So, wanting to get outside (but not get lost, as has happened before) I decided to take up a new hobby called geocaching. It's explained really well in this short video, but the short version is that geocaching is like a global treasure hunt. Someone places a container (usually a tupperware-type box) and records its latitude and longitude on geocaching.com. Then, I look up those coordinates, go out to where it's hidden, and find the cache. It's a pretty cool way to explore areas I wouldn't even know about otherwise.
You're supposed to have someone who is experienced with geocaching go with you on your first trip to show you the ropes, but since I didn't know anybody, I had to wing it. Luckily, everything was straightforward enough that I was able to get going (though some things, particularly the acronyms everyone uses, were still pretty difficult to understand). I didn't find anything on my first trip out, but I didn't really know what I was looking for – all of the caches I picked were in walking distance of my house, and thus in the city. It's hard to look for buried tupperware in front of people without feeling a bit peculiar.
The Saturday after my first trip (March 5th), though, I got a little more serious. I looked up the most popular nearby caches, selected the ones that were out in the wilderness, and picked the top five from there. I found three of the five – the others were findable, I think, but I had to cross small rivers to get to them and it was very cold out. Still, I was hooked. I had a blast seeing the outdoors, crossing some (smaller) creeks, walking where there weren't paths, and breathing fresh air. I'm sure I'll write more about geocaching in the future, but until then, enjoy these pictures and if you have any questions let me know!
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