Geocaching at Almaden Quicksilver park

Today we went for Geocaching at Almaden Quicksilver Park! Before going for this Geocaching class, we did not know what to expect. However we did know that we have to hike and so carried the basic necessities like caps, water, some snacks, binoculars and sunscreen. At the end of this class we were glad to have attended it. I have added some information about Geocaching here.



The class was conducted by some experienced Geocachers with thousands of caches on their account. We were given an introduction to geocaching, its history and what to expect. Then we were given GPS which was already fed with the coordinates for the nearby caches.



As we were first timers we were grouped with one of the volunteers who guided us in locating the caches. She pointed out what hints to look for, like a sidepathway in the trail or things that don't belong there or look different from the rest. The hike was about 1.5 miles on Wood road trail and we located about 6-7 caches! That is good for a start.




One of the caches was cleverly hidden. It had a difficulty level of 3.5 and was located in a fence post!

Here is a picture of how the fence post looks to an onlooker who is unaware of caches.


Here is a picture of the hidden cache. The post looked different from the rest and had a slit that separated the lower and upper section of the post.



Here is another example, looks like a normal rock, but there is a cache behind it.


Here is the content of one of the caches that we found. We also got to trade some of the toys in the cache.



We all are excited about Geocaching and want to do more of it. It is addictive!

Geocaching - Fun way to get kids outdoor

What is Geocaching?

In the lay man's term Geocaching is using expensive GPS tool to locate tupperware! Geocaching has been started by enthusiasts all around the world and is pursued as a hobby for fun and recreation. "Caches" are located all over the world in parks, urban areas and some public places. The caches could be boxes (not easily destroyed by weathering) containing inexpensive things like squeeze toys, fake money, small toys etc. An important ingredient in the caches is a log book, which the finders of the cache can date and sign it.


Where to look for caches?
There is a website http://www.geocaching.com/ where you can register and get the location coordinates of the caches near the area you are interested. Along with the coordinates there could also be provided description of where to look and hints. It also tells the difficulty level.


How to find caches?
You will need a hiking GPS to locate the caches. It differs a little from the auto GPS - has more battery life, can be used in the mountain/trail areas. On the GPS you plug in the coordinates and off you set to find them.

What to carry while going for Geocaching?
GPS(hiking or regular that will not fail in wilderness)
Plenty of water
Caps/hats
sunscreen
Printout of cache locations(with description and hints)
Snack
Trading items : Yes you can trade any of the items in the cache for your items.
Lots of enthusiasm and ready to have fun.