Okay, Icon viewers we told you the Bluffton Icon Dash for Cashe! was coming. Here it is, almost. Joel Groman provides us with how to play, some rule and hints.
Check the You Tube video on the top right corner of the home page for more information.
Keep checking The Icon for the first coordinates coming later this week.
How To Play:
What is this all about?
It is basically a high-tech scavenger hunt. But don't be fooled... it is easy to play and a great way to get outdoors and explore the community in a fun way.
If you're looking for some quick caSH, this is not necessarily your answer (although special prizes will be given away!) Coordinates are shown on the main page for something called a "CACHE."
The cache is the object you are looking for and is a container (varying in size) that holds a log book where people sign in their names once they find the cache as well as trinkets and community coupons. If you are so lucky, the first one to find an individual cache will even receive a special prize!
Enter the given coordinates into a handheld GPS unit (a Garmin or Tom Tom will work fine). The coordinates will look similar to this example ->N 40^0 52.386 W 084^0 01.638.
Next, travel to the locations (all will be in Bluffton) and begin your hunt. It's as easy as that! Simply walk to the destination on your GPS. Some will be just off the trail, in a tree, or attached to a sign, but all of them will be within reach. Also, they will NOT be buried.
Here are a few tips to find the caches easier: make sure you are zoomed in as far as you can be on your GPS unit to give yourself the most accuracy, look for something out of place, think of where you would hide a small container if you were in the area, be patient... some take a little time to find, and check the Bluffton Icon frequently to find the coordinates before anyone else.
The coordinates will be released randomly at around 2 caches per week so be sure to watch closely online for the best chance to be the first to find a cache and grab yourself the special prize! It's out there, so go out and get it!
I would also recommend you wear long pants and not your best pair of shoes as some places are near plants that can be either thorny or itchy. Be sure to watch out for poison ivy!
Rules & Guidelines
The larger caches will contain little trinkets that could range from a playing card to a stuffed animal all the way to a T-shirt. In order to take something out of the cache, you MUST put in something of equal or greater value of what you are taking.
Please do not insert perishables such as food as these are in nature and at risk of being infiltrated by wildlife.
Once you find the cache, sign and date the logbook, but be sure to put it back as you found it.
Perhaps the most important rule is to return the cache exactly as you found it. This means being absolutely sure the containers' lids are sealed tightly. The number one problem with caches is water damage, but if everyone does their part, this will not be a problem.
That's about it! If you enjoy doing this sort of activity, I would highly recommend visiting www.geocaching.com Once on the site, you can easily create a FREE account and get started. This website currently has 1,158,583 active caches worldwide (as of Aug. 16), many of which are in Bluffton and surrounding neighborhoods.
