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Polson. There's an annual group meeting in Trout Creek and many
other locations around the state. Just reach out. You'll find geocachers
are friendly people usually very willing to help a newby on the way.
Two similar activities are available to folk who like to follow clues and
explore the area. Letterboxing as a structured activity got its start in the
1850s in England and now is worldwide. There are 310 letterboxes regis-
tered in Montana, most of them in the western half of the state. To learn
more, go to Letterboxing.org. Letterboxing doesn't require a GPS unit
(or smart phone), but encourages players to have their own stamp to use
in logging your finds. Each letterbox has its own stamp; as a player, you
collect those stamps just as we used to collect stamps in our passports.
Another activity is waymarking (waymarking.com). There are 118
waymarks just within six miles of Plains. I'm not sure what the total
number is for Montana; the website indicates 3020, but there ap-
pears to be quite a bit of duplication. The Raynolds Pass Web Cam,
southwest of West Yellowstone, has four entries, as just one example.
The advantage is that no special equipment is required when way-
marking, and you just might learn something new about Montana or
even your home town.
A related but more complex game, WhereIgo (whereIgo.com) allows
players to turn the geocaching experience into an interactive game,
similar to Myst or Zork, but set in your own neighborhood. If you
enjoy adventure puzzle video games, creating one from your neigh-
borhood sounds like fun. Creating a game in whereIgo uses the same
software platform as is used in World of Warcraft.
A basic membership in all these activities is free. Premium mem-
berships open more doors, giving the player more information and
opportunities. Premium membership in Geocaching.com costs $30
annually and gives you access to the premium features of waymark-
ing and whereIgo as well. Letterboxing, at least at present, has no
premium membership.
Using the internet to facilitate a search can be fun for the whole
family. As in any outdoor activity, pay attention to your surroundings,
watch your children and pets, and get outside to explore Montana.
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While the game was conceived with
GPS equipment in mind,
THESE DAYS ALL YOU REALLY NEED IS A SMART
PHONE. OF COURSE, THERE'S AN APP FOR
GEOCACHING. THERE ARE MANY, BY THE WAY.
