[GeoStL] Geocaching on CNN
- From: JimSGreene@xxxxxxx
- To: geocaching@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 03:16:49 EDT
-
There was an article on Next on CNN about Geocaching. One view of the
computer screen showed some caches, including RGS' Burkesville Cave. It was a
decent show, wish my VCR didn't screw up while I was recording it. Here is the
transcript of the segment.
Well, speaking of finding things, what do you get when you combine a $100
global positioning device, a love of the outdoors, and some spare time? You
get
something called Geocaching. And, while participants may only find a handful
of cheap trinkets, the enjoyment comes from solving a puzzle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK CLAWSON, GEOCASHER: So, are you ready to go Geocach?
SIEBERG (voice-over): To go on a high-tech treasure hunt, all you need is a
GPS device, some good walking shoes, and a little patience. Age is not an
issue. We tagged along with Rick Clawson and his daughter, Emily, to find one
of
the thousands of Geocach sites out there, this one just outside Atlanta, off
the beaten spots where someone has hidden, well, a hidden treasure of sorts.
CLAWSON: My wife calls it "Pavlovian hiking," because there's a little
reward at the end.
SIEBERG: A stay-at-home artist, Clawson only started Geocaching late last
year, but now says he's totally hooked. A Geocaching website provides us with
the coordinates.
(on camera): So, where are we headed?
CLAWSON: Right down the trail here onto the Silver Comet Trail.
SIEBERG: OK, is it going to be pretty rough terrain or...?
CLAWSON: No...
SIEBERG: Can Emily handle it?
CLAWSON: Yeah, she can handle it.
SIEBERG: If she can handle it, we can handle it.
(voice-over): The idea of trekking cross-country with just a few satellite
points to guide the way has actually been around for a few years, but it's
increasing in popularity as the GPS devices get cheaper and some of the prizes
provided by sponsors like Magellan and Jeep get better. RANDY HALL, MAGELLAN
GPS: It wasn't started by any company or anything like that, it was really
enthusiasts who love their GPS and want to be able to be in the outdoors and
go
explore, and so they've invented this treasure hunt game. And, it's
internet-based and it kind of just took off on its own. Someone started a --
you know,
a few websites and it really has caught on like wildfire.
SIEBERG (on camera): Now, it looks like it's telling us to go off that way?
CLAWSON: Yeah, the path will wind around to the right over here.
SIEBERG: OK.
CLAWSON: And it should join the Silver Comet Trail.
SIEBERG: You having fun, Emily? Yeah?
CLAWSON: Most of the time she's on my back, if the trail gets rough, or if
we have to go into the woods then I'll take her out of the stroller and we'll
piggyback it.
I've lost like 20, 25 pounds in six months just walking through the woods
with her.
SIEBERG: All right, so now we're about 100, 120 feet away?
CLAWSON: I got 107, it's right back here.
SIEBERG: Emily's taking a little nap.
CLAWSON: Yep. We'll wake her up for the cach.
SIEBERG: Go right up the hill? Scramble up?
CLAWSON: Yeah.
SIEBERG: OK, sure. You got it?
CLAWSON: Yeah. You're almost standing on it.
SIEBERG: Really? I'm almost standing on it? Oh, see, now that is camouflaged
like so many of these other things around here.
CLAWSON: Exactly.
SIEBERG: And you're allowed to take whatever you want as long as you put
something in there.
CLAWSON: Right, if you take two things, put in two things, or put in more.
You can put in as much as you like. A little first aid kit.
SIEBERG: I could use some of those moist wipes right now.
CLAWSON: (LAUGHING) Sunglasses case, mini pocket knife, odd little lava
ball.
SIEBERG: Oh, that's kind of cool.
CLAWSON: You never know what you're going to find. Check the log book.
SIEBERG: So, what are you going to write, here?
CLAWSON: "Long hike. Good hide."
SIEBERG: No blood, a lot of sweat, and no tears later.
CLAWSON: No blood, a lot of sweat.
SIEBERG: How does it feel once you're -- once you're here, once you solve it?
CLAWSON: Oh, it's fun, it's like -- you know, a sense of accomplishment and
the fact that you've got a highway right here with all these people zooming
by, have no idea that somebody's up here playing with toys and finding
treasure.
SIEBERG: And obviously, it's a good workout.
CLAWSON: It's a good workout, yeah, I'm drenched.
SIEBERG: And now we got to hike back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIEBERG: A couple of fun footnotes on Geocaching: If you see someone on the
trail who doesn't know what Geocaching is, they're referred to as a "muggle,"
a "Harry Potter" reference. And if you see someone dancing around sort of
moving like this, that's the "GPS dance," as you're trying to get a better
signal on your device.
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