One of the things I did early on, when I started Geocaching, was taking pictures of interesting things around me while I was out. I cached with my Motorola Atrix phone, and the "official" app from the website.
When I started to realize just how much better a GPSr was, I bought my Garmin Oregon 450T.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Oregon. It is more accurate, water-resistant, and shock resistant than my phone. But in using the Oregon, I am more focused on the cache. I know, that's the point, right? Well, for some people, yes. But for me, when I come home from a day outside, with more numbers to add to my total, I sometimes think I was missing something.
When I cached with my phone, I took pictures of everything. It was easy. Find the cache, then open up the camera app, and shoot the interesting stuff. The Oregon makes it easier to get the cache, but I often miss some great photo opportunities without the camera. Sometimes, its not the cache area, but just clouds, sky, a stream or bridge that catches my eye. If I am really interested, I often go back to the truck to get the phone and come back. I try to remind myself that photos are an important part of my journey. Some places are just another tick on the scale, others, you really have to stop worrying about getting to the next number and look around. I could easily have a higher find tally, but I try to take time to look around and see the wonderful things around me when I'm out. As tough as it is, some places just have nothing interesting to shoot. But, you never know what you will see when you least expect it.
So, that said, I will try harder to let go of the numbers, and slow down to look around. Its part of enjoying this hobby for me, when I get home I can show my friends and family where I've been. I just have to remember to shift my thoughts off the numbers, and onto the experience as a whole. I post everything to facebook albums, and my friends like the shots. They aren't interested in the numbers, but like seeing where I've been. I need to remind myself, that seeing my experiences in the photos, means a lot more than grabbing for numbers.
Some are addicted to the hunt, and a high "found" count. The numbers, to me, are a minor part of why I go caching. A few great photos and a few caches, is infinitely more rewarding than a ton of caches, where my only reminder of my trip is a few extra logs signed. Its not the destination (a number goal), but the journey there (the photos).
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Getting back...on the trails.
So, its been awhile since I've written. Honestly, I haven't had much time to blog. I haven't had much time to cache, either.
So I took some days off this week, and decided to get out and do some things. Unfortunately, mother nature has not been cooperative so far this week. Yesterday looked to be a decent day to go out and do something.
I decided, a bit after 2pm that the weather looked like it was going to hold. So, I went off to do a series of caches on a trail called BSLS (Brookfield State Land Series).
My first stop, was a tucked away cemetery, where I met a DEC officer, and he gave me some interesting insight into the hidden gem. After I made my way onward, it looked like mother nature was going to try and get me to go home. Determined, I figured I could outlast a bit of rain here and there. What followed was intense rain, hail, lightning, and a crazy shift in the weather that was sunny just moments earlier.
I missed a couple, but completed the series for the most part. Its nice to have a 4x4 now. I wouldn't think of taking on a series based off seasonal truck trails in a car, especially in the weather I wound up in yesterday.
It got me thinking though, some of the more interesting times I've had, were while doing some sort of "trail". I've done a science based trail (which I should finish up someday), a Greek God based hiking trail, and now a state forest road based trail. The concept of a trail is a good one: Take people somewhere interesting, and give them a reward (in these cases, another cache), to keep going. Both of the hiking trails were tough going, but tested me physically. The driving trail was fun, and would have been relaxing if not for the weather.
I wish there were more cache trails here in NY. I think they are a lot of fun, but require a lot of effort to set up. I think I would get into hiking more, and getting more exercise if there were some trails for that. Hiking alone isn't interesting enough for me. But, add in the reward of caching while hiking, and it becomes interesting.
So I took some days off this week, and decided to get out and do some things. Unfortunately, mother nature has not been cooperative so far this week. Yesterday looked to be a decent day to go out and do something.
I decided, a bit after 2pm that the weather looked like it was going to hold. So, I went off to do a series of caches on a trail called BSLS (Brookfield State Land Series).
My first stop, was a tucked away cemetery, where I met a DEC officer, and he gave me some interesting insight into the hidden gem. After I made my way onward, it looked like mother nature was going to try and get me to go home. Determined, I figured I could outlast a bit of rain here and there. What followed was intense rain, hail, lightning, and a crazy shift in the weather that was sunny just moments earlier.
I missed a couple, but completed the series for the most part. Its nice to have a 4x4 now. I wouldn't think of taking on a series based off seasonal truck trails in a car, especially in the weather I wound up in yesterday.
It got me thinking though, some of the more interesting times I've had, were while doing some sort of "trail". I've done a science based trail (which I should finish up someday), a Greek God based hiking trail, and now a state forest road based trail. The concept of a trail is a good one: Take people somewhere interesting, and give them a reward (in these cases, another cache), to keep going. Both of the hiking trails were tough going, but tested me physically. The driving trail was fun, and would have been relaxing if not for the weather.
I wish there were more cache trails here in NY. I think they are a lot of fun, but require a lot of effort to set up. I think I would get into hiking more, and getting more exercise if there were some trails for that. Hiking alone isn't interesting enough for me. But, add in the reward of caching while hiking, and it becomes interesting.
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