Jason

I've just got a GARMIN Legend for my 40th birthday and I've just recently got hooked on geocaching. If you're not geocaching yet...I'm betting if you give it a try you'll end up with a whole new obsession! It's so cool, hidden treasure all around us just waiting to be found!

If you're a geocaching veteran...what's the best treasure you've found so far, I'd love to here. I keep hoping I'll find some rich persons cache loaded with cash. I know wishful thinking...but who knows?? Stranger things have happened.

Later...

Shannon

Pleasure to see you here in the forums, Jason! Wish I'd been up to that geocaching hike with you and Justin when you were in town recently (Walker Ranch cache). Jus and I have a geocaching hike planned for this coming weekend, and after I've done a few caches I'd like to place one somewhere... It's just an awesome way to get folks outdoors and adds an additional element of exploration and discovery to hiking, for those that have a GPS receiver on hikes. I've noticed there are caches quite near our home; suddenly, public greenways and small, little used county parks are getting a mini-revival as geocaching families and friends explore them looking to enjoy the outdoors, learn about GPS technology, and get and share a little "treasure".

I wish I had thought about geocaches when I was cleaning up our master bedroom closet recently. I threw away some trinkets and "freebies" that would have made perfectly good geocache contributions. I'm going to start a "treasure chest" (OK, shoebox is more like it) to collect small items we can place in geocaches, though I liked your contribution of $.60 to the cache you and Justin found. I wish geocaching had been an activity available when I was growing up and exploring the wooded greenbelt behind my parents house. Who knows, I might have a better-developed (natural) sense of direction if that had been the case...

And I really like the "Cache In, Trash Out" philosophy encouraging folks to pick up trash while they are out geocaching and hiking!

__________________
- Shannon Moore
Your Host @ WildTexas.com
http://www.twitter.com/ageekgal

kai

Shannon- just be sure when you hide it that you're not interferring with park regulations. Sometimes when a cache is hidden, it creates an unusual traffic pattern that disrupts natural wildlife/natural habitat which may affect animal populations. Its good to check with the admin (if there is one)- i'm thinking mainly city & state parks where there is endagered birds populations, but there might be other sensitive features that may not be obvious...

recently, i've gotten into the idea of virtual geocaching- same idea- someone posts the coordinates, and you go and find it. But its different because what ever you find is a fixed object. You don't have to leave anything unnatural or disturb anything- but you do go back and email (or whatever) the person who set it, to see if you got it. Not perfect, not as is. takes more coordination- works well with a small group of people you know and like i suppose. but perhaps virtual geocaching will lead to something else... [i've never done virtual geocaching- only have had it described to me. i imagine it can be somewhat of a let down]

I actually have found a travel bug in a geocache which i need to drop off in another cache- i think it's trying to get to colorado. my x-brother-in-law found it back before he got divorced, and gave it to me in washington state a long time ago- too long- like 2 and a half years ago. I took it back to boston with me, and then it moved down here to texas with me, and I really need to plant that sucker so he can get home. I think it has already lost the race though.

Shannon

Excellent points, and ones that worried me when I first heard about geocaching. I used to be under the misunderstanding that geocachers sometimes buried their caches, and that was especially worrisome (images of people with shovels and pickaxes on the side of a trail...) I think geocaching enthusiasts need to pursue the activity with the same responsible and educational attitude that (most) serious rock climbers pursue the sport of climbing. It only takes a few "bad apples" who don't follow the rules to get an entire group of people (climbers, geocachers, mountain bikers, etc.) banned from a park they were once allowed to enjoy. So, I definitely second the "if you participate, do so as an informed individual and, when in doubt, consult the park staff/authorities."

I read on a site today about the virtual caching that you mention. I think Geocaching.com even offers those (though I think it's a subscription-only feature, as they try to recoup some of their operating costs of the website). That's actually more like what I first thought about doing when I got my GPS -- posting coordinates of particularly memorable or unique scenic overlooks, natural structures, etc. I haven't done enough hikes with my GPS to do much more than map out trail junctions and such, so far.

(PS: I edited my post twice, so something must be in the air tonight... )

__________________
- Shannon Moore
Your Host @ WildTexas.com
http://www.twitter.com/ageekgal

Jason

Actually the virtual caches are not a member only benefit. I'm pretty sure they have the 'ghost' symbol next to them when you do a search for caches in your area. Also...browse the web sites for benchmark caching. Which is another type of virtual cache.

Hey KAI...hide the travel bug in the AIR SPOT cache, it's by SA INTL airport and I know pilots frequent that cache so it'll have a good shot of getting to Colorado.

Later...

Shannon

Jus and I did another geocaching hike today, this time at Guadalupe River State Park near our home.

Someone had left a 20 pence piece in the cache, so that's what I took since my father just moved to England for a minimum of 4 months; it'll remind me of him.

I'm finding this a FUN hobby, and more challenging than I thought it would be when armed with GPS coordinates as an aid.

The Cache we found:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...5-b9880ce3d7c8

__________________
- Shannon Moore
Your Host @ WildTexas.com
http://www.twitter.com/ageekgal