Written by Stephanie Michelle Scott
Our BIV team was hosted by Geocache enthusiasts from Metro Vancouver Geocachers (MVG) best known in the community by their handles: Lazyee_bones, GeoNavPros, and MeganDoesThings
Vancouver experiences are the ones that bring communities together. By getting involved in the wonderful world of geocaching in Vancouver, I’ve been introduced to new friendships and new pathways to dive deeper into my passion. Join me on a puzzle that you might have never known was right under your nose! Enter Metro Vancouver’s outdoor treasure hunt for adults and families!
Stephanie takes you on a treasure hunt through Geocaching!
Perhaps you can relate to my story- I came to Vancouver from elsewhere. It was years before I felt the connection to the city. Even as an extrovert, it was lonely and awkward breaking in.
Until I realized, joining a community that loves the things I liked was the solution to this case.
Wikipedia has logged over 600 broad categories of hobbies with roots from various cultural backgrounds. And Vancouver’s diverse communities continuously finds ways to mashup culture and cater to every interest.
Now that you have the scope of possibilities – I’ll take on one group, one interest accessible in every culture, location and engagement level.
Geocaching in Vancouver: A New Hobby To Discover
“Vancouver is a city where you can find a group to support any hobby and a place to try something new. For the outdoor lovers, you have an incredible asset, especially if you enjoy personal or competitive individual challenges. Strong communities can make all of the difference ONE such communities, Metro Vancouver Geocachers (MVG) have proved to be incredibly welcoming.”
Vancouver is a city where you can find a group to support any hobby and a place to try something new.
While the game of geocaching is solitary and challenges are personally set, there are many opportunities to join groups like MVG. This community has several get-togethers hosted to trade war room stories by participants. Part of belonging is knowing the mother-tongue of the community to unlock hints to support your success. Below are some of the popular vernacular you’ll regularly hear among the group.
Get to know the lingo!
Here are 10 geocache acronyms to help you feel connected
BYO_ – Bring Your Own … (P)en , (B)attery, (T)Tool
PAF – Phone a Friend (one that can provide a clue)
The Creed – a community pact, or moral guide
FTF – “First to Find” status accomplishment among members
Muggle – A non geocacher. Be stealthy & protect the cache
Power Trail – indicates a path with many caches within close proximity making it easier for players to achieve find count accolades
SWAG – Stuff We All Get.” items left in caches to be traded by geocachers.
TFTC – “Thanks For The Cache”. An acronym written by geocachers in logbooks
TOTT – “Tools of the Trade” will make sure you have what you need to open a cache
*Geocache photos taken with permission by their creator.
Get Involved with the Metro Vancouver Geocachers
Those curious to learn more about the secret world of geocaching can connect with both experienced and novice players through the Metro Vancouver Geocachers (MVG). This group of volunteers has been actively supporting the local geocaching community for years with social events and various options for learning more about this world-wide treasure hunt game. Connect with the MVG on Facebook and Twitter @MVGeocaching. There you can ask any questions, share your experiences, and become a part of this friendly and fun family-oriented community!
Sometimes you have to climb trees to get to the treasure!
Join the Community: Attend Member Events
Alongside these members, you will quickly pick up skills to identify objects perfectly camouflaged in the environment. In one day you could interpret the publicly accessible hints, like difficulty rating and proximity limits to narrow your search. Just like a seasoned cacher.
“Events will pop up on the map as different icons. Local Vancouver events have included film festivals that are related to geocaching, meet and greets for coffee, potluck barbecue bashes hosted by members and cache hiding events, where 150 off-the-map geocaches are placed to be discovered over one day. There are lots of different options.”
member Lazyee_bones
Coming Up: Mega-Event Cache in Vancouver
One of the organizers of the 18th annual GeoWoodstock event, wrote to all the adventurers this invitation for Mega-Event cache (attended by 500+ people) from all across the globe
“Those new to (or experienced in) the game of geocaching will be able to experience the social aspect of the game to an entirely new level on August 13, 2022. For the first time ever, Canada will host the 18th annual GeoWoodstock event in Abbotsford, BC all day on Saturday, August 13, 2022. This “Mega” event will have games, vendors, and geocaching activities that will be a once-in-a-lifetime fun-filled event that any geocachers or those curious about the game won’t want to miss! Find out more at GeoWoodstock.com and make sure to log your “Will Attend” at GC86VDF so you don’t miss a moment of the fun.”
Sometimes you’ll find a long list of other treasure hunters before you!
No matter if you are on your 1st, you’re 1000th or your 50 000th cache communities are the way to connect with Vancouver’s most exclusive and satisfying events. Soon you’ll be joining in a cache-a-day challenge or building your own series of hides. Perhaps the next logbook you read will have a familiar name on it, and there is no feeling better than that.
Go get Puzzling!
Bored in Vancouver : Outdoor Activities
Looking for more ideas of what to do in Vancouver? Check out our other articles in Bored in Vancouver: Get Outside
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