By Mike Malvick (Greatland Reviewer / Ladybugkids)
- Ideally, caches should not be disabled long term. The Hiding Guidelines state “A cache page can stay disabled for a reasonable amount of time – generally up to four weeks.”
- If the cache owner is active and responsive, it is the Reviewer’s discretion to decide what the maximum length of time the cache remains disabled. For inactive or unresponsive cache owners, the 4 week guidance should be applied. Reviewer discretion may also be applied for caches in remote locations (mountains, coastal islands, etc.) where seasonal conditions are a factor.
There are currently 427 (5.6%) caches in Alaska with the “Owner Attention Requested” (formerly “Needs Maintenance”) red wrench attribute. Cache Owners can check their dashboard at Geocaching.com – Cache owner dashboard for caches with this attribute and should visit the cache and perform any required cache maintenance so their cache is ready when peak caching season begins.
There are currently 124 (1.6%) caches in Alaska that are “Temporarily Disabled,” with most exceeding the four week standard. Most, if not all of these caches have received one or more Reviewer Notes requesting a status or action on the cache. Geocaching HQ gives latitude to Reviewers to work with responsive cache owners and all it takes to be considered “responsive” is to respond to the “Reviewer Note” is a “Write Note” log on the cache page in response to the “Reviewer Note.”
Combined, there are currently 348 caches in Alaska that need some kind of attention, with most needing it since at least Autumn 2025. Some caches have an “Owner Attention Requested” attribute, a “Reviewer Attention Requested” log, or are temporarily disabled, or up to all three!
The past month has featured lots of snow and unseasonable cold spells, but it is not too soon to write your cache notes and plan maintenance trips for when the warmer March and April days come.
Geocaching HQ’s standard for an awesome gameboard is 98% healthy caches. Let’s see what Alaskan cachers can do to get there before the cruise ships start calling at Alaskan ports in earnest.”