Web Threads: Stories from the Internet
(originally published in The Daily Triplicate of Crescent City, CA)
By Lori Bennett-Tetrick
November 7, 2001

Thinking of treasure hunters inspires images of swashbuckling pirates carrying compasses and navigating by the stars.

In Del Norte County and around the world, treasure hunting is alive and well though the equipment used is a bit more modern, if not much different than in days of old. Geocaching involves the use of GPS equipment (global positioning system), a sighting or orienteering compass, an Internet connection and a healthy sense of adventure.

First conceived in May 2000 in Portland, Oregon, the first geocache ("geo" for geography and "cache" for hidden treasure) was placed after the Defense Department stopped scrambling the satellite signals available to privately owned GPS receivers. This makes it easier for fishermen, sailors and hikers to get a more accurate idea of where they are, usually within 25 feet. That first geocache was a five-gallon bucket containing a can of beans and some computer software, but within the first week two people had already sought it out and replaced those items with treasures of their own for others to find.

When a cache is hidden latitude and longitude are posted on a website along with a general description of the area, a list of items within the cache and any warnings about geographical hazards, such as the location of poison ivy or a skunk's lair along the trail. The most popular website for seeking information about geocaches is www.geocaching.com, the brainchild of Seattle entrepreneur Jeremy Irish. Not much more than a year since it was launched, Geocaching.com is a rallying point for a sport that has attracted more than 60,000 geocachers worldwide, utilizing their handheld GPS receivers that can cost as little as $120. Irish estimates that an average of 200 caches are hidden each week in the U.S. alone.

The cache "goodie boxes" aren't usually anything spectacular, most of the time being Tupperware-like containers or ammo-boxes containing simple and inexpensive items like waterproof matches, ointment for mosquito bites, small tools suitable for camping and small children's toys. Cache finders are supposed to take an item and leave an item, to maintain the attraction for those who come after them. There is also a logbook within each cache and sometimes a disposable camera so the finders can record their visits.

One locally placed cache was themed for Halloween, containing a pumpkin carving kit, makeup kits, Monster Green glow sticks and other spooky holiday items. Brad Dodson, who goes by the moniker "The Kid" on Geocaching.com, and his friend Russ Timmer ("Rainman") visited the Halloween cache recently. They generally take nothing, except the occasional blue ribbon that is designated for the first finder of a geocache. They are more interested in the challenges involved in finding the various hidden treasures, frequently upping the difficulty level by trying to find them at night.

Brad and Russ became interested in Geocaching after spending an hour out near Lake Earl one evening looking for a cache with another local, Eric Burgett ("Steak N Eggs"). Eric says he is also more interested in "the thrill of the hunt," not the items within the container. He says that he enjoys being challenged by the imagination of the person who hid the geocache and getting there is more fun than the treasure. His sons, Matthew, 8 and Sean, 4, feel very different about it. They take an active role in choosing the items to exchange for the "cool" stuff they hope to find and they enjoy the wood-lore they are taught while trekking through the various areas with their Dad. On a recent excursion, Matthew noted a trail littered with deer tracks and Sean found numerous small toads and grasshoppers while Eric was looking in likely hiding spots.

Geocaches are rated for the difficulty of terrain and how well the cache is hidden. A rating of "1" indicates easy terrain and a relatively easy to find cache, whereas a "5" rating indicates that specialized equipment is required, such as a boat, four wheel-drive vehicle or even scuba gear, a requirement to reach the geocache hidden within a sunken tugboat at the bottom of the Red Sea. The length of the hike can also determine the level of difficulty, as in the case of a local geocache named "Yontocket" after the Tolowa village where white "soldiers" massacred natives in 1853. That cache box is at the end of 1-1/2 mile trek over rolling terrain covered with soft sand.

Mike and Sharon Byrum ("Seesthewind" and "Redwoodmama"), who hid the Yontocket geocache, were the first locals to place one in Del Norte County. Like many folks, Mike bought a GPS sometime back, but it began to collect dust when he realized that it was telling him, for the most part, something he already knew: Where he was. He had heard about geocaching in September of 2000, but there weren't any caches within 200 miles at that time. He was pleasantly surprised a year later when he revisited Geocaching.com and found a number of caches placed locally. Two days later he and Sharon had placed their first geocache. It is still up on French Hill, waiting for the next intrepid explorer or gadget-geek to find.

Currently Mike and Sharon are ready to place their most ambitious cache yet. Titled "Earth, Wind and Fire", it is a multipart geocache and each stage found has clues to the next and, so on. "It is an unusual, possibly unique concept in multi-stage caches. It's a modern day hunter-gatherer quest, not for food but for treasure," Mike says. "To do all of the stages could take anywhere from a few hours to a number of days, depending on each persons abilities." In case you haven't noticed, Mike's favorite aspect of this sport is thinking up new and interesting caches and hiding them. He often stays up into the small morning hours thinking up word or math puzzles, or how to teach a history lesson regarding the chosen hiding spot.

All together, Geocaching is a sport that attracts all manner of people, is something that families can participate in together and is relatively inexpensive. So dust off your GPS receiver, see if those hiking boots still fit and pack a lunch, because most of the geocaches placed around Del Norte County are perfect spots for spending some quality time in the great outdoors. Take your time and enjoy the hike and the views, because while you're looking for a geocache you will see treasure all around you.

For more information on Geocaching, visit www.geocaching.com, or to learn more about geocachers in this area, www.geogadgets.com.