[pct-l] Caches--good, bad and ugly

[wandering_bob at comcast.net (Bob Bankhead)]

I've used caches only twice - both times in places where resupply options 
were distant. Both were successful and not disturbed by critters.

The first cache was beside the parking lot of the picnic area at Sonora 
Pass. Three of us used water-tight plastic boxes buried in the ground and 
covered with logs. Even with GPS coordinates, let's just we had an 
interesting time finding the cache again.

The second cache was beside the trail at Etna Summit. Again, I simply buried 
a doubled trash compactor bag at the base of a tree along a side trail. No 
problems finding this one. Lesson learned above.

That said, I'd second the comment that caches are not the way to go on any 
routine basis. I got lucky and nothing (almost including me) found either of 
mine. I would resort to them again in the future ONLY where it would be 
difficult or time-consuming trying to reach an off-trail resupply point. 
Unless I had no other choice, I would not use one someplace where there was 
NO other re-supply option available. If Yogi or Booboo find it first, or if 
even you can't find it yourself (all those darn trees look alike out here) 
you could go a long time hungry until your next supply point. If you leave 
it visible or otherwise visibly marked (trail tape, sign, etc) there is 
always the remote possibility that someone else - certainly not a LD hiker - 
might eat at your table. Always leave yourself an out.

Oh - and don't let the rangers see you heading up the trail with a shovel 
and a plastic pail. They don't like people digging holes in their National 
Park grounds. They might even give you their autograph on an expensive piece 
of paper and escort you to the entrance.

As far as a 100 mile trek goes, that's only 4-5 days - 6 tops - on the 
trail. On the last, you arrive at the 100 mile point out of food and ready 
to kill the first restaurant you see once you retrieve your car.

Wandering Bob


----- Original Message ----- 
 Has anyone else used caches successfully? Has anyone had a critter dig up
their food cache? It is too much of a risk to depend on a food cache in
the middle of a 100-mile trip?