Northwest Geocaching History

[Moun10Bike]

I was putting together a list of historic geocaching dates (see this post) and I thought it would be fun to do the same for the northwestern states. So, I did. Below are the first caches of each type in our beautiful states (note that there might be errors if cache types were changed somewhere along the way).

 

Let me know if you see any errors!

 

Oregon

• 05/03/2000..........First cache: "Original Stash" by Dave Ulmer (GCF)
  
• 02/02/2001..........First multi: "Butterflies Are Free To Fly" by Bill (GC1DF)
  
• 03/30/2001..........First unknown: "RAIDERS of the Lost Cache" by Wit Camp Expeditions (GC5E8)
  
• 05/31/2001..........First APE: "Mission 2: Club Suave" by Project APE (real hiders: ?) (GCAFC)
  
• 06/08/2001..........First event: "GET TOGETHER" by KF Quad Explorer (GCBB1)
  
• 06/13/2001..........First virtual: "The Ruins" by Ron Streeter (GCC85)
  
• 06/06/2002..........First letterbox: "JUST FOOLEN AROUND TOWN" by THE BIGUN (GC612D)
  
• 06/09/2002..........First webcam: "Say Cheese!" by Bufford & FiFi (GC62AA)
  
• 04/26/2003..........First CITO: "COGEO's Dry Canyon Clean Up" by Katmandu w/ Team Zoolander for COGEO (GCF8F1)
  

Washington

• 05/07/2000..........First cache: "Mike's First" by Mike Teague (GC4)
  
• 02/02/2001..........First multi: "Archie McPhee" by Sam (GC1B9)
  
• 05/20/2001..........First unknown: "KAH TAI SURPRISE" by Camden (GC9DA)
  
• 05/24/2001..........First virtual: "Top o' the field" by cache cow (GCA69)
  
• 07/21/2001..........First event: "Kalakala Kid EVENT Kache" by bigkid (GCE3A) - virtual cache listing was converted to event listing temporarily
  
• 07/18/2001..........First APE: "Mission 9: Tunnel of Light" by Project APE (real hiders: Jeremy and Moun10Bike) (GC1169)
  
• 10/19/2002..........First letterbox: "Padden Puppy Trove" by ECO Trekkers (GC9DE5)
  
• 12/03/2002..........First webcam: "Downtown Kennewick WebCam" by YeOleImposter (GCB0F2)
  
• 04/26/2003..........First CITO: "Cache In Trash Out - WSGA PS Chapter" by WSGA Puget Sound Chapter (GCF635)
  

Idaho

• 06/17/2000..........First cache: "Camels Prairie Stash" by Moun10Bike, Cindy, Laura and Jasmine (GC25)
  
• 03/31/2001..........First virtual: "The Map Maker Virtual Cache" by Moun10Bike (GC5D6)
  
• 12/25/2001..........First unknown: "Coeur d'Alene Christmas Cache #1" by Moun10Bike, idspud & Michael (GC2E0B)
  
• 03/04/2002..........First multi: "The Odyssey" by niskibum (GC3FB2)
  
• 03/28/2002..........First webcam: "Buffoons Politically Correct Webcam Extraordinaire" by Renegade Knight (GC4698)
  
• 05/11/2002..........First event: "Idaho Falls event cache" by Wavydave & Shel (GC42B7)
  
• 05/19/2002..........First letterbox: "Hoodoo Sentinels" by Ridge Runner and bblohm (GC59E2)
  
• 04/27/2003..........First CITO: "Spring Clean Up Event Too!" by idahoflyer & jenzard (GCED14)
  

Alaska

• 09/29/2000..........First cache: "Centurion Guards" by Gary Short (GC68)
  
• 03/22/2001..........First virtual: "Valdez Venture" by Lonny, Jeff & Julie, Matt, Mike, & Thang (GC18C1)
  
• 08/15/2001..........First letterbox: "Kodiak Launch Complex" by Tre McCroskey (GC1902)
  
• 11/18/2001..........First multi: "Sisters of Nancy Who" by Linda, Angie, Judy and Pam (GC291D)
  
• 04/21/2002..........First webcam: "Fairbanks BLM Web Cam" by JaDan150 and Cheval (GC4FAD)
  
• 05/23/2002..........First unknown: "Colony View" by Durango (GC5B48)
  
