Geocaching takes global technology outdoors

GREEN CANYON -- Muggled!

On our first foray into geocaching, a high-tech treasure hunt using hand-held GPS units, Herald Journal photographer Mitch Mascaro and I were cruising. We were looking for the Tabernacle/Temple Quarry Cache, accompanied by the Emptynesters, the local couple who set up the cache, and had easily found the first of the two locations involved. There we collected data that led us to the second location up Green Canyon, and had hiked to the designated spot and pushed aside a concealing boulder to find ... nothing.

"We call this getting Muggled," Mr. Emptynester said gloomily.

Muggles are non-magical characters in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. Geocachers, folks who use global positioning system data to hide and find small boxes of goodies, use the term to describe non-geocachers, and try to avoid Muggles whenever possible. In this case, Mr. and Mrs. E. theorized, a "Muggle" had stumbled across the Temple Quarry Cache -- a battered ammo box containing a few knickknacks along the lines of puzzles, toy cars and balloons -- and swiped the entire box.

"That's why you don't put expensive stuff in them," Mr. E. noted.

Geocaching originated in 2000 after the U.S. military declassified GPS technology. An Oregon man decided it would be fun to hide something, list the coordinates of the hiding place on the Internet, and challenge his friends to find it. Four years later the original geocache is still up and running and there are thousands of caches worldwide, including nearly 200 sites in the Logan area, along with countless participants (each of whom picks a nickname to use on the Web) who have found it to be a fun way to get a little exercise and connect with other players.

"The second greatest part, other than seeing neat places, is that it gets you out and hiking," said Mrs. E. "And it's a great family activity. Most of the caches around here are family friendly, which means kids can get to them."

"It's a good way to see a new area," added Mr. E.

The Emptynesters got into geocaching a couple of years ago, about the time that -- you guessed it -- all their kids moved away. They have 435-plus "finds" under their belts, including all but a handful of the Cache sites. The caches can be in city parks or in the deepest woods, and although some may seem easy to find, Mr. E. pointed out that GPS accuracy can be off several yards, and "If you're looking for something in a pile of rock in the Uintas it can be really difficult. We searched for an hour and a half for one."

Some sites are just a few steps from a road, while others require a serious hike. Each is rated for difficulty and terrain and registered with geocaching.com, along with the coordinates, a brief description of the location and any other pertinent information. Those who find the cache log in, take an item, leave an item of their own, and later record their find on the Website.

The game is usually a big hit with youngsters, hikers of any age looking for a twist, and techies who simply enjoy the virtual chase. Since there are caches from Denver to DŸsseldorf, people can play on vacation or while visiting family, as Mrs. E. did on a recent trip to Nevada -- she found nine caches -- to see their son.

"I go into withdrawals if I don't find a cache for about two weeks," Mrs. E. admitted.

The goal is not the treasure; most of the items are worth a dollar or two, tops.

"The treasure isn't that 'Wow,'" said Mrs. E., "so it's not necessarily about finding the cache, it's about getting there. It's to say, 'I found it.'"

Locally, a core group of enthusiasts maintain and seek out the majority of caches. Their aliases -- Cowboyz, The KayCees, Phinz Up -- appear time after time on the logs, and some develop caching patterns. The Emptynesters, for example, like to link a history lesson with their caches, so they send searchers to the Logan Tabernacle to see rock taken from Temple Quarry before journeying up to the actual quarry. Another of their sites, Falling Rock, recalls an incident in 2002 where a boulder in Green Canyon smashed a tent that by good fortune was empty of campers.

"We try to find interesting spots," said Mr. E. "In the mountains you use bigger containers, like ammo boxes, and in town you might use a film canister."

Some geocachers develop a reputation with their peers for being exceptionally precise -- or imprecise -- in their instructions, or for being quick on the draw.

"The Cowboyz," said Mr. E. of a local duo who always seems to get there first, "must get up at 4 o'clock in the morning. I don't know how they get to the caches so fast."

Otherwise, Cache Valley geocachers are no different from cachers anywhere else, according to Mrs. E.: "We're all the same -- crazily addicted."

Geocachers have developed a jargon that includes "travel bugs," hitchhiking trinkets that are meant to be taken from one cache and moved to another; "waypoints," coordinates representing specific locations; and, of course, "Muggles." Everyone views Muggles differently, with some geocachers encouraging searchers to hide from Muggles, and others being more tolerant.

"As a general rule, we think Muggles are OK," said Mrs. E., "but we try not to let non-geocachers know we're up here, because some are unscrupulous and ruin the fun for everybody."

To Muggles who do stumble across a cache, Mrs. E. simply asks that they follow the spirit of the game and re-hide the box, and most geocachers say that problems are rare.

The searching can be frantic -- and the Emptynesters say the Wasatch Front scene is even more competitive -- particularly when a valuable item is up for grabs. Jeep has planted 4,000 toy Jeeps in geocaches across the country, and everybody who finds one is eligible to win a real Jeep. That has led to more than one midnight scramble when a new location is announced.

Mostly, though, geocaching is simply a pleasant marriage of technology and the outdoors, as noted noted on geocaching.com on Aug. 28 by The KayCees regarding the Above Logan Cache: "This was a pretty steep hike, especially with a chunky 9 month old strapped on to my back. Our 8 year old and 4 year old daughters made it! Geocaching has definitely gotten our family in shape. Gorgeous view of the valley at sunset. Thanks for the incentive to hike. TNLN (took nothing, left nothing)."

As for our Herald Journal outing, with the help of the Emptynesters we did track down the Above Logan Cache, with the box intact, so we did get the satisfaction of sniffing out a complete geocache.

Afterwards we couldn't disagree with Mrs. E., who noted that having a goal makes hiking more interesting: "This way it's not just going to the top of the mountain and turning around and going back down."