geocaching adventures

GEOCACHING

Welcome to geocaching, the sport where you are the search engine!

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.


Coolest Caches We've Seen

Here are our favorite caches.

  1. North Pole Puzzler -- A neat little puzzle, but a freakin' COOL hide! Best I've seen!
  2. Milton's Stash -- An extremely cool hiding place.

Caches That Look Like Fun!

Surfing around geocaching.com (e.g. by clicking on the header pictures) you often see uber-cool looking caches! These are some of the most interesting looking caches that we would like to do!

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)


Our Caching Friends

Here are links to the cache records of non-muggle friends of ours.

Profile for graviton
graviton (Shane and Michelle)
[Homepage]
Profile for Team Rubbo
Team Rubbo (Louis and Celeste)
[Homepage]
Profile for Time Passages
Time Passages (Tom and Peggy)
Profile for snowgangstas
snowgangstas (Brian and Staci)


Our Cache Record

BEWARE! SPOILERS BELOW! Comments and pictures below may give away the location of the caches we have found! Read at your own risk!

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.