Geocaching is a modern outdoor activity which is enabled by GPS Technology. It is the modern equivalent of a treasure hunt: people hide caches over the world, and post the LAT/LONG coordinates online. Other people seek these caches using handheld GPS receivers, and log their successes when they find them! People who look for geocaches are generally called cachers, and people who don't are generally called muggles (or geomuggles).
Caches come in many types and sizes; some simply are interesting places to visit and see something. If a cache is large enough, it will contain items for trade; if you take something, leave something, and always trade up (leave better than you got). Some geocaches are the temporary homes of travel bugs, small items which journey around the world from cache to cache, hitch-hiking from one cache to another via the goodwill of cachers.
Interested in understanding how GPS works? Here are two hands-on activities we designed (for use in classrooms) about GPS Position Determination, and GPS Speed Determination. These activities were designed for the Montana Space Grant Consortium's BOREALIS high altitude balloon program.
| ORIGINAL STASH TRIBUTE PLAQUE Traditional (Oregon) Location of first cache |
Mountain Marsh Traditional (Washington) Oldest surviving cache |
Diamond Island Monument Virtual (New York) |
| Indian Pond Underwater Railroad Multi (Maine) |
Geo-Stationery Cache Puzzle (California) |
Umbrella Rock Traditional (Pennsylvania) |
|
graviton (Shane and Michelle) [Homepage] |
Team Rubbo (Louis and Celeste) [Homepage] |
|
Time Passages (Tom and Peggy) |
snowgangstas (Brian and Staci) |
The tables show the records of our cache finds in reverse chronological order, with some information of interest (date we were there, who found it, what we took and left, etc.). Click on the name of the geocache to open its online record, and click on the pix numbers to see the visual record of interesting finds and adventures! The notation ^TB means we picked up a travel bug, and vTB means we dropped off a travel bug.
TABLE: [Cache Finds Nos. 47-1 ]
Num
Date
Name
Waypoint
Type
Coords
State
Who
Took
Left
Notes/Pix
47
27 Feb 2006
Somethin' New...with a View
GCNYT4
Traditional
N 40d 47.260
W 077d 47.590 PA
sll, mbl
---
Iowa Quarter
Solved puzzle during an MLDA telecon. :-)
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
46
25 Feb 2006
Love Them Buttons
GCHDY3
Micro
N 36d 18.673
W 082d 21.600 TN
sll
---
---
Last morning at ETSU; no buttons to trade. :-(
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3
45
24 Feb 2006
Lower Learning
GCRTCD
Micro
N 36d 18.070
W 082d 22.212 TN
sll
---
---
Last night at ETSU; had to do this twice to avoid
muggles; got it at night. (night)
Pix: 1
44
24 Feb 2006
Pirate Pasta
GC55C0
Traditional
N 36d 17.970
W 082d 21.950 TN
sll
---
---
Visiting ETSU; easy cache on an exercise loop.
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3
43
24 Feb 2006
Unique City View
GCMC4J
Traditional
N 36d 18.197
W 082d 21.595 TN
sll
Santa Ornament
Stretchy frog
Visiting ETSU; nice hiking area with views of the city.
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3 -
4
42
24 Feb 2006
Plucking Strings Above Campus
GCMC4M
Traditional
N 36d 18.127
W 082d 21.697 TN
sll
Stretchy frog
Iowa Quarter
Visiting ETSU; nice hiking area, easy cache.
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3 -
4
41
23 Feb 2006
University White
GCTEVP
Micro
N 36d 18.042
W 082d 22.685 TN
sll
---
---
Visiting ETSU; nice micro on grocery
store bench! Had to wait for muggles! (night)
40
23 Feb 2006
Teacher's College Benchmark Cache
GCJ9Y3
Micro
N 36d 18.356
W 082d 22.045 TN
sll
---
---
Easy find while visiting ETSU; nice micro near
benchmark GA0569, as advertised. (night)
Pix: 1
39
23 Feb 2006
Drive-by or Walk-Up
GCNZQK
Micro
N 36d 18.365
W 082d 22.250 TN
sll
---
---
Easy find while visiting ETSU; nice micro near hotel. (night)
Pix: 1
38
5 Feb 2006
Flight Recorder
GCPFVE
Multi
N 40d 51.094
W 077d 51.054 PA
sll, mbl
---
B2 Bomber lapel pin
Easy find; old State College Airstrip. Trashy area.
