Get Others Outside – Three Steps to Hiding a Geocache

Quabbin Cache 'n' Gully

A few months ago I told you how I built my first geocache. Well, this summer has been busy but here are the steps I took in placing it and how the  Quabbin Cache ‘n’ Gully geocache was born.

Step 1: Finding the location

There were four basic factors I took into consideration when choosing the location for my first geocache:

1. Local – The cache had to be local since I’m responsible for maintaining the cache and having it  far away from my house just isn’t practical.
2. Interesting - Boring was not a word I wanted describing my geocache so placing it at a destination site was of top importance.
3. Pretty Easy - I wanted my cache to be able to be found by children so I didn’t want it too difficult to find but hidden enough so only geocachers can find it.
4. Legal - I had to make sure that the placement would meet the needs of geocaching.com or else I risk it not being accepted  on their site.

With those guide points in mind,  I chose to place my first geocache in one of my favorites places — The Quabbin Reservoir (shocking, I know).

The cache is here... Somewhere

The Quabbin’s immense beauty and abundance of hiking trails make it one of my favorite places in Massachusetts and  the perfect spot for a family trip to hide my geocache. It wasn’t surprising at all that I found the  a decent hiding place within just a few minutes of entering the park.

Step 2:  Obtaining the Coordinates

Once the cache was placed I had to find the coordinates, which is absolutely critical since I wanted people to actually FIND my cache.  This is done using a process call Waypoint Averaging. A waypoint is simply a physical location and “averaging” is running multiple measurements to determine the most accurate set of coordinates. While many GPS units offer integrated ways to average your waypoints,  I used a free Android App called GPS Averaging.  Within seconds of running this free application I had my coordinates, which I wrote down as I knew I needed them to list the cache. I was one step closer to placing my first geocache.

Step 3 – Listing your Geocache

Now that the cache was actually hidden, nobody would have found it until I actually got it listed at geocaching.com.   Since the Quabbin Reservoir is a Massachusetts DCR property, I needed to get their permission to hide my cache on the reservoir property.  After obtaining their permission,  I proceeded to fill out the online form at geocaching.com which asks for details about the cache as well as a difficulty and terrain rating. Those details are what other cachers will see when seeking out my cache so I wanted it to be accurate with just a hint of the familycampman charm. Within a couple of days, my form was reviewed and the cache was made public. The Quabbin Cache ‘N’ Gully was born!

Overall, I really enjoyed hiding my first geocache. It was a great learning experience and provided me great satisfaction when I received notification that it was found for the first time. In my own little way,  I helped get someone get outdoors. If you’re in the Quabbin Reservoir area, try to find my cache. I look forward to seeing your log note.