/ Eric Schudiske

Geocaching in the News – A Story Worth Telling

Alaska airlines
Alaska Airlines article (click to read)

Geocachers grab headlines around the world as Ambassadors of Adventure, Everyday Explorers or just those people doing that new outdoor tech thing. While geocaching is not new to us, more and more people are seeing geocaching in the news and in TV shows.

swiss magazine bryan roth
Geocaching Co-Founder Bryan Roth speaks to the Swiss Magazine The Gentlemen’s Club. (click to read p33)

You’re part of an emerging hobby that gets people outside and into adventure. Geocachers are a global band of tech-guided explorers some five million strong. Sometimes the geocaching adventure is just around the corner, other times the hunt delivers geocachers to the top of a mountain. But people always love to hear about the geocaching journey, especially in the media.

In the past weeks and months, geocaching has appeared in publications around the globe. Geocaching was featured as a tool to see and experience the world in a new way in the USAToday video, “Want a modern day treasure hunt? Go geocaching.” Geocaching Co-Founder Bryan Roth helped Swiss readers of the magazine The Gentleman’s Guide (p.33) learn more about the addictive hobby. A police officer, who’s also a geocacher, used the Geocaching app to help find a lost hiker. The story made national news in the United States. Even airline passengers are reading about geocaching in the Alaska Airlines Magazine.

USAToday video of Geocaching
USAToday video of Geocaching (click to watch)

Geocaching delivers something most technologies cannot – and it’s worth writing about. Geocaching takes people outside to connect with each other. Every time you sign a log book or replace a geocache where you just found it, you’re adding to the story of that location. You connect to a community with each geocache you find. You also care for the environment along the way. It’s a newspaper article or television story that never gets old.

You can continue reading too. You can always find geocaching in the news through this link.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching Caption Contest 37 – Win a Barely Coveted Prize

Your caption here!
CuriousGeorge59 was not happy to have missed the FTF (First to Find) by seconds.

CuriousGeorge59 was not happy to have missed the FTF by seconds.

Devise your most creative caption for this picture of these two geocachers and they’re unlikely companion. You could even win a ‘barely coveted prize’ in the 37th Geocaching.com Caption Contest. This picture was originally posted on the official Geocaching.com Facebook page. Share your pics there for a chance to have your image used in a future caption contest.

One coveted, and one barely coveted prize. Win them both!
One coveted, and one barely coveted prize. Win them both!

Submit your best – most King Kong geocaching appropriate caption – by clicking on “Comments” below. Please include your Geocaching.com username in all entries. Then, explore the captions other geocachers have posted.

Try to ‘influence’ the voting process (*nudge*nudge*). “Like” the caption that you believe should take home the barely coveted prize. If you think your caption should win, convince your fellow geocachers, your friends, and family to “like” your caption. Lackeys vote from the top finalists to decide the winner of the contest.

kids geocaching
Click on the image to see the winner of this caption contest

The winner receives this month’s ‘barely coveted prize.’ The prize consists of one coveted and one barely coveted prize. Up for grabs is a rare John Grisham Geocoin, and an seldom used office pen.

Click on the image to your right to discover the winner of this Geocaching.com Caption Contest. Lackeys voted to award the winner of the 36th Geocaching.com Caption Contest a barely coveted prize. Click on the image to your right to read the winning caption of that contest.

Explore all the winning captions by checking out all the Geocaching.com Caption Contests. If you have suggestions for Geocaching.com Caption Contest photos, send a message and the image to pr@groundspeak.com.

/ Eric Schudiske /

Geocaching Year in Review

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Watch the new Geocaching Year in Review video to see the geocaching highlights of 2012.

With geocaches found more than 68 million times in 2012, last year could be called the Year of “Found it.” And that’s just caches—thousands of geocachers spent Leap Day, International Geocaching Day and 12-12-12 attending events, meeting other geocachers, along with finding geocaches. We also watched our community grow to new heights as you shared the adventure of geocaching with friends and family.

2012 Leap Day celebration
2012 Leap Day celebration

We’re excited about what’s ahead in 2013. We’re approaching two million active geocaches. That’s two million adventures for you to explore almost anywhere in the world. You’ll also see advancements across Geocaching.com and on the Geocaching apps. Check out the new video to see where we’ve been and where we’re headed – and tell us what’s on your geocaching wish list for 2013 below in comments.

And don’t forget to log your “will attend” for the 2013 Geocaching Block Party on August 17 in Seattle!

Subscribe to the Official Geocaching.com YouTube channel for the latest tips and tricks in geocaching. Watch the more than 50 videos produced by Geocaching.com on our video page.

 

/ Adela B

Gorgeous Gorge (GC2PC2V) – GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – January 3, 2013

Gorgeous Gorge along the Katherine River

The very first Geocache of the Week of 2013 is guaranteed to add a little thrill and excitement to the New Year. Join us on an unforgettable adventure to Nitmiluk National Park in Katherine, Australia to find Gorgeous Gorge (GC2PC2V), a difficulty 2, terrain 4 traditional geocache.

