Does anyone know what the ACTUAL oldest original geocache is?

[+pinkunicorn]

On 5/19/2018 at 5:25 PM, The Rat said:

Mike's First (GC4)  hidden 5/7/2000 is the oldest active listing. It has only two logs: 1 find and 1 DNF, but there's no solid indication that it has been replaced or gone missing. It's almost certainly gone, but so far as anyone can tell from the cache page, it's still out there and in its original state.

 

Well, it's not archived, but it's locked so you can't log it.

[+Corfman Clan]

On 5/20/2018 at 5:09 AM, Isonzo Karst said:

Well that was quick. As I expected, in the dry southwest USA - original metal tin container,  and as Touchstone mentioned, remote, few visits.

A new log has been added, per 2013 log, but the original log seems to still be in the cache.

 

Labyrinth Canyon GC7E 08 October 2000   https://coord.info/GC7E

 

Well, GC7B - T824 Table Mesa, hidden the same day as Labrynth Canyon but with the earlier GC number (so considered Arizona's 2nd geocache) has the original container, log book, location, and some swag. It's hidden at the confluence of N 34° W 112°.

[+Isonzo Karst]

According to the cache page on Table Mesa, UPDATE 4/7/02
The cache container has been replaced with a smaller metal can. The original plastic bucket had started to crack...

So the current container dates from 02.

[+Corfman Clan]

On 10/4/2019 at 3:41 PM, Isonzo Karst said:

According to the cache page on Table Mesa, UPDATE 4/7/02
The cache container has been replaced with a smaller metal can. The original plastic bucket had started to crack...

So the current container dates from 02.

Ok, my mistake. I looked through the logs and didn't see anything there and neglected to read all of the listing. I was most concerned with whether the container was replaced after the Cave Creek Complex fire and saw it didn't need to be. I should have known though, as I was honored to adopt this cache after GCB0B passed. The smaller metal can is actually an ammo can.

[+hzoi]

On 10/4/2019 at 2:24 AM, Corfman Clan said:

Well that was quick. As I expected, in the dry southwest USA - original metal tin container,  and as Touchstone mentioned, remote, few visits.

A new log has been added, per 2013 log, but the original log seems to still be in the cache.

 

Labyrinth Canyon GC7E 08 October 2000   https://coord.info/GC7E

 

It'd be nice to know if the original log is still in it.

 

I've been going through the oldies I've logged and have yet to find one that has both the original container and the original log that's older than GC2630, Gertchie Birdie's Otowi Mesa Cache, hidden 1 November 2001 (on the outskirts of Los Alamos, New Mexico), still in its original blue plastic tub and with its original log.

Edited October 7, 2019 by hzoi

[+PNW_Navigator]

Up until a few short years ago, GC12 had its original container and several of its logs, including the first one.  I photographed the first several pages.

Then we had a hard winter (at least for the PNW) and the container may have been damaged.  In any event, the logs got soaked and were removed.  I don't know if they were salvaged or not.

[+lee737]

Frying Pan https://coord.info/GCF1 deserves a mention - it still has an original 2000 logbook.... and the owner still writes notes occasionally.....

[+colleda]

2 hours ago, lee737 said:

Frying Pan https://coord.info/GCF1 deserves a mention - it still has an original 2000 logbook.... and the owner still writes notes occasionally.....

I've had my eye on that one for a long time but never seem to get around to it. This lethargy has to stop. Spent many  happy weekends at Frying Pan, camping with the family, back when Adam was a boy. Great motorcycle trails too. I wouldn't mind taking my Yamaha DT175 up there but all my old riding mates from the 70s don't do off road anymore.

[+lee737]

1 hour ago, colleda said:

I've had my eye on that one for a long time but never seem to get around to it. This lethargy has to stop. Spent many  happy weekends at Frying Pan, camping with the family, back when Adam was a boy. Great motorcycle trails too. I wouldn't mind taking my Yamaha DT175 up there but all my old riding mates from the 70s don't do off road anymore.

