On May 2 2000, at approximately midnight, eastern savings time, Bill Clinton (then president of the USA) ordered the removal of 'selective availability' which made the global positioning system much more accurate for non-military applications.
The very next day, a GPS and outdoor enthusiast named Dave Ulmer, a computer consultant, wanted to test the new accuracy by hiding a navigational target in the woods. He called the idea the "Great American GPS Stash Hunt" and posted it in an internet GPS users' group. It was a black bucket hidden in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon (close to Portland). Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot. He shared the waypoint of his "stash" with the online community on sci.geo.satellite-nav.
The idea was simple: Hide a container out in the woods and note the coordinates with a GPS unit. The finder would then have to locate the container with only the use of his or her GPS receiver. The rules for the finder were simple: "Take some stuff, leave some stuff."
Within three days, two different people read about his stash on the Internet, used their own GPS receivers to find the container, and shared their experiences online. Throughout the next week, others excited by the prospect of hiding and finding stashes began hiding their own containers and posting coordinates. A few days later, Mike Teague created and posted the first GPS Stash Hunt web site (the precursor to Geocaching.com). Note: The web site no longer exists. The link simply shows what the site looked like on June 21, 2000.
Suddenly, within the first month, 21 containers had been hidden in interesting locations around the globe.
Like many new and innovative ideas on the Internet, the concept was spreading quickly - but this one required actually getting up from your computer to participate...
This cache was hidden on May 3, 2012.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEOCACHING!
The cache is not at the posted coordinates, but it can be found here:
N 49°
001. The Original Stash (GCF) - placed by Dave Ulmer (archived) 0 5 / 0 3 / 2 0 0 0
002. Mike’s First (GC4) - placed by Mike Teague (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
003. Secret Lava Bed (GC5) - placed by Mike Teague (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
004. Divine stash (GC10) - placed by Dave Ulmer (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
005. Rivertracks (GC6) - placed by Dave Ulmer (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
006. LAX (GC1C) - placed by James Coburn (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
007. Mingo (GC30) - placed by Kansas Stasher (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
008. Brightwood, OR (GC12) - placed by Jerry Connelly (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
009. Rotorua, New Zealand (GC45) - by Peter McKellar (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
010. Beverly (GC28) - placed by Robert Reindl (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
011. Billy Graham Lookout (GC13) - by Dave Ulmer (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
012. Santiago, Chile (GC42) - placed by Carlos Orrego (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
013. Williams Lake (GC14) - by Dave Ulmer (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
014. Lane Cove (GC3E) - by Paul Edwards (active, but now a virtual) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
015. Port Townsend (GC7) - placed by Bob Kege (archived) __ __ / __ __ /__ __ __ __
016. The Spot (GC39) - placed by Jack Aubrey (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
017. Wainuiomata, New Zealand (GC46) - by Kevin Anderson (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
018. Mountain Marsh (GC8) - placed by Mike Teague (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
019. Hilltop (GC33) - placed by Matt Stum (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __ + 1
020. Acorns (GC34) - placed by Matt Stum (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
W 097°
021. Arikaree (GC31) - placed by Kansas Stasher (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
022. Goat Summit Geocache (GC15) - by Dave Ulmer (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
023. Beaver Cache (GC1D) - placed by Jim Gooch (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
024. Bensenville, IL (GC29) - by Michael Moreth (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
025. Europe's First (GC43) - placed by Chris O'Byrne (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
026. G16 6/4/2000 (GC16) - placed by Jerry Connelly (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
027. Geocache (GC49) - placed by Peter McKellar (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
028. Geocache (GC4A) - placed by Bob C (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
029. England's First! (GC4E) - placed by Stevetuba1 (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
030. Geocache (GC2A) - placed by Michael Moreth (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __ + 1
031. Geocache (GC2B) - placed by HarryO (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
032. Geocache (GC2D) - by HarryO (Letterbox Hybrid, archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
033. Columbia River Stash (GC9) - by Mike Teague (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
034. Tour of Stone Mountain (GC1E) - by Chris Reynolds (active, multi) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
035. Library - placed by Michael Moreth (never listed at geocaching.com) 0 5 / 1 3 / 2 0 0 0
036. Breckenridge Reservoir (GC3C) - by Jay Chamberlain (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
037. Noodle Stash (GC4C) - placed by Tobias Radeskog (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
038. Equatorial Divine (GC53) by Hans-Georg Michna (active, virtual) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
039. Geocache (GC2E) - placed by Michael Moreth (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
040. Airport - placed by Michael Moreth (never listed at geocaching.com) 0 5 / 1 7 / 2 0 0 0
041. Geocache (GCB) - placed by Darin Record (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
042. Camels Prairie Stash (GC25) - by Jon Stanley (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
043. Geocache (GC3F) - placed by Pierre Cao (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
044. Geocache (GC2F) - placed by Doug (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
045. Missouri's First - Watts Mill (GC37) - by Steve Brown (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
046. Geocache (GCD) - placed by A.J. & Karen (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
047. Two roads (GC26) - placed by Ry Jones (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
048. Eggcellent (GC27) - placed by Ry Jones (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
049. Chohutta Wilderness (GC1F) - by Jim Pate (archived) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __
050. Auckland Stash (GC4B) - placed by nz_etrex (active) __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __ + 4
A FTF certificate is in the cache for the luck first-finder.
Congratulations to the Geopahkers on being First-to-Find.
Double-check your answer:
Happy caching!
This cache was hidden by a member of
the Manitoba Geocaching Association.
Join today; it's free!
List of attributes (for paperless caching): Takes less than 15 minutes, some bushcrashing required, no public transportation available, dogs allowed, lots of parking available, bikes allowed, ticks, mosquitos, poison plants may be present, nothing else of interest or scenic here, puzzle has some historical significance but GZ does not, not wheelchair or stroller friendly, may require wading, available 24x7, but recommended during the day.