Molalla to launch geocaching challenge

By Pioneer Staff

The Molalla Geocaching Challenge launches this weekend, sponsored by the city of Molalla and Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce.

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt that has become a popular hobby worldwide, with participants using GPS devices and clues posted online to locate hidden containers (caches).

“It’s a fun way to attract visitors to Molalla,” Mayor Mike Clarke said in a press release. “While they’re here looking for hidden caches, they may discover our elk farm, our train park, our BMX track, or our nature park and want to come back for another visit.”

The first 250 participants who complete the challenge will receive a free Molalla medallion at the chamber of commerce office.

Ten caches have been hidden as part of the challenge and the locations of each cache, along with clues for tracking them down, will be posted on www.geocaching.com by Friday, Nov. 13. Each cache will include a code word, which participants must correctly identify if they wish to receive the medallion.

Those who find all 10 code words will be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate at the Farmstead Restaurant and Pub.

“Here’s yet another way to celebrate Oregon’s 150th birthday with a Molalla spin,” Molalla City Manager John Atkins said in a press release. “We’re giving people the chance to see where we have come from and where we are now—the hunt should prove as gratifying as the coins.”

Each medallion, also known as a geocoin, is inscribed with a unique code, allowing the owner to register the coin online if they choose and hide it in another cache. The coin’s whereabouts can then be tracked online as geocachers move it from cache to cache.

Brochures about the treasure hunt will be available at Molalla City Hall, the Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce and on the city’s Web site, www.cityofmolalla.com.

Funding for the coins was provided by the Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department, Atkins said.

Geocaching GPS Treasure Hunt News Source

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This is great news for the tachie in Oregon! Thank you Molalla!
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Molalla is hosting a Geocaching Challenge

By Vickie Kavanagh, The Oregonian

The City of Molalla and its chamber of commerce have teamed up to host a Geocaching Challenge -- a high-tech treasure hunting game designed for Global Positioning System device owners.

People are challenged to locate 10 caches -- each with a unique code word inside -- hidden in and around Molalla. The prize for seven out of 10 is a commemorative medallion or "geocoin." Geocoin owners can register the coins on an international site and, if they choose, hide them somewhere else and track their position as they are found and rehidden by other geocachers.

Those who identify all 10 code words correctly will be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to the Farmstead Restaurant and Pub at the Arrowhead Golf Club, 28301 S. Oregon 213.

The locations and clues will be revealed on or before Friday. For details, pick up a brochure at city hall, 117 N. Molalla Ave., or the chamber, 105 E. Main St.; visit the Web site; or call John Atkins at 503-829-6855.

Geocaching GPS Treasure Hunt News Source

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Geocoins! Geocoins! Good luck to those who will be participation in these. Find 7 of 10 hidden caches you get a Geocoin.