Friday, October 28, 2011

It's all about latitude

I’m willing to adjust my attitude from time to time and try new things. I took off for a weekend this month just to try and do geocaching. If that looks like a made up word to you, well you’re right it is. It combines two word: geo (Greek), meaning “of the earth,” and cache (French), which is a temporary hiding place.

Geocaching incorporates concepts of older games with modern technology. It has elements of “Hide and Seek,” a scavenger hunt, and the old “you’re getting warmer… warmer…colder…warmer…warmer” game of finding a hidden something or other. In geocaching the clues to find the hidden object are longitude and latitude coordinates, such as N 43 (degrees) 31.577’and W 92 (degrees) 30.946’.

Using global positioning satellites or GPS technology the seeker enters the coordinates into a GPS device. Many people use an expensive portable device that gives directional help, but a smart phone can also be used if you are not smart enough to remember bring the expensive toy with you. Either one lets you know if you are getting closer (warmer) or further away (colder).

There is no shortage of places to mess around with geocaching. Hundreds of thousands people participate in it every year all over the Earth (or geo if you prefer). So it was just a matter of time before I was forced to check it out.

Up until recently I was able to stay in the truck while others scurried about trying to locate hidden treasure. But this time an entire weekend was devoted to geocaching in Minnesota state parks.

When the idea was first presented for my consideration I carelessly said, “I don’t care where I go, I care where I stay.” You see I like traveling I just don’t like camping. I thought if that message was communicated clear enough I could have a relaxing weekend spent in a hotel somewhere reading and relaxing while others chased wild geese. Once again I didn’t ask enough questions.

There are over 70 state parks and recreation areas in Minnesota and each one has at least one hidden treasure waiting to be found using GPS technology. The goal is to find the official cache at all the parks within a certain time period. A local teacher and his wife were the first ones to complete that task in Minnesota.

The modern-day treasure hunters collect stamps, patches and pins when a certain number of these state-sponsored caches have been found. My daughter Jennifer and her husband Adam have taken up the task of visiting all 73 state parks. So recently she and her mother conspired to involve the whole family.

In two days, traveling over 450 miles, we stopped in at eight state parks; fun for the whole family. We shared trails with horses, climbed hundreds of stairs, scampered up rocky cliffs, traversed ravines, forded streams, explored caves, island hopped and made our presence known in a ghost town.

I think the state of Minnesota is using geocaching as a device to introduce people to the state parks. I was at parks that I had never heard of. All eight parks that we visited were beautiful and each had its own unique identity. I can see why some people like this kind of thing.

Geocaching wouldn’t be my first choice, but you have to participate in the activities that are important to your friends and family. My global position is not one of resistance to change and trying new things. I may not always like it but I try to have fun with it. It’s like what Jimmy Buffet said.

It’s these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of our running and all of our cunning
If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane

No comments:

Post a Comment