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Geocaching sees growing popularity in Northeast Arkansas
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| Miranda Remaklus/Daily Press Geocaching is a popular activity in Paragould among groups of friends and families. There are several geocaches across the city, including one at the historic Greene County Courthouse. |
By MIRANDA REMAKLUS
mremaklus@paragoulddailypress.com
Geocaching is a technologically-based scavenger hunt for anyone with a global positioning system whether it be for a group of friends or the whole family though it is a game that is constantly reinventing itself.
In 2000, the government announced it would be removing selective availability for global positioning systems (GPS). Because of this, anyone in the world with a GPS device could pinpoint their location in the world. Or, where they have hidden items in the world.
Newsgroups for GPS enthusiasts were flooded with ideas regarding how to use the technology. A day after this became available to the world, one such GPS enthusiast, Dave Ulmer, posted the idea of a “Great American GPS Stash Hunt” on his newsgroup of GPS users.
His idea?
To hide a container in a remote location and note the coordinates with a GPS unit. The finder would have to locate the container with only their GPS unit as help. Once they find the container, they can take some stuff or leave something behind.
Later that day, Ulmer went into the woods near Beaver Creek, Ore. He took a black bucket, a logbook, pencil and various prize items including a video, book, software and a slingshot. He shared the way to the loot on his newsgroup posting the GPS coordinates.
A few days later, two readers decided to use their GPS receiveRs to find his hiding spot. Once they found it, they shared their experience with Ulmer on the newsgroup.
And, it caught on from there.
Seven years later, the game has caught on in Paragould and all over Northeast Arkansas.
Chris Laffoon, a local resident and business owner, said he started geocaching with his children, Alexander and Elizabeth, about a year ago.
He said he ran across the geocaching.com web site and thought it sounded interesting.
“I didn’t think anything like this would be going on in Paragould, but I entered in the zip code and I was amazed,” Laffoon said. There are several geocaching sites in Paragould and even more across the Northeast Arkanasas area.
Upon entering the 72450 zip code, there are several pages of possible geocaches in the area. And, by just searching Arkansas, there are even more pages of geocaches to look through.
Laffoon said he purchased a GPS device at Wal-Mart for a reasonable price and began his adventure.
He said he’s found about 75 geocaches. He said the containers range from tupperware, film canisters, and metal containers among many other unique container options. He said the container will have such trinkets as toys from fast food restaurants, a compass, and rubber balls that bounce, and more.
While some do not contain trinkets or prizes, they all have a logbook.
Laffoon said, in the logbook the person who found the cache must sign their name, leave a message and in some cases note if they leave or take a prize.
He said once he got some experience at finding items, he then began hiding some. He said he has a few hidden around the area.
He said he went to Colorado with his family on vacation and found a few caches on the way there.
“I’m pretty much a technology geek,” Laffoon said. “It is a lot of fun. The most fun is once you get to the location and you hunt all over for it. It is fun to see the ways in which people will hide. It’s interesting getting to figure people out.”
Laffoon added, once you get home from a geocache adventure it is customary to go online to the geocaching.com website and discuss your adventures that led up to finding the item.
He said in the year he has been geocaching he has learned a lot about the community and the area.
“I grew up in Paragould,” Laffoon said. “You would think I would know this town, but I’ve seen more than I ever knew was here.” Geoccaches could be hidded anywhere including abandoned cemeteries, different shortcuts, in trees, or anywhere ekse.
Other forms of geocaching that seem to be beconing more and more popular include: offset caches, multi-caches andvirtual caches. A virtual cache is actually an existing landmark, such as a tombstone or statue. The geocacher must answer a question about the landmark to let the cache owner know you have been there. Numerous other forms of geocaching are created on a regular basis.
In 2000, the government announced it would be removing selective availability for global positioning systems (GPS). Because of this, anyone in the world with a GPS device could pinpoint their location in the world. Or, where they have hidden items in the world.
Newsgroups for GPS enthusiasts were flooded with ideas regarding how to use the technology. A day after this became available to the world, one such GPS enthusiast, Dave Ulmer, posted the idea of a “Great American GPS Stash Hunt” on his newsgroup of GPS users.
His idea?
To hide a container in a remote location and note the coordinates with a GPS unit. The finder would have to locate the container with only their GPS unit as help. Once they find the container, they can take some stuff or leave something behind.
Later that day, Ulmer went into the woods near Beaver Creek, Ore. He took a black bucket, a logbook, pencil and various prize items including a video, book, software and a slingshot. He shared the way to the loot on his newsgroup posting the GPS coordinates.
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And, it caught on from there.
Seven years later, the game has caught on in Paragould and all over Northeast Arkansas.
Chris Laffoon, a local resident and business owner, said he started geocaching with his children, Alexander and Elizabeth, about a year ago.
He said he ran across the geocaching.com web site and thought it sounded interesting.
“I didn’t think anything like this would be going on in Paragould, but I entered in the zip code and I was amazed,” Laffoon said. There are several geocaching sites in Paragould and even more across the Northeast Arkanasas area.
Upon entering the 72450 zip code, there are several pages of possible geocaches in the area. And, by just searching Arkansas, there are even more pages of geocaches to look through.
Laffoon said he purchased a GPS device at Wal-Mart for a reasonable price and began his adventure.
He said he’s found about 75 geocaches. He said the containers range from tupperware, film canisters, and metal containers among many other unique container options. He said the container will have such trinkets as toys from fast food restaurants, a compass, and rubber balls that bounce, and more.
While some do not contain trinkets or prizes, they all have a logbook.
Laffoon said, in the logbook the person who found the cache must sign their name, leave a message and in some cases note if they leave or take a prize.
He said once he got some experience at finding items, he then began hiding some. He said he has a few hidden around the area.
He said he went to Colorado with his family on vacation and found a few caches on the way there.
“I’m pretty much a technology geek,” Laffoon said. “It is a lot of fun. The most fun is once you get to the location and you hunt all over for it. It is fun to see the ways in which people will hide. It’s interesting getting to figure people out.”
Laffoon added, once you get home from a geocache adventure it is customary to go online to the geocaching.com website and discuss your adventures that led up to finding the item.
He said in the year he has been geocaching he has learned a lot about the community and the area.
“I grew up in Paragould,” Laffoon said. “You would think I would know this town, but I’ve seen more than I ever knew was here.” Geoccaches could be hidded anywhere including abandoned cemeteries, different shortcuts, in trees, or anywhere ekse.
Other forms of geocaching that seem to be beconing more and more popular include: offset caches, multi-caches andvirtual caches. A virtual cache is actually an existing landmark, such as a tombstone or statue. The geocacher must answer a question about the landmark to let the cache owner know you have been there. Numerous other forms of geocaching are created on a regular basis.
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