Finding a geocache is fine, but scoring a clever cache can make the day. You probably have those few caches in mind. You know the ones. These are the geocaches you remember as the best you’ve found. We have a few of those. By the way, these geocachers deserve props for making geocaching fun. Thank you.

A True Puzzle Cache
We usually don’t do puzzle caches. I’d rather just get to the finding than try to break a code. Just a personal preference. The other day when we were out doing some rare winter geocaching, one found us in a rather unexpected way.

The cache was located on a rail-to-trail path we’ve often walked, but not this far west from our home. The day turned out to be colder than we thought. A winter wind across the open prairie is the coldest thing you’ll ever encounter. We decided to grab one more before we turned around.

The last log on the cache said this was the cacher’s hardest cache to log. Using our smartphones, we honed in on ground zero quickly. We looked at each other in disbelief when we found it behind a boulder. What could be so hard about this cache, other than the walk out to get it? Then, we opened it up.

The cache consisted of two pieces of wood, locked together with bolts and screws. My husband swore for about the next five minutes as he worked the boards loose with the tools provided. The cache was a film canister in a recess carved into the wood pieces. High marks for clever on this one! I love it when geocachers go that extra mile for a good find.

I reviewed my stats the other day on our geocaching. For the last two years, we have gone through a drought of geocaches from about December through April. Last year, there was the snow. Two feet of snow is liable to make any geocache non-winter-friendly. This year, we have a plan.

We’ve snowshoed in the past. In fact, I took a college course on it. If you have never snowshoed, you’re missing out on a vigorous workout. That being said, it is also an opportunity to get into the woods and explore virtually alone. You have the added advantage of snagging a few caches that are accessible.

Exploring the outdoors in the winter is such a rewarding experience. Skiing is fine, but seems so fast-paced when there is so much to see. I like the fact that we’ll get some geocaching in despite the winter, the snowmobilers and everything else.

Now, if we would just get some snow.

Photo by -Lori- license

One of our favorite places to geocache is a killer of a park. Sure, it’s a stunning park and one of the few places that you can go and not hear cars and other sounds. It is a killer park because of the hills.

Literally, the slopes are so steep, you really have to be careful and not slide down the hill. It is not a place to geocache after a rain or if the slopes are snowy. You’ll never make it to those 5-terrain geocaches. Yes, there are 4 and 5-star terrain geocaches that don’t involve a boat. They are that hard to get to.

The last time we geocached at Bjornson, we were both so wiped out the next day. So, before we decide to make the trek, I spend the time getting in shape so I can walk the next day. Your quads and calves are going to be tested. Some exercises targeting these muscles are in order, such as:

• Squats and lunges for going down hills
• Dumbbell calf raises for climbing

Some stretches will keep you limber and complement the exercises. Add a few gentle stretches targeting these muscles to prevent tightness.

These geocaches will also test your endurance. You better throw some cardio into the mix to get your heart in shape for intense exercise. You have to push it. Running is better than walking. Using an elliptical or stationary bike will also work.

Geocaching is a great way to get outdoors and get some exercise in that doesn’t feel as if you ware working out. To get the most out of your outing, some time invested in exercise will pay off in the end.

Tomorrow, it is supposed to snow. This is when winter geocaching takes an ugly turn. Suddenly, all of those geocaches not marked as “winter friendly” become abundantly clear. Pet Peeve: If it isn’t winter friendly, let us know. There’s this handy icon you can select when submitting your geocache.

I was looking at my overall stats the other day. One thing became clear. We don’t geocache much in the winter. We barely log a cache between November and April. I want to change that. Here’s how I intend to do it.

Time for virtuals and earth caches

These caches are so worth the effort. More often than not, they take you to a new place, even if it is in your hometown. You learn something. You log a cache–and you don’t always have to try to walk through two feet of snow.

Give stealth-only caches a try

Okay, my disdain for stealth-only caches has been well covered on this blog. Yet, these are the places that are typically kept up in the winter. They are also places that you probably won’t encounter snowmobiles. During the winter, the traffic will be down, so it’s a good time to snag a few of these.

Place your own cache

Do your fellow geocachers a favor–place caches that are winter friendly. The setting will give you everything you need to know about how easy it is to grab.

Go for those 5-terrain caches

A lot of 5-terrain caches around me are on on islands. We boat, so most don’t pose a problem. During the winter, you can get a good workout in and grab a cache at a time when there are probably not a lot of muggles around. Don’t forget your snowshoes though. A snow-covered lake has just as much snow as a windswept field–even more.

Duh, winter geocaches!

