E6

Lori Gallagher

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Who doesn't like a good treasure hunt?

Forget taking 20 paces or X marks the spot, though, because today's treasure hunters use Global Positioning Systems to find what they're looking for.

And while there may still be some who are searching for gold and priceless artifacts, another group is on the hunt for something completely different.

According to www.geocaching.com, geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers - called geocaches - outdoors and then share your experiences online.

Geocaching is enjoyed by people of all ages, but tends to attract those with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

Currently, there are 686,868 active geocaches around the world. And, as local geocachers can attest, there are a number of them in Fredericton and the surrounding areas.

Chatting with Wayne and Paula Tomilson, an admittedly avid geocaching couple, I learned so much more about this activity than I ever expected.

Going in I knew the basics, but there is a lot to this sport that puts your brain, body and sense of adventure to work.

Take, for example, the geocaches themselves. People get incredibly creative with what they use as vessels to hide things. A few I was told about include a fake cattail with the geocache at the bottom under the water, a rock with a false bottom hidden in a pile of rocks, a cedar log that has been modified with a hinged top, even a box placed in a tree with a pulley system to get it up and down.

Finding the location using your GPS isn't good enough - you've got to do a bit of searching once you do.

While some people do exchange items of equal value for something in the geocache, the big draw here is the log sheet.

Participants sign it and put it back - it's a way of showing you truly were there - then write about the experience in an online logbook on the geocaching.com website.

Considering the effort that some people go to when hiding a geocache, the Tomilsons feel it's only fair to let them know what they liked about the experience.

In some cases, it is about more than just the geocache, says Paula Tomilson. Maybe you have to solve a puzzle to find it or it takes you to an incredibly scenic location or it is located in a historic site you wouldn't otherwise have known about. It's all part of the adventure.

Something else the couple likes is that the search gets them active in the great outdoors. They often drive, hike and bike or some mix of the three to get to the geocaches.

Though they discovered the sport a couple years ago, it's only been over the past year that the Tomilsons have really gotten into this. In that time, they've done more than 1,800 successful hunts.

They've met friends all over through geocaching, many who they've gotten to know face-to-face through meetings and get-togethers. They're hosting their own event on Nov. 29, where they hope to meet more locals who are interested in this pastime.

The event goes up online at geocaching.com and everyone who sees it who is interested in coming is welcome to do so.

The Tomilsons hope that people who are new to the sport come out as well, as they would love to get more people involved.

After all, it's something that people of all ages can do, alone, as a couple or as a family. And it's lots of fun.

To learn more about geocaching, visit www.geocaching.com or drop by the event at the Fredericton Inn on Nov. 29. Breakfast is at 8 a.m., with the information session getting underway at 10 a.m.

Lori Gallagher is a staff writer at The Daily Gleaner. She can be reached at gallagher.lori@dailygleaner.com.