Geocaching 101

Geocaching: Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache.

Last weekend Joe borrowed a gps from one of his friends from work. We had been wanting to try out 'geocaching'. Geocaching is basically a modern day treasure hunt. You use a gps so find different 'caches' that people have hid. A cache is just a waterproof container that holds a small logbook, pencil and small trinkets of no value or significance. When you find a cache you sign the log book, date it and write what you are taking/leaving. For example, at one cache we took a matchbox car and left an earser. You find these caches through the gps coordinates that are listed on geocaching.com. After someone hides a cache they log it onto this website and then you can email them to let them know you found it.

We had a BLAST! The gps gets you within 20-30 ft. of the cache so once you are close you just have to start looking around. We found them under logs, groundcover, hanging in trees and even in the top of a fence post! We took a soccer ball stamp and stamped the log books with it. The kids took turns holding the gps and being the navigator. It was a great lesson for them in compass orienteering. There has to be some merit badge or belt loop we could pass off for this?!? Now we are trying to decide where we want to hide our family cache. We have several locations in mind.

Our adventures last Sat. took us from Barker's Trout Farm to Huntsville, to Weber State to The Tree House Museum to The Ogden River Parkway. Here are a few pics from our day!


Bingo!!



Yesterday we had a family Spring Fling party at Mom & Dad's. Dad & Joe put together a scavenger hunt that we all did with the gps. We divided the family into two teams and we each had a gps and a list of 20 coordinates and we had 1 hr. to get as many as we could. It ended up being the girls against the boys. We all went in Aunt Lynda's van. It was Susan, Lynda, Mom, Karlee, Erin, Amanda and myself. Joe also came with us. We ended up finding 7 of them. They were all within 1/2 ml of Mom & Dad's house. Aunt Lynda was really getting into the spirit of the race. She was flying through our subdivision at moch speed! It was hilarious! The guys ended up finding 7 also so it was a tie. But it was alot of FUN!!! Thanx Joe and Dad!