• 08/04/2002..........First event: "Anchorage Gathering" by AnchMike (GC7A8A)
  
• 07/24/2004..........First CITO: "Pack 49 Annual Geocaching CITO of Moose Creek" by Northern Trekker (GCK0CT)
  

Montana

• 02/25/2001..........First cache: "1st Montana Cache!" by cabinboy (GC37F)
  
• 05/20/2001..........First letterbox: "46N 111W Degree Confluence" by Mark Sheehan (GCA02)
  
• 07/04/2001..........First multi: "LADY OF THE LAKE MT." by Dennis Hughes (GCF82)
  
• 10/19/2001..........First virtual: "Great Falls First" by Smitty, Mike, Brian (GC2429)
  
• 06/29/2002..........First event: "The Human Geocache" by skydiver (GC65D0)
  
• 08/28/2002..........First unknown: "Nocturnal Ommisions #2" by Syn (GC865AB)
  
• 01/13/2003..........First webcam: "KaliCam Cache (MT's First)" by skydiver (GCC417)
  
• 04/26/2003..........First CITO: "MOOG Spring Highway Cleanup '03" by Missoula Organization Of Geocachers (GCDC61)
  

Wyoming

• 03/02/2001..........First cache: "Won Wyo!" by Captain Curmudgeon (GC3B5)
  
• 07/03/2001..........First virtual: "Cottonwood Creek Dinosaur Trail" by Mike & Stef (GCEC9)
  
• 07/24/2001..........First unknown: "Dead Indian Pass" by EdgyDrifter (GC12E1)
  
• 08/19/2001..........First multi: "Medicine Bow Peak Vista" by Mike Sexton (GC17A4)
  
• 04/27/2002..........First webcam: "Cheyenne Webcam Virtual Cache" by jbat66 (GC51D4)
  
• 06/11/2002..........First event: "Cheyenne Geocaching Brown Bag Lunch Meeting" by jbat66 (GC6368)
  

Edited October 19, 2004 by Moun10Bike

[+niskibum]

Wow, I had no idea that I placed the first multi in Idaho! Very cool. That cache was also the first one I placed, and I suspect may be the longest distance required on a multi in Idaho as well. (about 90 miles)

 

Thanks for the info Jon. It could be fun to try to do all the firsts (excluding events and non-existing) in all the neighboring states. I have done all but two in Idaho (non event). Does that mean that I am an old timer in caching?

[Moun10Bike]

I was surprised at some of the results, too. I was pleasantly surprised to see "The Odyssey" show up as Idaho's first multi - what a great adventure that was with Wiz, Don and snowghost!

 

I also just realized that I technically had the first unknown cache in Washington - my "The Bluff" cache hidden on March 31, 2001 was originally that type. However, the last stage of it was plundered before ever found, so I converted it to a traditional early on. That's sort of like backing into position, so I'll leave KAH TAI SURPRISE in that slot.

[+Kfam]

Let's not forget December 28, 2002 for the first Travisl Cache Machine!

[Moun10Bike]

Let's not forget December 28, 2002 for the first Travisl Cache Machine!

Thanks for reminding me! I had meant to include that in my timeline in the post in the General Forums, but I forgot. That's not only an important piece of northwest history, but also an important piece of general geocaching history!

[+EraSeek]

I thing Kah Tai was the first micro, but I don't think it was really a mystery type cache.

 

I believe NightSea Cache was the world's first night cache.

[+bumblingbs]

It's incredible how far geocaching has come in such a short period of time. Wow!

[Moun10Bike]

I thing Kah Tai was the first micro, but I don't think it was really a mystery type cache.

Back when first introduced, the "unknown" category was pretty vague. It has since come to mostly mean puzzle caches, or any caches in which the posted coordinates are not the location of a waypoint. Was KAH TAI always listed as an unknown?

 

KAH TAI was definitely not the first micro in the state, though - my Comstock Micro was hidden on March 31, 2001 and I don't think it was the first.

[Moun10Bike]

I believe NightSea Cache was the world's first night cache.

I forgot about that, but I believe that you are absolutely correct!!

Edited October 14, 2004 by Moun10Bike

[+yumitori]

Hmmm. I don't know why Blue's Clues is listed as a virtual. The very first log talks about folks trading stuff.

 

Maybe the type was changed at some point.

