Geocaching Article

[+Stump]

Hi-tech scavenger hunt

By Tom Paulu

 

The next time you drive through Longview's Civic Circle, past the library or Monticello Hotel, consider that treasure is hidden in [these] places.

 

Other boxes of goodies are tucked away along local sloughs and under the bushes of local parks, challenging participants in a high-tech hobby that has spread around the globe.

 

In geocaching, pronounced "geo-cashing," people hide things in woods and cities and note the latitude and longitude with their GPS units, which are handheld electronic devices that determine locations within 6-20 feet. The coordinates and clues to each site are posted at the Geocaching Web site, so that other people can try to find them.

 

It's harder and more habit-forming than it sounds.

 

Bruce Fischer, 35, of Longview started geocaching in 2003 after a friend mentioned it. By now, Fischer has found some 1,000 sites and hidden 20 of them.

 

Fischer, whose geocaching moniker is "Stump," showed off a couple of sites this week. The description for the Dike Access site suggests parking at the nearby John Null Park. Once you've punched the proper coordinates into a GPS unit, it points in the right direction and tells how many feet away the cache is. But it doesn't tell how to cross the slough -- walkers have to find a bridge on their own. When the GPS said the cache was 20 feet away, searchers relied on their eyes until they spotted a steel ammunition box in a stump, partially obscured with bark.

 

Inside the box were a log book, toys and notes from previous visitors. Geocaching etiquette demands that you leave something silly like a golf ball, Pokemon card or AOL disc in the box. Fischer leaves a "Stumpaphant," a little folded paper elephant.

 

The Web site tracks the progression of items as they move from cache to cache. "I've had one I put out that's gone to Europe and Hawaii," Fischer said.

 

The Nutty Narrows cache in the Civic Center was much harder to find. Searchers must calculate compass reading from numbers on signs in the park, some of which the casual observer probably didn't know existed. "It can take a couple of hours to do," Fischer cautioned.

 

Caches can be a few minutes walk from a parking lot or a two-day hike into the mountains. Or half way down a cliff accessible only to rock climbers or under water. "If there is some kind of crazy thing you can do, they'll make a cache out of it," Fischer said. Sometimes there's no physical cache -- just an obvious landmark. "You just go to the location and answer a question or take a photo to prove that you were there."

 

Caches can be hidden in containers half the size of a film canister, and some are marked with reflectors so that they're easier to spot by flashlight after dark. "It's kind of amazing how much variety there is in this hobby," Fischer said.

 

"A lot of us are high-tech guys," he said. "I basically taught myself" about geocaching, though a number of books on the subject are available.

 

"It's amazing the community that's out there." People chat on-line about their activity. Last weekend, Fischer attended a Cache Machine event in Gig Harbor, where 100 people searched for 60 sites. "You find as many as you can in one day. It's a little bit nuts. It's a lot nuts."

 

Fischer, who describes his occupation as "trophy husband" on the Geocaching Web site, said it's a good family activity. He and his wife, Michele, a Weyerhaeuser manager, take children Anastasia, 8, and Alexander, 6, with them. "For them, it's the toys" left at caches that are the appeal, Fischer said.

 

Ron Cryderman of Silver Lake also touts geocaching as a good family activity. Cryderman and his wife, Stephanie, take their youngest son, 11-year-old Michael. (The Crydermans' handles are BearPa, BearMa and Cub.)

 

Last Sunday, Fischer hid a new cache on Carrolls bluff. When Cryderman learned about it, he wanted to be the first to find the site.

 

Cryderman, who works for the Longview Police Department, raced out during his lunch break Wednesday. "Somebody beat me to it," he lamented.

 

Cryderman, who started the sport about six weeks ago, has already found 32 caches. "There's nothing valuable in them. It's just fun to do," he said.

 

"I like the fact they're out there. You drive by them every day and you don't even know they're there." Unless you're a geocacher, that is.

 

The Daily News

[+evergreenhiker!]

Nice article. Thanks for posting!

[+pdxmarathonman]

Geocaching etiquette demands that you leave something silly like a golf ball, Pokemon card or AOL disc in the box

Ouch! If I found a cache with those items, my boys would trade for the card and I would trash-out the other two items.

 

And I'd leave my signature shoelaces of course

[+travisl]

It's a little bit nuts. It's a lot nuts.

 

Thanks for the shout out !

[+GeoDiver/GeoGrammy]

I noted that the article stated that, "By now, Fischer has found some 1,000 sites". When in fact it is currently a mere 992. I'm sure that Stump must have been mis-quoted.

