Sometimes Geocaching Makes You Go… — Nuts (GC41D4C) — Geocache of the Week

Can you spot the geocache? Photo by Tattletales
Can you spot the geocache? Photo by Tattletales

Many of us know it: geocaching can be addicting. It can even make you go a little cache-crazy. Once you have your first “OMG! I found it!” moment, you’re hooked. For those of us in the geocaching community, we know the feeling. For other people who haven’t been introduced to the fun, it might seem like we’re a little nuts. This week’s Geocache of the Week celebrates all of the geocaching nuts throughout the world, because, like the geocache owner says, “After all, is there anyone nuttier than a geocacher?”

Nuts (GC41D4C) might seem like another creative looks-like-part-of-the-tree container, but it’s so much more than that. The geocache doubles as a functioning squirrel feeder, so don’t be surprised if you make a furry friend on your geocaching adventure. Also, it’s placed with permission and not in a way that harms the tree. Once you open the first door to the geocache, the fun begins. Geocachers must solve a moving-square puzzle in order to access the geocache. The geocache creators, Tattletales, tells the story of how this geocache came to be, “It took a full week to design and draw up this nutty cache, and another week to construct it.  It’s a challenge to make caches ‘cacher proof’, but strangely enough, this one has never had a mechanical failure!” And regarding keeping this geocache in tip-top shape, they say, “I do spend time adjusting and repairing my caches.  That’s why I plant them close to home.”

The puzzle. If you can't solve it, you can always just eat some of the nuts out of the squirrel feeder part. Photo by Tattletales
The puzzle. If you can’t solve it, you can always just eat some of the nuts out of the squirrel feeder part. Photo by Tattletales

The more that 200 geocaching nuts who have solved the puzzle and earned their smiley have awarded this geocache over 150 favorite points so far. They’ve also left many positive logs, like geocacher doogelah, who said, “I really enjoy this sort of cache, where the hunt isn’t too difficult, but the construction is top notch, and you have to engage your brain to finish the task. The first of several favorite points I’m going to award this evening. Thank you for putting such effort in to make caches that are worth a little extra drive!”

Regarding all of the positive logs and favorite points, Tattletales says “[We] are delighted with the posts we receive on our caches.  The posts make it all worthwhile.  Reading the posts in the evening is great fun for both of us.  And yes, receiving favorite points is fun too!” And they have a piece of advice for the geocaching community: “Every cache has a value.  They can be in an interesting place, have a fun factor, or just be somewhere that gets you out of your chair to do a bit of exercise.”

A creative geocache like this is the perfect example of the type of geocache that can turn a day-to-day geocacher into a geocaching nut. What geocache solidified your geocaching passion? Tell us in the comments.

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, leave a comment below with the name of the geocache, the GC code, and why you think we should feature it.

The puzzle in action. Animation from this video.
The puzzle in action. Animation from this video by geocacher blucheez.

Editors note: Thanks for geocacher blucheez for posting a video of this geocache on reddit.com/r/Geocaching. Check out his full blog post with (Spoiler Alert) videos of a few of Tattletales’ other geocaches.