A geocache box replacement and fun rocks

We hid a geocache box at the Lowell Preserve hiking trails in Windham many moons ago (May 2005 to be more precise) when we were first learned how to geocache. It was our very first geocache hide.

I wrote a story for the Sunday Telegram about our first experiences and how to get started with the game. When prepping our first hide I asked our staff designer to create a treasure map to find the cache without a GPS for those people who were curious about the game but didn't want to invest in a GPS unit without learning a bit more about it.

[If you are a geocacher, you can find this geocache listing here]
About two years ago we had to replace the log book in the cache because it was full (and a most enjoyable read) but haven't been back since. Then over the winter a geocacher admitted to breaking the top of the container when he tried to pry it from it's hiding spot in the snow and ice (I very much appreciated his honesty in letting me know the cache was damaged) and I knew the container needed to be replaced.

I had it on my list of things to do since that email back in December but it wasn't until this past weekend that I got around to actually driving over to the trail to replace the container with a new one (which just goes to show that writing my lists does not always ensure the doing part).

We decided to replace the broken plastic container with a much sturdier and nearly unbreakable ammo box I picked up at the Army Surplus store in South Portland (it's the box of choice among geocachers because of it's sturdiness and color to blend in to the environment).


The one thing about the ammo box I don't like is carrying it on the trail. It looks a little suspicious and requires an explanation to non-geocachers. But we didn't run in to anyone and I was able to replace the old container, which was in very sad shape and full of water, without incident.

L. was the one who actually chose the hiding spot for this geocache because she thought all the kids who might visit our family's geocache would like the "fun rocks." The rocks are on a low-lying part of the trail and since they were a good landmark, they were identified on the treasure map per her request.

And even after all these years, hopping from rock to rock is still a highlight of this trail and geocache hide for her.

Then...

Now...