Caching Three Stars – July

Well, I must say that July was shaping up to be a pretty dismal month for candidates for our three stars. Three weeks into July and we hadn’t cached very much. How, then, could we hope to have found some awesome caches. Well, the last week or so came through for us. That is one reason why we love geocaching. You never know when you are going to find some “stand out” caches! Let’s get on with the three stars for July.

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NaGeira’s Treasure

NaGeira’s Treasure (click to enlarge)

With two days to go in the month of July, we finally got to go on that geocaching trip to Bell Island and, as a result, the first star for July is awarded to NaGeira’s Treasure (GC6EDE). This cache was placed by aviex and boasts some spectacular scenery, which is plentiful on Bell Island. You can take your car to a parking area within a few meters from the cliff overlooking the cache area. There is ample parking there. You must then walk down a trail that is steep at times. Once down on a rocky beach, a tunnel is in sight. The entrance to the tunnel can be slippery due to water dripping down from the cliff above. Be careful and watch your step, especially when you come back out. The cache is located a small distance inside the tunnel and contains a fair amount of swag for trading. You will need a flashlight unless you take the cache and go through the tunnel into the daylight. If you proceed through the tunnel, you will arrive at a beautiful beach that can only be reached by using the tunnel, unless you are skilled at scaling sheer cliffs. The cache has plenty of booty and the fact that it is in the tunnel makes you feel like you’ve uncovered a buried treasure. I would recommend this cache for the whole family because of its fun factor. The kids will just love the feeling of being on an actual treasure hunt. Make sure you, however, you make them stay close to you when walking down the path. With good supervision, they should arrive at the tunnel safely and not have to miss out on what promises to be a great experience. This cache, as well as all of the caches on Bell Island, are worth making the trip over. Don’t forget to check out Dick’s Restaurant, for their fish & chips, near the ferry terminal on your way back home.

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Topsail Beach Cusps

The cusps can be seen. (click to enlarge)

The second star for July goes to Topsail Beach Cusps (GC3QKN3) by stcar. This cache becomes only the second Earth cache in this area and brings attention to the erosion that occurs on this type of beach. The cache description is fairly lengthy but needed in order to capture the proper descriptions needed for a great Earth cache. Even though Topsail Beach is not a sandy beach, it is still a popular spot amongst the locals for daytime fun and frolic, afternoon BBQs and evening camp fires. From the beach, you can look across and see beautiful Bell Island, Little Bell Island and Kelly’s Island. You can also see the other side of Conception Bay. Topsail Beach is a cobblestone beach and the wave action that hits the beach during storms causes scalloped areas to form on the beach. These scallops are called cusps. The cache description gives this definition for cusps. “Cusps are shoreline formations made up of various grades of sediment in an arc pattern where the wave hit the beach at an angle. The horns (side high points)are made up of coarser materials and the embayment (center section) contains all the finer grain sediment. They generally occur in a regular pattern with cusps of equal size and spacing forming.” The cache description also goes on to mention two possible causes for this erosion – Self-organization Theory and Standing Edge Wave Theory. You must decide which explanation seems more plausible to you and also describe the cusps, such as their size. There are two main reasons that this cache gets the second star for July. First, it is another Earth cache and, with Newfoundland being so old, we should have many more in this area and around the province. Second, I am surprised that I never seen these cusps before. I have spent an abundant amount of time here on this beach but never even noticed. I love caches that either teach a history lesson, or, as is the case with Earth caches, teaches a geography lesson. I like the fact that I leave the cache site being more knowledgeable than before I arrived. I would encourage everyone to pay a visit to Topsail Beach, perhaps for a BBQ or a campfire. While you are here, check out the cusps and this Earth cache. Also, while you are here, don’t forget the other five or six traditional caches around this area.

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The Silent Witness

The Silent Witness memorial. (click to enlarge)

On a recent trip to Grand Falls-Windsor to pick up my niece, who was visiting us for a few days, we stopped along the way just to get the cache that has earned the third star for July. Rounding out the top three is The Silent Witness (GCKT5H), which is located in an area marked by tragedy and remembrance. On December 11, 1985, Arrow Air flight MF128-5R, a Douglas DC-8-63 arrived in Gander at 5:34AM. It was carrying 248 military personnel and 8 crew members, as well as some cargo. It was on its way back from the Middle East to the 101^st Airborne Division headquarters in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. All of the military personnel had completed their tour of duty and were returning home to spend Christmas with their loved ones. At 6:45AM, the flight took off from runway 22, which has a flight path that crosses the Trans Canada Highway. As the plane took off, it gained very little altitude and, after crossing the highway, descended down a slope towards Gander Lake. The plane slammed into what once was a heavily wooded area. All onboard were killed. Little concrete evidence exists as to the cause of the crash and the whole incident has been surrounded in controversy and conspiracy. Ice on the wings is has been suggested and is the more plausible of any other suggested causes. The wooded area is now a beautiful grassy area and a monument has been erected there, complete with a statue of a soldier and two children looking towards Kentucky and a cross that was made from the door of the ill-fated plane. I used to live in Gander and have visited this site many times. I am happy to see that, in the six years since I left Gander, the site has been improved greatly. I would definitely suggest you visit this place when passing through Gander. There are road signs on the highway to direct you. Across the highway, not far away, there is also a Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery that you may wish to visit. Kudos go out to Christopher R & Pooh B for placing this wonderful cache here. For more information on the Silent Witness memorial site, Click Here.