Pix: 1
37
3 Feb 2006
A Grand Boombox
GCHC4F
Micro
N 35d 17.951
W 120d 39.817 CA
sll
---
Buffalo nickel
Visiting Cal Poly; right across the street from my motel.
Three visits, but finally found it in the
dark -- my first "night cache"! (night)
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3 -
4
36
3 Feb 2006
More Power To Ya
GCJ0WX
Traditional
N 35d 17.951
W 120d 39.817 CA
sll
Cal Poly pen
Oregon Quarter
Visiting Cal Poly; they gave me a free half hour in my
schedule, so I go caching!
35
1 Feb 2006
Elsford Park
GCPEAD
Traditional
N 35d 17.126
W 120d 39.133 CA
sll
---
---
Visiting Cal Poly; Almost didn't find this
one because it was close to a cliff edge!
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3
34
1 Feb 2006
SLO Travel Bug Motel
GCM47P
Traditional
N 35d 17.487
W 120d 38.982 CA
sll
---
vTB: Travelin' Toad #10
Visiting Cal Poly; this was my target to drop off TB.
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3
33
30 Jan 2006
Stadium Nights Rt. 220/322 TB Motel
GCRXFG
Traditional
N 40d 49.036
W 077d 50.952 PA
sll, mbl
^TB: Travelin' Toad #10
---
Little jaunt below the hospital; thought it best to grab
this cache now rather than while we were on our way to Labor and
Delivery!
32
22 Jan 2006
Cajeput
GC848F
Traditional
N 40d 42.649
W 077d 54.257 PA
sll, mbl
---
Deck of cards, Beyond Einstein Pen, Police Car
Nice hike along the Mid-State Trail; were looking for
white Jeep TB, but it wasn't there!
Pix: 1 -
2
31
22 Jan 2006
Circleville Farm
GCQ88F
Traditional
N 40d 47.514
W 077d 53.646 PA
sll, mbl
---
Deck of cards, blue yo-yo
Sweet old picnic table!
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3
30
15 Jan 2006
Storybook Sampler
GCQK2J
Traditional
N 40d 48.674
W 077d 49.104 PA
sll, mbl
---
R. Silverberg A Face in the Waters
Part of Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Storybook
Sampler.
29
15 Jan 2006
Goldilocks
GCQK22
Traditional
N 40d 48.033
W 077d 53.524 PA
sll, mbl
---
Blue stretchy frog
Part of Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Storybook
Sampler. In camo bag, in pine tree.
28
15 Jan 2006
Baby Bear
GCQK1P
Micro
N 40d 48.702
W 077d 53.123 PA
sll, mbl
---
---
Part of Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Storybook
Sampler. First with our new Magellan Explorist 210.
27
7 Jan 2006
Papa Bear
GCQK2D
Traditional
N 40d 47.832
W 077d 50.467 PA
sll, mbl
Giant jack
Gym lock, playing cards
Part of Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Storybook
Sampler. My Magellan GPS 315 dies here.
26
7 Jan 2006
Mama Bear
GCQK29
Traditional
N 40d 48.449
W 077d 49.606 PA
sll, mbl
Sausage Chicken Recipe
Spicy Bean Dip Recipe
Part of Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Storybook
Sampler.
25
7 Jan 2006
Barber's Junction
GCRTQA
Micro
N 40d 49.902
W 077d 50.190 PA
sll, mbl
---
---
Great name for the location.
24
7 Jan 2006
North Pole Puzzler
GCPMMW
Puzzle
N 40d 47.360
W 077d 48.885 PA
sll, mbl
Gym lock
VW Beetle
Sweet cache! Multi-stage puzzle; final cache inside fence
post.
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3
23
3 Jan 2006
Boalsburg Parks
GCJQ9A
Multi
N 40d 46.536
W 077d 47.560 PA
sll, mbl
Carabiner
Travel Boggle
Great markers! Washers under nuts on sign bolts,
clothespins.
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3
22
1 Jan 2006
Boalsburg Firehouse Cache
GCNPNR
Traditional
N 40d 46.640
W 077d 47.550 PA
sll, mbl, Frans
---
---
First to find in 2006! First fake "geocaching" rock
we've seen.
21
1 Jan 2006
Are you a Penn Stater?
GCRRH0
Traditional
N 40d 49.897
W 077d 50.840 PA
sll, mbl, Frans
---
World Year of Physics Pin
First to find in 2006!
Pix: 1
20
1 Jan 2006
Duck and Cover
GCQF7R
Traditional
N 40d 48.264
W 077d 50.592 PA
sll, mbl, Frans
---
INXS (Kick)
Frans' first cache! Offset, first to find in 2006.
