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Printable information sheet to attach to Original Stash Geocoin
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This rare geocoin was issued in 2006 to commemorate the 6th Anniversary of the birth of the "Great American Stash Hunt", or Geocaching as it would later be called.
History of the First Stash
Excerpts taken from Geocaching.com:
On May 2, 2000, at approximately midnight, eastern savings time, the great blue switch* controlling selective availability was pressed. Twenty-four satellites around the globe processed their new orders, and instantly the accuracy of GPS technology improved tenfold. Tens of thousands of GPS receivers around the world had an instant upgrade.
The announcement a day before came as a welcome surprise to everyone who worked with GPS technology. The government had planned to remove selective availability - but had until 2006 to do so. Now, said the White House, anyone could "precisely pinpoint their location or the location of items (such as game) left behind for later recovery." How right they were.
On May 3, one such enthusiast, Dave Ulmer, a computer consultant, wanted to test the accuracy by hiding a navigational target in the woods. He called the idea the "Great American GPS Stash Hunt" and posted it in an internet GPS users' group. The idea was simple: Hide a container out in the woods and note the coordinates with a GPS unit.
The finder would then have to locate the container with only the use of his or her GPS receiver. The rules for the finder were simple: "Take some stuff, leave some stuff."
On May 3rd he placed his own container, a black bucket, in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon, near Portland. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, [a can of beans] and a slingshot. He shared the waypoint of his "stash" with the online community on sci.geo.satellite-nav.
Within three days, two different readers read about his stash on the Internet, used their own GPS receivers to find the container, and shared their experiences online.
The Original Stash Plaque
Visit the Original Stash Plaque geocche page to navigate to this historic site in Oregon - only a few hours away from Seattle, WA.