Cache In Trash Out

Geocaching is not only a fun activity that you can go on, but you can also help clean up the environment. The geocaching community has what they call Cache In Trash Out. This means that when you go out to search for geocaches, along your way if you see a piece of trash, pick it up and throw it away properly. It may seem that it might not make much of a difference, but just think that if every cacher out there is doing this same thing it really does make a difference. Geocachers who practice this, help preserve the natural beauty of our outdoors.

There is a Cache In Trash Out (or CITO) Annual event that is held all over the world. They are held on different days, but the event for the Las Vegas area is on April 20, 2013. Geocaching has adopted a portion of the highway that runs in front of Red Rock. My husband and I have attended this event many times. There are many people that sign up to walk along the highway and pick up trash to keep it clean. They usually try to make it fun by adding a little competition into it some way or another. The first year I attended with my husband, I won for most unique find and won an ammo box. I was very excited about it. It might not sound very appealing to many, but I enjoy it because I know that we are making a difference in keeping the desert clean so we can enjoy its beauty for many more years.

 
Whether you are a geocacher or not, if you are out somewhere and see a piece of trash lying on the ground, pick it up and throw it away. It just makes things look better with less trash lying around.

The Journey Begins

Geocaching is a big hobby of mine. My husband and I have been geocaching, or "caching" as it is commonly referred to, since early 2006. Geocaching is a treasure hunting game where you use GPS coordinates to hide and seek containers hidden all over the world.

I love to hike and explore, and with adding geocaching into that we have been able to find and see so many neat places that we probably never would have been before. I usually explain to people that it is hiking with a purpose. There are caches for everyone. You do not have to go out in the desert or to the top of a mountain to enjoy this. There are caches hidden in so many places you would never know they were there unless someone told you about them. There are many rural caches for those who don't enjoy hiking as much and like just a nice easy walk through a park, or parking lot.

Since having our son Easton in March of 2012, we have even included him in on the fun. He had his first adventure with us when he was only 3 months old. We took him on a hike with us for my birthday. It was so great to get back out in the fresh air and include him in on it. I look forward to teaching him all about it and also the many, many years to come for him to enjoy it with us.

Hopefully along the way in this journey, I will teach you about geocaching and the fun you can all have with it, as well as share with you the adventures we have and will go on. So grab your hiking sticks or just a pen to sign those logs and get ready for an adventure.