Grayson, what exactly is Geocaching?
Geocaching put simply is a giant treasure hunt. You are using GPS coordinates that are provided to you to find hidden items out in your community, along highways, along biking paths, hiking paths, historical markers, and the list does go on! There are over fifteen million Geocaches hidden worldwide. It is not constrained to just one city, county, state, or country. You are rewarded electronic badges for each state or country that you visit. Where I live here, in the LC-Valley there are over four hundred Geocaches to be found. Looking at a small map on my tracker, the entire area is covered and dotted with small green circles that will blot out both Lewiston and Clarkston’s name.
What exactly am I looking for? How do I know it’s a Geocache?
When you arrive at the location, it will give you a hint at how big a particular object might be. So, it will give you a rating on the difficulty of the cache itself and how hard it is to find it. The tracker will also give you a size of how big the cache might be. So, for instance if it says that it’s a micro you might be looking for a small, metallic object that is the size of a thimble that you can unscrew and inside will be a piece of paper that you will need to sign and log that you were there. Others, might be bigger and can vary from being film containers, creamer containers, ammo cache boxes, small Tupperware containers, sometimes they can be objects like bee trapping containers, or even electrical outlets that are not connected to anything but give the illusion that they are! Other containers might be marked with stickers that provide you a clue that ‘Hey this is a Geocache and not a piece of garbage, please do not throw away’.
So, you find these Geocaches and now what?
When you arrive at the location, it will give you a hint at how big a particular object might be. So, it will give you a rating on the difficulty of the cache itself and how hard it is to find it. The tracker will also give you a size of how big the cache might be. So, for instance if it says that it’s a micro you might be looking for a small, metallic object that is the size of a thimble that you can unscrew and inside will be a piece of paper that you will need to sign and log that you were there. Others, might be bigger and can vary from being film containers, creamer containers, ammo cache boxes, small Tupperware containers, sometimes they can be objects like bee trapping containers, or even electrical outlets that are not connected to anything but give the illusion that they are! Other containers might be marked with stickers that provide you a clue that ‘Hey this is a Geocache and not a piece of garbage, please do not throw away’.
Honestly, it’s a very exciting feeling when you do actually find the Geocaches! Usually there is a container (like mentioned above) that you will find a log in. You sign the log and then on the app that I use you will actually log it into a database that will be tracked electronically for you. It actually be logged into an international database. In the caches sometimes you will find items that people have put in there. Commonly referred to as ‘Swag’ it will be up to you to replace a piece of swag in the container if you take an item. The lovely missus and I will often times deposit some fake pirate coin, and a dinosaur if we take an item from it. Once you sign the log and replace the container back into it is hiding spot then it is time to move onto the next one!
So, is it just looking for these containers? What other kind of challenge does Geocaching provide?
While a good majority of these Geocaches are exactly what is listed as being a small box or container with a log and ‘swag’ in it, there are some unique challenges to Geocaching! Since we upgraded to a premium account through the website there are several other kinds of Geocaches. Some are ‘mysteries’. What exactly does that mean? If it is a mystery Geocache there will be a series of clues or hints that you are going to have to follow to find the main cache itself. So for an example, the lovely missus and I completed a ‘mystery’ cache this last weekend that involved playing an overgrown size of battleship in one of the local public parking lots here in Lewiston. Where were the clues you ask? The clues were actually the giant lamp posts throughout the parking lot. While examining them by lifting up the metal rectangular skirts around the base of the light would either identify a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’. If it was a miss and you didn’t understand the clue you’d have to go back and attempt to figure out where your numbering went wrong. Once you arrived at the final location, then the final coordinates of the Cache were given to you and you were able to log that you completed the challenge.
Other caches might be a ‘multiple cache’. Which means that the coordinates to the real cache you would get after stopping at several markers along the way to get the coordinates. While it’s similar to doing a ‘Mystery Cache’, the multiple caches might require signatures at them as you go along the path to get to the final one.
Grayson, do you find Geocaching rewarding? Or is it just something to pass the time when you should be writing?
Really this question kind of ties into one another. I find Geocaching EXTREMELY rewarding to be honest. Not only does it help with getting out of the house, and traveling (Sometimes quite extensively) but it also helps with relationships. The lovely missus actually introduced me to it back in early February of 2016. Since we set out on that date (which happened to be Valentine’s Day of all days) we’ve been hooked on caching. It has been a great stress relief for not only me, but also for her as well. The challenge of finding these things has helped bound our relationship with working more together as a team rather than individualists. It’s rewarding in the aspect of being able to set out and accomplish goals and spend some time together has really helped us. I think, even if your relationships are healthy and great this will just help improve them. The lovely missus and I have made some wonderful memories together and it isn’t just because we are out caching. Some of it stems from the fact we’ve done it in almost every kind of weather. We’ve shared some good laughs about it, as well as how we’ve looked so hard for a cache to be so simple and it’s looking us right in the face.
While I had announced that I’d taken the year off and hadn’t intended to put out any books this year, I don’t think that you can ever really take a break from writing if you are a true writer. The muse has been constant, and very loud in the back of the head. While it may not be in any kind of correlation to the US Marshals project that I’m working on now, the cities, and some of the more rural areas that we’ve visited have really sparked her. I made mention on a Facebook post a while ago about an elderly man that has come to the table to talk again with me. Geocaching helped this. The lovely missus and I have seen some lovely country in our travels around the area that we live and it has really flared some creative processes.
