| Orienteering leads players to hidden treasures (11/07) | | Print | |
| Written by Logan Weir | |
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Want to find some treasure? Well then forget about X marking the spot and pick up a Global Positioning System. It's the ultimate tool in a new, high-tech and worldwide treasure hunt called Geocaching.
After going online to www.geocaching.com and finding the exact location of a nearby cache, participants enter the spot’s coordinates into a hand-held GPS unit and, by connecting to satellites, can see both their position and that of the cache. Many of the caches are positioned strategically, for reasons including sharing a beautiful view or just a favorite hang-out. The most complex of caches can require mountain climbing or even scuba diving to reach. No matter the spot, participants must use knowledge of coordinates and orienteering to find their way to the cache. Within the caches are small treasures left from other players: toys, books, CDs, rare coins and other items. Participants are allowed to take what they want but are asked to leave something of equal value behind, so others can continue the treasure hunt. A logbook is stashed in most caches, where participants can journal their experiences finding the cache and read about others’ adventures. Global Positioning Systems have been around a long time, but it wasn't until May 2, 2000, that the technology became available to the public. The first GPS treasure hunt began a day after the release of personal GPS devices, and the term “geocaching” was coined a month later. Hand-held GPS devices go for approximately $75 to $100, but don’t let this price tag discourage you; the money will go a long way. Within a one-mile radius of Lowell are 12 caches, and in a sport with over 400,000 participants there will always be new treasure to find. That, or you can always hide your own. |
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