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One Man, One Year, One Eye Opening Experience


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I just completed my first year of geocaching and it has truly enriched my life. I have cached in three different states and I have found caches on tops of mountains, in public parks I never knew existed and even one in a cave which required all my courage to climb inside.

 

I’m a very busy person and even though I’ve only logged 44 finds this year geocaching has got me back out into the woods and I have discovered how much I love it out there. I am truly grateful for the hobby.

 

Caching has also opened my eyes to something I never really noticed; the lack of green space or wilderness that is left where I live. I am located in Michigan, right along the Lake Michigan shoreline-it’s not a Chicago or an NYC to be sure…most would consider this a typical lakeshore suburb. We are the (arguably) the last larger town heading north along the west side of the state.

 

I find myself studying maps of my area a lot these days. I recently discovered and then explored two parks, which on a map looked perfect for caching-and cache free. Upon investigation the first is now a big leaf disposal sight—Black Lake “Park” on the map. The second is nothing but a large campground with a boardwalk to the beach. I’m just amazed—seeing thru “new” eyes the lack of wilderness here. We can’t cache on any state game land (understandably). I just completed my 2nd hide—on Michigan State Park land—and had to pay $35 for a 3 month geocaching permit. I have explored every county and local park in the 30 mile radius—all have one or more caches already and, to me, really don’t have the interest or the space to support another.

 

I only want to put caches in places that are worthy (in my mind) of the time and effort needed to find them. I’ve been to a few caches like this, and they—to me—are what this “sport” is all about. It’s just really surprising and disheartening to discover that our wilderness is disappearing. Everywhere I look I see homes, businesses, smaller parks already “cached out” and larger parks requiring fees and with their own set of geocache rules. Often the larger parks have established trails. The dune areas all seem to have established boardwalks. It’s as if our entire area is either become dominated by development or instead turned into an outdoor museum in an effort to protect what is left. I have a desire to just walk in the woods—to find and hide my caches. I know I can drive further to cache and I have. I could move, but I’ve got a great job, a wife and three kids! Sometimes we all go out together but I’m (and maybe my son) are the only one’s geocached obsessed.

 

Who would’ve thought a year of caching would “open my eyes” to my surroundings and see them in such a new, surprising and frankly, unpleasant way? This may sound lame but I want to make hides that are meaningful. To take the cacher to places of beauty that aren’t well known. Maybe that’s because that’s how the hobby grabbed me…I’m also to the point where I don’t care too much about the “stuff in caches...” I am doing this to get outdoors, away from commitments and the hassles of the real world. Just let me log it and leave my sig. card or perhaps a unique sig. item. I recognize the “sport” is different for everyone, but to me the “junk” is just unnecessary. You’ve got to take some, leave some, and then log it all-too much for me now.

 

Not that I haven’t enjoyed the occasional urban micro, puzzle or virtual cache. They have their allure and challenge as well. But ultimately, I’m out there for the walk and the serenity in the uninhabited areas of this place.

 

Through geocaching my eyes have become opened to the need to conserve our open uninhabited (by humans!) spaces and to the surprising lack of them in my area. Additionally, I may have become a TNLN TFTCJ (J=Journey) kind of guy in the process! I’m sure this topic is not unique to these forums, but where else but here (thankfully) can one vent his geocache frustrations and life changing experiences.

 

Thanks geocache.com for a great first year of again discovering the “green stuff” around me and realizing the need to keep it there. I guess I’m just going to have to find time to get in my car (hopefully my brand new Jeep after I win it on Oct. 15th! :anibad: ), invest in some decent gear (just subscribed to Backpacker Magazine!) and drive…but alas, what about all my obligations to work, family, etc…..?

Edited by team walkingsticks
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Thank you for a very thoughtful essay. It is nice to see some serious consideration of our activity in the forums. In addition, your post makes me appreciate where we live. My husband and I grew up in Buffalo, NY, and chose to move to our small town in western Pennsylvania.

 

Our state has an abundance of green; and, when we return from out-of-state travel, we feel very fortunate to live here. Granted, we do not live in a metropolitan area and are surrounded with state game lands, state forests, and state parks. We have our own corner of "the woods", a piece of land outside of town, which has one of these game lands as a next-door neighbor, in addition to our "town" house.

 

Tomorrow, I hope to find the DNF I posted Thursday and the new cache on my first page which just showed up today!

 

Such are my $.02!

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My husband and I grew up in Buffalo, NY, and chose to move to our small town in western Pennsylvania.

 

Wow! Small world! My wife grew up in West Seneca, right outside of Buffalo. If you know where Fisher Road is in West Seneca...that's their street. We visit every summer as her parents still live there. I just love it there. The hills, the parks, the GREEN! My wife was actually born in Rochester, PA and her parents grew up in Ambridge and Baden, PA. We often think about packing our bags and heading out that way. Alleghany State Park and Cooks Forest are great places to walk and would be really great to cache in I'm sure. I actually did a few caches in West Seneca this past summer.

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After living in New Mexico for over 10 years, (NM is an actual state in the USA, for all you folks on the east coast) I can honestly say that the real attraction here in the southwest is the ability to go into the wilderness and literally not see ANOTHER HUMAN BEING for days at a time. There are places out here one can get lost for as long as he wants, yet still go home when he wants too, truly the land of enchantment. :blink:

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