It should be the easiest D4/T4 ever - I'd call it a T2, the D is hard, as it would be illegal now!

[+ecanderson]

GC18 is still up and running, but the orange bucket has had to be replaced a number of times since the original was placed.  Far from being a 'virgin'.

 

At the time I found GC18, I wrote a log which was true at the time, but I haven't checked since to see if all of these are still up and running in any fashion or not:

 

Today's extant caches which are even older than Tarryall, based upon gc.com 'placed' date are GC30, Mingo, Kansas, 5/11/2000 (Oldest remaining traditional) GC12, GC12 5/12/2000, Oregon, 5/12/2000 GC28, Beverly, Illinois, 5/13/2000 GC3E, Lane Cove, New South Wales (AUS), 5/18/2000 (Oldest remaining virtual) GC39, The Spot, New York, 5/26/2000 GC46, Geocache by Kevin Anderson (Wellington), North Island (NZ), 5/26/2000 GC31, Arikaree, Kansas, 5/31/2000 GC43, Europe's First, Leinster (IRE), 6/3/2000 GC16, GC16 6/4/2000, Oregon, 6/4/2000 GC1E, Tour of Stone Mountain, Georgia, 6/11/2000 (Oldest remaining multi) GC25, Camels Prairie Stash, Idaho, 6/17/2000 GC37, Missouri's First - Watts Mill, Missouri, 6/20/2000 GCD, Geocache, Washington, 6/21/2000 GC26, Two roads, Idaho, 6/21/2000 GC27, Eggcellent, Idaho, 6/21/2000 GC1B, Gorilla Stash, Arkansas, 6/27/2000

 

[+Isonzo Karst]

The topic is oldest, original geocache is that has never been replaced or moved. 

 

 GC3E, Lane Cove, New South Wales  started as a Traditional cache. The oldest active original Virtual is in Kenya, it was virtual from day one. The first of its type - GC53 , Rift Valley.

 

GC1E Tour of Stone Mountain was a Traditional cache . It was adopted, and reworked at as a Multi by the new owner summer 2003. 

[+The Jester]

5 hours ago, Isonzo Karst said:

The topic is oldest, original geocache is that has never been replaced or moved. 

 

 GC3E, Lane Cove, New South Wales  started as a Traditional cache. The oldest active original Virtual is in Kenya, it was virtual from day one. The first of its type - GC53 , Rift Valley.

 

GC1E Tour of Stone Mountain was a Traditional cache . It was adopted, and reworked at as a Multi by the new owner summer 2003. 

Is GC70 Octopus Garden the oldest puzzle cache?  Or did also change type sometime?

[+Isonzo Karst]

2 hours ago, The Jester said:

Is GC70 Octopus Garden the oldest puzzle cache?  Or did also change type sometime?

 

Cache types weren't invented until May 7, 2001.  So strictly speaking, all caches older than that have had a change in type, from nothing to something ;-) May 7, 2001 Jeremy announced types: Traditional, Multi-cache, Letterbox Hybrid, Virtual, Unknown (Mystery), Event. (also sizes, micro regular large and unknown/not chosen).  Cache owners could change types themselves, were encouraged to do it.  I think the ability to change types ended sometime in 2002, about the time of the moratorium on Locationless. I couldn't do it when I started. I recall emailing Crow T Robot for a change of new hide from Multi to Mystery (It was a bonus cache).

 

Octopus Garden was a moving cache until early 2005.  At that point it became something like the cache you see now. The current owner is not the original owner, Iungionis - but has been the owner for many, many years.  Log from original placer   Thursday, 18 January 2001    https://coord.info/GL2C7

 

It's the oldest active cache of Mystery type, and probably always was a Mystery type by current standards, though it changed format from  moving  to puzzle.

