Geocaching and the Bomb Squad

Good morning everyone.  We continue down the Westcoast to Oregon, the birthplace of Geocaching.  'The Original Stash' (GCF) was the very first geocache hidden in May, 2000.  The oldest active cache in Oregon is 'GC12 5/12/2000' (GC12).  This was also hidden in May, 2000.  It has been found 2,894 times and has received 1,346 favorite points.  The cache with the most favorite points is "Original Stash Tribute Plaque' (GCGV0P).  Hidden in September, 2003, it has accumulated 3,963 favorite points so far.

Geocaching made the news around here recently, and probably not in the best way either.  Someone reported a suspicious package in a local park to the authorities.  The bomb unit was brought out.  Fortunately it was determined to be perfectly safe and not blown up.  You can find out what happened here > Bomb Squad.

This sort of thing isn't new (having the bomb squad called in for a suspicious package), but I decided to Google 'Geocaching and bomb squads'.  Much to my surprise (maybe I'm being naive), but this isn't such a rare thing.  Probably the most well known cache to be blown up to the more longstanding geocachers around here was one in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  LARRY'S Cryptex (GC4F46Q), owned by Trycacheus, met it's demise back in October of 2015.  You can read the explosive story here > R.I.P LARRY'S Cryptex

After a quick Google search, I actually found a couple of bookmark lists of geocaches that have been archived after the authorities were called in, and in some cases, the geocache was blown up.  I also found plenty of news articles too.  In June of 2014, down in Concord, North Carolina, an employee of the Owens Corning plant noticed some people put an object with wires up into a tree near the plant.  Fortunately, one of the attending police officers recognized the item as a possible geocache and was comfortable enough to get closer to confirm his suspicions.  As you can see, it was a preform with a wire hook to hang in the tree.  You can find that article here > Not a bomb 

This can happen anywhere in the world.  As was in the next case, in a small market town of Wetherby, in West Yorkshire, England.  This one goes back to July, 2011.  A cafe worker spotted someone acting suspicious (don't all geocachers act suspicious?).  He appeared to have a small plastic box in his hand and after fiddling with it, bent down and hid it under a flower box.  The local authorities were called in, along with the bomb squad.  The area was sealed off while a robot was sent in to carry out a controlled explosion.  The remains of the plastic box were left scattered across the pavement.  It was then that the suspicious container was identified as a geocache.  You can read that article here > Kaboom!!   

In April, 2019, a muggle reported a suspicious device in a parking lot near a Target and Home Depot stores in Indian River County, Florida.  The initial report stated it had wires sticking out of it along with a CO 2 cannister.  After nearly two hours, it was determined that the cannister was actually a metal pill bottle and that it was a geocache.  Suspicious 

August, 2019, an eye witness in Moville, Iowa, observed a suspicious person stuffing an object into a fence post and then "running away".  Again, the authorities were called in, determined that the object did in fact look weird and brought in the bomb squad.  The bomb squad robot manipulated the object, removing part of it, crushed it slightly but it didn't explode.  The log sheet had Geocache written on it.  It was then that the area was deemed safe and no investigation was necessary.  The identity of the individual that left the container remains a mystery.  You can find the article here > What is that thing? 

(the suspicious looking container in the fence post)

Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina had a scare of it's own back in September, 2011.  Workers at a local ice cream shop spotted a bald, stocky man with a military duffle-bag acting strangely (I'm getting the impression that muggles think we're strange, or at least act strange) and fiddling with something that was eventually hidden.  The Marine bomb squad was called in for this one and detonated the container hours later.  You can read about this one here > It blew up real good 

The amount of stories I'm finding on Google about geocaches and bomb squads is endless.  Scottsbluff, Nebraska blew up a geocache in June, 2017 > Went out with a bang.  Evanston, Illinois > Didn't go boom.  Washington State in January, 2010 > Tree Bomber.  A guardrail hide caused a stir in Marshall, Missouri. > Don't touch that.  Erie, Pennsylvania > Boom, Boom, out go the lights.  Dover, Delaware > TNT.   Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 2006 > Just having a blast.  Even Disney in Anaheim, California has brought out the bomb squad.  > Bang for your buck.  And even more stories > Blast off.   

There are so many more stories and news articles.  As for the bookmarks I mentioned at the beginning, here are the links to those.  Bomb Scares  and other bad ideas.  The one thing I noticed in some of the stories was a cautionary word from the authorities about how we, the geocachers, hide the containers.  Maybe we should be more thoughtful with the placement so as to not alarm the muggles.  Some muggles are ok with the containers.  Some will even tell you where to look if they see you searching.  I've had that happen to me.  I was searching for a geocache at a busier residential street corner, near a local strip mall.  A muggle across the street shouted out to me "Are you looking for that geocache?  It's under that log."  As you have seen, some muggles are at the other end of the spectrum.  They panic and call the authorities.  As stealthy as we try to be, I'm sure someone has noticed the increase in traffic to that neighborhood greenspace.  If the bomb squad is called in after you found a geocache, don't feel bad.  It has happened to others.  You're not alone.

That's all for this week.  Until next time, be happy, be safe, wear a mask wen in public, wash your hands, and most importantly, have fun.  Peace out.

I woke up Tinkers (left) and Sassy (right).  They were cuddled together.  Both sisters are cuddly and affectionate.  Sassy is the braver of the two, while Tinkers is more chill.