Category: Community

Geocaching is delightful because of the people who play it — adventure-seekers, makers, parents, astronauts and (sometimes) celebrities. Read their stories.

/ Eric Schudiske

The Theory of Caching is Found in Canada

COG Fling 10 – The COG Cache Theory

COG 1

Editor’s note: Geocaching HQ staff are  attending dozens of Mega-Events around the world, shaking hands, sharing stories of adventure, and of course, geocaching. Each person at Geocaching HQ brings their own unique talent to advancing the adventure. Some write code for the website, others design images for the apps, and some shoot videos explaining it all. Cathy or Prying Pandora works supporting geocaching community volunteers .  This is her Mega-Event experience.

 

Canada Day with reviewers CacheViewer, GeoawareCA, and CacheShadow
Cathy (center) – Canada Day with reviewers CacheViewer, GeoawareCA, and CacheShadow

When I found out I had been selected to attend COG Fling 10 – The COG Cache Theory in Ontario, Canada, I was very excited.  I knew that the Central Ontario geocaching community was super creative and fun, and they would turn this year’s science theme into a weekend full of laughter and crazy surprises.  The chosen location for the 10th Fling was Tottenham Conservation Area, a beautiful 41-acre park about 40 minutes away from Toronto.

The kickoff event on Friday evening was COG Spring Fling, a nod to the COG Fling’s traditional springtime date.  This year the event took place during the long hot days of summer, so how do you make a Spring Fling out of that?  By flinging springs, of course! That was just one of a crazy hodge podge of activities, including racing to fill pipes by squeezing water into them with sponges, and performing an interpretive dance with shock absorbers before tossing them at a target.  The prize?  A fine trophy made of springs!

Elf and Fababoo doing their shock absorber interpretive dance. She has a bubble on her finger.
Elf and Fababoo doing their shock absorber interpretive dance. She has a bubble on her finger.
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Swifteroo’s shock absorber interpretive dance
COG 4
Filling pipes with sponges

I had a blast at the Mega-Event on Saturday, meeting and chatting with 800 geocachers. Some of them came all the way from Australia and Germany! Keeping with the science theme, the event log was a lab coat, there were 8 super creative science lab caches, and a mad scientist too! Games, workshops and a bunch of new caches in the area kept people busy all day.

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Fababoo the Mad Scientist
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Potato Experiment Lab Cache
Light Bending Prism Lab Cache
Light Bending Prism Lab Cache
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Two of the COG volunteers helping with the event, Juicepig and Elf
Me with one of the cachers I met, luvvinbird
Me with one of the cachers I met, luvvinbird

 

The weekend wrapped up on Sunday with the COG’s Anti Trash Theory CITO event.  Lots of trash was collected from the area surrounding the park, and a few unusual items too.

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Tromelin heaves in an old satellite dish

I completed my Canadian adventure after the event weekend by visiting the nation’s capital in Ottawa with some of Ontario’s volunteer reviewers to celebrate Canada Day. It was the perfect end to a wonderful trip!

 

/ Paige Edmiston /

Help Name the Next Geocacher of the Month

The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin
The earned, never for sale, Geocacher of the Month geocoin

Geocachers are known for being adventurous, friendly, a little quirky, and just plain fun.

June’s Geocacher of the Month nominees are no exception.

In addition to earning an impressive number of smileys, these geocachers have hidden quality geocaches admired by many, and they never fail to bring laughter, joy, and helpful hints to all those they meet. If you’re out on the trail and need to Phone-a-Friend, these are the geocachers you want on speed dial.

Each of the nominees below is an essential part of the global geocaching community and will receive a prize package from Geocaching HQ in Seattle, but only one will be the next Geocacher of the Month. A  panel from Geocaching HQ will use your comments, community input and other data to decide the winner.

Now it’s your turn to help us select the next Geocacher of the Month: write a supportive comment for the nominated geocacher you feel should be awarded the title.

 

Leftygator 

leftygator
Leftygator says hi to a gator (and a lion).

Afwingman writes, “Leftygator has been geocaching since 2003, before geocaching had become the hobby it is today with Pocket Queries and advancements in GPS technology. We first met leftygator just after we started geocaching in November 2009. We met for breakfast and have become great friends ever since. Leftygator has put out outstanding geocaches and does not hesitate to offer guidance and assistance to all the new geocachers in and around the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. Stumped on a cache? Call leftygator and he will go out his way to give you the nudge you need to get you back on track. With Keesler Air Force base located in Biloxi, he has taken airman under his wing that became interested in geocaching. They then take the hobby world wide in their travels and adventures and get other airman involved who get their friends into geocaching. He is a great asset and ambassador to the geocaching community and it would be an honor to have him considered for Geocacher of the Month.”

 

.Jpeg

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.Jpeg at Mount Rushmore.

