Daily Oklahoman article

[+Strgazr]

http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=1091225&TP=getarticle

 

These are two hard working Oklahoma cachers who do a really great job.

Thanks!

[+BlueDeuce]

uhmmmm, what's your email and password for that site?

 

Thanks

[+welch]

hmm... ok it finally lets me in...(*&^)

"Scavenger hunts get high-tech twist

2003-10-06

By Sarah Molina

The Oklahoman

 

Terri Cooper is spending a Saturday afternoon in the woods of Dulaney Park, ducking tree branches, dodging poison ivy and charging a steep hill, finally discovering something she's sought for the last half-hour.

 

She is on a high-tech scavenger hunt better known as geocaching.

 

With a tracking device in hand and a pack on her back, Cooper removes a small container made of paintball pods from the base of exposed tree roots. Inside, she finds a tape measure, a pencil sharpener and a keychain, among other treasures.

 

After choosing which item she will take from the pack -- the tape measure -- and replacing it with another -- a USA lanyard -- she signs her name, secures the container and puts it back exactly where she found it.

 

According to the Web site www.geocaching.com, there are about 70,000 caches, or points of hidden items, in 185 nations. Three years ago, 75 caches were reported, mostly in the United States.

 

This treasure-hunt-like sport doesn't take much -- just a Global Positioning System and a little curiosity.

 

"If they like to be outdoors and like the adventure of trying to find something, spend the 100 bucks (for a GPS) and just go out and have fun," said Brian Smith, 40, a geocacher from Oklahoma City.

 

The user programs the cache's location in a GPS using coordinates posted on the geocaching Web site. The handheld equipment tells how far the person is from the cache.

 

The caches can be almost anything -- a small Tupperware container or a large bucket -- but all caches have a logbook where finders record their names and the day they visited. The cache owner can include anything -- maps, books, pictures, jewelry, tools or antiques.

 

The finder is free to take an item but must replace it with something else.

 

There are even theme caches.

 

Cooper said she hopes to eventually hide a dog-theme cache dedicated to her deceased pet, and a harvest moon cache with nothing but yellow items inside.

 

Cooper, 56, of Choctaw said she started the hobby in June and has found 229 caches.

 

"Once you find your first one or two, you're just hooked," she said. "It gives you exercise, and it's something to get out of the house for."

 

Smith is well-known in the Oklahoma City geocache community, finding more than 400 caches and hiding many more since he jumped onto the geocaching scene in December.

 

When Smith posts the location of his caches on the Web site, he makes up stories to go along with where they are hidden or what is included.

 

"I like coming up with the stories," Smith said. "I bring them in using ghost stories and other stories. I want it to grab me, and I want to go out and do it."

 

On this visit, Cooper is looking for one of Smith's caches named Monkey Boy because the cache hunters must scale a steep hill and hang onto tree branches to find it.

 

"Monkey boy was a child lost in the woods somewhere in Oklahoma who was befriended by a group of monkeys. He was soon captured and raised by humans to live a normal life, all except the ability to climb and cling like a monkey. I named this cache for him and made it so it would truly live up to his abilities," Smith wrote.

 

Smith said his involvement in the sport stemmed from his love of rock hunting. He first used his GPS to find rocks.

 

"This is like high-tech treasure hunting," Smith said. "I truly enjoy making the caches. It looks like it belongs there, but they're so out in the open."

 

Dedra Doyle, 42, of Oklahoma City said the sport is a great way to explore Oklahoma and other states.

 

"Geocaching takes you to places that you might not have seen had it not been for it. People who live in the areas take you to places and sites that aren't on the state tour guides," she said. "

 

[This message was edited by welch on October 06, 2003 at 12:00 PM.]

[+Zahrim]

quote:

---

Scavenger hunts get high-tech twist

2003-10-06

By Sarah Molina

The Oklahoman

 

Terri Cooper is spending a Saturday afternoon in the woods of Dulaney Park, ducking tree branches, dodging poison ivy and charging a steep hill, finally discovering something she's sought for the last half-hour. She is on a high-tech scavenger hunt better known as geocaching.

