Another New Years Resolution- Do More Geocaching

Geocaching is an international sport-game of treasure hunting using satellite global positioning technology. It is based on the groundspeak website : http://www.geocaching.com/. People hide small treasure containers called geocaches and record the GPS coordinates, then post them on the Internet site. Other folks then try to find the hidden treasures after finding their coordinates on the Internet. Anyone can play but you need a GPS to do it. Geocaches vary in size from micro to large. The only requirement for a normal cache is that it have a log book. When someone finds it they sign the log, then also log the find on the Internet site. Micro caches can be as small as a 1" tube about 1/4 inch in diameter, or as large as an orange crate. Obviously small caches may only contain a log. Larger ones may be chock full of basically worthless items. Rule is that if you want to take a 'treasure', you must replace it with something of equal or lesser value.

I have been geocaching for almost two years now. I have hidden 29 caches and have found around 160. I enjoy doing it because it gives you a reason to get out of the house and explore. Geocaches are hidden everywhere you can imagine from city center to mountain top. Some are quite challenging, some are very easy. The listing on the Internet site gives you the coordinates, a short description of the cache, the size, the relative difficulty and a map showing the approximate location.

Part of the game is to see how many caches you can find, or if you are also hiding them, it is fun to see what clever and unusual places you can put them. It is also fun to come up with ingenious ways to disguise them and catchy names to describe them. There is also some prestige in being the first to find (FTF) any particular cache.

I went out this morning and in just a few hours found eight caches, five of which I was the FTF! Below are some photos of my adventure.

The colorful sunrise as I was heading out this morning.

The bird whirly gig was the first cache of the day. Log is in the container attached to the tail.

This is near a cache aappropriately named "Speed Bump" .

The red, heart shaped souvenir box hidden here is a cache called "Elvis Coral"

Some old sheep loading corals not too far away I never knew existed before today.

This cache is about 100 yards inside the tunnel. Flashlight required!

Another cache near by required a little scrambling up this rocky hillside.

You can view my geocaching profile by clicking on this link: