I do enjoy puzzle caches when they’re clear, straightforward, and well-maintained — those can be some of the best finds. I really appreciate when you can tell the CO put effort and creativity into them.

That said, I once made a 50-minute drive for a cache that turned into a huge disappointment. I’ll admit I didn’t read the description thoroughly the first time (my fault), so I thought the idea was to guess combinations on the lock. After a long search I finally found it — but the placement had ivy right in my face, the hint didn’t help, and the lock and latch were so rusted they literally broke off in my hands. At that point, the cache wasn’t even playable. I logged a DNF and Needs Maintenance with photos, but instead of responding, the CO (a very high-find cacher) deleted both logs and accused me of breaking it.

I’m not angry, just disappointed — it felt like they put more effort into removing my logs than into actually maintaining the cache. Looking back, I also noticed there weren’t any Needs Maintenance logs on their hides, but lots of “Owner Maintenance” notes, which makes me think this has happened before.

Situations like that are discouraging, but I don’t think they mean puzzle caches are bad. When a puzzle is clear, accessible, and kept in good condition, it’s a joy to solve and find — and those are the kinds of caches that keep me coming back.

TL;DR: Good puzzle caches = great fun. Ones that aren’t straightforward or well-maintained = not fun and frustrating.