 

With a tracking device in hand and a pack on her back, Cooper removes a small container made of paintball pods from the base of exposed tree roots. Inside, she finds a tape measure, a pencil sharpener and a keychain, among other treasures.

 

After choosing which item she will take from the pack -- the tape measure -- and replacing it with another -- a USA lanyard -- she signs her name, secures the container and puts it back exactly where she found it.

 

According to the Web site www.geocaching.com, there are about 70,000 caches, or points of hidden items, in 185 nations. Three years ago, 75 caches were reported, mostly in the United States.

 

This treasure-hunt-like sport doesn't take much -- just a Global Positioning System and a little curiosity.

 

''If they like to be outdoors and like the adventure of trying to find something, spend the 100 bucks (for a GPS) and just go out and have fun,'' said Brian Smith, 40, a geocacher from Oklahoma City.

 

The user programs the cache's location in a GPS using coordinates posted on the geocaching Web site. The handheld equipment tells how far the person is from the cache.

 

The caches can be almost anything -- a small Tupperware container or a large bucket -- but all caches have a logbook where finders record their names and the day they visited. The cache owner can include anything -- maps, books, pictures, jewelry, tools or antiques.

 

The finder is free to take an item but must replace it with something else.

 

There are even theme caches.

 

Cooper said she hopes to eventually hide a dog-theme cache dedicated to her deceased pet, and a harvest moon cache with nothing but yellow items inside.

 

Cooper, 56, of Choctaw said she started the hobby in June and has found 229 caches.

 

''Once you find your first one or two, you're just hooked,'' she said. ''It gives you exercise, and it's something to get out of the house for.''

 

Smith is well-known in the Oklahoma City geocache community, finding more than 400 caches and hiding many more since he jumped onto the geocaching scene in December.

 

When Smith posts the location of his caches on the Web site, he makes up stories to go along with where they are hidden or what is included.

 

''I like coming up with the stories,'' Smith said. ''I bring them in using ghost stories and other stories. I want it to grab me, and I want to go out and do it.''

 

On this visit, Cooper is looking for one of Smith's caches named Monkey Boy because the cache hunters must scale a steep hill and hang onto tree branches to find it.

 

''Monkey boy was a child lost in the woods somewhere in Oklahoma who was befriended by a group of monkeys. He was soon captured and raised by humans to live a normal life, all except the ability to climb and cling like a monkey. I named this cache for him and made it so it would truly live up to his abilities,'' Smith wrote.

 

Smith said his involvement in the sport stemmed from his love of rock hunting. He first used his GPS to find rocks.

 

''This is like high-tech treasure hunting,'' Smith said. ''I truly enjoy making the caches. It looks like it belongs there, but they're so out in the open.''

 

Dedra Doyle, 42, of Oklahoma City said the sport is a great way to explore Oklahoma and other states.

 

''Geocaching takes you to places that you might not have seen had it not been for it. People who live in the areas take you to places and sites that aren't on the state tour guides,'' she said.

---

 

Zahrim....

 

"There's no need to be afraid of strange noises in the night.

Anything that intends you harm will stalk you silently."

[+beatnik]

That would be SweeT47, Darkmoon, and Missouri Okie in order listed in that article. I'm still haunted by the cache from Darkmoon Laboratories that was unveiled or should I saw "spawned" at Fall Fest.

 

-beatnik-

[+GeoGryffindor]

Ahh, the imfamous ALIEN TURD. We shall never forget it.

 

I am wanting to write up an article to send to our local paper and also get a letter out to our local parks department. It is work in progress for now.

 

"Nice find! I must go tell Harry, Ron and Hermione."

[+Darkmoon]

Wow, now I can really say that I am infamous!

 

I was pleased at the article and the fact that they wanted to come out and follow us to a cache with the reporter and the photographer! We even let them sign the logbook!

 

As far as the Alien Spawn...be on the lookout for this around Halloween, and it will be a night time only cache involving some black light tags! Remember, in the woods, no one can hear you scream!

 

Darkmoon

 

"After you've heard two eyewitness accounts of an automobile accident, you begin to worry about history" -Anonymous

[+majicman]

majicman has ALWAYS been infamous!

 

--majicman

(MY new book is NOW AVAILABLE! Check it out: http://www.mcwj.com )