Cachin' out

Call it a treasure hunt of global proportions, call it an adventure with a small reward at the end or call it one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world -- geocaching is many things to many people.

Geocaching is quickly becoming a hobby many outdoor enthusiasts are trying -- and getting hooked on at the same time. It is essentially a treasure hunt that requires a global-positioning system (GPS) receiver, a map and a willingness to get out and experience new places.

"Geocaching is still relatively new to Alaska, but it is growing more and more every day," said John Emery, an avid geocacher. "About a year and a half ago, I had a condition that requires heart medication. I'm overweight, and I needed to change my lifestyle. Getting into geocaching was a perfect opportunity because you are hiking and getting outside and exercising."

The object of geocaching is simple -- find something, usually a waterproof container of some sort, that a previous geocacher has left behind. Sounds simple enough, until you factor in that the only way to find the treasure is through the use of a GPS receiver. Often, the caches are hidden in thick brush, under or even in trees or in other hard-to-find locations.

At geocaching.com, people log on and add their "cache" to the list, providing a small hint and the GPS coordinates. From there, you're on your own.

It sounds easy enough, but once you are out in the woods trying to find a cache, you better be paying attention, because even though you have the coordinates, finding a cache is a new game.

"There are some really unique caches I've found," said Emery, who logs on to geocaching.com as "Akwhodini." "There are so many good ones out there. Every once in a while there is a real unique one."

Thomas Greetz just got into geocaching a few months ago, and he is already hooked, he said.

"It's cool because they are hidden everywhere. I never got into hiking because I don't see the point in just walking around in the woods. With geocaching, you are out there for a purpose, and my whole family gets into it," Greetz said. "We can go out and hike together and find caches together and enjoy it as a family."

Part of the fun of the "game" is the treasure at the end of the hunt. Geocaches contain a variety of goodies, which are initially stocked by the person who hid the geocache in the first place. From that point, it's a swap meet, as the rules of the game dictate that you should take something, but leave something new for another geocacher. Whether it be a small pocket compass, a keychain, some waterproof matches or a small trinket, all items are inexpensive -- finding them is the real prize.

"I've found sand from a beach in Hawaii, crystals from a volcano, an Australian crystal, stuff like that," Emery said. "I like challenging caches that take a while to find. I appreciate being out there hiking, seeing wildlife and just being outside as much as finding the cache. Some of them really get you going."

Greetz said his two daughters -- ages 10 and 13 -- enjoy finding the goodies at the end of the hike. "We even found one that was all kid's books, and the girls thought that was pretty cool."

Once you find a cache, you are supposed to log your find as well. Some caches have been there for a few days, some more than a year. Most have a log book for people to sign, and then the finder posts on geocaching.com that they found it, what they left and what they took. There are even things called "Travel Bugs" which are hidden in caches. Once you find it, you have to put it in another cache. The object is to get the travel bug to visit as many places as possible.

"I started a travel bug and have been tracking it on the Web site, but so far, it's just been in Anchorage," Emery said. "I'm hoping it gets to the East Coast."

There are geocaches located in more than 80 countries, with thousands stashed. In Anchorage alone, there are several hundred caches hidden. In the Valley, there are two in the Butte area, and several north on the Parks Highway in the Hatcher Pass and Willow areas.

Some are located right on the road system, while others require quite a bit of effort to get to. Some are night caches, in which directions are put on reflective markers which can best be seen at night with a flashlight, while others are multi-caches, in which the first cache found contains the second set of coordinates.

"People are developing some really new ideas," Emery said. "It's neat to see how it is evolving."