Hudson Valley Parent

Show me the cache! A treasure hunt for the entire family BY MERIDITH FERBER stash, then used their own GPS receivers to find the container. Soon more people began hiding their own containers and posting coordinates, and geocaching was born. The exciting world of treasure hunts! " G eo-what?" This is how my friend Jill responded when I told her my family had gone geo-caching over the weekend. As a mother of three young children, I am always looking for fun things to do outdoors as a family. Since our weekends are divided between housework and the kids' activities, we wanted to find something fun yet practical. We also wanted to get the kids outside and moving as much as possible, even if just for an hour. With rising childhood obesity rates, we felt that finding such activities was more important than ever. The origins of geocaching Geocaching was first created in 2000 by GPS enthusiast Dave Ulmer, who decided to play a game by hiding a container out in the woods and noting the coordinates with a GPS. He then posted these coordinates on the Internet, and anyone who wanted to play along would then have to locate the container using only a GPS. The rules were simple: "Take some stuff, leave some stuff." Within three days, two different internet surfers read about Ulmer's A visit to geocaching.com was my gateway into this exciting world of treasure hunting. I searched for caches nearby, assuming I'd have to travel at least an hour to participate. Luckily, there were more than 30 caches within 15 miles of my home! The site rates each cache by degree of difficulty and the "owner" of the cache can post notes and hints to make finding your way a bit easier. Even more fun is the fact that those who have found the cache before you can electronically sign the log book and encourage you along the way. A cache is usually a small waterproof container containing a logbook and "treasure," often toys or trinkets of little value. Occasionally, the cache owner will put in a cash "prize" or special keepsake for the first finder. Our first cache hunt Because we would be hunting as a family, we selected a cache with a low degree of difficulty. We chose "Rodan's Roost" at Burger Hill Park in Rhinebeck, just a few miles from our home. Thirty minutes into our hunt, my son had convinced himself that there would be cupcakes, icing, gold and stickers hidden in the container. As we approached, I admit I became equally as excited to see what we'd uncover. We carefully followed the GPS to the listed coordinates and stopped. There are a few rules to geocaching, one of which is that you cannot let "Muggles" (nongeocachers) know what you're doing. No one can see you remove or replace the cache, for this is a very secret society you've entered! Once the coast was clear, we looked around for a place the cache might be stored. We found it rather quickly. We opened the cache and found a log book, as well as treasures left by the cache owner and other geocachers. The other rules state that geocachers "take some stuff, leave some stuff" and sign the log book – in other words, take a memento and leave a little symbol of yourself after signing the log contained in the cache. My son selected a small pencil sharpener as his "treasure" and we left a figurine in its place. We replaced the cache, again making sure no "Muggles" were watching and headed back to our car, feeling quite accomplished. Our entire trip took about an hour, but we talked about it for many days following. It goes without saying that if you decide to hide your own cache you should do so with respect and common sense – it is important not to trespass onto private property and not to disturb any natural resources. Meridith Ferber lives in Rhinebeck with her husband and three children. They moved to Rhinebeck in 2004 and enjoy exploring the Hudson Valley. HVParent.com Hudson Valley Parent 37

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