1st Geocaching Spring Fling To Be Held on Island April 28
By Ryan Schlehuber

More than 80 members of the Michigan Geocaching Organization will attend the first Spring Fling geocaching hunt on Mackinac Island Saturday, April 28. The treasure hunting is open to the public and is free of charge.

Armed with handheld Global Positioning Systems (GPS), participants will meet in the Grand Hotel lobby at 10 a.m. to go over the day's agenda, then break into small groups and begin scouring the interior of the island for treasures.

The targets are strategicallyplaced caches filled with small trinkets and notes left from previous hunters.

Registered geocachers locate each hidden cache by entering the coordinates into their GPS device, then following the navigation screen. Coordinates are gathered from the international geocaching Web site, www.geocaching.com, which is where people can register.

Geocaching is a trendy activity that combines outdoor exploration with technology, which provides for fun for the whole family, said organization member Madelyn LePage. The sport is growing and could become an excellent marketing tool for Mackinac Island's summer tourism, she said.

Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau has posted the geocaching event on its Web site, www.mackinacisland.org.

Mrs. LePage said those who are interested in learning more about geocaching and to see how it is done are welcome to follow groups while they explore.

"Our more experienced members will assist our newcomers, so we'll have people on hand to explain how it's done," she said. "Everyone in our association loves to talk about geocaching."

Mrs. LePage is impressed with the number of registrants for the Spring Fling, and expects more to show up at the last minute. She had anticipated only about 25.

"I was a bit overwhelmed with how many people are now showing up, but, really, this is great for both our event and Mackinac Island," she said.

Among the 80-plus registrants are 19 members of the Midland Scouting Venture Crew, a small branch of Boy Scouts of America. The rest of the participants are coming from across the state, she said.

Geocaching is an international sport, and caches are hidden across Michigan. Mrs. LePage said geocaching on the Island has been enjoyed by members since 2004.

The Michigan Geocaching Organization has an agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to allow geocaching on more than 11 million acres of state land, she said.

"It was a four-year process to get to this point," said Mrs. LePage, "but we're glad it's done, and now any association member can place caches on DNR property, giving us much more area to explore."

The organization pays $500 for state land access, and members need only tell the DNR where the caches are located.

"Geocaching is a fun and affordable sport that can be enjoyed anywhere and with the entire family,," said Mrs. LePage. "I'm hoping to make this a regular event on the Island."