So, one of the new features on the iPhone is A-GPS. When I heard about everyone and their brothers complaining that the 1st gen iPhone lacked gps I couldn’t see the point of all the fuss. Certainly if you’ve bought such an expensive phone you know where you are at all times. Or are at least within a block of a street sign. Let’s face it, it’s probably not a good idea to drag this thing out into the woods camping either.

But there has been one use I’ve had in the back of my mind. And now that I’ve got the new phone I’ve decided to give geocaching a try. (www.geocaching.com) What had also seemed silly and pointless at first, kept growing on me and now the two initially pontless things have met and given each other purpose.

I started going after my first “cache” yesterday and took a little stroll down the street from my office. The gps worked pretty well and the cache was simple to find. But it really sparked a fire with the realization that these things are everywhere and only a few of us know about them. I signed the small log included in the cache and then swapped out an item for the next person to find. All the while trying to act subtle and inconspicuous as I retrieved and then returned the cache to it’s hiding place.

I mean, what kid hasn’t wanted to be a spy at one point or another. And now I see the appeal.

So today at lunch I headed off to do a multi-waypoint cache. With a multi-waypoint the first coordinates you get lead you to a clue that you use to figure out the coordinates of the next. You’ll hop from waypoint to waypoint until you find the cache.

On this second trip I learned a few things. First, trust your first gut reaction. I stood next to the first item for a few minutes while I fiddled with the gps and read the clues. I knew it was there but just didn’t look good and hard.

The second was, maybe I need to get a good pair of gloves. I was feeling around under the lid of a light when I felt webs and debris. I pulled my hand out and down came this guy(see photo at bottom). I swear I don’t know how I wasn’t bitten.

In the end my lunch break timed out and I was a little too aprehensive to start combing the place. (You’re supposed to be sly and collected so as not to give the cache away to people who aren’t playing and might walk off with the loot.)

I tried another cache a few hours ago with the kids. I told them we were on treasure hunt and I thought they might really get into it. Boy did they ever. They made a point of trying to ask everyone who walked by if they could help us find the treasure.

In the end I didn’t find the last cache on that one either. Though it’s hard to do some good searching when you’re paranoid and your kids are screaming “Did you find the twessure yet?!” Plus I think I might have had to reach way down into some rocks and I’d learned that lesson earlier in the day.

So anywho. I’ll likely keep looking. The people are friendly (the owner of the cache I found emailed me and was encouraging), it’s fun being a spy with gadgets, and it’s something to get you outdoors and moving around.

There are many more details to the whole thing but I’ve already gone over my usual 140 characters. So hit www.geocaching.com and look into it if you’re intersted.