Geocaching: A newbie’s perspective.
I am a new Geocacher. I was introduced to the world of caching this past August ever since it has been occupying almost all of my free time.
I have always been an outdoors kinda guy. I love camping, hiking canoeing… basically anything that gets me outside and moving. I had heard the term “geocaching” before but had no idea what it was about. That all changed one weekend in August when I was camping in Fundy Park with Heath (Heathtree) and my girlfriend (Lexamazoo). We were hiking on a trail and Heath casually mentions there is a cache near by. That was it for me…I downloaded the App for my iPhone and haven’t looked back since.
What surprised me at first is that even when I am not out caching, I was thinking about geocaching. I would be walking and see a tree and think about hiding a geocache there or wonder if there was already one hidden. I would see a container or bottle and imagine using it to hide a cache.(I’ll never see film the same way again) I’m certain I am not the only one like this either. Another thing that surprised me was the local community and how active it was. This past month we attended our first geocaching event and had breakfast with lots of local cachers. It was great to meet so many people who have been doing this for much longer hear their stories.
I wanted to post my story to introduce myself to the Cache UP NB gang. Thanks to those involved in running the site and to the posters who keep me coming back. Get used to seeing me around here, I like it and won’t be leaving soon J
-Steve (TheNinjaJedi)
Always nice to see a new name. Welcome. “Geocaching on the brain”, definitely a symptom of the addiction. 🙂
I see you have been caching for about 3 1/2 months. 233 finds. I think the new cacher sticker is starting to wear off. Welcome to the maddness.
*E.B.E 51
I do not have the slightest idea what you are talking about
Iread your post and it was as though you had crawled into my head and read my thoughts. Except, unlike you, I really don’t like to be outdoors so I have to seek activities that get me out of the house; otherwise, I could spend the day curled up with a book. Not to mention, most of my friends think I’m a “girly-girl”. A month after we were introduced to geocaching, Herr Minnz and I were going on ten-mile hikes through the mountains of Phoenix, overturning rocks and never even thinking of rattlesnakes and poisonous spiders (well, it was February and they were supposed to be sleeping). A few weeks ago, we joined Zor’s gang and trudged seventeen kilometres through the bogs of the Dobson Trail. I have climbed up and down more hills and put myself in more precarious situations in the past year than in my entire life. A couple of weeks ago, Tigertracker Too and I were dancing on the Hillsborough Road with the joy of having survived a climb up and down what seemed to be a sheer cliff – all for the sake of one cache. All that to say, I hear what you’re saying. Welcome to the addiction club, meetings at least once a month.
Hi Ninja Jedi and all those in Caching Land ! Like you I’m a relative Newbie to the sport. Always thought I’d like geocaching but never tried it until I got my Iphone in September. Downloaded the free app and away I went . When driving past caches I have found I find myself thinking , wow it was there the whole time and I never knew it ! Love the earth caches and am overwhelmed at our history, and beauty in this Province. Put out my first caches this week and had a wonderful time setting them up. We are so lucky to have so much beauty to discover.. Thanks to all the Cachers who were helpful and had such good tales @ the Come Out and Play event. Hope everyone has a fun winter caching.
Downeastgrl
Great post / thread.
My late father-in-law Ecanuck (passed away from cancer last year) introduced us to geocaching in 2009. Him and the mother-in-law (Stokerliz) came to camp with us at Kouchibouguak Park one July weekend and we spent an afternoon driving around looking for these geocaches. I thought it looked neat but didnt’t have a GPS at the time, and liked to stay at the trailer and have a few drinks (and sometimes a few more).
Last year I quit drinking in July. By August we had started to spend a lot of time going on outdoor adventures with the kids – biking, hiking, going for drives and just exploring the world. Then someone took over my contract on my crapberry and I got an iPhone 4. The next day I downloaded the geocaching app. I sort of got hooked and we found about 60-70 before the weather got cold and we spent most of the winter and spring getting the house ready for the new baby (our 4th).
We found another 400-ish caches between July and now. Things are slowing down for us again, cache-wise, as we are again in renovation mode and I’m starting a carpentry/handyman/small engines business, but we try to go out at least once a week. I’m hoping to hit my 1000th cache sometime in 2012, before the world ends, hahsahah! Thanks for reading.
We knew Ecanuck very well.
You learned from a good one
I come from a large family and one of my older sisters from Calgary called a couple more of my sisters and expressed her concerns that I am becoming addicted to geocaching. My sisters mollygolly from St. John & Wackyjack from Fredericton (who introduced me to geocaching) laughed as they feel geocaching is no different than being avid hunters or hockey fans…and we all know how addicted people get with those two sports.
The funny thing is…that same concerned sister was in NB this summer and called at least twice a week after she left to see if we found the cache on the Doaktown walking bridge. She even bragged that she had gone night caching (which I had never done before) in Oromocto so I think she is just like the rest of us addicted geocachers; she just doesn’t know it yet. Maybe mollygolly, wackjack and I should ban together and get her a GPS for Christmas??
Welcome to caching and Cache Up NB, Steve!
We’ve been at it for about 3 and a half years and still cannot drive by a clearcut without thinking, “ooooh, cool cache container stuff!”. We have actually stopped before and pilfered some pieces of wood and good heavy branches. I still see a dirt road or logging road and wonder if there’s a cache or 2 or 3 down it or a waterfall and wonder if Sportsman has hidden one there yet. I don’t think it ever goes away, unless you completely lose interest and get out of the game.
But as far as addictions go, we’ll take this one any day!! 🙂
Addicted, nope, not me. I prefer the term Dedicated, (it doesn’t sound as bad). And yes to all the above, I look at containers and rate them as good or bad (as in waterproof and big enough for swag). I plan my work trips around grabbing a few in new areas (don’t tell my boss, he thinks we’re all crazy – “looking for plastic containers in the woods”).
Check out Addicted to Caching?…Do Not Log This Cache!! GC1RNZW
And welcome to all the new cachers, hope to meet you on the trail sometime
Great cache. Reminds me of this one
http://coord.info/GCZ0YX