GEOCACHING in North Georgia
Have you ever heard of Dora the Explorer and her pal, Boots, the monkey? They are a popular TV cartoon pair who go on adventures, following a map. Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) is a high tech version of hide and seek that your family can play, just like Dora and Boots. It involves exploring the outdoors in search of hidden treasure, using Global Positioning Satellites. It’s great fun, especially when visiting the North Georgia Mountains. There are approximately 136 geocaches to be found within a 15 mile radius of Blue Ridge! Geocaching started over 10 years ago and has quickly gained popularity around the world. Currently, geocaches are placed in more than 100 countries and on all 7 continents. It appeals to the explorer in all of us.
So, how does it work? A geocacher hides a geocache somewhere, pinpoints its location using GPS technology and then shares that information online. Anyone with a handheld GPS unit or a recent Smartphone (iphone, ipod touch or ipad) can then try to find it. A GPS unit is an electronic device that determines a location to within 6-20 feet. Coordinates are given in latitude and longitude. You can use your GPS to navigate from your current location to another location anywhere in the world. Each GPS receiver is a computer that receives signals from GPS satellites.
It may sound easy, but it is not. Even though you may know the approximate location of a cache on the map, it might be difficult to get there, or to actually find it once you’re there. That’s the fun of the game. Caches vary in size:
Micro—smaller than a tennis ball
Small—up to a quart
Regular—a quart to 2 gallons
Large—larger than 2 gallons
Caches also vary in the difficulty of finding them and the difficulty of the terrain you’ll have to travel to reach them. A system was invented to rate the caches. The first number tells you how hard it is to find. The second number tells you about the terrain. For example: A 1/5 would be easy to find, but may require a boat, scuba gear or climbing gear. When starting out in geocaching, try hunting caches in the 1/1 to 1/3 range until you get more experience. Finding the caches gets easier, but can be very challenging at first.
You might want to know what is in a typical cache and why you should go to the trouble in finding it. No matter what size the cache, there will always be a logbook. Some, but not all, caches contain “treasures.” These treasures are frequently pretty rocks or stones, coins, games, carved wood, or just Dollar Store trinkets. You are not required to take or to leave anything. But, if you do take a treasure you must leave something of equal or greater value in its place. The true joy of the game is going on an outdoor adventure with your kids.
To get started, simply log onto www.geocaching.com. There are many other similar websites, but this one is by far the biggest and best, according to the experts. You’ll need to set up an account. It’s free! When you plug in the Zip code for the location where you’d like to search, a list of caches in that area will pop up. Study each one for its difficulty and any other information that might appeal to you. It will say the size of the cache and whether there is a treasure hidden inside. Read all the log entries. Others who have recently found that cache may leave important clues and possibly alert you to potential dangers. Get a GPS device, usually costing around $75-$100++. (They can be found used on Ebay!) If you have one, sign up for the GPS app on your Smartphone. Learn how to use it. Lots of folks have gotten lost in the woods, so don’t skip this step. To prepare for your adventure, you’re going to need a backpack (just like Dora) or a bag of some sort. Be sure to pack the following items:
A pen or pencil- A flashlight
- Extra batteries for the flashlight & your GPS
- Bug repellant
- Sunscreen
- A compass
- Bottles of water and snacks
- A hat
- Bandaids, Kleenex & wipes in Ziploc bags
- A digital camera
- Trading trinkets
Be mindful of the weather and wear layers and good hiking shoes. Take along a walking stick, or pick one up in the woods.
When you get to your cache’s location, look around carefully. It might be 10-20 feet off the trail. Look high and look low; look for footprints; look for broken branches or trampled grass. Become a tracker. Look for anything that seems out of the ordinary. Check out tree stumps, hollow logs, rocks or holes in trees. Once you find the treasure, be sure to sign the logbook with your names, the date, the time, what you took away and what you left in its place, and any other experiences you’d like to share. Most geocachers create trail names or nicknames. Get the kids involved in choosing a funny name to describe your family.
There are only four rules to Geocaching:
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Write about your find in the cache logbook.
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If you take a treasure, leave a treasure.
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Put the cache back in the exact location you found it.
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Log your experience at www.geocaching.com in your cache’s spot. Put the same details here that you put in the cache’s logbook.
By the way, this activity is not just for families. Perhaps Indiana Jones is more your style. It’s easy to get hooked. There are several websites and books to help you get started. I recommend The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geocaching and www.wikihow.com/Go-Geocaching. Have fun!