Sometimes geocaching hints create a confusing chorus that doesn’t lead anyone closer to the actual geocache. “Hints” like, “It’s in the obvious place” or “Yes, it’s really there” or “You don’t really need a hint” lead to a little confusion and a lot of shoulder shrugging. The hint shouldn’t spoil the exact location of the geocache, but be should be used as a good clue as to where it can be found. If you’re a geocache hider, consider a clue that would help someone who’s finding their first geocache step closer to the container.
The hint can still be clever and require geocachers to think about their surroundings. If you’re new to geocaching, or even a seasoned pro, sometimes the hint takes a little decoding. Here’s some help:
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Tie Your Shoe = Bend down and look at a lower level
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Attractive = Magnetic geocache
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Troll = Under a bridge
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SPOR/UPR = Suspicious Pile of Rocks/Unusual Pile of Rocks
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Handyman Special = Magnetic bolt
Do you still have more questions about hints? We’ve got you covered. Another great destination to decipher and share your favorite hints is the Geocaching Facebook page. Inspire a geocache owner, leave your favorite tips on hints below in comments!
After attending Geocoinfest 2013: Las Vegas, Nevada, TattooBarbie and her friend cybercat completed the El Dorado series. They had so much fun they decided to also do the Route 66 series!
This is the story of a woman with Asperger’s, who became a geocacher with Asperger’s. It’s not about conquering a disorder or beating an affliction. It’s about something more. It’s about the most human of all conditions: adaptation. It’s a condition geocachers are known to excel at, and Toni Brown first discovered that at work.
In many ways, Toni (Username: TattooBarbie) is a geocacher like many others: adventurous, fun, and outgoing. But this has not always been the case.
Long before she discovered geocaching, Toni was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. She says, “With Asperger Syndrome, it’s sort of a problem with your social life. You just don’t fit in. You don’t understand people and people don’t understand you. That has led me to have a rather secluded life.” Like many others with Asperger’s, Toni found it difficult to meet new friends and to get outside.
Then, one fateful work retreat, she found a way to do both. Toni works for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). TPWD uses geocaching as an educational tool for its Outdoor Family Program, and so the department decided that it would be a good idea for TPWD employees to test out geocaching during its annual retreat. For Toni, this activity turned out to be more than fun – it turned her life upside down (sometimes literally).
“Geocaching changed my life…I finally fit in somewhere. I’ve even hosted events when I travel out of town just to meet other geocachers. This activity is so much fun that no matter where you go you can meet perfect strangers and share a common bond.” With nearly 10,000 finds and 200 hides, Toni now spends a lot of time outside exploring. Her geocaching dream is to travel to Brazil to find the last remaining Project APE geocache. She also would like to find the International Space Station geocache, but concedes that “Brazil is [more] doable.”
Toni climbs out of her comfort zone (and ours!).TattooBarbie’s trackable treasure chest tattoo.
Toni has been hooked on geocaching ever since that first experience at the TPWD retreat. Don’t believe us? Check out her rad trackable tattoo, featured in the video below. It’s in the shape of a treasure chest, which she thinks is the perfect representation of what geocaching is all about.
We think that Toni herself is the perfect representation of what geocaching is all about. She has used geocaching as a tool to step outside her comfort zone, to explore new places, and to surround herself with a wonderful community of folks united by their shared love of this crazy thing we call…well…geocaching.
Has geocaching helped you to overcome a challenge or step outside of your comfort zone? Tell us your story in the comments below.
Watch the video below (created by TPWD) to learn more about how geocaching helped Toni overcome the challenges associated with Asperger Syndrome:
Wir wollen uns ganz herzlich bei Euch für die Organisation Eures Geocaching in Space Event Caches bedanken. Ob Ihr den Raketenstart live anseht oder einfach nur den Forschergeist der Mission feiern wollt: Ihr seid als Teil der globalen Geocachinggemeinschaft mit dabei einen der aufregendsten Tage in der Geschichte von Geocaching zu begehen. Hier auf der interaktiven Weltkarte könnt Ihr alle Geocaching in Space Events sehen, die für den Raketenstart geplant sind. Wir schreiben Euch, um Euch und Euren Event mit der globalen Geocachinggemeinschaft zu verbinden und Euch zu helfen, den Event erfolgreich zu gestalten.
Where can you find this mysterious tool that lets you search for geocaches in no time?
Stop! Don’t look any further – search here! Sometimes it takes a hint to find something that is right there in front of you. It’s the search box on the Geocaching.com homepage.
