More Challenges and FTF's

Making the climb

Caching for a terrain 4 FTF

So a new cache was published only 4km away from home. Upon looking we noticed it was up on Malcolm mountain and was a terrain 4 (5 is the highest rating)

No one found it The day it first came out, so the next day we decided to go for it. We packed up our 8 month old and our little puppy and headed out.  It started out as a nice little walk up a gravel road, and then we had to walk along a pipeline.

Walking the Sooke pipe line

Then we arrived at an old overgrown vehicle path. After awhile the trail became a creek which became a wee bit of a bushwhack trail and then appeared before us...a climb almost straight up. Well time to put our new baby backpack carrier to the test.

6km round trip and 3 1/2 hrs later we were back at the car.

Who would travel up a mountain with a baby just to find a nano container(about the size of your fingernail) I guess we would!!!

 

 

 

The cache is up there??

Rest stop before heading back down                                    

 

 

 

 

Not sure how helpful these ladders would be??

 

 That's a pretty small log book!!!

 

 

 

7 icons day challenge

Upon searching out some Geocaching challenges we came across one called Lucky number 7 challenge

The rules of this challenge were:

To log this cache, You must first find at least 7 different cache types in 7 days.
You are not required to find this cache container on the same day you fulfilled the challenge requirements. You DO need to include in your log the date that you began the challenge and the date you fulfilled the challenge requirements.

 

We(more me than Jenna) decided that we would do it in one day(all 7 caches plus the challenge cache)

Since the challenge cache was up past Duncan and one of the icons we would need(webcam cache) to accomplish the 7 different icons was down here in Victoria (there is another up in Parksville but we have already done that one) we planned a route that would start us down this way and head up island. We started out just after 10am and by 10:40am we already had 5 different icons in hand. (Traditional, earthcache, virtual, letterbox, and webcam)

Cool Earthcache

Tolombo in Oak Bay

The webcam took us a bit as I was trying to find the right spot to stand.
I walked past the spot a couple of times before my pic was finally on the screen of my phone. We made sure we had a clear pic of us.

 Time to start heading up island.  We came into Mill Bay which is where we were gonna grab a puzzle cache and decided to stop for a quick coffee and snack. We ran into the Geo-knights(another caching team) then off to the puzzle and out of town. We tried to grab a multi at the whipletree junction but could not get our hands on the first stage. (Muggled maybe?)

Then it started to rain hard. There was no way I was going to give up now with already 6 different icons and only 2 more caches to go to reach our goal. We headed into Duncan and searched out a new multi for us to grab. Then it was off to the challenge cache itself.

After 116km, 7 needed caches, 1 extra cache and the challenge cache, just shy of 3hours our goal was complete.  Hmmmm what adventure shall we do next month???

Until next blog

Keep on caching!!!

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

Challenges, Magic, and Birthday FUN!!!

March and April was full of caching, Magic, and FUN!!!
We have been working on a few different caching challenges including the one we set upon ourselves to get at least a cache a day for all of 2013. We also did some cool virtual caches.
(Virtual Cache: A cacher must visit the location of the virtual cache site to log the cache online. Logging a virtual cache requires compliance with the requirements detailed on the cache listing. These logging requirements could include emailing the cache owner to provide the required answers or posting photographs.)
One was published by a friend of ours back in August of 2002 called BC 300(More or Less)-TCDNBC when there was only about 300 caches in all of BC. Today there are over 30,000 caches in BC

Virtual Cache

This structure is the most complete above ground remains of a coal mine on Vancouver Island. It has now been standing for just over 100 years old.

 

 

 

When you visit this cool structure, make sure you go chat with the neighbor(seen in pic) on the other side of the parking lot or he will start making load noises until you do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 19^th I happened to be off and at home when a notification came up for a newly published cache, and out the door I went. Got to GZ and started to search. Searched in the obvious spot as stated by the hint and the GPS said I was right on top of it. After about 5 minutes another cacher appeared and we searched together. After a bit, I widened my search and noticed another tree that could match the hint...bingo, the cache was in hand and the FTF was mine...YAY #300 First to Find!!!

As I said good bye to the other cacher, and was heading back to my vehicle another cache popped up. Got into the truck and was gonna head for it and then thought, I can get it another day. Headed home!!

Was at home for about 45 minutes and we had to head out and thought we would grab another cache as Jenna had not gotten her cache for the day(2013 cache a day challenge) Looked at the map and noticed that the other new cache named “A needle in a haystack” had still not been logged. Head over that way and took the trail in. After a nice walk of about 400 metres we reached GZ to find 3 other cachers looking for the cache(One of them was the cacher I had met earlier at the other cache) They had been looking for and hour without finding it. Started to look and 2 of them had to leave empty handed. About 3 minutes of looking and the cache was in my hand. YAY MAGICMAN65!!!

We headed up island one weekend to Nanaimo to have a BBQ with some friends from Courtenay, who were camping at Living Forest Campground, and we grabbed a few caches along the way. A really cool one was called “Woodbug loose off Smiley road”

   

Can you see the cache??

It was a bit of a tricky one(check out the pic) but it's kind of cool to get a smiley on smiley road. We then stopped at the nearby lake(Chemainus lake A.K.A. Wittles lake) This is where I fished quite often when I lived in Chemainus.

We have a cache here called “Toys Ahoy” so we thought we would check in on it to see if maintenance was needed. It was fine but the cache a little further up the trail was missing a log book so I replaced it for them.

We also set out to finish some other challenges such as "Know your Vancouver Island Cacher Challenge" and I am still needing a 13 cache day for the "Bakers Dozen Challenge cache"

We also still need to go and grab "Challenge 50" which is a cache you can log after caching for 50 consecutive days. As of writing this we are at 90 consecutive days of caching and going strong.

We are also going to do the "Lucky Number 7 Challenge"

To log this cache, You must first find at least 7 different cache types within 7 days.
All cache types present, and future ARE allowed for this Challenge: Traditional, Multi-cache, Unknown (Mystery), Virtual, Letterbox Hybrid, Earthcache, Event, CITO, Webcam, Mega-Event, Wherigo, Maze Adventure Exhibit, etc.
We(probably more Me, than We.lol) have decided to complete all 7 icons plus the Challenge cache(Totalling 8) in one day instead of 7. I will let you know how that adventure goes next blog, after we complete it.

Usually to celebrate my birthday we do something fun, and this year was no different. Besides going to Nanaimo for a birthday BBQ with friends we also went paintballing with a bunch of family from up island and Calgary.

Paintball fun

 

April 2nd was the Victoria Magic Circles Annual General Meeting(AGM) where we vote in the new upcoming executive. The votes are in and I will be moving up from VP to the President of our circle for the upcoming year starting in September. More on that in my next blog!!!

 

Until next blog

Keep on caching!!!

Chris Yuill

Magicman65