Geocaching
What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game, much like a treasure hunt, a travel game for GPS users. GPS refers to Global Positioning Satellite receiver.

By using the GPS unit individuals, communities or business groups can set up caches all over the world. They share the cache locations on the internet at http://www.geocaching.com/. A Geocacher collects coordinates from this web site using postal codes of the areas they plan to travel to. Example: R0L IM0 (Pine River postal code) will show all the caches found within 100 miles of that location. This is a great way to bring tourism travellers to your community, business or region.

Caches have different levels of difficulty to locate them, some may be hidden under a rock or log, tied to a tree, there are many types of hiding places. The Traditional Cache is a plastic container or ammo box filled with goodies. Inside the cache you should find a logbook and pencil, a historical write up on the location you have visited and a letter explaining geocaching. The goodies may be key chains, small toys, pins, cards, coupons, golf balls, etc. To keep geocaching safe and legal please don’t put the following items in a cache, chemicals, freezables (ink), food or scented items, lighters, bullets, sharp dangerous articles, metal items that could rust, alcohol or drugs.

The only rules are: If you take something from the cache, you must leave something for the cache, and you must write about your visit in the logbook. Geocaching is great fun for the entire family. You choose the level of terrain difficulty you wish to travel, whether you travel by vehicle, ATV, snowmobile, bicycle or hike to locate the cache.

There are many caches located in “Valley in the Mountains”. So lets get involved in exploring our beautiful region using GPS as a new educational tool.

Submitted by Debbie Soloway, Licensed GPS Instructor, c/o D&O Soloway Outfitters, Pine River, Manitoba N 51° 47.274 W 100° 31.680