Searching for hidden bounty is child’s play. That is, unless you’re a professional treasure hunter—or into Geocaching.
What’s Geocaching? At its simplest, it’s fortune seeking made foolproof, a means of playing pirate in the digital age. Participants seek out a small capsule (read: a container holding a logbook and trinkets) while equipped with a GPS tracking device and maybe some granola bars (spyglass and badly drawn maps are optional).
The sport of Geocaching—yes, it is considered a sport by its fan base—began in Beavercreek, Oregon nearly 13 years ago when the Selective Availability feature was removed from the Global Positioning System, making it far easier to specifically place and track small objects. The very first Geocache (or simply “cache” as they’re often called) was a black plastic bucket set by David Ulmer and located at 45°17.460′N 122°24.800′W. Inside was a logbook, software, videos, books, cash, food, and a slingshot. Ulmer posted the coordinates on a website; three days later it had been discovered twice by Geocachers.
Now we’re getting in on the fun. In the spirit of discovery we’ve hidden a cache of our own at one of the locations featured in our February issue. The coordinates are posted on navicache.com (we’ll update you accordingly) along with a clue to help you find it, so whip out those iPhones, download the free app WhereAmIAt? and get searching. Be sure to let us know by commenting below if and when you find our prize. Happy hunting!
To discover more of what’s hiding in L.A., pick up a copy of the February issue on newsstands or subscribe NOW!