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Welcome Home Clydeseeker

We had a great time at this event hosted by the Fast Finders. (click to enlarge)

Welcome Home Clydeseeker (GC3PCZK) gets an honourable mention because we love events. It was the first event hosted by the Fast Finders along with their aunt, Clydeseeker and was held at Don Cherry’s in Mount Pearl. There were approximately 32 cachers in attendance and everyone seemed to have a great time. Despite having trouble finding the nano hidden under my chair, it was a great event! We had a basket of Don’s Ultimate wings, which are to die for, and a plate of Carlo’s Nachos! Yummy! Kudos to the Fast Finders and Clydeseeker for a job well done!

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Island In The Stream

With a good rainfall, this cache will prove more challenging. (click to enlarge)

Island In The Stream (GC3QD9G) also gets an honourable mention. This cache was one of the more memorable caches I found in the first half of July. We featured this cache in our blogpost called Brigus: A Delicious Follow-up . I love caches that engage the cacher with a bit of a physical challenge. This cache, placed by Vinnie001, is located on an island in the river. At the time I retrieved it, the water levels were lower and it was easier to get to. I still needed rubber boots and the rocks were covered with an algae which made them slippery to walk on. This cache might pose a more difficult challenge if you wait until just after a good rainfall. Once on the island, the cache isn’t difficult to find. Thanks for the awesome hide!

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Gagging On Swag!

Gem next to our favorite caches – regulars!

I would like to start this week’s blogpost off with a question. What are your favorite types of caches? Are they regulars, nanos, micros, or that dreaded other. Or perhaps you love it when they are not listed. Well, if you are a part of the majority, you would have said that regular caches are your favorite. They are my favorite cache type, as well. But why are they the favorite of most cachers. For me, I love regulars because there is something in them besides just a log sheet. It is exciting to open a regular cache and see what kinds of toys and trinkets are there to trade. To use the geocaching term for these trinkets, we love regular caches because of the swag that they contain. Am I correct in making that assumption?

Normal swag! The business card and QR code are geocaching related.

I have always been asked by some muggle friends of mine why geocachers use the term swag. To be honest, I don’t know why they decided to use that name. Why not call it trinkets or the goods or the treasure (arrrh me mateys)? The dictionary meaning of the word is “a suspended wreath, garland, drapery, or the like, fastened up at or near each end and hanging down in the middle; festoon.” Doesn’t sound like any cache I have ever seen since I have been caching. If, however, you check the slang definition of the word, you will find that swag is “plunder; booty; money; valuables.” Now that sounds more like what is contained in our regular caches!

None of this stuff belongs in a cache.

Lately, however, I have become quite alarmed and, sometimes, disgusted at what I am finding in caches. On a recent quick trip to Grand Falls-Windsor to pick up my niece, I was astonished to find a half-eaten pack of gum in one cache and a pack of Kool Aid water flavoring in another. On a trip around the Baccalieu Trail a few weeks ago, we were disgusted to discover cigarettes and condoms in some caches. What were these cachers thinking? Geocaching is a family activity. There are children finding these caches and don’t need to find any of these disgusting items in a cache. I have even found tampons (unused), tampon applicators, and garbage including a half-licked lollipop that was stuck to the bottom. It is enough to make you gag!

Geocaching.com has three cardinal rules about geocaching. They are:

1. If you take something from the geocache (or “cache”), leave something of equal or greater value.
2. Write about your find in the cache logbook.
3. Log your experience at http://www.geocaching.com.

Apparently, some geocachers out there never took the time to read these rules as the first one pertains to this growing problem. You must leave something of equal or greater value. Therefore, taking a key chain and leaving a beer bottle cap does not cut it. It also says that you must leave something of equal or greater value only if you decide to take something. That’s right! You don’t always have to take or leave something. If you don’t have something good to trade, then record TNLNSL (took nothing, left nothing, signed log) in your log. Now, while the rules don’t specify the types of swag to leave and a condom could be considered more valuable than a marble, you must use a bit of common sense when trading swag. There are kid’s trinkets in the caches for a reason. I have yet to discover an adult-only regular cache and I sincerely hope I didn’t just give someone the idea to create one. What’s next? I supposed we will start finding drugs left in the caches as well. I certainly hope not.

After thinking quite hard on this topic for quite awhile, I have developed a list of things that do not belong in caches. Not all of them are necessarily bad and I may have missed some. Some of them, you might not even agree with. Remember, it is only my opinion. The following items should never be in a cache:

• Food – no food of any kind, including gum, bars, and candy. It attracts insects and animals to the caches. One Canada Day, I placed Ring Pops in my cache for Canada Day only. After Canada Day was over, I removed them and replaced them with regular Canada Day swag.
• Garbage – it is pretty disgusting and will also attract unwanted animals to the cache.
• Cigarettes and cigars – pretty obvious!
• Drugs and drug paraphanalia – another one that is pretty obvious!
• Condoms, tampons, etc. – that’s just plain gross. Luckily, I haven’t found any of these in a used state.
• Business cards – except where they are geocaching related. A cache is not a place to be advertising lawn care or financial services.
• Beer bottle caps/pop caps – this stuff is still considered garbage.
• Rocks – unless it is a proper muggle stone. Come on! You had nothing to leave so you picked up a rock and threw it in there. That’s pretty cheap!
• Batteries – they start leaking acid after awhile.
• Coins – unless the cache specifies coins or it is a first to find prize, it is best to leave it out..