 

Seriously, Bruce...GREAT article. Thanks for sharing it.

 

Now get out there and get those 8 more finds!

[+Stump]

I noted that the article stated that, "By now, Fischer has found some 1,000 sites". When in fact it is currently a mere 992. I'm sure that Stump must have been mis-quoted.

No, I've found well over 1,000 cache SITES. It's those dang containers I can't always find.

 

But yeah, I was misquoted I said about (or almost) 1,000 and in fact at the time I had no idea how many because I hadn't logged the cache machine finds yet.

 

Now get out there and get those 8 more finds!

 

Ugh! Mrs. Stump wanted to get them this weekend but the weather looks nasty down in Portland and might change our plans. I don't know what "Ice Pellets" are but I don't think I want to be out in them on Saturday!

 

Saturday weather - Ice Pellets

[+Stump]

Geocaching etiquette demands that you leave something silly like a golf ball, Pokemon card or AOL disc in the box

Two of those items just happened to be in the first ammo box we found.

 

But why would you trash out the golf ball? I wouldn't use them as loot because they're harder to carry in your pocket but some people like them.

[+GeoDiver/GeoGrammy]

Ugh! Mrs. Stump wanted to get them this weekend but the weather looks nasty down in Portland and might change our plans. I don't know what "Ice Pellets" are but I don't think I want to be out in them on Saturday!

 

"Ice Pellets"...hmmmm, sounds like a great name for a new cache. You decide the difficulty rating, tho'.

[+pdxmarathonman]

Geocaching etiquette demands that you leave something silly like a golf ball, Pokemon card or AOL disc in the box

Two of those items just happened to be in the first ammo box we found.

 

But why would you trash out the golf ball? I wouldn't use them as loot because they're harder to carry in your pocket but some people like them.

I have left NEW golf balls in caches myself. But not anymore since the majority of golf balls I have ever seen in caches have been extremely well used or worse; a range ball that has been stolen from a driving range. They represent, to me at least, one of the few things that has less value than a fast-food toy. And I used to be a pretty serious golfer (maybe I will be again someday).

[+xy,xx,xy,xy,xy,xy]

As a father of 4 I have to say that my youngest two are delighted to find a golf ball of any condition in a cache. They bounce as well as a superball on pavement. Back to the article...That was great! I think I'll talk to the sports guy for the Wenatchee World. They run a feature most Tuesdays called "Your Sports" to give coverage to the various pursuits going on around here besides football, basketball, baseball and rasslin'.

[+Stump]

Back to the article...That was great! I think I'll talk to the sports guy for the Wenatchee World. They run a feature most Tuesdays called "Your Sports" to give coverage to the various pursuits going on around here besides football, basketball, baseball and rasslin'.

Be interesting to see what happens with the article. I wasn't sure if I wanted to participate or not when they contacted me. Geocaching has been growing so much down here recently I was hesitant to encourage too much sudden growth. Hopefully it'll all be good whatever happens.

[+Team Noltex]

GeoDiver Posted on Jan 14 2005, 02:10 PM

  QUOTE (Stump @ Jan 14 2005, 01:10 PM)

Ugh! Mrs. Stump wanted to get them this weekend but the weather looks nasty down in Portland and might change our plans. I don't know what "Ice Pellets" are but I don't think I want to be out in them on Saturday!

 

 

"Ice Pellets"...hmmmm, sounds like a great name for a new cache. You decide the difficulty rating, tho'.

 

Ummm, wouldn't that require you to actually HIDE a cache, Rick?

[+loraonly]

Talk about timing! I had planned on driving to Longview from Portland today to visit my dad, all dependent on whether the freezing rain prediction came true or not. Well, it did. Rats! No way will I drive in that.

 

Great article, I enjoyed reading it, all the more interesting since I've noticed how you've raised the level of hides in Longview since moving there. I always try and search one out whenever I visit, but I usually run out of enough time. One of these times I plan on finding "Home Tweet Home"

[+Anonymous']

Geocaching etiquette demands that you leave something silly like a golf ball, Pokemon card or AOL disc in the box

Two of those items just happened to be in the first ammo box we found.

 

But why would you trash out the golf ball? I wouldn't use them as loot because they're harder to carry in your pocket but some people like them.

I have left NEW golf balls in caches myself. But not anymore since the majority of golf balls I have ever seen in caches have been extremely well used or worse; a range ball that has been stolen from a driving range. They represent, to me at least, one of the few things that has less value than a fast-food toy. And I used to be a pretty serious golfer (maybe I will be again someday).