Since February 2011, Gorgeous Gorge has been responsible for thrilling geocaching experiences. Geocachers from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and beyond have been intrigued by the location of this geocache. Thanks to bubblensqueak, more than 60 geocachers had the opportunity to relish in this one of a kind, nature-filled geocaching experience.

Nitmiluk National Park is a haven for nature lovers with its rugged landscape, dramatic waterfalls and lush gorges providing an abundance of flora and fauna. It’s also home to Katherine Gorge, a series of 13 sandstone gorges carved over the course of thousands of years by the Katherine River. Add a regular-sized ammo can geocache and a scenic view and you’ve got a spectacular, one of a kind geocaching adventure.

The ammo can geocache

The stunning gorge walls and white sandy beaches can be explored on foot, by canoe or on a cruise. Katherine Gorge waters are calm in most spots and ideal for swimming and canoeing. Be cautious though if you go into the water, your heart might start beating faster if you spy one of the areas freshwater crocodiles. The reptiles are rarely seen, but geocachers should always be aware of their surroundings.

Gorgeous Gorge loogbook

A typical hike from the parking area to the geocache location takes about an hour. Geocachers have the opportunity to explore a number of other geocaches along the way, which may result in a day-long treasure hunting adventure. Then again, it’s so easy to lose track of time when surrounded by so much beauty. The additional geocaches along the way just add to the experience.

A family who recently logged this find wrote, “Wow, Wow, Wow, what a great spot and what a great cache . After hunting for a while geo-dad and geo-junior decided to sit and read the past logs while waiting for some muggles, It was then that geo-dad realized that cache was obviously out of muggle view . So, after feeling refreshed it was time for another hunt, when cache was found and the lid opened geo-junior’s eyes nearly popped , what a hoard. Left Christmas Duck TB as he thought it looked like a good spot for a paddle, I just told him to watch out for those crocks . Thanks bubblensqueak for a great cache .”

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.

Geocachers are welcomed by a local
/ Adela B

Announcing the December Featured Geocacher of the Month

We are wrapping up 2012 with yet another outstanding featured Geocacher of the Month. Congratulations to Wayne, a.k.a. Moneydork for being named December’s Featured Geocacher of the Month!

December Featured Geocacher of the Month, Moneydork

Moneydork is recognized for establishing himself as one of Australasian’s most prolific geocachers. His efforts to support the community as a Geocaching.com volunteer reviewer and good Samaritan have not gone unnoticed. He even managed to organize New Zealand’s very first Mega-Event from 3500 km (2175 miles) away. According to fellow geocachers, Moneydork’s hides and events are legendary Down Under and he never hesitates to give his all to the sport.

A geocacher who voted for Moneydork writes, “My first ever event was Moneydork’s third Massive Easter Egg Hunt, which he held every year until he moved to Australia – that were seven events in total. I was the last to find a nearby Multi-Cache at one of the events, and he was walking the opposite direction as I walked towards GZ (ground zero). He promptly turned around to make sure I found it. I didn’t know who he was, but even in just three months of geocaching, I knew of his geocaching handle. When I first started geocaching, my town had a few active geocaches then for a while there was no activity. Moneydork came and placed a cache just out of town to try and get things moving again. He is always unassuming, quiet, and willing to help anyone with geocaching. He won’t tell you where it is but he will make sure you have to work it out yourself and find it. He has always been a bit of a legend down here and insists he’s no different from anyone else. I’m just surprised he hasn’t been nominated before now. Only shame is I can only vote once, but I’ll just have to make sure every other New Zealand geocacher votes for him too.”

Moneydork will receive a collector’s edition featured Geocacher of the Month Geocoin, along with a Geocacher of the Month hat and certificate acknowledging his contributions, signed by two of the founders of Geocaching.com.

Featured Geocacher of the Month Icon

Thank you to the fellow December nominees and all those who supported them. The nominees not chosen as featured Geocacher of the Month will receive a gift of appreciation from Geocaching. See a list of all the featured Geocachers of the Month here.

If you know an outstanding geocacher who should be considered for the honor, send an email to geocacherofthemonth@groundspeak.com. Every nomination must meet the following requirements:

  • Your name, the name of your nominee, their username
  • A picture of the nominee
  • Description (200 or more words) explaining why he or she deserves to be the Geocacher of the Month

Please inform your nominee that you’ve submitted them for the award.

Nominations for the January Featured Geocacher of the Month must be received by the end of the day on Tuesday, January 8, 2013.

Once we have received all of the nominations, we will choose three candidates and post them on the Geocaching blog. You will then get a chance to champion your favorite. Our goal is to involve the entire geocaching community in this process so we might learn from each other.