There are probably many more that can be added to this list. Feel free to leave a comment if there are any you wish to add.

The most important issue here is that I am finding this problem starting to become more and more prevalent, just like the disappearing trackable problem. There are things that can be done, however, to help stop this ugly practice. The first is through education. Hopefully, this blogpost will help in that area. You can also help! Educate all of your geocaching friends about this issue. Secondly, if you are guilty of leaving questionable items in caches, go to the Dollar store and pick up a bit of swag. It is fairly cheap and it won’t break you. Lastly, if you have nothing good to trade, simply take nothing and leave nothing.

On a closing note, this problem need not have to escalate if we would only ask one question to ourselves. Is this something I would like to find in a geocache? If the answer is no, then simply don’t leave it. If the answer is yes but it is still a questionable item, don’t leave it either. Let’s all do our part to keep these caches suitable for our children!

I started this post off with a question so I am also going to end it with a question. What is the weirdest or most disgusting item you have found in a cache?

Happy Caching!

Frank (Jewel)

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The Baccalieu Trail: Too Much For One Day – Part I

About a month ago, we got together with our geocaching friends, Diego and Dora, and spent the weekend at a cabin in North River. The plan was to do a bit of geocaching and a bit of relaxing. While we relaxed on Friday evening, Saturday was chosen to be our geocaching day. We had made the decision to tour the Baccalieu Trail, just doing quick caches that didn’t require long walks. We were expecting that this choice would ensure that we managed to see the whole route in one day. Well, when you decide to make the trip as a geocaching and sight-seeing trip, getting through the Baccalieu Trail can’t be all done in a day. We were only able to get half of it done and will do the other half on another day. The half we did get done brought us to numerous beautiful communities. In fact, due to the number of communities we visited, I have decided to split this post into three parts. Expect to see parts 2 and 3 later on sometime.

It was 9AM before we left to tour the trail. I suppose an earlier start would have allowed us to get more communities visited but it still wouldn’t have allowed us to finish it. We left North River and proceeded across the Tilton Barrens until we reached Hopeall, the starting point of our adventure. There were a couple of easy caches to give us a warm-up. Both caches were placed by Christopher R & Pooh B, indicating they have ties to this area of Trinity Bay. The caches were called Hailey’s First Cache (GC22Z3Y and Hailey’s Blue Berry Grounds (GC2NVG5). We had moved on and cached in the next community of Green’s Harbour before I realized that I wasn’t taking pictures. I began using my camera after we had found Harbour View Cache (GC2F51X) which was placed by 4-evergreen. Since then, another cache has been placed on this beautiful beach

View from the Shag Rock Lookout. (click to enlarge)

Next stop was the Shag Rock Lookout in Whiteway, a tiny scenic community named for Newfoundland Prime Minister, Sir William Whiteway. “Shag Rock”, which is a famous landmark, is a large triple-horned rock, jutting sharply out of the water in the middle of the harbour. Many seagulls nest all over this site. The cache is called Baccalieu Trail – Whiteway (Shag Rock Lookout) (GC2ENR6), by shermandkim, and provides a great view of Shag Rock. There was another cache nearby but we were unable to find it and moved on.

Diego using the hammer and chisel that is inside the cache. (click to enlarge)

Further along the highway, we came upon the community of Heart’s Delight-Islington. There are two caches in this community, one on each side of the harbour. The first cache involves a short hike into a beautiful clearing in the woods. It is called Joc’s Playground (GCTNQ2) by JERnJOC. When you walk into this place, you can easily see why it is referred to as a playground. The most interesting cache in this area, however, has to be Timple’s Rock – Flat Rocks (GC2DXZN) by Boarpoint. The cache involves a five minute walk along the beach to get to an area full of flat rocks. Upon finding the cache, you will find something interesting inside. Besides the usual logbook and swag, there is a chisel and a hammer inside. Why, you ask? The cache owner wants cachers to carve their names into the rock. After Diego was finished carving his name, I had my turn. It was easier, however, to forego the hammer and just scrape your name with the chisel. We picked up one more cache, called JenniCache (GC11PXH) by JERnJOC, before moving on to the next community.

The cable station in Heart’s Content. (click to enlarge)

Out of all of the communities we visited, Heart’s Content was, by far, my favorite. This community has a lot of history associated with it. The Baccalieu Trail – Hearts Content (GC2TQP4) by, you guessed it, shermandkim is placed next to the Heart’s Content Cable Station. In case you didn’t already know, Heart’s Content was one end of the transatlantic telegraph cable that linked North America to Europe in regards to early telecommunications. After years of failed attempts, the cable was successfully laid on the bottom of the ocean from Ireland to Heart’s Content. In fact, a second one was also run. It may not sound like a great feat but, back in 1866, it was considered an engineering marvel as the cable that was laid was a continuous cable measuring 2300 nautical miles long and weighing 5000 tonne. With the invention of telephone cable, the telegraph cable was no longer used and the cable station at Heart’s Content became a Newfoundland Historic Site and museum. If you come here, be sure to visit the museum as there is all kinds of old communication equipment inside. There is also a nice park space across the street, great for a lunch break. For more information on the Cable Station, click here.

