GeoCaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a GPSr capable device to navigate to cleverly hidden containers called GeoCaches. It is the largest real world treasure hunt with over 3.1M GeoCaches and millions more active GeoCachers playing the game worldwide.
What is “Big Blue Switch” day ? - Every year on May 2nd, GeoCachers celebrate the anniversary of the birth of GeoCaching with the Big Blue Switch Souvenir. To earn the digital souvenir under your profile, find a GeoCache or attend an Event on May 2nd.
"On May 2, 2000, just past midnight, the U.S government discontinued its use of Selective Availability in order to make GPS more responsive to civil and commercial users worldwide. Twenty-four satellites around the globe processed their new orders, and instantly the accuracy of GPS technology improved tenfold. Tens of thousands of GPS receivers around the world had an instant upgrade. Prior to this date, only the military had the ability to receive accurate GPS readings. Now, the world and all its wonderful people could pinpoint their precise location. For reasons unknown, this is often referred to as the flipping of the 'Big Blue Switch'.
The very next day, a computer consultant named Dave Ulmer hid a black bucket in the woods near Portland, Oregon. Along with a logbook and pencil, he left various prize items including videos, books, software, and a slingshot, then posted the coordinates online.
N 45° 17.460 W 122° 24.800
Three days later, the container was located by Mike Teague. Now, seventeen years later, geocaching has become a global phenomenon to get off the couch and get outside."
Source : GeoCaching Official Blog
Article : The Evolution Of GeoCaching - Big Blue Switch Day
A benchmark is a type of survey marker - usually a brass, bronze, or aluminum disk set into concrete or bedrock. The collection of benchmarks forms a network called the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) which is defined & maintained by NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS). This benchmark network is used by surveyors to accurately position other geographic points of interest. GeoCachers sometimes find benchmarks and report the current coordinates to the National Geodetic Survey (NGS), thereby performing a valuable public service.
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Remember, be safe and have fun exploring !!!
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