Geocaching Bug

Charles gets bitten by the travel bug

Late in 2003, a good friend of mine suggested that I might be interested in a new outdoor activity that he and his family had recently been enjoying. It combines hi-tech resources with elements of a traditional treasure hunt, and it's known as "Geocaching". I later learned that this was basically Letterboxing with gadgets, but it was the gadgetry that piqued my interest.

If you've never heard about it, there's an entire web site devoted to geocaching. I guaranty there's a geocache near you!

During the previous Summer, I plucked a hand-held Garmin out of the trash which another friend of mine had hastily discarded, ostensibly because it was broken, but more probably because there was a better, faster, color model available. Now, I'm not one to normally rifle through the trash... Ok, I admit it, I am. But those days are over, and I attend three meetings a week to ensure that I never return to the discarded computers and consumer electronics bin ever again.

Anyway, Unlike most of my dumpster-diving recoveries, the GPS was a fairly simple and inexpensive repair. A little hot glue, four fresh "AA" batteries, and it was scanning the heavens for satellites. Not having any particular use for it, after a honeymoon period where I learned its functions and drove around town watching the bread crumbs, it sat idle.
Idle until geocaching discovered me. And I knew just the people to infect ... that is to say, share it with.

I did a little research on the geocaching site and brought the Garmin to visit my victims - er - friends in New Hampshire. Not suprisingly, everyone I talked to was intrigued. We located three of the closest caches and decided to make a go of it.

Thus was born the "New Year's Brigade".

Ten of us set out that first frozen day in 2004, and we hit paydirt. I was hooked. Fast forward to a year later with the same group. By then, of course, we all needed something more. How about a travel bug race? Who's crazy idea was it? I don't exactly recall, but I agreed to order the bugs through the geocaching site and we established the parameters of what became the "Four State Race". Each bug's owner would pick a "home" cache. Each bug would have to visit each of the other three caches and return home. First one to complete the circuit wins. Dave was of course ready first, and dropped of his bug in late February. My cache was under a foot of snow, and I had never found it before so it took me three trips until the snow had melted to locate it and drop off the Connecticut bug. Well, that was over 15 months ago, and there's no end it sight. Two bugs (plus a third provisional bug) have gone missing, one has a clear lead, having visited two of the other caches, and one has been wandering around New York State for over a year.

Here are the TB ID's and when they were "launched":

{ NH Bug - TBJ1N9/GCJDWF 02/06/05}
{ NY Bug - TBJ5RW/GCK84K 02/09/05}
{ CT Bug - TBJ63E/GCHQK2 02/10/05}
{ PA Bug - TBJ7HJ/GCHKZN 02/12/05}