Geocaching: Discovering a hidden hobby
Nathan Bosley found his first geocache when he was 3 years old.
Now at age 8, the energetic third-grader has found over 1,000 caches, according to his mother, April.
“I’m really glad that he’s so involved with geocaching,” said April Bosley, noting that they get exercise and family time from the outdoor activity.
Geocaching combines geography and GPS coordinates to lead enthusiasts to hidden treasures, also known as caches. They can range anywhere in size from a small, black film capsule to a large three-foot metal tube. Contents can include small knickknacks or coins for finders to trade and peruse. A small notebook, or scroll of paper, is also inside the caches for finders to document their registered nicknames and track its history.
Those interested in joining in the interactive treasure hunt can go online at geocaching.com to find nearby caches and their coordinates. They can then plug the numbers into a handheld GPS unit or smartphone and find their way to the cache. And when they’re done, they can search for previous finders online to see who’s found it before.
Caches aren’t always found in the forest or a nearby park. They can also be found in urban settings, like a Walmart parking lot or the local library. Geocaching is also a global hobby, leading enthusiasts to search for hidden caches from all over the world.
For Nathan and April, their geocaching adventures have included family vacations to South Carolina and several Boy Scout events. They’ve also scoured the geography near their home in Mount Morris in Greene County.
While searching for a geocache last week near Adelaide Road in Connellsville, Nathan scurried through fallen leaves, jumping over logs and puddles, all while following the arrow on his handheld GPS. After several minutes of climbing trees and searching the area, Nathan found the cache, cleverly hidden near a fallen tree, covered in leaves and bark. Once opened, he looked through the contents and signed his name in the notebook.
“I like geocaching because I get to be outside and climb trees. It’s very pretty,” said Nathan. His mother added that she loves that he doesn’t spend much time in front of the television or computer and prefers to be outdoors.
“He’s also learning to respect nature and the environment at an early age. Geocaching teaches you that. Starting at such a young age, I hope this will build a strong foundation for Nathan,” said April Bosley.
In Waynesburg, there are two other geocachers that are starting their treasure hunting early.
Gracie and Aubrey Mayhle, ages 10 and 7, have been geocaching for years with family friend, Crystal Miller of Uniontown. Miller, an outdoor enthusiast, has even geocached globally, going as far as Ireland and Mexico. She’s also geocached in 21 states in the nation, including Alaska.
The daughters of Mike and Brandy Mayhle, the two young girls said they enjoy geocaching because of the objects they get to see and trade. Geocachers are encouraged to peruse the contents of a caches and trade objects of equal value if they choose to.
During a recent geocache excursion near Jumonville Glen, Gracie and Aubrey plugged the coordinates into their GPS and followed the grid and arrow until they were within 20 feet of the cache — and then the hunt began for the hidden treasure.
Gracie found the cache in a fallen tree stump, covered by leaves. Inside, there were a number of items including a Burger King toy, a ball and a pack of ear plugs. After trading the ear plugs for a bouncy ball, the girls signed their names to the logbook and returned the cache.
“None of my other friends do this. Maybe I can get them to try it,” said Gracie. Their mother noted that both girls are enrolled in cyber school, which allows them to geocache with Miller frequently.
“We enjoy geocaching as a group and seeing the kids get so excited about it,” said Miller. “There are so many things to learn from geocaching, including science and history.”
Location, location, location
While geocaching can be done anywhere at anytime, Fayette County seems to be a hotspot for it, according to Miller.
“I definitely think it’s the scenery that draws people here. In our area, we’re fortunate that we can do whatever type of caching we want. The mountains are right here, and we’re not far from the city,” said Miller.
Another outdoor enthusiast, Jo Davidson of Uniontown, says that geocaching is in the eye of the beholder.
“My husband and I would prefer to hike a few miles for one cache rather than rack up numbers finding easier geocaches in urban areas,” said Davidson. “But that is the beauty of the game. Anyone can play. So while the mountains may be our hotspot, it might not necessarily be everyone’s hotspot.”
“Fayette County has so many beautiful locations and attractions,” she continued. “We also have so much history in this area.”
Davidson noted that the caches hidden in the county show off the natural beauty, encouraging geocachers to explore and appreciate different locations.
Target audience
There are several groups in the area that meet to share geocaching experiences. There is even a group called Cache In Trash Out that meets every year to clean Pennsylvania roadways and natural areas.
Steve Morris is one of the many geocachers involved in a Greene County group and has been geocaching since 2005.
“I read about it in an outdoor magazine and was immediately hooked,” said Morris. “There’s something for everybody, from the simplest ones for children, to more daring ones for adventure seekers.”
During a recent kayaking trip in southern West Virginia, Morris said he and his group found approximately 94 caches hidden along the Greenbrier River.
“It’s a really fun activity. You don’t have to be an athlete or a genius or an elite hiker. Geocaching is designed for everyone. There’s even ones that are designed for people with disabilities. Geocaching suits whatever activities you enjoy doing, no matter what your skill level is,” said Morris.
“I would say anyone who is adventurous is a target audience. Everyone can geocache,” said Davidson.
Instead of being limited to an age group or ability level, geocaching is open to anyone willing to try something new.
“You get to know people from all walks of life, maybe people you wouldn’t normally meet,” said Miller. “It brings people together as a community, and we love it.”