High-Tech Treasure Hunt

Things have been hidden around Camp Crowell/Hilaka, just waiting for you to find them!  But you're going to need a bit of high-tech help. 

You know that people have divided the Earth with imaginary lines like the Equator to help them find their way.  Lines running from east to west are "latitude", and lines running from north to south are "longitude.  A group of 24 satellites is now circling the Earth to tell people exactly what their latitude and longitude is.  This is called the "Global Positioning System", or "GPS".  If you have a GPS receiver, you can find out exactly where on the Earth you are.

Latitude and longitude are measured in degrees.  One sixtieth of a degree is called a "minute".  GPS receivers show your position in degrees and minutes, to the nearest 1/1000th of a minute.  This means that satellites hundreds of miles above the earth can tell you where you are to an accuracy of about six feet!

Over the last few years, a game called "geocaching" has become popular.  "Geo" means "world", and "cache" means "hiding place".  In geocaching, somebody hides a cache and uses a GPS receiver to record exactly where it is.  Then, she tells everybody else what the latitude and longitude of the cache is.  Anybody else with a GPS receiver can go out and try to find it.  Usually, the cache will have a log book so people can write down when they found it, and the cache will also have various little swaps.  If the seeker brings a swap, she can take one from the cache and put one of hers in.

There is a geocache hidden along the Pine Lake Trail.  The trail starts along the road that runs between Coach House and North House.  You will see a sign for it on your left after you cross the wire mesh bridge.  The cache is hidden at North 41 degrees 15.040 minutes / West 81 degrees 40.666 minutes.  Another cache was placed this spring at North 41 degrees 15.258 minutes West 81 degrees 15.258 minutes.  This cache is also a letterbox.  See the "More Hide And Seek" page for a description of what a letterbox is and the clues to this cache.

Good luck!  And check back here now and then, because more caches will be coming!

And if you have fun with this, go to the main Geocaching web site.  There are thousands and thousands of caches just waiting to be found!