The lighthouse in Heart’s Content. (click to enlarge)

Heart’s Content Light (GCQA42) by waymoore is placed near one of my favorite sights to see – a lighthouse. I have always been fascinated with lighthouses and love to visit them. The Heart’s Content Lighthouse was established in 1901 at the northern entrance of the community harbour. Its thirty (3o) foot tower is a round cast iron structure painted in a red and white candy cane pattern. The lightkeeper’s house and other station buildings are no longer present, having been demolished long ago. There is a trail here that will take you to Sugar Loaf Lookout, if you are interested in hiking.

This is just part of the miniature village. (click to enlarge)

The next community, as we continue to head north along Trinity Bay, is New Perlican – another beautiful spot on the Baccalieu Trail. Shermandkim have placed another of their series here, called Baccalieu Trail: New Perlican (GC28K1M). As usual, their cache placements in this series allow you to see the natural beauty of this area. Further up the route is Turk’s Cove, which actually turned out to be an interesting spot. Again, shermandkim has placed a cache here called Baccalieu Trail – Turk’s Cove (GC2TQPY). The cache, however, is not the interesting part. As you head to get this cache, you end up parking by a house that has a beautiful little handmade village, complete with a train and animal pen with toy animals, on the front lawn. We couldn’t see anyone around to talk to about it, but it was obvious that it was a passion they had put a lot of work into.

The real House of Commons. (click to enlarge)

Just down the road from the mini-village is the House of Commons! Seriously! It has, however, gotten a bit smaller than what you would remember and Stephen Harper was nowhere in sight. All kidding aside, I am referring to Bill Piercey’s Store which was nicknamed the House of Commons. There is a sign outside that explains how the place got its nickname. It reads the following: “Evenings men, young and old alike from the Northern Point and other areas of the harbour, would congregate there; the men would sit around on old chairs, tubs and heaps of twine (cod traps). Most times standing room only. The wood stove cracked and the smell of wood smoke mingling with the smell of pipe tobacco and pitch twine (coal tar) created a warm cozy atmosphere for spinning yarns, stories of a day on the fishing grounds or in the woods.It also became the setting for many heated debates, over town matters or government affairs, hence nicknamed House of Commons. Silence fell upon the twine shed in 1986 when Uncle Bill Piercey passed away at the age of 76.” What? You didn’t actually believe it was the House of Commons, did you?

The beautiful town of Winterton. (click to enlarge)

On The Trail To Sugar Loaf Lookout The Beginning (GC3MTQK) by Iqaluitborn marks the start of a five cache trek to Sugar Loaf Lookout. Due to our decision to only do quick ones on this trip, we decided to leave the trail for a return trip. It will take you on an approximate 3km return trip should you choose to do it. There are also three more caches across the street in the campground. I am not sure if you must pay a fee to walk in there or not. After retrieving the cache we moved on and came to the town of Winterton, home of Baccalieu Trail – Winterton (GC2TQQW) by shermandkim. It was originally named Sille Cove or Scilly Cove but was renamed, in 1912, for Sir James Spearman Winter, former Prime Minister of Newfoundland. Before heading to the cache, Diego and Dora went to visit a friend. I couldn’t help but admire the view from his patio and the peace and tranquility of the community where he lived.

View of the lighthouse in Hant’s Harbour. (click to enlarge)

Our next stop, and the last one in this week’s post, is the small fishing community of Hant’s Harbour. During King William’s War, the village was completely destroyed in the Avalon Peninsula Campaign. Newfoundlanders, however, are a resilient people and the community was rebuilt. The cache, called Baccalieu Trail – Hant’s Harbour (GC28K27) by, none other than shermandkim, is placed just a short drive away from another lighthouse. While this lighthouse is a wooden structure and is not as beautiful as the one in Heart’s Content, it is a lighthouse none the less and a favorite of mine.

We had a blast while on this adventure. It was the first time since I started caching that I have truly slowed down and admired the sights. Previously, I had only admired the sights of far and remote places on the East Coast Trail. It was usually a job of getting all of the caches in quick order. This time, however, I stopped and took pictures. I read informational signs. It is always so nice to bump into pleasant surprises, like the mini village or the House of Commons, while heading to, what you are expecting to be, just another find. As I already stated, this is a three part series. The next installment will be published some time in the near future. I hope you enjoyed this little trip up the western half of the Baccalieu Trail – a trail that is too much to fully appreciate in one day without sacrificing enjoyment. I, for one, will be back to finish it before the summer has ended.

Happy Caching, everyone!

Don’t forget to keep those comments coming! It is the only way we have of knowing if we are doing a great, good or bad job. So, fire away!

Brigus: A Delicious Follow-Up!

When we first did our post about Brigus, one thing we mentioned was that we never had the time to visit the Country Corner Restaurant and Gift Shop, which is next to the Wilcox Gardens – home of the Blueberry Crisp (GC2WAPT) cache, and try the cache’s namesake. Well, opportunity arose over the weekend when my brother, Ken, paid us a surprise visit from Toronto with only two days to spend with him. He is not a geocacher but enjoys getting the odd cache with us whenever he visits. This particular trip was not supposed to be a geocaching trip. We had planned to take my brother on a sightseeing trip and Brigus came to mind. Truth is, we heard the blueberry crisp calling out to us.

With a good rainfall, this cache will prove more challenging.

