Meeting Strangers on the Internet: He Could Have Been an Axe Murderer!

Looking back on July 31, 2011 · Ten years of geocaching friendship

It was really hot on July 31, 2011. That is one of the things I remember most clearly about my first geocaching outing with CanisMinor.

The other is how much fun it was to meet somebody in person who was so interested in this game, hobby, activity—whatever we are calling it today. I already enjoyed geocaching. Here was somebody else who wanted to get out and learn about it.

Of course, meeting a person from the internet to go looking for hidden containers does sound like the beginning of a questionable decision. He could have been an axe murderer. Instead, I got a geocaching friend. That worked out rather well.

From a Username to a Local Trail

The message from CanisMinor came out of the blue. He thought I might live nearby. He’d seen people looking for a geocache near the parking lot at his work, and that had made him even more curious about the game. Once we realized how close we lived, we made plans to go caching together.

We met for an outing along a walking path near our homes. One of our stops was my own first hide, The Path We Walk (GC1YCGH). I had placed it on September 7, 2009, just off a path we used frequently.

The original listing describes a small seed tube, with the option of approaching on foot or by bicycle. It was a good place for some introductory geocaching: a familiar path, a small hidden container, and somebody eager to see how the game worked.

It did not take a remote wilderness expedition to make the introduction memorable. The heat was doing quite enough on its own.

Geocaching 101, Served Extra Hot

CanisMinor’s log from that day thanks me for “gc101” and finishes with “Crispy!” That is a fairly efficient review of both the instruction and the weather.

What stayed with me was his enthusiasm. It is fun to explain something you enjoy to somebody who is actually interested in it. You do not have to apologize for wanting to stop for a cache or explain why a little tube beside a path can be worth looking for. That is the reason you are both there.

Stock photograph used to illustrate the title’s joke.

A few months later, we were exploring Bachelor’s Grove and the surrounding woods with KINGEVO. That was a rather different setting from our local path, with history, an odd shrine and a couple of DNFs to keep us entertained. That October outing has its own story.

The Beginning of a Caching Friendship

By New Year’s Eve, CanisMinor was marking his 200th find at SPIERSON82’S 1000TH (GC2Q318). In his log, he connected his milestone with mine and thanked me for the help and motivation along the way.

I appreciate that. My favorite part of showing someone the hobby is seeing them find their own reasons to enjoy it. Before long, you are no longer explaining the basics; you are making plans for the next outing together.

Ten years after that first hot afternoon, we’re still geocaching together. Just a week ago, on July 24, 2021, we were at Midwest Geobash (GC88QKK) with friends, trying to find fifteen different geocaching icons in one day. We got all fifteen.

I went out that July day to meet a fellow geocacher and share something I enjoyed. I came home with the start of a friendship that has given me plenty more reasons to go exploring. A local path was a very good place to begin.

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Field Notes

• First outing together: July 31, 2011
• Location: a local hiking path near home in Illinois
• First-hide stop: The Path We Walk (GC1YCGH)
• CanisMinor’s original log: July 31, 2011
• Illustration: licensed stock photograph of an axe; not a photograph from the outing