 

Edited November 12, 2019 by Isonzo Karst

[+NYPaddleCacher]

17 hours ago, Isonzo Karst said:

 

Cache types weren't invented until May 7, 2001.  So strictly speaking, all caches older than that have had a change in type, from nothing to something ;-) May 7, 2001 Jeremy announced types: Traditional, Multi-cache, Letterbox Hybrid, Virtual, Unknown (Mystery), Event. (also sizes, micro regular large and unknown/not chosen).  Cache owners could change types themselves, were encouraged to do it.  I think the ability to change types ended sometime in 2002, about the time of the moratorium on Locationless. I couldn't do it when I started. I recall emailing Crow T Robot for a change of new hide from Multi to Mystery (It was a bonus cache).

 

Octopus Garden was a moving cache until early 2005.  At that point it became something like the cache you see now. The current owner is not the original owner, Iungionis - but has been the owner for many, many years.  Log from original placer   Thursday, 18 January 2001    https://coord.info/GL2C7

 

It's the oldest active cache of Mystery type, and probably always was a Mystery type by current standards, though it changed format from  moving  to puzzle.

 

 

Rift Valley (GC53) has a hidden date of 06/15/2000 and as far as I can tell never had a physical container.   From what I've read Lane Cove in Australia was originally a physical cache but converted to a virtual.   I got to within 150km of the Rift Valley cache on the way back from Masai Mara to Nairobi, Kenya.   A couple of people I was riding with got into another vehicle there and continued up to Lake Nakuru, which is even closer.  

[+Alkhalikoi]

GC437 - in Berkeley, CA, is original from March 2001.  Don't see anything that suggests it's not still original.  Only ~250 visits in 18 years. 

[+cerberus1]

1 hour ago, Alkhalikoi said:

GC437 - in Berkeley, CA, is original from March 2001.  Don't see anything that suggests it's not still original.  Only ~250 visits in 18 years. 

 

"The box is quite weathered and won't close properly.

If you don't already have a spare box and the time to swap it out, let me know and I'll be glad to do so.

I've uploaded a proof of find photo but it doesn't really show the condition of the box."   10/2001

 

Another from 3/2002  ... "PS: the lid has a crack in it, but the ziplocks are holding." , so still wasn't fixed yet.

 

Finally in 5/2003 ... " Also, I noticed in the log that this cache's box was disintegrating, so I brought along one of my custom-painted camo ammo boxes. I dried off everything that was salvagable and transferred it to the new box, which is now hidden as it was originally placed. "

The latest container (by pics) is an ammo can.

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by cerberus1

[+papu66]

Weathered? From all that sunshine in CA, I guess.

The oldest cache around here is from 9/2000. I read somewhere they have to change the box every four years or so. It's a plastic box under pile of rocks so I assume it gets shattered from time to time. 

[+Team Torex]

The first cache was placed in Oregon.The original stash was placed May 3, 2000. It was part of a test in global positioning system invention. 

GCGV0P Original Stash Tribute Cache.

The History of Geocaching

Based on excerpts from
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching, Second Edition

GPS Users get an Instant Upgrade

On May 2, 2000, at approximately midnight, eastern savings time, the great blue switch* controlling selective availability was pressed. Twenty-four satellites around the globe processed their new orders, and instantly the accuracy of GPS technology improved tenfold. Tens of thousands of GPS receivers around the world had an instant upgrade.

The announcement a day before came as a welcome surprise to everyone who worked with GPS technology. The government had planned to remove selective availability - but had until 2006 to do so. Now, said the White House, anyone could "precisely pinpoint their location or the location of items (such as game) left behind for later recovery." How right they were.

London, Paris, New York, Beavercreek?

For GPS enthusiasts, this was definitely a cause for celebration. Internet newsgroups suddenly teemed with ideas about how the technology could be used.