It’s easy enough to filter caches for those that are winter friendly. Don’t complain about not being able to get to a cache. Focus your efforts on those that the geocacher has been kind enough to identify as winter friendly. You’ll save yourself so much aggravation. It’s one thing to score a DNF. It’s another thing to freeze your a** off in the process.

Winter geocaching doesn’t have to be a break from getting out there. You just have to change your plan-of-attack and grab a different sort of geocache.

Photo by jodiferjun

For the last month, I have adopted the barefoot lifestyle. Basically, I’ve ditched regular shoes and now use barefoot-style shoes exclusively. It’s just my and my Vibram Five Fingers Sprint shoes.

I have to admit that I’ve gotten a few looks. Out here in the country, these folks don’t see too many shoes like this. No matter. Putting them on for the first time was a challenge. You get used to it though. You also get used to the different surfaces you walk on. I’m protected from stones, but the big ones still hurt. The best thing though is the sense of freedom you feel. I truly do feel closer to the Earth. I never thought walking on grass would feel so good.

I didn’t consciously make any changes to my stride. They just happened. My stride is shorter. Even my husband noticed it. I also have adopted landing toward the front of my foot instead of the heel. Again, it was just a natural progression. My legs feel stronger for it.

Now that winter is approaching, I’m dreading giving up my barefoot lifestyle. I’m going to give the specially made socks for Vibram shoes a try and maybe pop for the neoprene pair. It’s been the perfect accompaniment to my geocaching. We get outside and enjoy the day. I can also enjoy the walk in a whole new way.

I have to admit it. I’m not a huge fan of puzzle geocaches. It might just be the ones I pick. The puzzles always seem impossible — until now. GCC is a helping hand in the field when a puzzle calls for a calculation or reference that you can’t find easily. It has over 250 functions that include goodies like ASCII convertor, RGB colors and pi search.

I was able to use GCC geocaching for an app that included Morse Code. My husband is a former ham radio operator, so he knew it pretty well. He appreciated the quick refresher to help us solve the puzzle and score the cache. This free Android app is worth the four megabytes it’ll take up on your smartphone. A pro version is available to that supports continued development of the program.

I might just have to change my mind about puzzle caches. With GCC to back us up, we have some great tools to use in the field. Hell, I might even be inspired to place my own puzzle cache.

Geocaching is a great way to learn — about yourself, where you live and about your partner. My husband and I have been geocaching since 2007. We are over 500 geocaches and counting. Through our finds, we have stumbled upon some amazing places and have enjoyed the sense of humor of many geocachers. We have also learned a lot.

It’s all about teamwork.

My husband and I have a system. His phone has the better GPS coverage than mine for some reason though we have the same crappy carrier with Sprint. So, he is the navigator, and I am the finder. When the geo-sense is working, I feel as if I am wearing 3D glasses and can spot the geocache no matter how well hidden.

Pay attention to hunting season.

It’s happened not once. We get to a place we’ve scouted out only to find it is closed because of hunting. Usually, it is shotgun deer season. That’s fine though: I’d rather not be prey no matter what the season. We have also found parks closed during bow season though. If you do any fall hunting, check the park’s website. Hopefully, they choose to inform people, but it’s not always the case.

Support the activity.

When we geocache, we bring along a stash of plastic bags. If a cache’s log is damp or the bag messed up, we replace it. If the cache has water in it, we dump it out and give it a wipe. It takes no time at all and helps everyone.

Explore the caches close to home.

We have found the best treasures while caching close to home. You really don’t need to travel far to find something cool. We’ve found parks, great bars and restaurants just by exploring a place we haven’t explored. Relish the adventure: it’s there.

Carry a flashlight and bear spray.

Even if it’s a bright sunny day, you can’t always see in those downed logs. Don’t go poking around without taking a good look. My husband almost found out the hard way. We were geocaching along the Mississippi River in a park that was known to have rattlesnakes. He spotted the beacon and starting looking for the cache — that is until he heard the rattle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him run that fast. Fortunately, the snake believed its warning was sufficient and didn’t strike. 

The second part of the warning is about bears. We live in the country, but bears have been seen not far from the metro area. We’ve geocached a few times at a park about an hour from us. It’s a beautiful place, with a magnificent waterfalls. Just the other day, I was reading about a hunter who took what appeared to have been a record bear. The bear weighed over 600 pounds. The photograph of him with the bear was astonding. Even more astounding was finding out where he got the bear — the very same park we have hiked and geocached.

I have a fear of bears. I’ve never seen one in the wild, but I have enormous respect for an animal that could take me out in an instant. In an odd way, I am glad this part of Nature exists. We don’t own it all. Nature just likes to remind us of that detail now and again. I appreciate the warning.

Image: Bear Country USA by mvipond