Treasure: Pioneers of technology seek hidden loot

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daryl Knee
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  El Dorado, the city of gold. The fountain of youth. Atlantis. The Garden of Eden. All of these hidden locations were sought after. The explorers of times past searched for them using instruments ranging from compasses and maps to riddle-ridden notes and the word of mouth.

With the advancements in technology, new instruments were created for such quests. Much of the world has since been discovered and documented, many of the secrets uncovered.

Not losing the thrill of the hunt, people have adopted a new way to quench their inner explorer: geocaching.

"It's a modern-day treasure hunt," said Pete Somontes, Warren Outdoor Recreation equipment repairer. "Instead of a paper map leading you to the treasure, it's a GPS unit."

A person hides an item and records the exact location using a Global Positioning System device, Mr. Somontes said. They then visit http://www.geocaching.com to transpose the coordinates.

Other geocachers see the treasure positions on the Web site and begin their journey, he continued. Using their own GPS unit, the scavengers hone their search to within 30 feet of the object.

Is the cache buried, covered with moss, tied to a tree limb or sunk to the bottom of a creek? It's up to the looters to find out.

"It's not like you drive up to it in your car and say, 'Oh, here we are. Let's go home,'" said Karl Pfoor, ODR director. "You actually have to search for it."

Most treasures are in the form of a closed container with goodies inside, Mr. Somontes said. Each should contain a note pad and pencil so the new finder can record their name and the time they located it. Sometimes, people even leave something for future discoverers to keep. It all depends on the spirit of the geocachers.

The Web site also lists the difficulty of the find and the difficulty of the terrain the seekers need to traverse. A higher difficulty might require a demanding climb to the top of a mountain to reach the item.

However, hard-to-reach rewards have not stopped the international growth of the sport.

"This is a world-wide event," Mr. Somontes said. "Not only are there more than 50 locations in, near or around the Cheyenne area, but there are thousands and thousands of locations throughout the entire world."

Mr. Pfoor explained that many people plan a road trip with geocache hunts along the way. It's a way to see the sights and have fun at the same time.

"All you need to geocache is a GPS unit and the spirit to search," Mr. Somontes said.

Warren's ODR plans geocaching trips for interested families. For more information about the trips, call 773-2988.