People sometimes see them by caches and decide, hmm why put in my McD's toy when I can put in this chewed up, dirty golfball.

[nolenator]

Funny but I grab the McToys and use them as range balls out on the golf course. Peace, Nolenator

Edited January 24, 2005 by nolenator

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

Nice article but I like Geocaching more before we got famous

[+Stump]

Nice article but I like Geocaching more before we got famous

Well I figure the only way I'll ever get to see you again is if Travis has another Cache Machine in the Portland area. So I have to increase the number of hides up here so he'll bring the machine.

 

But seriously, I partly agree with you. I wouldn't have agreed if The Oregonian had asked me but wasn't too concerned with the local paper. This area is (or was) far below average in the number of geocachers.

[+pdxmarathonman]

The Oregonian ran a story on geocaching a little over 3 years ago. Coincidentally I became involved in geocaching the very next day.

 

Oh wait. It wasn't a coincidence.

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

I've been involved nearly 4 years and it was an article in the Medford newspaper that got me started. I still enjoy the activity but at times it seems over burdened with rules, which of course is a result of becoming popular.

 

Today was a throwback caching day for me. I went after a single cache that took quite a physical effort to reach, and of course after a nearly 2 hour hike I did not find the cache. But not being in a hurry and seeing some gorgeous scenery make the effort worthwhile.

 

But trust me, if a micro pops up under a lampost down the hill I'll be heading out before sunrise trying to get there first. Like a half dozen other locals.

 

It's still fun, just not as much fun and recently I declined an offer to help do a story on geocaching. I guess I'm selfish.

 

I Loved the cache machine and I hope to do another one if schedules permit. Portland is a tough place to cache and I'm not so sure I'd cache there without the help of a CM. The biggest problem for a country boy is all those dead end/one way streets. The maps sure made life easy up there.

[+travisl]

Nice article but I like Geocaching more before we got famous

Well I figure the only way I'll ever get to see you again is if Travis has another Cache Machine in the Portland area. So I have to increase the number of hides up here so he'll bring the machine.

I haven't updated my cache page since last April, but I'll do that tonight. You'll be pleased to know that I've got Longview scheduled for Spring 2006.

[Moun10Bike]

You'll be pleased to know that I've got Longview scheduled for Spring 2006.

You mean Boise has been dropped?

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

Nice article but I like Geocaching more before we got famous

Well I figure the only way I'll ever get to see you again is if Travis has another Cache Machine in the Portland area. So I have to increase the number of hides up here so he'll bring the machine.

I haven't updated my cache page since last April, but I'll do that tonight. You'll be pleased to know that I've got Longview scheduled for Spring 2006.

Where the heck is Longview?

[+travisl]

You'll be pleased to know that I've got Longview scheduled for Spring 2006.

You mean Boise has been dropped?

Not dropped, but bumped to Spring 2007.

[+Stump]

Where the heck is Longview?

On the border of Oregon, an hour east of the coast. Across the river from Rainier.

[Moun10Bike]

You mean Boise has been dropped?

Not dropped, but bumped to Spring 2007.

At least we're still planning San Francisco for summer of 2006!

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

Where the heck is Longview?

On the border of Oregon, an hour east of the coast. Across the river from Rainier.

I'm going to need a map

 

I grew up in San Francisco and haven't found a single cache there. If I'm still on the mainland then I'll go to that cache machine.

[+pdxmarathonman]

Where the heck is Longview?

On the border of Oregon, an hour east of the coast. Across the river from Rainier.

I'm going to need a map

Just look for the huge cooling tower from the defunct Trojan Nuclear Power plant and then cross the river, if you're on Hwy 30 that is. You can see it from I-5 too (in Washington).

 

When Oregon built it, they apparently tried to get it as close to Washington as possible. I lived in Oregon a few years before realizing it wasn't in Washington.

[+Stump]

Just look for the huge cooling tower from the defunct Trojan Nuclear Power plant and then cross the river, if you're on Hwy 30 that is. You can see it from I-5 too (in Washington).

 

When Oregon built it, they apparently tried to get it as close to Washington as possible. I lived in Oregon a few years before realizing it wasn't in Washington.

A lot of people think it's in Washington! After all, you're on I5 for another 30 minutes after passing it before you actually enter Oregon. It's supposed to be torn down sometime in the next decade. It's been shut down for years.