Before going, however, I checked the geocaching map and noticed that there was a new cache called Island In The Stream (GC3QD9G). Well, when I found out where it was, I had to get just one cache on this trip. I put my rubber boots in the car and we all headed out the highway. Upon arriving near the coordinates, I parked on the side of the highway. I could see the island and knew right where the cache would be. I put on my rubber boots and waded through the water, which wasn’t very deep at that moment. The rocks were very slippery so I would exercise caution when headed to the island. I got to the island and found the cache fairly easily. The find was made even sweeter in the fact that we got a first to find. It was a great start to the day!

You need to visit this place real soon!

Shortly after arriving in Brigus, we took my brother on a similar tour as we had gone on while searching for the caches in the area. We took him to Whelan’s Beach and the Brigus Tunnel. We drove past Hawthorne Cottage, St. Patrick’s Church and the Wilcox Gardens. With the Wilcox Gardens being next door to the Country Corner Restaurant and Gift Shop, we figured it was time to stop for a much-needed lunch. Who am I trying to kid? This was one of the reasons why we came here!

Ken couldn’t believe there were real blueberries in there!

Once inside, we perused through all of the wonderful souvenirs that are for sale in the giftshop. Ken decided he would get a souvenir on the way out so we proceeded to the restaurant. We decided to go outside on the patio to enjoy the beautiful day along with, what we hoped would be, a beautiful meal. Our server was very polite and came to take our order. The special of the week was moose stew and blueberry crisp. All three of us reached a unanimous decision – moose stew and blueberry crisp! Gem and I had delicious lemonades to drink while Ken had a blueberry shake followed by a lemonade.

Delicious Moose Stew! Yum!

Our lemonades were homemade and tasted really good. They weren’t overly sweet, which was perfect for me. I am not fond of really sweet beverages. My brother’s blueberry shake contained real blueberries instead of the usual blueberry flavoring you find in other restaurants. Our server, then, brought us out a homemade biscuit which complemented our moose stew nicely. We were given a healthy portion size of moose stew with medium chunks of moose and a days worth of veggies. The stew was really delicious and my compliments go out to the chef!

The famous and incredible blueberry crisp!

After being completely satisfied and filled with my stew and biscuit, it was time for the main event – the reason why we had come here. We had heard from fellow geocachers that the blueberry crisp was “out of this world!” Well, they were definitely being serious. It was served warm with a scoop of ice cream and tasted awesome! I would have loved another piece but that would have made me a glutton. I would definitely recommend this meal to anyone and everyone! Counting the tip, our meal set us back about $47.00 for the two of us, which was more than reasonable.

I realize that I might be coming across as a person obsessed over this meal but it was extremely delicious! Too all those geocachers who have not yet found all of the caches in the Brigus area, I suggest you plan a day to get them. While you make those plans, I would highly recommend that you include a stop into the Country Corner Restaurant and Gift Shop. The moose stew and blueberry crisp are, indeed, out of this world!

Paying It Forward!

Would have stayed warmer if I were caching! (click to enlarge)

Last weekend, a combination of household chores, bad weather, and my nephew’s soccer tournament prevented us from doing much caching. We managed to take in the Cache The River #6 event as well as a few quick finds. That was pretty much the extent of our geocaching adventures. As I sat in the chilly temperatures at my nephew’s soccer game, my mind turned to caching and I began to find a correlation between the two. Are you puzzled right now? Surely you are wondering what soccer and geocaching could possibly have in common. Aside from the physical exertion, the running (only if you are trying to race other cachers to an FTF), and being outdoors, soccer and geocaching appear to have nothing in common.

Sure, on the surface, a lack of commonality rings true. However, the one thing that should be common (and I need to stress SHOULD) is teamwork. Some of you are thinking about that right now and most are probably puzzled by that statement. Nowhere in the Geocaching rules or Geocaching 101 does it state that we need to geocache in teams. Sometimes it does help to do the hunt in teams. I was amazed and skeptical when I found a geocacher that has over 80,000 finds. How could one person do that much? I later found out his user account encompasses a team, which makes his numbers make more sense. However, that is not the teamwork I am referring to in this post. The teamwork I am referring to is helping one another maintain caches.

All packed up to head to the Weddingcache! (click to enlarge)

During the Canada Day long weekend, Gem and I decided to go down to Topsail Beach to enjoy some of the sun. I realized that there was a cache or two that we didn’t have, so I went online to retrieve fresh logs for my GPSr. As I read the logs for the Weddingcache (GC82EE), I noticed that the cache was in bad shape. It was a beef bucket but was missing its cover. That meant that everything inside was probably ruined as well. Therefore, I went to the cupboard and grabbed a spare bucket cover. I went to my geocaching tote (yeah, I keep one of those) and grabbed a fresh log, plastic baggie, and some swag. I also took some paper towel, in case the bucket needed to be cleaned out. Upon arrival at the beach, we hiked the 500 meters to the location and found the cache hanging on a tree. It was in really bad shape. We dried out the container, added a new log, salvaged what we could from it, and added some new swag. We sealed it with the new cover and re-hid it the way it was supposed to be. We even placed a trackable inside to entice more cachers to hunt for it.

