Geocaching! Reveals "Arizona Skies" for the First Time

I have friends who are ~~rabid~~ avid geocachers. As a family, they plan trips, vacations, and holidays around their geocache-treasure-hunting adventures.

If you've lived in Cochise County for a while, perhaps you've heard of my friend, Grady. Grady Butler spent three decades in radio, and before he retired, he was the host of the morning show on 92.3 KWCD with his cohost Rebecca Dailous.

Grady is still an anchor of the long-running First Watch with Sheriff Mark Dannels, which airs on 92.3FM, KWCD, Friday mornings at 7 a.m.

There are rules for finding and hiding a geocache in Arizona. // Canva

READ: Unlock Arizona's Geocache Puzzle with GeoWoodstock XX

Even if you've never heard Grady on the air, you might have seen his truck if you live in Southeast Arizona. The distinctive bug on the back is hard to miss. Dedicated geocache enthusiasts know this design is a gateway to the outdoor adventure of geocaching.

I've learned a lot about geocaching and the geocaching community from conversations with Grady. Here's a little history, if you've ever been curious how the hobby started.

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A Geocache "Bug" from the back of Grady's truck. // Photo courtesy Grady Butler.

Geocaching: A Brief History

Geocaching has been around since May 3, 2000. Why do we have such an exact date? That's when the United States government opened up the Global Positioning System (GPS), which made civilian access to the GPS system much more accurate.

Back in 2000, if users wanted to access GPS, they had to purchase a separate, dedicated GPS device. Smartphones weren't common, and users didn't yet have access to the technology through those devices.

The First Geocache

Dave Ulmer created the first geocache in Beavercreek, Oregon. He hid some items in a black bucket and shared the coordinates online. Some of the random things he included were software, books, and a slingshot.

The idea caught fire, and within days, other people started hiding caches and sharing the coordinates. By 2001, the geocaching company Groundspeak created Travel Bug, a dog tag with a unique tracking number.

Some of the treasures from Grady Butler's geocache collection. // Photo courtesy Grady Butler.

There are now more than 3 million active geocaches worldwide, just waiting for you to find.

Read More: Geocaching Yuma Arizona Mega Event

Geocache Arizona: Yuma Block Party Anniversary Event

There's a lot to consider if you're planning to hide a geocache.

Worldwide volunteers, called Reviewers, work behind the scenes to keep the adventure fun and consistent and make sure anyone hiding the cache strikes an important balance.

These expert reviewers help geocachers navigate the needs and rights of the geocaching community, land managers, and the environment.

There are geocaches hidden all over the world. // Canva

Some volunteers' identities are a closely guarded secret within the community. When a new person is chosen for the duty, many community members try to figure out who it might be.

Here's a video created by one of the newly appointed Reviewers. Known only as ArizonaSkies, his or her true identity will be revealed at the Yuma Block Party Event. Here's a video tease created by ArizonaSkies that has the community talking:

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How to Participate: Geocaching in Arizona

For more information about Geocaching, sign up for a free account to get started. If you'd like to gather with other geocache enthusiasts, consider attending the Yuma Block Party event in Arizona or find a GeoWoodstock event near you.

[ Wikipedia | GeoWoodstock | TrailLink | Geocaching | Groundspeak ]

Special thanks to Grady Butler for providing information and some photos in this article.