merrywalker

Last May a friend with a GPS introduced me to Geocaching, and for a few weeks we went regularly, and I really got into it. Somehow, though, my friend wasn't that interested, and we got away from it. Then a few months ago he decided he wanted a better GPS and gave me his eTrex. (Why does he want a better GPS when he doesn't geocache? He's a gadget freak.) Now that I have my own GPS, and don't have to coordinate with someone else, I can get back into it. I've spent the evening checking all the local caches and realizing that there is an active caching community here that I'm looking forward to meeting.

For example, we went to try to find the "aBandoned by theRiver" cache. (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=23009 Not sure that will come up as a link...I'm not familiar with these boards yet.) It had only been placed a week before, but we were unable to locate it and the coordinates seemed like a bad place for a cache to remain hidden, anyhow. We got home and I discovered there was only one earlier log, from someone else who couldn't find it. Research on the cacher who placed it revealed one cache found (a virtual one, at that) and one placed (the one we couldn't find). Being a newbie, I didn't want to rock any boats... wasn't sure if I should e-mail the cacher who placed it, e-mail the site, or what. While I was trying to figure it out the "archive this cache" option appeared, and I wondered if I should do that or not. Anyone have any guidance on this? (I should add that since then, a red warning has appeared at the top of the page saying the cache no longer exists, AND the cacher who placed it logged a "find" saying he'd checked the coordinates and they were off, so sorry, his son had helped him, good coordinates now posted.) *sigh* And that was the first one we hadn't been able to find...a perfect record ruined. *laughing*

A friend of mine got a GPS a while back, and even though we're both into camping and such, I didn't see all that much use in it. I mean, I don't get really wild tromping around in the wilds, and I can always find my way back to where I started (a talent I discovered while living in the Colorado Rockies), so I chalked the whole thing up to his gadget addiction. Then he told me about geocaching. He'd learned about it while surfing for information on using a GPS. (He doesn't recall the specifics beyond that.) One night while he was at my house we went on line and found this site, and all of a sudden, having a GPS didn't seem like such a silly idea.... We went after the nearest cache that weekend, and we're both hooked now. He's agreed that as soon as he's ready to upgrade his yellow eTrex, I get to buy it, and then I'll have my own! (I recently provided him with a multi-page Garmin brochure describing all their upscale models and he's already figuring out which he wants...hehehehe)