In Beaverton, Oregon, cache owner jewilk1 and his son OmNom! create fun hides by using a 3D printer, puzzle logic, and googly eyes. You may recognize the name from this week’s Geocache of the Week. They are examples of creative freedom in the geocaching world because they make both a simple cache and a puzzling cache memorable. After 7 years of caching, 60 hides, and 6,700 finds, jewilk1 continues to add a unique touch or a new level of deception into their cache creations. Some of their puzzle caches have knobs, codes, and keywords to search for on the back of books that help make their hides so interesting.
Often jewilk1 caches with his son OmNom! and his wife. Aside from the technical side of cache hiding, they enjoy the social aspect of the game and how it brings their family together. In their own words:
The hobby has led us to places we would never have experienced, such as The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution or the view of Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. Likewise, it is hard not to smile after a fellow geocacher relates a positive story about finding a geocache which you designed and introduced to the game. These smiles have inspired us to continue to create unique cache designs and become a better designers.
We wanted to know more about their creative process, what got them interested in geocaching, and what makes for a quality hide so we interviewed jewilk1 to get the inside scoop.
