Hi-Tech Hunt

GPS units open the “Door” to new hidden gems

Pamela Parks

Adding to the abundant list of outdoor adventures in Door County is the hi-tech treasure hunt called geocaching. A worldwide phenomenon, geocaching mixes technology with physical activity, critical thinking skills and the beauty of nature.

It likens itself to searching for a needle in a haystack with a scenic view and a little help from a global positioning system (GPS). With an impressive number of parks, geological gems and historical sites, Door County is a prime destination for geocaching.

Searching for a hidden treasure — a container that is the object of the hunt and officially known as a cache (sounds like “cash”) can take visitors and residents into the nooks and crannies of the community, visiting unexpected sites and experiencing natural beauty close to home.

“I find places I never knew existed — some of the best kept secrets (in Door County),” said Ray Osinski of Sturgeon Bay — also known on www.geocaching.com as “Dumpa.” Osinski regularly geocaches and maintains 14 of his own on the “quiet side” or lake side of Door County. “It takes you to places you may not have seen before,” he added.

A cache will be cleverly hidden under a rock, dangling from a tree, or secured with a magnet to a cleaver hiding spot. The weather-tight containers range in size from large five gallon buckets to small pencil boxes to miniscule film canisters — and smaller. A handheld GPS unit points to a position 10 to 15 feet from the cache using coordinates downloaded from the geocaching Web site or entered manually into the unit.

Some caches involve solving riddles or have multiple caches that must be found in the correct order to find the next location — like the Peninsula State Park Centennial Geocache. Other caches are virtual — with a breathtaking view as the “prize.”

Inside a cache will be a small log, perhaps swag — a fancy term for trinkets and toys — and maybe even a geocoin or travelbug left by a previous visitor with the intention of traveling to another destination with some help. The general rule for swag is bring an item, take an item.

Getting started

Osinski is a beginner’s friend who offers introductory geocaching workshops for guests at The Rushes, a Door County resort, as well as additional clinics at several state parks and The Ridges Sanctuary. He is, in general, a geocaching enthusiast. “It is not a matter of if you are going to geocache, it is a matter of when,” said Osinski.

His excitement about geocaching is fueled by the relative accessibility to the activity for most people. A handheld GPS unit is the primary tool needed. Osinski recommends a simple Garmin model, which costs about $100.

Osinski also appreciates that geocaching interests people of all ages. He especially lights up when talking about the intergenerational aspect. Osinski has helped many a grandparent learn the ropes to geocache with grandchildren.

At Osinski’s clinics, participants learn from each other as well as through trial and error.

“I provide additional help with coordinates; I teach them the concept of trading items; and we go over the variety of caches they will run into — multi-cache, virtual cache, mystery cache and puzzle cache,” explained Osinski. “We work in teams. Families or groups work together; they share and learn from each other.”

“Geocaching gives families another way to have fun and experience something in a new way,” said Peninsula State Park naturalist Kathleen Harris. “It involves learning about the place you are visiting and learning about things that not everyone knows.”

For the adventure

Searching for the unknown in the great outdoors is also a passion for Greg Koelpien of Forestville — also known as DCExplorer. Koelpien is an experienced cacher who maintains 10 personal caches. He enjoys mixing adventure into the activity, from trekking across the icy bay to access his cache on Horseshoe Island — appropriately titled Horseshoe Hideaway — to organizing an annual summer island voyage — the Rock Island Get-Away — for a weekend of camping and geocaching at the rustic state park.

Koelpien marked his fifth getaway in June. The lure of the getaway is geocaching in an unforgettable, remote location after two ferry rides. “Rock Island is the way Door County used to be,” explained Koelpien. “It is one of those places that doesn’t change a whole lot from year to year.”

Geocachers travel from all over the state — and farther — for the Rock Island event. In addition to six permanent caches located on the island, Koelpien sets up 10-15 temporary caches for the event. Participants have time to tour the Pottawatomie Lighthouse or Thordarson’s norsk-style boathouse. Or, cachers can simply enjoy the island’s beautiful eastern beach, the boulder sculptures on the rocky north beach, or a history and nature walk with the naturalist.

Koelpien also recommends the Door County Challenge, located at Ellison Bluff County Park. The terrain starts out easy and gets progressively more challenging during the four-part multicache. It often takes geocachers a second trip back to the area to complete it.

“Usually visitors in Door County are not asked to climb down a bluff as part of a vacation. I think this is the only one in Door County that actually has people climbing down a bluff with stairways and trails to the shore, which makes it interesting,” said Koelpien.

For a cache more challenging to the mind than the body, the Whitefish Dunes State Park and Cave Point County Park earthcaches may be the adventures of choice. Both caches focus on the geological formations of the area.

“You have to answer questions and you have to research it more,” said Osinski. “There is no physical cache to find. You send answers in to the cache owner and if the answers are correct, you will get credit for finding the cache. It is more involved and educational … like a little geography lesson on the area.”

A geocache that covers as much ground as history is found under the forest canopy at Peninsula State Park. Although several permanent caches exist in the park, the centennial multicache, “So Many Memories,” was launched this past spring.

“We wanted the centennial geocache to be challenging so we put it at sites that maybe people haven’t walked before or would know the stories about the structures around those trails,” said Harris. After solving several riddles and hiking three miles, those who reach the final cache will receive a small treasure. Unlike pirate lore, no shovels are needed.

Whether on a remote island, spectacular bluff or in a wooded haven or even a small town park, geocaching treasures await to be found in Door County — with a little help from technology.