33-1bd1121a4d7b
( which from memory has less than 10 finds in 8 years- I would give the exact figures but I am at an airport and the wifi doesn't like searching for caches!). The only way to do any in the series has to be to follow John's plan and do the lot in one day- which would be fun in a kind of masochistic way.

Edited to say, it is actually now 10 finds in 6 and a half years for Sea to shining Sea.

[ferreter38]

Now the ulitimate drive-by series would be Lands End to John O'Groats, a 1000 caches in a 1000 miles - I know it's not a 1000 miles but it's near enough

Funnily enough I said the very same to someone last night, just after the series had gone live. The reply was

No No No for heavens sake don't post that

To which I replied

I wonder how long it will take some to make the suggestion

Deci

Didn't take all that long

You gotta admit it'd be quite something

[Dan1980]

...They seem like the fast food version of the gourmet cache Sea to Shining Sea...

That looks like a cracker - added to my to do list!

[The Bolas Heathens]

Absolutely. We're getting together with some cacher's from our local area hopefully to go and do them as a group. Should be great fun along the way with lots of banter .

The only way to do any in the series has to be to follow John's plan and do the lot in one day- which would be fun in a kind of masochistic way.

[Foinavon]

Absolutely. We're getting together with some cacher's from our local area hopefully to go and do them as a group. Should be great fun along the way with lots of banter .

You mean when you wave to each other from your respective cars?

[The Bolas Heathens]

Not quite. That would be a bit silly and IMHO pointless .

You mean when you wave to each other from your respective cars?

[ferreter38]

You could, of course, use a bike... nice little ride that, and think of saving on fuel

[Dan1980]

You could, of course, use a bike... nice little ride that, and think of saving on fuel

Gruffty could probably walk it - bikes are for nancies

[Foinavon]

Not quite. That would be a bit silly and IMHO pointless .

You mean when you wave to each other from your respective cars?

Oh don't give me a line like that!

I will look forward to reading these logs (and that's not a phrase you hear very often with regard to huge trails). It will be interesting to see if Isaac's smile is a little more contrived at cache 200 than it is at cache 1.

[The Bolas Heathens]

Why not? I thought it was a good one

Oh don't give me a line like that!

I'm sure Isaac will be fine but am not so sure I will be doing the logs. 207 different things to say about drive-by micros is going to be interesting *. That's if I don't get RSI adding the photos part way through .

He might not even come as we may end up doing them mid-week as that's the only time a local cacher can usually get out.

If we do do them as a group, it's almost certainly going to be in one car so we've got no need to start waving at each other, unless we *really* want to . That would be a little odd to say the least though .

* Rider: I'm not being hypocritical here, it's the overall experience of the series and the challenge of doing them in a day that attracts us, not the fact that any one of them is going to be a belter of a cache .

I will look forward to reading these logs (and that's not a phrase you hear very often with regard to huge trails). It will be interesting to see if Isaac's smile is a little more contrived at cache 200 than it is at cache 1.

[Foinavon]

Why not? I thought it was a good one

Oh don't give me a line like that!

I'm sure Isaac will be fine but am not so sure I will be doing the logs. 207 different things to say about drive-by micros is going to be interesting *. That's if I don't get RSI adding the photos part way through .

Really do you mean you won't log them all? That's interesting. Or perhaps you mean you won't log at your usual standard (and when you've done mine they are always good logs) but more like your typical "45/207 TFTC"? My problem would be because of the numerical names I would find it impossible to recall which one was which it would just be a blur.

[Dan1980]

[The Bolas Heathens]

Very good . We log all caches we find as that's part of our caching history and something I really enjoy looking back on.

I have a self-imposed rule when writing logs that I have to put something in there to remind me of which cache it was when I look back at the cache at some point in the future. This works well for me and ensures I write a half decent log even on the most forgettable cache.

I doubt I'll write more than one or two lines for any of the ones on this series unless something particularly interesting happened at the cache or on the way there. I'd never log a cache as '45/207 TFTC' or similar as I'd hate it on one of our own caches so won't do it to other people's caches.

