Geocaching

Geochaching is an event based off of the popular hobby Geocaching. The idea is to find the hidden questions by use of Waypoints (latitude longitude markings) and complete a course. Another trial event, Cache Me If You Can, also deals with geocaching.

For the official trial event rules for Geocaching, please see this link.

Use as a Trial Event
Geocaching has been used as a trial event in the following tournaments:


 * Division B
 * 2007 Nationals
 * 2008 Nationals
 * Division C
 * Wisconsin States 2012

History of Geocaching
Geocaching was conceived shortly after Selective Availability (see below) was turned off in early 2000. The first cache site was documented on May 3, 2000 by Dave Ulmer on sci.geo.satellite-nav as 45°17.460'N 122°24.800'W, and called the idea the "Great American GPS Stash Hunt". By May 6, 2000 it was reported to have been found twice, and was logged once by Mike Teague. Within the first month, Teague began gathering posted coordinates for more caches and compiled them into a mailing list. The term geocaching was coined on this mailing list on May 30, 2000.

For awhile, geocaching was confined to those who had experience with GPS beforehand. Tools were almost non-existent for determining if a cache was nearby, if one existed at all. Geocaching.com was announced on September 20, 2000 by Jeremy Irish, beginning with the then 75 known caches around the world.

Slashdot, a popular online magazine for techies, reported about the activity on September 25, 2000, introducing a larger group of people to the activity. The New York Times picked up the story and featured it in its "Circuits" section in October, starting a domino effect of articles on the activity. The growing community picked up the phrase "If you hide it, they will come" to encourage new players to create new caches.

Today, Geocaching.com is run by Groundspeak Inc. out of Seattle, Washington.

Meaning of Geocaching
The prefix geo, for Earth, was used to describe the global nature of the activity, but also for its use in familiar topics in GPS such as geography.

Caching, from the word cache, has two different meanings, which makes it very appropriate for the activity. A french word invented in 1797, the original definition referred to a hiding place someone would use to temporarily store items. The word cache stirs up visions of pioneers, gold miners, and even pirates. Today the word is still even used in the news to describe hidden weapons locations.

The second use of cache has more recently been used in technology. Memory cache is computer storage that is used to quickly retrieve frequently used information. Your web browser, for example, stores images on disk so you don't have to retrieve the same image every time you visit similar pages.

Selective Availability
Selective Availability (SA) added intentional errors that varied on time of up to 100 meters (328 ft) to publicly available navigation systems. This was intended to deny enemies the precise use of civilian GPS receivers for precision weapon guidance. Typical SA errors were 50 meters (164 ft) horizontally and 100 meters (328 ft) vertically, though this could be corrected. Fixed stations with accurately known coordinates could read the errors and transmit the SA error values to local GPS users. This process is called Differential GPS, or DGPS.

This ineffectiveness was a common argument for turning off SA, finally done so by President Clinton is 2000. As of 2007, GPS III satellites were not capable of implementing SA, making the change permanent.

List of Geocaching Terms/Lingo

 * General
 * Cache – A box or container that contains, at the very least, a logbook.
 * GeoswagGeoswag – The items that can be found in some larger caches.
 * Georing – A term first coined by the South GA Geocachers group in 2011. It's the term used to refer to a notification tone made by a smartphone when a new cache is published.
 * Muggle – A non-geocacher.
 * Muggled – Being caught by a non-geocacher while retrieving/replacing a cache; also, a muggled cache has been removed or vandalized by a non-geocacher, usually out of misunderstanding or lack of knowledge.
 * Smiley – A cache find. Refers to the "smiley-face" icon attached to "Found It" logs on some listing sites.
 * BYOP – (Bring Your Own Pen/Pencil) The cache in question lacks a writing device for the logbook.
 * CITO – (Cache In Trash Out) Picking up trash on the hunt.
 * CO – (Cache Owner) The person who is responsible for maintaining a cache, usually the person who hid it.
 * DNF– (Did Not Find) Did not find the cache container being searched for.
 * FIGS – Found in good shape.
 * FTF – (First To Find) The first person to find a cache container; less commonly one may see STF (second to find, or TTF, third to find).
 * FTF Hoover – Cacher who races out once they have received the Georing usually to collect all the FTF's on a full series.
 * FTL – (First To Log) The first person to log the find of a cache container online.
 * GPS – Short for Global Positioning System, also occasionally refers to the receiver itself.
 * GPSr – Short for GPS receiver.
 * PAF – Phone-A-Friend.
 * SGC – (Senior GeoCacher) An experienced participant of the pursuit.

Sample Questions
Here are some sample questions as provided on the rules.


 * 1) What is the minimum number of satellites needed for your GPS unit to work correctly?
 * 2) What does hitchhiker mean in GPS slang.
 * 3) 49° 57” 30’ N would be entered as what decimal number into your GPS unit?
 * 4) What does the color of a star signify?
 * 5) Who is considered the “Father of Geology”?