CAM Memories Traditional Cache

It was February of 2008 when I first heard about something called CAM.

"You should check out CAM; it's coming up!" was the statement a fellow cacher made, as we headed back to our cars after finding a psycho cache. "It's a lot of fun."

CAM, as I learned, stood for Cache Across Maryland: a geocaching tour of sorts, that took cachers to all corners of Maryland in search of 10 special caches. It honestly sounded like a pretty crazy adventure, and I brushed it off as a challenge that would be impossible for me to do. But nonetheless my interest was piqued just enough, that I still signed up. "I'll check it out by getting one or two nearby, but that's it..." was my initial thought.

On March 22 that year, the caches published, and that very afternoon, I found myself driving towards Pine Knob and hiking towards my first CAM cache. It was cold and wet, and as I barely knew any other cachers at the time, I probably passed others on the way and never even knew it, but finding the cache at the end was still sweet.

In fact, the very next weekend, it was onto Sugerloaf Mountain (CAM cache #2) and then Centennial Park (cache #3). As the journey was honestly beginning to get addicting, a trip towards western Maryland came soon after. Taking an empty seat in a caravan heading west, I experienced the fun of a caching road trip for the first time, meeting many friendly cachers who before I had only known by their logs.

CAM find #4 and #5 only increased the the urge to complete what what had been started. Having visited many awesome spots already and having met so many other wonderful cachers on the trail, I just knew I had to continue, and therefore, a trip to the eastern shore was also planned, and ultimately finds #6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 came too. Like the many others who anxiously awaited CAM each year, I was completely hooked!

And what's the reward? Well, to me, it's the memories. During the two CAMs that I've completed so far, I've seen so many amazing places, had so many fun adventures, and gained so many great friends on the way, that good memories abound! And while yes, I'll still admit CAM seems a little crazy, I've learned it's also a lot of fun!