 

Dhaulaghiri writes, “After overcoming the shock of moving to Houston, TX we met a great bunch of local cachers that have provided us with lot’s of caching fun. .Jpeg particularly stands out because of the ingenious nature of his hides and the variety of hides he’s put out, but also because of his wonderful, thoughtful and sometimes even downright funny logs on caches he finds.

.Jpeg is an inspiration to me and other cachers I know in the Houston area, always willing to help out a fellow cacher, go on a hunt on short notice and last but certainly not least a truly wonderful human being!”

 

gillywig

gillywig
Gillywig finds GC1JPEQ.

animalbiker67(ab67) writes, “The caches that gillywig puts out are interesting to do. [She is} always willing to assist in every way and is always bubbly and full of energy. Gillywig assists finders with her Puzzle ones too, but will still not give the game away – brilliant hints. She is a joy to communicate with and she never lets me down.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, simply fill out this webform.

/ Carly /

Geocaching Headquarters (GCK25B): Been There, Logged That.

Panorama HQ Lobby
Panorama HQ Lobby

 

Geocaching Headquarters (aka GCK25B).

Many have heard of it, only 7,000 of 9 million geocachers worldwide have logged it. Whether on a geocaching road trip across the country or living down the street, geocachers love to make a pit stop at Geocaching HQ to sign the famous logbook, celebrate a milestone, share stories with fellow geocachers and see for themselves where all the geocaching magic happens.

You made it
You made it

History was made.

In 2004, the official HQ geocache was placed in the downtown office of Groundspeak Headquarters. Over the last 10 years, the geocache has lived in four different locations, now residing at the newest office in the Fremont neighborhood. Co-Founder Bryan Roth said the geocache was placed so that everyone at HQ could stay connected to the community.

“Geocachers were already stopping by the office before we placed the geocache” said Bryan. “We felt that adding an official HQ Geocache would enhance the experience and help create an environment where geocachers always feel welcome.”

Originally on Friday’s only, HQ visits are now available Tuesday-Friday at 2pm to accommodate all travel schedules and the influx in visitors.

 

Logo
Logo

 

What to expect during a scheduled visit.

1) Awesome encounters and conversations with Geocaching HQ employees. The staff at Geocaching HQ anxiously awaits for the clock to strike 2pm. For an entire hour, the lobby transforms into a room of geocaching chatter and storytelling.

2) A giant trunk with a plethora of trackables, SWAG and signature items. Don’t believe us? Check out the trackable inventory for yourself.

Inside the HQ Geocache
Inside the HQ Geocache

3) Geocachers from across the globe. In the last year, visitors from over 30 countries have visited HQ, making it an international destination for all geocachers to gather, swap stories and even learn a new language (or as least communicate in geo-language.)

4) Photo-op and selfie heaven. With a photobooth and new signage to pose in front of, the photo opportunities are endless.

5) Historic geocaching relics including the original International Space Station Travel Bug. In case you are new to geocaching (or have been hiding under a rock for a year), this travel bug went all the way to outer space.

6) The Geocaching HQ Store. Shop for trackables, geocoins, t-shirts and other goodies including some exclusive HQ merchandise.

HQ Geotour: GC32A0H
HQ GeoTour: GC32A0H

 7) Geocaching! The fun doesn’t stop after you leave the lobby. Before and after a scheduled visit, geocachers wander around the local quirky Fremont neighborhood in search of the nine geocaches on the HQ GeoTour. With over 2,000 favorite points, geocachers don’t want to miss out on these creative geocaches hidden by the staff at Geocaching HQ.

The ultimate HQ experience.

In addition to HQ Visits, Geocaching HQ invites the entire community to join them for the annual Block Party Mega-Event in August. The week prior to the big event, geocachers can sign up for full office tours to get the full breakdown of what goes on every day at HQ.

So geocachers, when do you plan on joining the other 7,000 geocachers and logging the HQ Geocache? We’d love to meet you!

/ Eric Schudiske /

Your New Mission: Earn the 7 Souvenirs of August

 

 

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New Souvenirs for August, New Quiz Now

 

Welcome to your geocaching mission this summer. During the month of August, earn six new Geocaching souvenirs by finding specific types of geocaches. Only by finding all six souvenirs do you unlock a special seventh “Achiever” souvenir. And we always knew you were an achiever.

Check out your personalized 7 Souvenirs of August Trophy Case for details. It’s a page that’s worth adding to your bookmarks. You’ll need it. Once you’ve collected all six souvenirs, visit your 7 Souvenirs of August Trophy Case to unlock the rare 7th “Achiever” souvenir. If you’re new to geocaching, a souvenir is an exclusive digital reward for your online profile.

While your journey to find the 7 Souvenirs of August begins on August 1 and lasts through August 31, you can start the adventure right now. Take the new Geocaching Personality Quiz. Each of the six personality types in the quiz reveals a souvenir you’re challenged to discover in August. Questions? Check out your 7 Souvenirs of August Trophy Case for answers. Ready to begin celebrating? Check out the new 7 Souvenirs swag on sale now.

Click to learn more
Click to learn more
Click to play
Click to play