Become a cache samaritan. (click to enlarge)

The idea of helping another cacher look after their cache could make for a long and heated debate. Some cachers would say it is the right thing to do. Others would argue that it is the responsibility of the cache owner and that they shouldn’t place a cache they can’t take care of. The latter group would be correct in their assertion. However, sometimes certain conditions arise that prevent a cache owner from maintaining their cache. Perhaps they are on a long vacation or gone to a summer home. Perhaps they have moved and forgot to take out the cache. In my case, I have a cache on Random Island called That’s So Random (GC30XG7). The latest logs say it is wet. Due to busy work commitments, I have not been able to get out there to fix it up. I would love it if a cache Samaritan, of sorts, would rescue the cache by drying it out and replacing the log. Now I, in no way, think that it is anyone else’s duty but mine to perform the task. It would, however, be a nice and much appreciated gesture.

I realize that this sentiment is just my own opinion, which is not shared by everyone, but I have been on the receiving end of caching Samaritans several times. I have had cachers show up to find my cache only to find it has been muggled. What did they do? They used one of their own to replace it and logged it as a find. While this gesture wasn’t at all necessary, it is very much appreciated. In fact, once, I had a cache that went missing. I was waiting for some replacements to show up in the mail and disabled the cache until they arrived. It took a few weeks to recieve them and one cacher wasn’t patient enough to wait. They replaced it themselves and signed the log. Regardless of their motives, I thank them for being a cache Samaritan. It is my hope, someday, to be able to return the favor; to work together as a team, so to speak.

Just some of the items I try to take caching. I do forget sometimes. (click to enlarge)

Now, if you are going to adopt this policy of lending a hand when needed, there are some basic supplies you must have with you every time you go caching. You will need something to carry it in such as a backpack. The following is a list of essential items:

• Spare cache containers – it is best to carry a selection of nanos, pill bottles, and lock and locks, if you can fit them in your pack. The little gold nanos can be purchased (6 for $4.50) at Lee Valley Tools.
• Paper towel – For drying out the container; one roll will suffice.
• New log sheets – can be printed by visiting TechBlazer.
• Zip-loc bags – for keeping the log dry.
• Couple of bungie cords.
• Some spare swag.

Most of this stuff can fit in a packsack. If you read the logs on a cache you are hunting for, you can get an idea of what supplies you need. One important thing to remember is to not change the nature of the cache. In other words, don’t replace a regular with a nano. Also, if you fix a cache, don’t forget to write a note on it telling future hunters that it is fixed. You might also email the owner who will be grateful to you.

I suppose if we were to debate this for awhile, someone would come up with many reasons to adopt this practice while others would have plenty of reasons for countering the practice. Some might even say that it is only fitting to help the cacher as a means of payback for taking the time to initially place the cache. However, I have a different take on it. I would look at it as more of a pay it forward kind of deal. You are paying it forward to future cachers who will reap enjoyment in finding the cache intact with a signable log. That is something we all wish for when we go caching – a dry signable log.

What are your thoughts on this post? Do you agree or disagree? Please leave a comment. There is no right or wrong answer here so please weigh in. Since pennies are soon to be no more, give us your ten cents (two nickels) worth.

Cache The River #6 Event

There was a pretty good turnout. (click to enlarge)

The Manuels River Heritage Society held its 6^th annual geocaching event this past Sunday. Cache the River #6 was held as part of the annual Kelligrews Soiree, a summer celebration taking place over the entire Conception Bay South (CBS) area. While it was difficult to guage the actual number of attendees, I would estimate that about 40 people or more participated.

The chalet at Manuels River Park. (click to enlarge)

As is stated on their website, Manuels River is located in the town of Conception Bay South, twenty minutes drive from St. John’s the capital of Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. It is approximately 14 km long, running from Thomas Pond to Conception Bay. The Manuels River Linear Park has become a key recreational resource for the Town of Conception Bay South and the region. Resources include an internationally recognized geological formations and fossils, a variety of natural environments and some of the most tranquil settings to be found in the area.

Hotdog, refreshment and chat time. (click to enlarge)

The event started at 1PM with all visitors logging their name on the sign-up sheet, also known as the log sheet. The staff then handed out cache sheets containing the coordinates and clues for older and yet-to-be-released caches. This year, they placed six new caches to complement the twelve existing caches along the river. Some cachers had never been here before so they had 18 caches awaiting them.

Diego with the bedpan, soon to go to New Brunswick. (click to enlarge)

As promised, the geocaching team of 48degrees brought the bed pan, a large trackable that was featured in an article in our local paper, The Telegram. The actual name on the trackable is In Memoriam Stammtisch Burgschänke. This bedpan was an original decoration in the Burgschänke in Cadolzburg. From April 2006 until May 2008 the Burgschänke was the event location for the regulars table. To remember those times, the lady of the house donated her bedpan in order to make it travel all over the world! The bed pan wants to visit only events or regulars tables. With its sheer size, it wouldn’t fit in very many regular caches anyway. It is not to be used in it´s original meaning! The owners also want cachers to provide pictures from the visited events! Diego, of Diego and Dora, grabbed the pan from its previous holders and will take it to an event in New Brunswick.

What a wonderful cake! (click to enlarge)

At about 3PM, all cachers were invited back for hot dogs, cupcakes, and refreshments. The Manuels River Heritage Society held a drawing for six prizes. The First To Find (FTF) prize for the event was awarded to Piglet1. Then, the remaining five prizes were drawn, with a mixture of veteran and new cachers taking the loot. Afterwards, the staff cut a beautiful cake that resembled a cache with trinkets. At the end of the festivities, some cachers left for other destinations while others stayed to either chat a bit or go find the remaining caches along the river.

