I adopted a cache today!

While I have only been caching for a few months, I have been interested in it for much longer.  My Geocaching.com account actually dates back to 2005, and over the years I would periodically check to see if there were any local caches and pine over my lack of a GPS.

Back when I found my first cache in 2011, I had about a week where I was on the edge of obsession, much like how I am now.  One day at work, I checked out the map and saw a cache right around the corner, less than five minutes away.  The cache was called Bryn Mawr Park and Memorial and was located on one of the main roads in the area.

The Google Map of the coordinates showed the cache in a parking lot, so how hard could it be to find?  I printed the cache page, with the hint, drove to the parking lot, and spent 15 minutes wandering around in a clueless manner.  What I didn't know then, but do know now, was that I was looking for a Nano hide.  The hint basically told me everything I needed to know except for the fact that I was looking for something that small.  I didn't know that those types of containers existed, and would never have thought to look in what I now know to be a very obvious spot.

Well, here we are in 2012, with me now having over 100 finds, and the cache has been disabled since May. I have been picking up all of the other local hides, and this one disabled listing has been nagging me more than anything else, as it is so freaking close to work.  In going over the logs I noticed that the only issue appeared to be that the log was full, so I figured "what the hell" and took the little trip over there on lunch.

Google Street View of the parking area.

Sure enough, the cache was still there. The log had gotten wet over the months, and a little bit of rust messed it up a bit, but the cache was otherwise fine.

Yes, I took this with my "cell phone".  It has a "camera".

I posted a note (I didn't want log credit for a cache that didn't technically exist) with the pic and left it at that. A little while later, I received an email from the CO explaining that he had moved away and would be unable to take care of it anymore, and offering me the chance to adopt and maintain the cache.  So I did.  I printed a new log, dried the cache out thoroughly, and put it right back where it's lived for the past few years.

This whole cache adoption thing was a bit of a surprise, coming as it does a few days before my other caches get posted, but it's also a no brainer.  It is very easy for me to maintain this cache, and anything I can do to keep active caches in the area means that I'm doing my part keeping other local cachers entertained.

Cache in this post:

• Bryn Mawr Park and Memorial