19
12 Nov 2005
View from Above
GCMMZV
Traditional
N 40d 48.143
W 077d 51.618 PA
sll, mbl
---
Red stretchy frog
Great hide in a stairwell; took us several tries.
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3
18
30 Sep 2005
At Witt's End
GCMRF9
Multi
N 40d 45.921
W 077d 45.404 PA
sll, mbl, Tom, Peg
Carabiner
Buzz Lightyear yo-yo
Pix: 1
17
27 Sep 2005
East Campus Landmarks
GCGTJ2
Multi
N 40d 48.572
W 077d 51.334 PA
sll, mbl, Tom, Peg
Fish keychain
1976 Quarter
---
16
27 Sep 2005
Angler's Art #2
GCMNB4
Traditional
N 40d 52.808
W 077d 47.608 PA
sll, mbl, Tom, Peg
---
Purple stretchy frog
Pix: 1
15
27 Sep 2005
Kaywood Stash
GCQF88
Traditional
N 40d 47.299
W 077d 46.371 PA
sll, mbl, Tom, Peg
Bottle opener
Space shuttle lapel pin
First cache for in-laws, who will become Time Passages.
Pix: 1 -
2
14
2 Jan 2005
Cache of America
GCJW09
Traditional
N 40d 34.891
W 078d 16.752 PA
sll, mbl
---
vTB: Red, White & Blue Keychain
Perfect cache for this TB; nice area too, near Fort
Roberdeau!
13
26 Dec 2004
Milton's Stash
GC2DFC
Traditional
N 40d 48.458
W 077d 52.621 PA
sll, mbl
---
Blue yo-yo
Small ledge cave on hillside with vertical rock hiding cache.
Very cool!
Pix: 1
12
22 Dec 2004
Valley View Vista
GCG2J3
Traditional
N 40d 48.902
W 077d 50.793 PA
sll, mbl
Crazy 8 Ball
^TB: Red, White & Blue Keychain $1
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3 -
4
11
22 Dec 2004
We're Number ONE!!!!!
GCGE24
Virtual
N 40d 48.785
W 077d 51.297 PA
sll, mbl
---
---
And here all this time we thought all those folks were
just Penn State freakers.
Pix: 1
10
18 Dec 2004
Hub Time
GCJ207
Multi
N 40d 47.848
W 077d 51.577 PA
sll, mbl
---
---
Our first offset cache.
9
5 Dec 2004
Game, Set -- MATCHBOX
GCHW8B
Multi
N 40d 47.923
W 077d 49.485 PA
sll, mbl
Hot Wheels "Wail Tail"
Black Formula 1 Racer
Our first multi! First magnetic marker we've seen.
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
8
12 Aug 2004
(This is not a) Virtual Cache
GCGNCD
Virtual
N 40d 48.682
W 077d 49.750 PA
sll, mbl
---
---
The owner (enfanta) deleted our find, because she
didn't appreciate the virtual picture of us (in Lego) at this virtual
cache. Other, less inspiring finds were credited to other cachers. :-P
Pix: 1 -
2
7
24 Jul 2004
Nittany Lion Cache (new and Improved)
GC149
Traditional
N 40d 48.481
W 077d 48.100 PA
sll, mbl
---
---
Pix: 1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
6
24 Dec 2003
I-90 Leg Stretcher
GCG3Y9
Traditional
N 45d 42.856
W 111d 02.792 MT
sll, mbl
Real smashed penny
NASA stuff
---
5
24 Dec 2003
Urban Bridges
GCD27
Traditional
N 45d 42.300
W 111d 01.891 MT
sll, mbl
Rubber duckie
NASA stuff
Michelle's first cache! In the snow!
4
6 Dec 2003
SunSpot Virtual
GC96F6
Virtual
N 34d 07.990
W 118d 07.309 CA
sll
---
---
Observatory!
3
6 Dec 2003
Tournament Park Virtual
GC85E7
Virtual
N 34d 07.978
W 118d 07.537 CA
sll
---
---
---
2
6 Dec 2003
Art or Jungle Gym?
GCD63D
Micro
N 34d 08.328
W 118d 07.510 CA
sll
Quarter
1976 Quarter
---
1
6 Dec 2003
Geek College Micro
GC85B0
Micro
N 34d 08.216
W 118d 07.508 CA
sll
---
---
My first cache! On Caltech campus.