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Utah treasure hunters use satellites and internet to find . . . a Vermont quarter and pack of gum? • Geocaching popularity explodes in one year By
Tiffany Erickson James and Charise McMullin step out of their Exterra, parked at the Limber Pine Trailhead, into the crisp fall air of early October. It is nearing sundown but they have a full mile's hike ahead of them. Their goal, along with many other geocachers: find the hidden treasure. Geocaching is a recreational activity quickly rising in popularity. It's the 21st century's way of treasure hunting. Instead of a map with an "X" marking the spot, treasure hunters use a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS). A GPS is an electronic device that is able to determine a user's position within anywhere from 6 to 20 feet on the planet, using latitude and longitude coordinates. This enables navigation from one location to another, which is the main part of the game in geocaching. Some units come equipped with maps, built-in electronic compasses and voice navigation. A standard recreational GPS costs around $100, but can get up to $1,000, depending on the capabilities. The McMullins GPS is a black unit, about the size of a graphing calculator, with a screen that has an arrow pointing in the direction of the cache. The McMullins punch in the waypoint, which is where the cache (pronounced cash) is hidden. They printed the coordinates to this particular cache off the internet at www.geocaching.com, one of the more popular geochaching websites, and are ready to begin their search. Along with the coordinates the website provides a map of the trail and hints about how to get there and where the cache is. The trail goes directly into the forest, and the aspens and pines make a canopy, casting a dark shadow on the path. The smell of pine surrounds them, and round yellow leaves are scattered on the trail like gold coins spilled out of a treasure chest. The trail winds up the mountain into a clearing near the top where the sky opens up and the light hits like turning on a switch in a dark room. The GPS starts to flash a signal informing them that they are nearing the cache. On the west side of the hill, the arrow takes them off the trail through tall grass and prickly sage brush. Finally they reach the site at a small grouping of trees. They are at the right coordinates, and now they have to search. After a few minutes of searching the ground, bushes and surrounding trees, they find the cache in an ammo can at the base of one of the trees set farther back in the grove. Inside is a pink bottle of bubbles, a camera, Legos, a package of Trident gum, an air freshener, dice, a sowing kit, a Jeff Buckley CD, microwave popcorn, a mini American flag, and a notebook that serves as a logbook for people finding the cache. There is also a letter included, explaining exactly what the cache is for, just in case it is stumbled upon by mistake. It asks that in the event of any accidental discoveries, the cache be put back where it was found, leaving everything in its place. The rules are that you take something and leave something in the caches. "Only take something if you can leave something, otherwise the cache gets depleted really fast," said Charise. The rules are new, as is the game itself. According to CNN, geocaching started the summer of 2000, after President Clinton removed the encryption from GPS units, which were formerly exclusive to military and dedicated outdoors people. It said that in the 1980s the Department of Defense provide two classes of service: one for military use with accuracy between 10 to 20 meters, and a degraded signal, for civilians, with a accuracy of 100 meters. The policy was meant to prevent enemies from using the GPS technology to launch attacks against U.S. targets, however the degradation of civilian GPS signals was removed after officials determined it would only have a minimal impact on security. The McMullins have their own a cache in the valley along, with eight or nine other people. Their cache is at Rick's Springs in Logan Canyon. James said that in first starting a cache, you need to have about six to ten items already inside. These are what turn the cache into a true treasure hunt. "We just looked around the house for some cool stuff," he said. They chose items such as candles, handcuffs, CDs, and Ginsu knives to start things off. They also put in a disposable camera so that people who found it could take their pictures and when the camera is full, James will develop the pictures and post them on the website. Caches can come in many forms. The McMullins' cache is in a plastic box the size of a lunch cooler, but some are in containers as small as film canisters (micro caches), which pose a bigger challenge. The most important item in a standard cache is the logbook. According to the website, logbooks can have rewarding and entertaining information in them such as information about nearby attractions, coordinates to other unpublished caches, and even jokes written by visitors. Some people write a story about their experience finding the cache and some just leave the date and time that they visited it. The more valuable the items are, the greater the reward. Geocaching.com suggests maps, books, software, hardware, CDs, videos, pictures, money, jewelry, antiques, tools, games, etc. However, explosives such as fireworks, ammo drugs, or alcohol should not be placed in the cache, it said. Geocaching is for all ages so consideration should be taken. Similarly, food items are also a bad idea. The smell could attract animals such as bears that will chew and destroy a cache. Charise, after skimming through what other people have put in the logbook, leaves their names and writes a little about their trek up to the cache, including the date and time, and what they took and left from the cache. They decide to take a package of gum and leave some money, including a 2001 Vermont quarter. James takes a picture with the cache's camera and returns it to the can. They close the ammo can up and carefully place it exactly where they found it. Unless there is a note in the cache containing instructions about changing locations, a cache should never be moved, unlike the contents. Many people like to create "hitchhikers," which are items noted that they are to be moved from cache to cache. The Jeff Buckley CD found in the Limber Pine cache was actually the same CD that the McMullins had put in their cache to begin with. In the log was a note from the people who left the CD, commenting on some of the songs and where they got it. Hitchhikers have been known to go across the country and back. Variations in geocaching are strongly encouraged because it is a game that is always reinventing itself. There are games with offset caches, where they are not found by the conventional coordinate search. Instead, the published coordinates are maybe of a historical monument, plaque or benchmark. Then from that place, the cache hunter is to look around and find numbers, or a message regarding where to go next, placed on some part of the site, depending on the instructions on the website. Similarly, multi-caches have games like scavenger hunts. After finding the first cache the hunter is given instructions or coordinates to another cache that will ultimately lead to the final cache. Virtual caches are another alteration of the game in which the coordinates given lead to existing landmarks such as statues, or a memorials. When found, the hunter must answer questions about the place on the website to prove that it was found. It is now getting dark and McMullins start to head back. They have been geocaching for a little over a year, and were introduced to it by James' brother. "We go in spurts," he said. "It's kind of like exercise." Sometimes they go a few times a week but then take a break for a while, depending on if there are any new caches posted. They have been to all of them in the valley, however there are thousands of caches nation wide. It is spreading fast and James said that there are caches in 70 different countries already. Charise said that geocaching is a great way to enjoy the outdoors in the lingering days before winter hits. After the purchase of a GPS, it is virtually a free recreation that can be enjoyed by all ages and groups. There are caches that are accompanied by difficult vigorous hikes, and others that are easy walking. There is even a cache hidden near campus. For individuals just starting out, seekers can go to www.geocaching.com, enter a ZIP code and see if there are any caches hidden near them. People who want to hide their own cache just need to post the coordinates on the website. Maps and other tools are available on the site along with more information and tips on the games, and no membership is required. "I'ts a great activity if you need to take a break from school," Charise said. "Just throw a backpack and some water in the car and head for the canyon."
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