Grayson, you made mention about having to buy a premium package to unlock caches. Is this a pay to play?
Absolutely not! Upon you registering at the website for Geocaching, you are allowed to begin logging and caching right away. There will be several caches available to you for free. All the premium account does is unlocks the mystery caches, multi-caches, and some of the harder caches for difficulty and terrain. There are some other advantages of going premium as well that you can read about on the website. The cost for the premium package is only $30.00 for the entire year. The next time you’d have to re-up your premium account is the day that you decided to go full premium. Or, if you don’t want to do a yearlong subscription you can make it monthly and I believe that is only $6.00 a month. It is definitely worth it though if you decide to do the full year. Geocaching is HIGHLY addictive.
You keep saying there is a website. What is it?
www.geocaching.com
What is your Geocache name so I can add you?
Once you get into Geocaching, then we will talk! Right now, it’s set to a private profile.
While this blog hasn’t necessarily pertained to writing, I wanted to go ahead and answer some of the questions that I’ve been asked in both private message on the streets while we’ve been out Geocaching. I think that it’s a very unique treasure hunting hobby that benefits you in all kinds of ways. As I had mentioned above if there are any other questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me right away. I hope to see you out there someday!
So, is it just looking for these containers? What other kind of challenge does Geocaching provide?
While a good majority of these Geocaches are exactly what is listed as being a small box or container with a log and ‘swag’ in it, there are some unique challenges to Geocaching! Since we upgraded to a premium account through the website there are several other kinds of Geocaches. Some are ‘mysteries’. What exactly does that mean? If it is a mystery Geocache there will be a series of clues or hints that you are going to have to follow to find the main cache itself. So for an example, the lovely missus and I completed a ‘mystery’ cache this last weekend that involved playing an overgrown size of battleship in one of the local public parking lots here in Lewiston. Where were the clues you ask? The clues were actually the giant lamp posts throughout the parking lot. While examining them by lifting up the metal rectangular skirts around the base of the light would either identify a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss’. If it was a miss and you didn’t understand the clue you’d have to go back and attempt to figure out where your numbering went wrong. Once you arrived at the final location, then the final coordinates of the Cache were given to you and you were able to log that you completed the challenge.
Other caches might be a ‘multiple cache’. Which means that the coordinates to the real cache you would get after stopping at several markers along the way to get the coordinates. While it’s similar to doing a ‘Mystery Cache’, the multiple caches might require signatures at them as you go along the path to get to the final one.
Grayson, do you find Geocaching rewarding? Or is it just something to pass the time when you should be writing?
Really this question kind of ties into one another. I find Geocaching EXTREMELY rewarding to be honest. Not only does it help with getting out of the house, and traveling (Sometimes quite extensively) but it also helps with relationships. The lovely missus actually introduced me to it back in early February of 2016. Since we set out on that date (which happened to be Valentine’s Day of all days) we’ve been hooked on caching. It has been a great stress relief for not only me, but also for her as well. The challenge of finding these things has helped bound our relationship with working more together as a team rather than individualists. It’s rewarding in the aspect of being able to set out and accomplish goals and spend some time together has really helped us. I think, even if your relationships are healthy and great this will just help improve them. The lovely missus and I have made some wonderful memories together and it isn’t just because we are out caching. Some of it stems from the fact we’ve done it in almost every kind of weather. We’ve shared some good laughs about it, as well as how we’ve looked so hard for a cache to be so simple and it’s looking us right in the face.
While I had announced that I’d taken the year off and hadn’t intended to put out any books this year, I don’t think that you can ever really take a break from writing if you are a true writer. The muse has been constant, and very loud in the back of the head. While it may not be in any kind of correlation to the US Marshals project that I’m working on now, the cities, and some of the more rural areas that we’ve visited have really sparked her. I made mention on a Facebook post a while ago about an elderly man that has come to the table to talk again with me. Geocaching helped this. The lovely missus and I have seen some lovely country in our travels around the area that we live and it has really flared some creative processes.
Grayson, you made mention about having to buy a premium package to unlock caches. Is this a pay to play?
Absolutely not! Upon you registering at the website for Geocaching, you are allowed to begin logging and caching right away. There will be several caches available to you for free. All the premium account does is unlocks the mystery caches, multi-caches, and some of the harder caches for difficulty and terrain. There are some other advantages of going premium as well that you can read about on the website. The cost for the premium package is only $30.00 for the entire year. The next time you’d have to re-up your premium account is the day that you decided to go full premium. Or, if you don’t want to do a yearlong subscription you can make it monthly and I believe that is only $6.00 a month. It is definitely worth it though if you decide to do the full year. Geocaching is HIGHLY addictive.
You keep saying there is a website. What is it?
www.geocaching.com
What is your Geocache name so I can add you?
Once you get into Geocaching, then we will talk! Right now, it’s set to a private profile.
While this blog hasn’t necessarily pertained to writing, I wanted to go ahead and answer some of the questions that I’ve been asked in both private message on the streets while we’ve been out Geocaching. I think that it’s a very unique treasure hunting hobby that benefits you in all kinds of ways. As I had mentioned above if there are any other questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me right away. I hope to see you out there someday!
Fascinating. I want wasn't really sure what it was all about in the field. I've read about it. But you're the first to explain the experience of searching. Thank you
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