CSA Online by Andrew Moore-Crispin As the weather warms up, we start looking for things to do outdoors. Given the fact that “social distancing” is still part of the common vernacular, I’ve been ruminating on activities that honour the idea of keeping our distance while still getting out of the house. I’ve got a good one for you. It’s called geocaching and it’s basically a high-tech scavenger hunt. There’s a community that has grown up around the idea. In short, someone hides a “cache” and shares the co-ordinates. Geocachers head out to find it. There are several smartphone apps that complement the idea... and I remember first trying it out with a handheld GPS in the days before smartphones. You follow GPS prompts to point yourself in the right direction and check in periodically to make sure that you’re on course. Many caches will have hints which you can reveal if you get stuck. If you fall in love with the hobby, as many have, you can even start hiding caches yourself to keep the spirit alive. A cache can be anything from a tiny film canister (remember those?), a Tupperware, an ammo box or whatever. Caches are typically pretty well hidden, which adds to the fun. Once you’ve found the area in which a cache is hiding, the funmay not yet be over. Some cache-stashers take great pride in making a puzzle of finding, getting at or opening the cache. These can include things such as riddles or physical puzzles that have to be solved before you can call your mission complete. A Tech Treasure Hunt What’s in a cache? Inside a cache, you’ll typically find a log book to sign (though you’ll want to log your find online, too) and, sometimes, a little something extra like a coin or trinket that makes it feel like a treasure hunt. These treasure caches are especially rewarding if you have younger grandkids with you. Typically, treasure caches operate on a “take one, leave one” idea, so be sure to bring along something small that you can leave for the next person to find. Other caches include trackable “Travel Bug” tags, “Geocoins” and similar items that people move between caches. These are basically a digital logbook. Given that the tags move between caches, finding one is far from assured. This makes it that much more fun when you do succeed. Geocaching has gone truly international and there’s a strange little thrill in finding a cache, seeing where in the world the tag has been and who’s touched it along the way. Getting there is half the fun One nice thing about geocaching is that caches are often hidden away in spots off of the beaten path. People will stash a cache (those words rhyme, in case you’ve been debating how cache is pronounced) at a point of interest; a waterfall, a neat rock formation, a lookout, a peaceful spot or similar as a way of sharing that special location with others. This is not to say that geocaching is always a hiking activity; caches can be hidden in urban environments just as often as in rural ones. In fact, urban caches tend to be even more well hidden, so that “muggles” don’t happen upon them. Muggles, borrowed from the Harry Potter world, is the name which the geocaching community uses for non-geocachers. Revealing a cache to a muggle is frowned upon, so you’ve got to play it close to your chest. As a bonus, if you get into geocaching and you have a second place that you call home in the winter months, your geocaching territory immediately doubles. Geocaching gear Perhaps the best thing about geocaching is that you probably don’t need anything to get started. If you’ve got a smartphone and a pair of shoes, you’re all set. Just grab a geocaching app (more on those in a second), find a cache that sounds right given your fitness level and how challenging the cache is to find − and you’re on your way. Don’t worry; this isn’t a nice walk spoiled by technology. You’ll be charting a course on your phone or maybe even your smartwatch, but you’ll have plenty of time to take in the scenery, too. Geocaching is all about the thrill of the hunt and the pleasure of sharing a little secret at the end. Worth a try, if you’re looking to get outside and a little off of the beaten path. 54 | www.snowbirds.org
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