Campground CITO

Day 235: Among geocachers, the term CITO stands for "cache in, trash out." The original concept of this particular type of "event cache" drew cachers together to clean up litter in an area, and then leave behind a physical container with a log book and appropriate swag for other cachers to enjoy. However, the definition of "CITO" became more flexible with time. Mount Rainier National Park prohibits the placement of physical containers, so the event is a one-time opportunity for members of the geocaching community to rack up another smilie in exchange for a few hours' work cleaning up the campground and erecting platform tents for use by summer volunteers. After a hiatus of two years due to covid restrictions, the annual Mount Rainier CITO made its return yesterday. While there wasn't much cleanup to be done in the tent sites, several platforms had to be moved to new locations. Many hands made light work of the process while three of the four supervisors (Kevin, Moe and I) kibitzed from the sidelines. Tom, our campground host, was in the thick of things, making sure that the platforms were properly seated. Years of trial and error have resulted in a smooth system for erecting the tents. The job was done and dusted in just three hours.