Geocaching: 21st Century treasure hunting

By WES KAPPELMAN

OSKALOOSA — With the snow out of the way, Oskaloosa geocachers are rousing from their hibernation to search out more caches.

Melinda and Don Wheeler, also known as Twiggi and the Bear, of Oskaloosa, have been geocaching for more than three years.

The best time for geocaching is the spring and fall, Don said.

The Iowa winter snow makes it hard to search for caches and the summer bugs also take a bite out of the fun of the search.

Geocaching is a treasure hunt for hidden caches using coordinates and a GPS device. Caches can be as small as an eraser or bigger than a five-gallon bucket. Most caches don’t include anything of much value and small items are often switched out, allowing travel bugs — small figurines — to move around the country.

To date, Melinda and Don have found 439 caches in 13 states and have placed between 15 and 20 caches around Oskaloosa.

“Anywhere you go you will be able to find a cache in a 5-mile radius,” Melinda said. “You can do it anywhere.”

To get started, all a person needs is a hand-held GPS unit. Coordinates are available for free at www.geocaching.com. At the site, a person can type in a zip code or name of a city and find a list of caches in the area.

One rule is that a person is not supposed to trespass onto private property. Another rule is that geocachers are supposed to practice stealth.

Ordinary people, or muggles, are not supposed to see geocachers uncovering caches. This can be a difficult task, since many geocaches are located in public places, even in Oskaloosa.

Sites are ranked by terrain difficulty and by difficulty to find. The size of a cache varies from micro, which is the size of a 35 mm film canister or smaller, to large, which is the size of a 5-gallon bucket or larger. A traditional site should contain a logbook and several trinkets. Geocachers sign and date the logbook and sometimes trade items before searching for another cache.

There are also multi-caches, which lead searchers from site to site until they find the final cache, puzzle caches and more.

People interested in geocaching can check out the site www.geocaching.com to learn more information.

“I love doing stuff outside and this gives me a purpose and a reason to be outside,” Melinda said.

Searching for geocaches has taken Melinda and Don places off the beaten path.

“It’s taken us to places we’ve never been to before.”

Geocaching can be relaxing, but it can also be competitive.

One of the main goals for cachers is to be the first to sign a logbook.

“You always want to be the first-to-find,” Don said.

Melinda said one day she and Don found 43 caches in Phoenix, averaging one cache every 10 to 15 minutes. Melinda and Don were trying to show up their friends and Oskaloosa geocachers, a husband and wife that go by “mrring” on the geocaching Web site.

Oskaloosa geocaching has been on the rise over the past few years.

Don and Melinda Wheeler had lived in Oregon. When they arrived, there were less than 10 geocaches around Oskaloosa, now there are between 45 and 50.

Don said the increase in sites has made Oskaloosa a place to go, attracting people from all around the state.

Mahaska County Conservation Board Director Mike Gipple is a geocaching supporter. Last fall, the MCCB held a geocaching event at the Russell Wildlife Area.

“It’s a great way for families to spend some quality time together,” Gipple said.

Don’s dad got him and Melinda into geocaching.

They both had stressful jobs in Oregon and did not get out as much.

“It’s such a stress reliever,” Don said.

The Oskaloosa Geocaching Organization is planning to meet in April, and newcomers are welcome. Questions about the group and geocaching can be e-mailed to dnmwheeler12@hotmail.com

Herald Staff Writer Wes Kappelman can be reached by e-mail at news2@oskyherald.com

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