Someone made a geocache trail in Plano…and I can’t tell you where it is

This story originally published on the Local Profile of Collin County website on July 9, 2019.

And that’s the whole point. 

Let’s just say you’ve probably glanced over this location one, two, maybe even 300 times. It’s bigger than the miniscule Barnes and Noble in the Legacy West shopping center, but smaller than Collin County. 

Still stumped? Good. That means I’ve done my job. 

Rule number one of geocaching is to keep it as secret as possible—and the people who do it in the area are experts. That’s probably why I was so shocked to see a number of cache locations peppering a map of Plano when I finally downloaded the geocaching app. 

Geocaching is a treasure hunt in the real world. People hide containers in a range of sizes that contain a variety of items and then log them with the geocaching website. The containers are usually “nano,” or about the size of a jumping bean, and contain a piece of paper for finders to record their username and the date they found the container. Other containers contain small items, and finders are expected to take the item inside and leave something else that will fit. 

Finding the cache used to require a GPS coordinator and a map, as well as a compass. Cache locations were given as coordinates, which may have included a cipher for extra challenge. But as technology has changed since the activity’s genesis in May of 2000, smartphone applications have become a handy medium for logging, finding and tracking caches. 

In a society caught up in the thrill of the adventure movie set in space, or at war, or among parallel universes, geocaching gives people a chance to be that adventurer and to feel victory—and the occasional defeat—in their own community. 

Some geocaches feature puzzles or multiple clue-finding steps. Some are even known to require scuba gear. But take note: caches will never be buried underground. 

People like Plano resident Blake Pritz wouldn’t be so shocked at the number of caches in the city. He’s been geocaching for about 11 years. 

“It takes you to some places, man,” he says. 

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