The thrill of the hunt

I remember the first time I was with my uncle Greg Welk, a fitness professor at Iowa State University, as he and my three younger cousins searched for geocaches – the treasures hidden around the country for those willing to explore and share their adventures.

Previously we had been disc golfing, and for them, venturing off the course to find this little trinket was just as exciting as the game.

Last week I caught up with my uncle Greg, who has been geocaching for two years now and has found “at least 50 or 60 geocaches,” to find out what makes it so interesting.  

BW: Where have you traveled to find the geocaches?

GW: Pretty much anywhere. If I know we’re traveling somewhere, I’ll download the maps, put them into the geo-GPS, and I’ll have something to think about and pay attention to when I’m driving along. We can stop on a road trip and find them in a state park or roadside area.

People have found these interesting places you wouldn’t otherwise know about. By following their clues, you can find your way to an interesting place with a nice view or a bit of history.

BW: What kind of treasures have you found in each of the geocaches?

GW: There’s a lot of integrity in geocaching, and you’re only supposed to take something if you leave something. You’re supposed to leave it exactly as you found it, exactly where you found it. They’re usually pendants or key chains or pens, but one of the cool things is people sometimes leave Geocoins, which can be tracked around the country. So you can find one in one spot, it can be taken to another, and the person that put it in there originally can track where it went.

BW: What got you started searching for geocaches?

GW: It’s the combination of technology and nature. You can be a tech person or an outdoorsman and still find some enjoyment in it.

BW: What drives the people who have found thousands of geocaches?

GW: Like any subgroup on the Web, there’s a need to be “the best finder” or the “first to find.” One time when we were placing our own geocache, I recorded its location online before I hid it, and in 15 minutes, people were already looking for it based on the coordinates.

BW: What are some of the best experiences you’ve had searching for the geocaches?

GW: Finding one is good enough. Some of them are rated based on difficulty, and one of the toughest ones we’ve ever done we had to climb a steep rock wall, hiked another quarter mile and spent a while looking in the bushes, but we finally found it.

BW: Isn’t this dangerous at all, especially for the kids?

GW: Some of the places aren’t the best places to go. They could have poison oak or something, but I don’t mind. Life is an adventure, and I think some of that rummaging around in the woods and finding something that’s out there is what I like about it.