Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Geocaching a high-tech treasure hunt
Geocaching involves using GPS units to find hidden containers.
Would you like to find hidden treasure in your neighborhood or community? That’s precisely what a group of people equipped with a Global Positioning System — GPS, for short — and a lot of patience are doing.
Known as geocaching, the activity involves enthusiasts who hide “caches” around the world and pinpoint their locations using satellites. By creating an account on a geocaching Web site, you can log on and find the coordinates of caches close by or thousands of miles away.
These caches range from the size of a push pin to 5-gallon buckets. Some are in common places, such as the outside of a library, in a park or on college campuses. Others can be found on mountaintops or even underwater.
Finding a cache can be a fun and rewarding experience. All that is really needed is a GPS unit, which are available at an outdoors store for about $100. The coordinates of a cache can be found online, and you can quickly program them into your GPS.
Many people take their friends and family with them to search for the caches. Some cache searches involve hiking, and they can take a few hours to find. Caches can be anywhere, so even with the coordinates it is usually necessary to search for a cache. They are usually well hidden and obscured from the eyes of the casual passers-by.
Normally, a geocache contains a logbook and assorted trinkets. Common trinkets include items of little value, such as a button, marble or coin. Usually cachers bring something of equal value to trade.
After you’ve found the cache, traded an item, and signed the logbook with your name and the date, it’s vitally important to put it back in the same spot for others to find.
Sometimes geocachers also come together for events, such as one coming up in the Roanoke Valley. “Caching in on Scenery” is a treasure hunt that will begin at Garst Mill Park in Roanoke County on May 16.
Ten caches will be hidden around Roanoke County for individuals or teams to find. Awards will be given out to the winners. The event is sponsored by Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
Wendi Schultz, event coordinator, said in an e-mail interview that this is the first event of its kind in the area, and many people have inquired about it.
For those interested, it could be a great opportunity to be introduced to geocaching. With a little patience, you too can become a geocacher.
Known as geocaching, the activity involves enthusiasts who hide “caches” around the world and pinpoint their locations using satellites. By creating an account on a geocaching Web site, you can log on and find the coordinates of caches close by or thousands of miles away.
These caches range from the size of a push pin to 5-gallon buckets. Some are in common places, such as the outside of a library, in a park or on college campuses. Others can be found on mountaintops or even underwater.
Finding a cache can be a fun and rewarding experience. All that is really needed is a GPS unit, which are available at an outdoors store for about $100. The coordinates of a cache can be found online, and you can quickly program them into your GPS.
Many people take their friends and family with them to search for the caches. Some cache searches involve hiking, and they can take a few hours to find. Caches can be anywhere, so even with the coordinates it is usually necessary to search for a cache. They are usually well hidden and obscured from the eyes of the casual passers-by.
Normally, a geocache contains a logbook and assorted trinkets. Common trinkets include items of little value, such as a button, marble or coin. Usually cachers bring something of equal value to trade.
After you’ve found the cache, traded an item, and signed the logbook with your name and the date, it’s vitally important to put it back in the same spot for others to find.
Sometimes geocachers also come together for events, such as one coming up in the Roanoke Valley. “Caching in on Scenery” is a treasure hunt that will begin at Garst Mill Park in Roanoke County on May 16.
Ten caches will be hidden around Roanoke County for individuals or teams to find. Awards will be given out to the winners. The event is sponsored by Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
Wendi Schultz, event coordinator, said in an e-mail interview that this is the first event of its kind in the area, and many people have inquired about it.
For those interested, it could be a great opportunity to be introduced to geocaching. With a little patience, you too can become a geocacher.
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