CNN.com have video blog on geocaching. The 4 minute segment features the tech segment’s host Ali Velshi searching for a geocache in New York City. He heads out with a Garmin 60Csx. Click the link for the video. The file is a m4v format file so you need QuickTime or some other player capable of viewing m4v files.
Count geocaching among the growing number of non-consumptive outdoors pastimes that encourage participation without — although it’s available if you want it — competition.
Actually, it’s not exactly a pot of gold at the end of those electronic rainbows. For geocachers, it’s finding the box or can or envelope that matters; what’s inside is of little consequence.
Texas is the nation’s third most active state for geocaching behind California and, inexplicably, Tennessee.
Already getting the attention of scouting groups and city recreation departments, geocaching is likely to gather still more momentum as satellite-navigation technology becomes more affordable. Ultimately, the prizes inside geocachers’ containers may be card-sized GPS units — that were free with their kids’ meals.
Just found out about a small Windows program which can provide you some quick info on your caching stats.
The program is appropriately called Cache Stats and you can download it at http://www.logicweave.com/cachestats.html. You need to download a GPX of your found caches which you can do at http://www.geocaching.com/pocket/. After installing the program, open up the GPX of found caches and it reports on a bunch of info such as caches found, average per day and month, most consecutive days with a find and without any find, average terrain/difficulty, when you hit milestones, number found per year and a way to questimate your next milestone.
After installing the program, open up the GPX of found caches and it reports on a bunch of info such as caches found, average per day and month, most consecutive days with a find and without any find, average terrain/difficulty, when you hit milestones, number found per year and a way to questimate your next milestone.
It’s fun to see the numbers even though we all know it’s not about the numbers 
I think the program could be enhanced to show info such as counts by cache type, container size, etc. If you have GSAK, I think you can probably get most of this info, but it might be quicker to use this program, and for anyone without GSAK, it’s obviously a good solution.
A nicely written article by a college student in Wisconsin about her first geocaching adventure…
Now, my boyfriend isn’t the most creative guy (he knows he isn’t). When we were brainstorming ideas of things to do with his parents, the only thing he came up with was the farmers’ market (a good one, but one can only circle vegetables for so long).
So eventually it was 15 minutes before his family’s arrival and we had absolutely nothing to do. Needless to say, I was freaking out.
His father solved the situation within five minutes of arrival. He asked if we wanted to go “Geocaching.” Now I, being the very girly, not outdoorsy type at all, had no idea what this was. But my boyfriend and I agreed.
But it was a lot cooler than I thought it was going to be. I got a rush of excitement when the GPS started counting down from 50 to 40 to 30 to 20�.
Once we were seated in the car his dad started on about what we actually were going to do.
Smittyware has released an update for their CacheMate PocketPC GPS cache software. This release adds several small enhancements, including support for GPX waypoint comments, used by Geocaching.com for description text in additional cache waypoints.
Geocachers from all over New Mexico as wells as Colorado, Texas and Michigan showed up to participate in the Second Annual Valencia Fun Day Event at Willie Chavez Park, and Suzanne McConaghy said they are already thinking about next year’s event.
“Everybody just loved it,” McConaghy said. “Our best estimate is that we had 47 teams with about 108 people participating.
“There was a wide range of people. Some of them are more technical and some are total outdoors people. It appeals to many, many people.”
Paul Menard, better known as Zuni Kid, has located 2,767 caches (before this event) and is New Mexico’s highest-rated cache finder. He and his wife, Gail, like to explore and see new places, so this was a perfect way for them to do so and have a little fun.
“New Mexico is such beautiful country,” Menard said. “My wife would accuse me of being obsessed, but I’m not — she is. It’s a contagious disease.”
Gail, who goes by the name “Enabler,” disputed Zuni Kid’s accusations saying with a smile, “He’s addicted, and I enable him.”
Last week I took a break from my Labor Day weekend/Kickapoo Valley Reserve tales, instead shar-ing my visit and upcoming events at the Motor Mill near Elkader, Iowa.
That break proved fortuitous (my big word for the day). I still have geocaching adventures to share from the LaFarge and Ontario areas of Wisconsin. Specifically, we had a group of five that went geocach-ing at Wildcat Mountain State Park at Ontario. We found a series of six caches, along with a seventh and final one from clues provided in the first six.
It was a blast – and geocaching with five sets of eyes also puts some competition into wanting to find the cache first.
I want you to specifically take note we were geocaching in a Wis-consin state park. Geocaching had been banned from Minnesota state parks for quite some time, while volunteers from the Minnesota Geocaching Association (MnGA) worked with state park officials to come up with a policy to allow the techno-sport.
And… just this past week a pol-icy was approved and the Minne-sota Department of Natural Re-sources (DNR) announced geo-caching will be allowed in the state parks. (I had to chuckle – and would like to thank each and every one of you who forwarded that information to me. It was informa-tion I was happy to receive. And it’s good to know you’re looking out for my – and area – recreational interests.)
The moment Justin and Kim Wearley of Augusta mention geocaching, their kids run to their rooms and gather old toys they don’t want anymore. That way, if the cache bears trinkets they will have something to trade.
But to some seekers, the cache itself is the treasure.
“First off finding the cache is the thrill — can I find what somebody else has hidden,” said Benefis flight medic Rosie Rosalez, who hunts with his wife Kimberley. “I’ve also found some really neat places to go to.”
“It’s for people who really like the outdoors or families who like outdoor activities together,” said Bob Ellesch, who goes by Relish in the geocaching world.
“It gets you out of the house for nice long walks,” said Stacey Thurlow, or flakita100, who just found her 58th cache on River’s Edge Trail last weekend. “And the dogs love it.”
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