[+soreyes]

This might not count for the list, but it seems like an innovative first for WA -

 

Anacortes Audio Log

[+Byron & Anne]

Ahhhh,,,,, I don't believe GC8 is the correct listing for Dave's "Original Stash".

[+travisl]

Let's not forget December 28, 2002 for the first Travisl Cache Machine!

{link added}

 

Thanks for reminding me! I had meant to include that in my timeline in the post in the General Forums, but I forgot. That's not only an important piece of northwest history, but also an important piece of general geocaching history!

If you consider them significant parts of geocaching history (I'm not sure I do), you might also want to note 9/27/03 as the first interstate cache machine and 6/26 and 6/27/04 as the first multi-day cache machine.

[Moun10Bike]

Hmmm. I don't know why Blue's Clues is listed as a virtual. The very first log talks about folks trading stuff.

 

Maybe the type was changed at some point.

I figured that that would be the case with some of those. During the first year, cache types were not as significant as they are now, so my early records do not track them. Blue's Clues is currently listed as a virtual but apparently wasn't originally, and was changed somewhere along the way.

[Moun10Bike]

Ahhhh,,,,, I don't believe GC8 is the correct listing for Dave's "Original Stash".

 

Whoops, I wasn't paying attention - you're right, it should be GCF. GC8 is "Mountain Marsh", which is the oldest existing cache in Washington.

Edited October 19, 2004 by Moun10Bike

[Moun10Bike]

If you consider them significant parts of geocaching history (I'm not sure I do), you might also want to note 9/27/03 as the first interstate cache machine and 6/26 and 6/27/04 as the first multi-day cache machine.

 

This might not count for the list, but it seems like an innovative first for WA -

 

Anacortes Audio Log

 

I think it would be cool to have a history page on the WSGA site chronicling these things!

[+Stump]

So when was the first DNF in the NW logged?

[+pdxmarathonman]

So when was the first DNF in the NW logged?

Well.... travisl joined on 28 Dec '01. But somebody else must have had a DNF before then

[+Stump]

Talk about the oldest caches reminded me of this thread. Earthcaches haven't been added.

 

Washington:

 

03-28-05 Saddle Mountains Overlook (GCN8P6)

 

Oregon:

02-12-05 Haystack Rock (GCMRFZ)

 

Just like on every other type except virtual Oregon had one before Washington.

[South Surrey Scavengers]

Earthcaches have been around for millenia. GC is just finally getting with the program and listing them. By the way, way up here in BC we listed our first two on 1-14-05

 

Black Tusk Earthcache

The Barrier Earthcache.

 

That's nearly a month before Oregon although in Geologic time it's pretty insignificant. Also we now have a total of 6 listed within the province.

 

Now if you want to really talk about the oldest cache we are going to have to go back a ways.

 

For you Earthache challenged states we now have one here that you can see from Washington but you'll have to cross the border to log it. Check out:

 

White Rock Earthcache

[+LindaLu]

This list brings back memories, particularly of the Kalakala Kid event cache. I did not yet have a gps receiver so I went to where the map said, sat on a bench, and waited for someone with a gps to show up! I believe the first geocacher I ever met was EraSeek. That was a great day, meeting other cachers for the first time. If those of you who were there remember, we signed a paper plate, and I had everyone sign a second paper plate too. Which I still have, so if we ever start a WSGA archives......

[+geoaware]

The very fist Earthcache was set up in New South Wales Australia.......

[+Criminal]

You forgot:

 

WASHINGTON

7 Aug 2001, Criminal signs up at Geocaching.com

25 Aug 2001 Criminal's First Geocache Hide: Galloping Gertie (also Gig Harbor's First Geocache).

[+Right Wing Wacko]

You forgot:

 

WASHINGTON

7 Aug 2001, Criminal signs up at Geocaching.com

25 Aug 2001 Criminal's First Geocache Hide: Galloping Gertie (also Gig Harbor's First Geocache).

YOU FORGOT:

 

November 23, 2002 - Criminal almost gets Groundspeak Cache Approver arrested.

 

Galloping Gertie II

[+EraSeek]

OK, I got one for you. For those who know how to find out. Is my A cache of Palindromes the world's first locationless cache? I also wonder if it could truely be discribed as locationless.

[+EraSeek]

The Winds of Time may lso qualify for first virtual and maybe first puzzle cache in Washington.