Happy 25th Canniversary!
THIS GEOCACHE IS LOCATED AT THE POSTED COORDINATES.
This geocache celebrates 25 remarkable years of geocaching, and what better way to mark this milestone than with a silver ammo can letterbox?
Silver has long been the traditional symbol of 25th anniversaries, representing strength, endurance, and a lasting shine, just like the geocachers who've contributed to the game's success over these 25 years.
Just as silver has stood the test of time, so has the geocaching community, From humble beginnings in 2000 with a single hidden cache to a worldwide community, this milestone marks not just 25 years but the countless memories made, caches found, and friendships made along the way.
Silver has played - and continues to play - an essential role in our past, present, and future. Here are some interesting facts about silver you might not know.
Image: A silver alpaca from the Inca civilization of Peru, dating between 1400 and 1533. / Credit: Max Braun (CC)
- Early Olympians competed for silver - not gold. It wasn't until 1904 that gold became the top prize.
Image: Medal of Sofia Marinou (front side) / Credit: Renos Vakratsas (CC)
- NASA uses silver-coated materials in spacesuits and spacecraft to reflect heat and protect astronauts.
- Silver is used in satelite circuitry and solar panels, powering the very GPS technology that makes geocaching possible.
- The world's largest silver nugget weighed over 2,340 pounds. It was so large that it had to be broken into three pieces.
Image: The largest of the three pieces (1840 lbs) from the biggest silver nugget evel mined in the world (+2340 lbs) - discovered at Smuggler Mine, Colorado, / Credit: S.I. Hallett, courtesy of Aspen Historical Society. (CC)
- Ancient civilizations stored water in silver containers to keep it fresh.Today, NASA still uses silver to purify water in space.
- Too much silver exposure can turn human skin permanently blue - A rare condition called argyria.
Image: Skin discoloration associated with argyria. / Credit: MDPI (CC)
Scientists believe the moon has massive silver deposits.
- Most of the world's silver reserves are found in South America - Particularly in Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia.
Image: Zacatecas, a state in Mexico, produced 1,680 metric tons of silver in 2023. / Credit: Sam Cavenagh (CC)
Whether you're a veteran geocacher or a recent enthusiast, the journey to this silver anniversary represents the ongoing evolution of a hobby with a passionate community.
As we celebrate this milestone, let's look forward to the adventure ahead, united by our shared love for exploration and discovery. Here's to the next chapter of geocaching - may it shine as brightly as silver!
Please do not take the stamp or ink pad; they are part of the geocache.
There's an unactivated gepcoin as a FTF prize, along with some silver swag and a few small geocaches. Please trade fairly and be considerate when swapping swag.
This geocache is located in State Game Lands. Dress apropriately.
If present, obey all no-trespassing and rule signage.
The Series:
This 25-for-25 Series was placed as a collaboration of local geocachers in the Johnstown-Altoona Geocaching Association (JAGA) area and surrounding counties. We wanted to place a series of 25 geocaches to celebrate 25 years of geocaching. We hope you enjoy the various types of hides, all across JAGA-land: Micro, Small, Regular, Large; Traditionals, Multi-Caches, Letterbox-Hybrid, Wherigo, and those pesky Mysteries. Happy 25th Birthday, Geocaching!
On May 3, 2000, Dave Ulmer, a computer consultant, wanted to test the accuracy of GPS by hiding a navigational target in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon. He called the idea the "Great American GPS Stash Hunt" and posted it in an internet GPS users' group. The idea was simple: Hide a container out in the woods and note the coordinates with a GPS unit.
The finder would then have to locate the container with only the use of his or her GPS receiver. The rules for the finder were simple: "Take some stuff, leave some stuff."
On May 3, Dave placed his own container, a black bucket, in the woods, taking the location's coordinates to be N 45 17.460 W 122 24.800. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot. He shared the waypoint of his "stash" with the online community on sci.geo.satellite-nav.
THE REST IS HISTORY!
(Historic text taken, mostly as-is, with minor edits, from www.geocaching.com/about/history.aspx)
Throughout the spring and summer of 2025, look for various caches of this series to publish most weekends, with a "series final cache" to conclude the series on or around International Geocaching Day in August of 2025. That's one new JAGA-land cache for each year of geocaching's history, plus "one to grow!"
Be sure to write down or take photos of code words provided in some of the series caches (for caches that have them) that will help you get the coordinates for the series final when it is available at the end of the series.
See the entire 25-for-25 series list at 25for25.jaga.group
As the geocache owner, I ensure that the above link is to a local geocaching group site that is active in the community and contributing to geocaching in positive ways. This link has not been checked by Geocaching HQ or by the reviewer.