What the heck is Geocaching?!

So I get asked that question frequently when I tell people that I went geocaching over the weekend. Like today in the elevator, I started to explain it and his eyes glazed over and he started to smile & nod. "Basically I'm just a nerd." That he gets.
But it reminds me of treasure hunting! I stinking love it! I was introduced one fouth of July at the ocean and have been hooked ever since. My Pa let me steal his garmin since he's too traditional to use it during hunting season anyway.
But the beauty of geocaching is that it shows you new and amazing things. People hide these geocaches in undiscovered parks, next to trails I never tried, a lake I never knew existed and on top of a peak with a great view, etc.

For example one of my latest
geocaches took me thru the Snoqualmie Tunnel - 2.3 miles of you (and my buddy Alan) just trying to get to that little light at the end of the tunnel. And not only did Alan and I find a geocache but in the darkness of the tunnel Alan hears a familiar voice. "Dur?" Alan asks...*silence* "Dur?!" is what we hear back - "Duryee!" One of our old co-workers was in the tunnel - very random. But Duryee was more brave and went without a flashlight. I think the flash of the camera assaulted his retina beyond belief. But it was a great reunion moment.

When I visited my friend Alicia on the East Side she screamed like a girl as we drove up a primitive road only to find a geocache that was covered in animal bones - but what a view.

Then there are these great things called "travel bugs". I still need to get one of my own and give them their own mission. Perhaps I'll get a He-man figure and explain that he's trying to find Greyskull...or by the power of Greyskull - either one.
Anyway - one travel bug I found wanted to travel to beautiful places and take pictures. So I took him (he was in form of a frog) on some hikes and took plenty of pics to send to his owner before putting him in a another geocache for his next adventure to begin. Another travel bug was a police car that wanted to travel to as many police stations as possible.
The premise is to find this geocache, sign the log and trade items (if you wish). Every geocache is different and some have better items to trade than others. Some of my favorite finds have been: Hand sanitizer (thank god), LED light (used for the tunnel) and even a home-made fishing lure that I gave to Alan the Ogre. There are even some enthusiasts (or at least one that I know of) that do "nudecaching." He posts pics of himself by the found geocache cleverly covering his junk. Whatever makes you happy - I guess everyone enjoys retirement in their own way...but I digress.
It's such a fun adventure and it's forced me to travel to many places I would never go. It gets so exciting to be on the hunt that I disregard the spider webs I walk into or, obviously, the animal bones I encounter.
If you'd like to join me take your sense of adventure and enthusiasm. Oh - and bring your determination! Some of these geocaches are a challenge to find so put your super sleuth caps on. I periodically have some geocaches that have become my nemesis forcing me to come back another day to try to find it again. I'm talking to you "Timber", "Raccon's Restaurant" and the one by Annette Lake that shall remain nameless.