Probably my second favorite outdoor past time is geocaching. Usually, no athletic ability is needed, although there are a few hidden caches that require some scrambling and bushwhacking. I started this hobby about a year ago, and after last Sunday, I knew I was nearing 100 finds. but first, watch this video for a brief explanation of what geocaching is. If it's boring, just skip it.
I use the iPhone app. It cost $9.99 to download from iTunes, and is the best $10.00 I've ever spent. Well, the best $9.99. Anytime I have a bit of downtime between appointments, I will do a search and find a cache or two. Last Sunday, Russell and I found nine. Yesterday, I found another nine. So I was sitting at 98. I asked my friend Yogi what a fun/good/interesting cache would be for my 100th, and he provided me coordinates for a couple. One was in Bixby, and that worked out for me. In Washington Irving Park, there are three geocaches. One of those is a virtual cache, where you just have to find it and take a picture of it--and in this case, you have to email the pic to the person who hid the cache to claim it. These virtual caches are usually super easy, and I wanted #99 and #100 to be a bit more challenging. I found #99 fairly easily, scrambling down an embankment and after a brief search, I spied it. Open, rummage through the trinkets, sign the log, and I was off to find my 100th.
The sun was setting as I neared the old railroad trusses which was where I was sure the cache would be. The video below is 23 seconds--not long enough to be boring, so give it a look.
Somewhere in this series of timbers was a hidden container. The hider, M5, is reputed to be a tough character, hiding his caches in such a way that they are nearly impossible to find. I have only searched for one other of his creations and came up empty. My iPhone brought me within 5 feet of it, and then it would say I was 34 feet away in another direction. I'd move that way, and it would jump again. I KNEW I was within 8-10 feet of it, and put my phone in my pocket and started looking. Climbing up these diagonal timbers looking on ledges in the top, in hollowed out posts, between a brace and a post--I came up empty-handed. My street shoes skidded on the slick wood planks like they were ice. I failed to find this hide, and I was actually not surprised. I am sure my friend Yogi is snickering as he reads this.
So, I COULD have opted to just take a picture of that virtual cache for my 100th, or find an easy park-n-grab on the way home, but I think I'll give this one another go. Or, I may find one of Yogi's hides. His are usually fun.
Finally, I found the video below on YouTube. It's kind of dorky--you'll be doing good to last through it, but I like it. The nerds on the video are a lot like me. And they are having fun. That's what it is all about.
I use the iPhone app. It cost $9.99 to download from iTunes, and is the best $10.00 I've ever spent. Well, the best $9.99. Anytime I have a bit of downtime between appointments, I will do a search and find a cache or two. Last Sunday, Russell and I found nine. Yesterday, I found another nine. So I was sitting at 98. I asked my friend Yogi what a fun/good/interesting cache would be for my 100th, and he provided me coordinates for a couple. One was in Bixby, and that worked out for me. In Washington Irving Park, there are three geocaches. One of those is a virtual cache, where you just have to find it and take a picture of it--and in this case, you have to email the pic to the person who hid the cache to claim it. These virtual caches are usually super easy, and I wanted #99 and #100 to be a bit more challenging. I found #99 fairly easily, scrambling down an embankment and after a brief search, I spied it. Open, rummage through the trinkets, sign the log, and I was off to find my 100th.
The sun was setting as I neared the old railroad trusses which was where I was sure the cache would be. The video below is 23 seconds--not long enough to be boring, so give it a look. Somewhere in this series of timbers was a hidden container. The hider, M5, is reputed to be a tough character, hiding his caches in such a way that they are nearly impossible to find. I have only searched for one other of his creations and came up empty. My iPhone brought me within 5 feet of it, and then it would say I was 34 feet away in another direction. I'd move that way, and it would jump again. I KNEW I was within 8-10 feet of it, and put my phone in my pocket and started looking. Climbing up these diagonal timbers looking on ledges in the top, in hollowed out posts, between a brace and a post--I came up empty-handed. My street shoes skidded on the slick wood planks like they were ice. I failed to find this hide, and I was actually not surprised. I am sure my friend Yogi is snickering as he reads this.
So, I COULD have opted to just take a picture of that virtual cache for my 100th, or find an easy park-n-grab on the way home, but I think I'll give this one another go. Or, I may find one of Yogi's hides. His are usually fun.
Finally, I found the video below on YouTube. It's kind of dorky--you'll be doing good to last through it, but I like it. The nerds on the video are a lot like me. And they are having fun. That's what it is all about.
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