On behalf of all cachers, I would like to thank the Manuels River Heritage Society for holding another successful event! A great time was had by all and the event resulted in the sport being introduced to many new people. Great job, everyone!

If you have a question or comment about this post, or any other of our posts, please leave us a comment. You can also leave us a comment telling us how we are doing. Is there any topic you would like us to cover? Let us know!

The Town of Brigus: A Cornerstone Of Newfoundland Heritage!

Almost two weeks ago, we stayed at a geocaching friend’s cabin for the weekend. While the overall goal of the weekend was relaxation, we did manage to throw in some geocaching. On the Saturday of that weekend, we spent the entire day touring the surrounding areas and discovering caches. It was an awesome day filled with many sights. Sunday, however, was supposed to be a relaxing day. Now, you can ask anyone that truly knows me and they will tell you that sitting around doing nothing is not relaxing for me. Relaxation, to me, is being able to do what I want to do, whether the activity seems like work or fun. Therefore, we already had Sunday morning planned out. I wanted to visit the historic town of Brigus. I am a bit of a history buff and I had heard that Brigus was rich in history.

Brigus town logo. (click to enlarge)

Brigus is a small fishing community located on Conception Bay in Newfoundland-Labrador, Canada. No one really knows for sure where Brigus got its name. The most credible theory has its name coming from the town of Brighouse in Yorkshire, England. It is believed that the community was initially settled in 1624 when the Spracklin family purchased half of the harbour from John Guy. The town has survived being almost completely burned down twice by the French. Brigus, like most Newfoundland towns, was a very resilient town.

St. Patrick’s Church, Brigus, NL. (click to enlarge)

There are five geocaches located in Brigus, each one taking you to a special part of this beautiful town, which has somehow held on to its old town charm. The first stop on the geocaching tour of Brigus was a cache called St. Patrick’s Cache (GC2WAQP), which is near the first Roman Catholic parish church in Brigus. It was built by Dean Mackin in 1825, on land donated by James Hearn. The initial church was located where the current cemetery is now and was destroyed by fire in 1934. Work began on a new church immediately following the fire and was opened on the last Sunday in October, 1935. The cache is one of two placed in the area by Gilligan and MaryJane and is just a short stroll up a small path.

The beautiful Wilcox Gardens. (click to enlarge)

The next cache on our list is another by Gilligan and MaryJane. It is called Blueberry Crisp (GC2WAPT) and is located in the beautiful Wilcox Gardens in the heart of Brigus. The garden is often called “the place of a thousand blooms” and is designated as one of the Peace Parks of Canada. It boasts a beautiful, park-like setting and is a great place to come and just think, relax, or read a book. The cache owners boast about some delicious blueberry crisp, the cache’s namesake, which can be purchased at the The Country Corner Restaurant and Gift Shop nearby. Unfortuneately, we never had the time to stop and taste some of it.

Home of Captain Robert (Bob) Bartlett. (click to enlarge)

While there is no cache here, I highly recommend checking out the Hawthorne Cottage, the Brigus home of Captain Robert (Bob) Bartlett. Captain Bob commanded more than twenty expeditions to the Arctic region. Many of these voyages were devoted to advancing scientific knowledge of the North. No matter how far north he sailed, Captain Bob seldom returned to his home in New York City without docking in Brigus for a few days. Here he enjoyed time with friends and family at Hawthorne Cottage. Hawthorne Cottage came into the Bartlett family through Bob’s mother, Mary Leamon Bartlett. It was built in 1830 by her grandfather, Brigus merchant John Leamon. The house was moved three years later from its original site in Cochranedale 10 kilometres (six miles) to its current location. The cottage combines features of Newfoundland vernacular architecture enhanced by picturesque architectural details. The architecture of Hawthorne has been recognized by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada as typifying the refined lifestyle of Newfoundland outport merchant families of the 19th and early 20th centuries. For more information on Hawthorne Cottage, check with Parks Canada.

Tinyseeker in the Brigus Tunnel.

The next stop on our geocaching adventure is the Brigus Tunnel (GC26KPT). This cache was highlighted as the second star of June in our previous blogpost and was placed by daboyznus. The Brigus Tunnel was hand blasted in the summer of 1860 by the Cornish miner, John Hoskins, in order to provide unhindered access to Abram Bartlett’s Wharf. It was constructed using steel spikes and black gun powder. Holes formed by steel spikes driven into solid rock and filled with black gun powder was the method employed in the blasting stage of construction. The tunnel represented an early engineering feat which took about four months to complete. Some of the steel spikes used in the building of the tunnel are on display at Ye Olde Stone Barn Museum. The tunnel measures approximately 80 feet long, 8 1/2 feet high and 8 feet wide.

Whelan’s Beach. (click to enlarge)

If you continue down the road from the tunnel, you will be brought across the harbour. From here, you can see the tunnel across the way. The road comes to an end and you must walk the trail for the remaining 100+ meters. Finally you arrive at Whelan’s Beach (GC2ZFYX). This cache was placed by houch2 and is located in a beautiful little cove near the mouth of the harbour. If money wasn’t an issue, I would buy this land on the spot for a summer home. From this vantage point, you could see all ships as they enter or leave the harbour.

