Geocache removal

[styx]

Unfortunately I feel partially responsible for some of this. It was "Prancer"' that I had the run in with the horse lady. I checked my log. It was on 8/11/11 - I actually did not find the cache that day. When I got to GZ I determined I could not search for it with Pax on leash so I walked back to the car empty handed. I was only down the trail for 15-20 minutes (did not see anyone on or off a horse) and then came back the next day (8/12/11) without Pax or my hiking stick to snag the two caches down the trail. I didn't see anyone on horses going for either of those two caches nor when I logged your other one under the bridge (so I'm not the one who popped out and startled anyone), but I was likely the one she was referring to as having my dog off leash. When we arrived at the parking area I parked against the fence to the NE. She was to the west in the center. I wasn't close to her. I opened the back door and Pax jumped out, went to the front of the car, took a leak on the front tire and then came over to me and I hooked him up. He was "off leash" for about 15 seconds.... still he had his electronic collar on.... And never left the side of the car. As I described above, as I walked towards the trail she immediately started into me about both walking on the horse trail ("there are trails for hikers and horse trails are only for horses") and the same about walking my dog (who was on leash) down the trail. When the jets startled her horse it was all over. I couldn't get a word in. She kept interrupting and kept referring to the fact that I had my dog "off leash" and obviously not under control. Pax was just sitting at my side while she was yelling at both of us. After I returned to the car the person she was giving a lesson to apologized to me for the lady's actions as she pointed out that it was the jets and not the dog that caused the incident.

Bottom line - this individual does not want anyone walking on the horse trails unless on a horse. You can't argue with her. Unfortunately depending on the Ranger you will get different responses. I imagine that someone did emerge from under a bridge at another time when this lady was present and whether or not they actually startled anyone they were trespassing on HER trail and that she filled a complaint.

For any part that I may have had in this I am sorry for the difficulty that I may have caused.

[cheechgang]

I missed the memo where it says the Metroparks bridle trails are for horses only. Somebody enlighten me.

[SuchaNana]

evidently somewhere on the trail maps it's posted - this is an email i received today after numerous phone conversations with my muggle friend
who assures me it will be discussed at the quarterly meeting and suggests we geocachers send an advocate to that meeting also...


4:42 PM (3 hours ago)

Thank you for helping me have a greater understanding of the issue. I apologize to the person who was "read out" by a "horse women" at the rider's center. Of course people can walk and walk their dogs at Oak Openings and they should be able to do this without a hassle. We are so blessed to have the Metro Parks which try to accommodate all people, dogs and horses. As a Volunteer Trail Patrol person I can tell you we value good relations with all park users.
It sounds like the issue is the designated trails. I know when we see walkers on a horse trail we stop, greet them, ask if they are lost. We re-direct walkers to a walker trail...we provide a trail map if needed.
Please pass this message on to your geo friends.

[Mighty_Mo]

I think I missed that one also. It's really hard to fight city hall.

[cheechgang]

Show me:

Metroparks Rules and Regulations.

PS. Doggies are spelled out...

[SuchaNana]

grizz said it a while back- some things aren't prudent on public forums... when i enter a park, or any newbie with a gps,
we head straight to a trail closest to the cache on our gps - somedays we could encounter a horse or even step on an endangered plant - it's not exactly marked out...

then again, somedays, bike riders have literally zipped by me so close on the WCT, i felt the breeze, treating me as if
it were only their trail and i was trespassing...somewhere in all of this is a cooperative answer...

[Stumpy75]

evidently somewhere on the trail maps it's posted -

There are NO regulations that say that the horse trails are for horses only. Period. As mentioned, there are several trails at Oak Opening where the trails overlap. Evergreen Lake, the new Silver Trail (just reopened this spring after repairing the tornado damage), and parts of the BoyScout trail come to mind.

BTY: Quite a few people who walk with the Volunteer Trail Patrol(VTP) are also geocachers. Myself included. And yes, if walking for the VTP, I might ask if someone is lost if they are on a horse trail. Because, for a human, they are much harder to walk on than the hiking trails. But it is NOT illegal to do so!

The quarterly meeting for the VTP is open to the public, but is probably not the place to go and complain about this. It's 12/15/11, 7pm at the Ward Center at Wildwood(east side of the park). There are usually 100 or so volunteers and a couple of people from the parks. Issues the VTP volunteers have come upon are discussed, as well as updates on any problems at the parks, but it usually lasts only about an hour. And not many decisions are really made at those meeting. All are welcome though.

The way to handle this (if we need to take this forward) is for the steering committee (or at least a group of experienced cachers) to make an appointment with the right person at the parks, and get this talked out. The fact that the parks allow caching at all came from a series of meetings in late 2005 and early 2006. Although there were caches in the Metroparks prior to that, many park districts at that time were banning geocaching altogether.

[cheechgang]

My advice: back away and return to your homes.

[styx]

Seconded

[Mighty_Mo]

Cache is moved and should not be a problem. End of discussion?

[Stumpy75]

Cache is moved and should not be a problem. End of discussion?

Yes.

[KeystoneGC]

The horse lady saw this and took offense. Sorry, but I need to archive all of your hidden caches.

[Stumpy75]

Oooops....

[allenite]

The horse lady saw this and took offense. Sorry, but I need to archive all of your hidden caches.

[Add to Favorites] ...thanks I needed the laugh.

[cheechgang]

If there is anyone who would be an expert on the detection of dead horse beating it would be the forum moderator over at GC.com