On May 3, one such enthusiast, Dave Ulmer, a computer consultant, wanted to test the accuracy by hiding a navigational target in the woods. He called the idea the "Great American GPS Stash Hunt" and posted it in an internet GPS users' group. The idea was simple: Hide a container out in the woods and note the coordinates with a GPS unit.

The finder would then have to locate the container with only the use of his or her GPS receiver. The rules for the finder were simple: "Take some stuff, leave some stuff."

On May 3rd he placed his own container, a black bucket, in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon, near Portland. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot. He shared the waypoint of his "stash" with the online community on sci.geo.satellite-nav:

N 45° 17.460 W 122° 24.800

Within three days, two different readers read about his stash on the Internet, used their own GPS receivers to find the container, and shared their experiences online. Throughout the next week, others excited by the prospect of hiding and finding stashes began hiding their own containers and posting coordinates. Like many new and innovative ideas on the Internet, the concept spread quickly - but this one required leaving your computer to participate.

Within the first month, Mike Teague, the first person to find Ulmer's stash, began gathering the online posts of coordinates around the world and documenting them on his personal home page. The "GPS Stash Hunt" mailing list was created to discuss the emerging activity. Names were even tossed about to replace the name "stash" due to the negative connotations of that name. One such name was "geocaching."

The Origins of Geocaching

Geocaching, first coined by Matt Stum on the "GPS Stash Hunt" mailing list on May 30, 2000, was the joining of two familiar words. The prefix geo, for Earth, was used to describe the global nature of the activity, but also for its use in familiar topics in gps such as geography.

Caching, from the word cache, has two different meanings, which makes it very appropriate for the activity. A french word invented in 1797, the original definition referred to a hiding place someone would use to temporarily store items. The word cache stirs up visions of pioneers, gold miners, and even pirates. Today the word is still even used in the news to describe hidden weapons locations.

The second use of cache has more recently been used in technology. Memory cache is computer storage that is used to quickly retrieve frequently used information. Your web browser, for example, stores images on disk so you don't have to retrieve the same image every time you visit similar pages.

The combination of Earth, hiding, and technology made geocaching an excellent term for the activity. However the "GPS Stash Hunt" was the original and most widely used term until Mike Teague passed the torch to Jeremy Irish in September 2000.

The Birth of Geocaching.com

For the first few months, geocaching was confined to existing experienced GPS users who already used the technology for outdoor activities such as backpacking and boating. Most users had an existing knowledge of GPS and a firm grasp of obscure lingo like datums and WGS84. Due to both the player base and the newness of the activity, players had a steep learning curve before going out on their first cache hunt. Tools were scarce for determining whether a cache was nearby, if one existed at all.

As with most participants, Jeremy Irish, a web developer for a Seattle company, stumbled upon Mike Teague's web site in July while doing research on GPS technology. The idea of treasure hunting and using tech-gadgets represented the marriage of two of his biggest interests. Discovering one was hidden nearby, Jeremy purchased his first GPS unit and went on his first hunt the following weekend.

After experiencing the thrill of finding his first cache, Irish decided to start a hobby site for the activity. Adopting the term geocaching, he created Geocaching.com and applied his professional web skills to create tools to improve the cache-hunting experience. The cache listings were still added by hand, but a database helped to standardize the listings. Additional features, like searching for caches around zip codes, made it easier for new players to find listings for nearby caches.

With Mike Teague's valuable input, the new site was completed and announced to the stash-hunting community on September 2, 2000. At the time the site was launched there were 75 known caches in the world.

If You Hide It, They Will Come

Slashdot, a popular online magazine for techies, reported the new activity on September 25, 2000, introducing a larger group of technology professionals to the activity. The New York Times picked up the story and featured it in its "Circuits" section in October, starting a domino effect of articles written in magazines, newspapers, and other media outlets around the world. CNN even did a segment in December 2000 to profile the new hobby.

