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Techie treasure hunt game gains in popularity
BY ANNA HERKAMP
BISMARCK — There may be hope for parents everywhere who fear high-tech toys only keep their children inactive.
While the Internet and video-gaming is blamed for childhood obesity and decreasing amounts of quality family time, another piece of technological gadgetry could be the antidote to the 21st century banes.
Global Positioning System (GPS) devices are now a form of entertainment for families looking for some outdoor adventure. Since 2000, satellite technology has ushered in a new era of creative treasure-hunting called geo-caching.
It was that year the government began allowing civilians less restricted access to satellites.
Soon after the satellites became available, tech-savvy people created a game that uses latitude and longitude coordinates to place caches of small treasures.
The game has become a way of connecting with people and places otherwise unknown.
“It’s a techie way of playing treasure hunt,” explained Lynn Burrett, of Cayuga, Ind., who frequently geo-caches with her family and friends.
To geo-cache, all that is needed is Internet access, a GPS device and a mode of travel.
Those interested log onto geocaching.com and enter a ZIP code. A list of caches in the area pops up on the screen. Once a cache is selected, the coordinates for the cache location are uploaded into the GPS device.
Although a general location is known, identifying the specific location becomes the challenge. Finding the cache is the reward.
The GPS coordinates often take users through thick wooded areas and varied terrain.
Although mostly accurate, the coordinates can sometimes be slightly off, due to ground moisture.
Burrett said occasionally the government will tinker with the precision of the coordinates, so caches can be slightly off-mark.
Caches are hidden anywhere. Many are located in parks, or even in urban areas. Small caches, the size of pill boxes are sometimes hidden in a stop sign, Burrett said. Larger caches can be as big as a 10-gallon container or an ammunition box in the woods.
The caches are always out in the open, but typically unseen by someone who isn’t looking for them.
Occasionally, they are discovered by what geo-cachers call “muggles,” or people who aren’t geo-cachers.
Sometimes muggles are known to steal or destroy cache treasures.
Geo-cacher code of conduct calls for anyone who finds a cache to be respectful and leave the hiding area untouched.
What treasures are to be found?
Burrett said they can be just about anything. People put key chains, coins, DVDs, CDs, toys and an array of other trinkets in the cache box.
Once the cache has been located, finders sign a log book and sometimes write an entry of their search experience. If a small treasure is taken out of the cache box, it is replaced with something of equal or greater value.
The treasure-hunting aspect of the game appeals to kids, Burrett said.
Jenny and Jim Bailey, of Bismarck, are frequent geo-cachers with their kids, Cameron, 9, Mackenzie, 12, and Danielle, 8.
All three children have their own travel bugs, which are small trinkets that are moved from cache to cache by other unknown geo-cachers.
The Bailey kids each picked out a small toy — the Bailey kids chose two racecars and a Cinderella doll — and attached a tag to it.
As their travel bugs are moved around between caches, those who move them keep track of the bug’s journey online.
Jenny said her kids get excited when they go online and see someone in Florida, for example, holding their travel bug.
New horizons
The Burretts and the Baileys, both of whom recently got into the hobby, say one of the best things about geo-caching is exploring new places.
Jenny and Jim were happily surprised on a recent trip to Mammoth Cave. During their trip, they spent a day in the caves, exploring cavern after cavern, which all began to look the same after awhile, Jim said.
To shake things up, the two decided to go geo-caching, and ended up uncovering a wealth of historical sites they didn’t know were there.
“We ended up running into several Civil War battle sites and all kinds of stuff that I never even knew was down there,” Jim said.
The Baileys also have stumbled across more local historical graves sites on their geo-caching trips.
One Jim remembers most is finding the grave of Revolutionary War soldier Joseph Gundy.
“No one knows about these people,” Jim said. “It’s history that’s quickly fading away that nobody’s even aware of.”
Burrett and her family geo-cache in every state they vacation.
In all, they’ve explored 12 to 15 different states on their trips.
On another geo-caching expedition, she and her family discovered a waterfall near Williamsport, Ind., they hadn’t known about before.
Family activity
Jenny loves that her children have an outdoor activity they’re excited about.
Once they’re in the woods exploring, taking turns holding the GPS device, they’re pointing out birds and bugs, asking questions and talking as a family, she said.
“It’s fun and safe for the children. They can get out of the house and explore,” she said.
It’s also a relatively inexpensive way to recreate.
GPS devices are going down in price, she said.
For parents who complain about the cost of going to movies or roller-skating, geo-caching may be a good alternative.
“It doesn’t cost anything but gas money,” she said.
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