Geocaching and Halloween frightening/fun seem to be made for each other, so this year, I’m putting together a cache that will "go live" on Halloween night. It will take advantage of some of the best features of night-caching combined with some traditional Halloween spookiness--and maybe a surprise or two as well. The cache will remain active once Halloween is over, minus some of the Halloween themed touches.

I’ve already mentioned the cache and its general starting point to local and regional geocaching organizations and forums, so that they will be aware of it, and will look out for it on the 31st. The layout of the cache will involve a trail of firetacks (highly reflective tacks that hunters use to mark a trail in the dark) leading from the posted coordinates through a haunted forest, past untold horrors at every turn, to a cache container deep in the heart of darkness where cachers can sign and trade before finding their way out again (if the forest lets them!). I’m currently working to establish a balance between having the cache be truly frightening without making it inaccessible to young children.

I like the idea of holiday-themed caches that revert to normal caches after the holiday is past, and hope that this one will get the ball rolling in my area and spur other cachers in Northern New York (or elsewhere) to do similar ones on this or any other holiday.

Have a Spooky Halloween!!!