However, because there were so few caches in the world, many would-be participants discovered they didn't have a cache listed nearby. Many wondered whether anyone would bother looking for a cache if they hid one in their area. The growing community chanted the mantra "If you hide it, they will come" to the newer players. After some reassurances, pioneers of the hobby started placing caches just to see whether people would go find them. They did.

Through word of mouth, press articles, and even accidental cache discoveries, more and more people have become involved in geocaching. First started by technology and GPS enthusiasts, the ranks of geocachers now include couples, families, and groups from all walks of life. The excitement of the hunt appeals to both the inner (and outer) child. Today you can do a search on just about anywhere in the world and be able to walk, bike, or drive to a nearby hidden cache.

The Creation of Groundspeak

After the increased traffic from Slashdot, Irish realized that the ongoing management of the web site would quickly grow out of the lone computer on his home DSL line. So in late 2000, he partnered with Elias Alvord and Bryan Roth, two coworkers at Sunrise Identity, to start a new company called Groundspeak Inc. (originally "Grounded Inc."). With the proceeds from sales of 144 geocaching t-shirts, they moved the machines into a hosted environment in downtown Seattle. The founders continued to work for Sunrise Identity while managing the new company and the web site in their off hours.

After several years of working on the web site, Jeremy and Elias were able to raise enough through Premium Memberships to make Groundspeak a full time job. In late 2005, Bryan Roth finally became a full time employee at the company.

Jeremy Irish, Elias Alvord and Bryan Roth continue to own and operate the web site today. They are supported by a small team of Groundspeak Lackeys and over 100 geocaching volunteers worldwide.

Special Thanks...

Special thanks goes out to Sunrise Identity who was gracious enough to support the Shop Groundspeak site in the early years, and Killerlink, who continues to help us with network operations, bandwidth needs, and security on the web site.

Special, special, thanks go to the unsung heroes who maintain and review the ever-growing list of caches listed on the web site. Additional thanks goes to Moun10Bike (Jon Stanley), for donating various Microsoft software licenses that help run the web site. Thanks Jon!

*there is no actual blue switch

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by Team Torex
add info

[+cerberus1]

42 minutes ago, Team Torex said:

The first cache was placed in Oregon.The original stash was placed May 3, 2000....

 

True, but the OP asked...

 

On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 2:52 PM, Stakmaster said:

I became curious to see what the absolute oldest, original geocache is that has never been replaced or moved. 

 

[+hzoi]

[+Isonzo Karst]

I found this early version of the "stashnote" on my pc, seemed right for this thread: 

GEOCACHE SITE - PLEASE READ

Congratulations, you've found it! Intentionally or not!

What is this hidden container sitting here for?  What the heck is this thing doing here with all these things in it?

It is part of a worldwide game dedicated to GPS (Global Positioning System) users, called GPS Stash Hunting, or Geocaching. The game basically involves a GPS user hiding "treasure" (this container and its contents), and publishing the exact coordinates so other GPS users can come on a "treasure hunt" to find it. The only rules are: if you take something from the stash, you must leave something for the stash, and you must write about your visit in the logbook. Hopefully, the person that stashed this container found a good spot that is on public property and is not easily found by uninterested parties. Sometimes, a good spot turns out to be a bad spot, though.

IF YOU FOUND THIS CONTAINER BY ACCIDENT:

Great!  You are welcome to join us!  We ask only that you:

·    Please do not move or vandalize the container. The real treasure is just finding the container and sharing your thoughts with everyone else who finds it.
·    If you wish, go ahead and take something. But please also leave something of your own for others to find, and write it in the logbook.
·    If possible, let us know that you found it, by visiting the website listed below.

The GPS Stash Hunt is open to everyone with a GPS and a sense of adventure.  There are similar sites all over the world. Currently, the organization has it's home on the Internet. Visit our website if you want to learn more, or have any comments:

http://www.geocaching.com

If this container happens to be sitting on private property and you wish it removed, please let us know. We apologize, and will be happy to move it.