Landfall – A place designed for seclusion. (click to enlarge)

To get to the final cache of our Brigus adventure, you must drive back past the tunnel and head to the other side of the harbour. The road gains in altitude and comes to an end part of the way up the hill known as the Battery. You must leave your vehicle behind and walk the remaining 500+ meters to the Brigus View (GC2ZFZ2), another cache by houch2. The view up here is spectacular. You can look out over the ocean, outside the mouth of the harbour, or look back and see a nice view of the town. There is also a very historic building called Landfall. The Landfall Cottage was constructed around 1786 for the Pomeroy family. The Pomeroy family owned the dwelling for many years but finally abandoned it and used it as a barn. In 1915 Rockwell Kent, an American-born artist and writer, rebuilt the Landfall and added the west addition. The structure became known as Kent Cottage and was featured in some of his paintings. After Kent’s departure from Newfoundland in 1915, engineer and artist Albert Edward Harris purchased and restored the cottage. Harris died in 1933 and the dwelling remained vacant until 1953 when Rupert Bartlett purchased it. The next year Bartlett sold the cottage to its current owner, Bradley J. Folensbee Jr. of Seattle, Washington. The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador declared the Landfall/Kent Cottage in Brigus a Heritage Structure in June 1988. From reading the literature posted at the site and by just standing there, you can easily see that the place was built for the sole purpose of seclusion. For more information on the Landfall (Kent) Cottage, visit Landfall Trust of Brigus.

Ye Old Stone Barn Museum. (click to enlarge)

Our tour of Brigus was a real enjoyable one with the only drawback being the fact it was too short. Our friend was back in North River cooking us a traditional Newfoundland Jigg’s Dinner, something I’m sure has been cooked in Brigus since its formation. We surely did not want to miss that! Nonetheless, we would highly recommend searching for these five caches, which were not very difficult to find. My only caution is that you do not come here simply for the caches. Take time to savour the old-world charm of this town and, perhaps, taste one of those wonderful blueberry crisps. We will definitely be back to try some, that’s for certain. If you would like more information about the history of Brigus, be sure to visit Ye Old Stone Barn Museum, which has all kinds of relics and information about life back then. Brigus is, indeed, a place worth visiting if you should find yourself traveling near this area. Brigus is, indeed, a cornerstone of Newfoundland Heritage.

Caching Three Stars – June

Welcome to the first edition of our monthly recap of the top caches that we have found during the month. Since I am a big hockey fan, I decided to model it after the three stars in hockey. Please understand that, sometimes, our three stars may not appear spectacular as it all depends on what caches we have visited for the month. Nonetheless, as the blog promises, it will still be the top three caches of the month, with an occasional honourable mention. Let’s get to it!

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Kelly’s Meridian

The dedication plaque located about 600 meters from the cache site. (click to enlarge)

Kelly’s Meridian (GC5D29) gets top honours for the month of June. This cache was featured in our previous blogpost called the Atlantic Charter. This cache is located on the shores of Placentia Bay in Ship Harbour. The area boasts the honours of being the birthplace of the Atlantic Charter which ultimately became the foundation of the United Nations charter. The area is easy to get to and has a lovely picnic area and lots of room for playtime.

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The Brigus Tunnel

Tinyseeker in the Brigus Tunnel. (click to enlarge)

The second star for June goes to The Brigus Tunnel (GC26KPT). The Brigus Tunnel was hand blasted in the summer of 1860 by the Cornish miner, John Hoskins, in order to provide unhindered access to Abram Bartlett’s Wharf. It was constructed using steel spikes and black gun powder. Holes formed by steel spikes driven into solid rock and filled with black gun powder was the method employed in the blasting stage of construction. The tunnel represented an early engineering feat which took about four months to complete. Some of the steel spikes used in the building of the tunnel are on display at Ye Olde Stone Barn Museum. The tunnel measures approximately 80 feet long, 8 1/2 feet high and 8 feet wide. This cache is definitely worth a visit. While there, check out the other four caches in the immediate vicinity of beautiful and historic Brigus.

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WWFM IX – A St. John’s Time

WWFM IX Attendees (click to enlarge)

Rounding out the top three is WWFM IX – A St. John’s Time (GC3m1F2) This cache gets a nod simply because it is an event. Events are a great way to either reconnect with old geocaching friends or meet new geocachers. This event was the 9^th annual flash mob event which was graciously hosted by Gilligan and Maryjane, along with Pip’n’Tif. The flash mob event seems to always start off the geocaching event season. Over the summer, keep watching for an event near your area. Perhaps we might even bump into you there. If not, we hope to see you on the trails!

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The Newfie Girls – Tip Top Cache

The Newfie Girls – Tip Top Cache (GC3MTDH) gets an honourable mention. We loved the fact that one of us had to climb something. It added a bit of a risk factor to geocaching, which can add more excitement. Upon testing the tree, we found it to be quite sturdy when you take your time. Some cachers may not have liked it but I know a few of them did, also.

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Test Your Skill

Test Your Skill (GC3NATK) also gets an honourable mention. The cache was placed by my son, tinyseeker. Apparently, the cache has been fooling a lot of cachers. We weren’t with him when he placed it. After seeing all of the DNFs, we decided to check it out. After a five minute search, we found it. Very clever hide! All I can say is that you need to look at ground zero and ask yourself “Where would I hide a nano here?”

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