Hidden Treasures-How to Spot a Geocache

Geocaching is an international game of treasure hunting. According to the Geocaching.com website, there are close to one million documented geocaches hidden around the world. Anyone can search for them utilizing a handheld GPS system. Some of the ones I've located I haven't even needed the GPS to find.

Take a moment and see how many are near you. You'll be amazed. Simply enter your address or postal code/zip code and see how many come up. Remember, this is worldwide.

Each geocache is given a title name by its owner, usually something cute and witty. Then there may be a bit of history about the location or sometimes not much info at all other than the geographic coordinates. These coordinates can be entered into most GPS systems and you can then be led to the location.

Once you get into the general vacinity you're looking for some object (the geocache) that will contain a log book at a minimum. This can be a tiny strip of paper or it can be a full-fledged spiral notepad. The sizes vary greatly. It seems that many who hide the geocaches like to be extremely clever. You have to understand that having someone find the cache who isn't aware of what it is, will likely ruin the game. Non-geocachers are known as muggles, a name borrowed from the Harry Potter movies. Geocachers are discreet and try to keep muggles from spotting them retrieving a geocache.

I decided to familiarize myself with the different types of geocaching containers or receptacles. I have to admit that I had no idea there were so many varieties available. The level of ingenuity and creativity is exciting.

Just a quick search resulted in the following examples of geocaching receptacles:

• Bird nests already mounted on limbs that can easily be slipped onto an existing branch.
• Fake dog poo with a slot underneath that holds a tube containing the log book
• Man-made rocks with places underneath to hide a container. My very first geocache find was at the location of the Crash at Crush and is a man-made rock with a hollowed out spot underneath that contains a 35 mm film tube.
• Fake logs and large sticks
• Fake galvanized fence post tops that sit on top of existing fence posts.
• Magnetic signs and containers. Some of these are simply numbers that appear to be the address and they actually have a place to write on the back to log you were there.
• Gargoyles and statues
• Artificial pine cones that that clip onto limbs and then unscrew and hold the log book
• Plastic cockroaches, wasps, lizards, ladybugs, frogs, butterflies, small skulls, Santas, snowmen, etc. that open up to hold log books
• Fake re-barb to place in holes in concrete curbing and fake bolts that screw into guardrails, fencing, or metal signs
• Fake leg bone with hollowed out ends