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Geocaching - It’s About More Than Finding The Cache

By Parzival   Wed, Jan 28, 2009

What geocaching means to me.

Geocaching to me is much more than just going somewhere and finding something that somebody else has hidden. Sure, that's the nuts and bolts of it, but to me it involves so much more than that. I love seeing nature's artwork, rocky landscapes, leaves covering a trail, a quiet stream meandering nowhere in particular.

I geocache because I want to experience these things as much as finding the cache itself. Many times I do not find what I set out for, but in the end I always come away seeing and experiencing a new place that I had not been to before.

I enjoy the feeling of finding something that most people do not even know is there. I enjoy the excitement of feeling as if I am involved with a hidden culture that exists outside of conventional society. However, with as much news coverage as geocaching is getting these days, it is barreling towards mainstream society at an alarming pace.

To me, the ultimates in geocaching are places where hiking 2-5 miles just to get there is required. Somewhere that an overnight camping and fishing trip is involved.

My nirvana of geocaching, camping, and fishing comes together in one of my favorite caches that I so greatly want to do called Gem Lake. (GC851E)

This is such a beautiful place that I get chills just thinking about it... and I have not even been there yet!

To me, Gem Lake is the very definition of what geocaching is. Now, I know that some of you are thinking "What about the urban micro lamppost cache?" No offense, but those caches are just not for me. I don't begrudge anyone else for liking them or placing them, we all have the option of ignoring them if we choose to, which for the most part I do.

Give me history in a cache, give me a scenic view. Give me the opportunity to find an ammo can in the woods. Take me to those off-the-beaten-path places rarely seen by those who have no imagination or who will not leave the safety of the paved road.

That's geocaching to me.

 

By Parzival

Parzival is a contributing author to The Online Geocacher. Parzival, AKA Greg, grew up a Hoosier in South Bend, Indiana. He would like everyone to know that contrary to popular belief, there is indeed more to Indiana than just corn and basketball. He attended Indiana University and majored in History. When not geocaching, he can usually be found in a stream somewhere attempting to fool trout with dry flies and bead head nymphs. He has a wife who also geocaches under the name GoldenDomer and a 6 month old daughter named Kaitlyn.

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