The Isaac with the cache and other photos we take at caches does really help with remembering which one it was, as long as I get the logs done pretty soon after doing the caches.

We've only cut and pasted logs once and that was when on holiday in California and I had a backlog of 161 caches from 1.5 days of caching to log and no time at all to log them as the family wanted to go out doing other things. I hated doing it but if I'd have waited until I had the time for proper logs, we'd have been back home and I would be struggling to remember some of the caches.

Really do you mean you won't log them all? That's interesting. Or perhaps you mean you won't log at your usual standard (and when you've done mine they are always good logs) but more like your typical "45/207 TFTC"? My problem would be because of the numerical names I would find it impossible to recall which one was which it would just be a blur.

[The Bolas Heathens]

LOL - where?

I'm enjoying the 'discussion' although I do have to apologise to gushoneybun for taking the topic somewhat off-topic, although it stil is loosely on-topic I guess .

[alicephilippa]

If I'm out on a series I've now developed a habit of writing a proto-log in a notebook (weather permitting) so that I stand a chance of remembering something about the caches.

Any of to look at one that PhilPamAndRob DNF'd this morning if it where I think it is supposed to be it's probably gone as it's not a particularly nice location (rubbish strewn disused works gateway).

[The Syllogiser]

Easy -- a few of these in your logs and ................................... we will ALL be able to get the logs back in the phizzzing containers

""Most of US are familiar with the art of paper folding, perhaps as an amusing pastime with brightly coloured paper - a kind of parlour trick or children's game. To those a bit more aware, origami has intersected with graphic design mostly as a form of three dimensional illustration -which is one ofthe ways that paper folders are ahle to make a living. But a little investigation into the process of construction, and the developments that have occurred over the past quarter century promise something more intriguing than a delightful puzzle. As with graphic design there is beauty in simplicity, as well as surprising complexity below the surface. The art of paper folding can be traced back to around the seventeenth century in both European and Asian countries, but the term 'origami' comes from the Japanese tradition, which has a long history of folding for decorative, functional and ceremonial purposes. Origami is a version ofthe decorative fomi, which is most dominant today, where the artist is confined to working with one piece of paper and no cutting or external materials. This folding-only technique around the seventeenth century in both European and Asian countries, but the term 'origami' comes from the Japanese tradition, which has a long history of folding for decorative, functional and ceremonial purposes."" 145/207 TFTC

PS - I make it 7 x DNF out of 140 (this end) interesting -

[pete37038]

The section through Macc up towards Buxton is a very nice run, been meaning to do Teggs park for a while so prob wouldn't hurt to pick a few off nearby.....

[jhewitt15]

Well here's my two penneth on Drivebys. Great for a bike ride to rack up the numbers. Great if you've got a cacher driver.

Really p*ssing off when one has a none cacher driver and refuses to stop despite driving past a thousand

[alicephilippa]

Ok so that was a semi bust. #183 if it is still there, and 3 of us have logged DNFs on it, is likely calf deep in rubbish. The area it was placed has been used for flytipping recently. It does have a perennial litter problem anyway and I wouldn't have chosen to hide a drive-by in that location.

Did find the other I went to look for, and that was okish other than co-ords 30ft out and in the middle of the road, but at least it had a hint

[Kelsborrow Wayfinders]

The problem I have always had with series like this is that they totally swamp everything else in an area. 16 of my nearest 20 caches unfound caches are in this series including some of the ones that have been DNF'd and having seen the logs they don't inspire me much. It's a pity that a lot of good caches across the country will now be ignored as people rack up the numbers doing this series instead. To be fair it's what cachers seem to want these days.

I agree with Pieman that it would be more interesting doing it in one go (in a strange sort of way) but I could think of a better way of spending a day. Mind you it would give me something to do on a Saturday now

[pete37038]

To be fair it's what cachers seem to want these days.
(

Is it ????