Bothell and Edmonton Trips

Quick trip to Bothell, Washington

Booked a show down in the states in Bothell, Washington. Headed down early so I could grab some caches along the way.

Stopped at a rest area and grabbed an Adventure Lab to begin with. I thought I had all the caches and adventure labs at all these rest areas on the way down here, but obviously I did not see this one until this trip. 
Headed further down the road and swung into Mount Vernon to grab a virtual and a library cache. 

Didn't have to look to hard as this book was in plain view when I got to the right section of the library.

Just remember if you are looking for a cache in a library, the Dewey Decimal for Geocaching is 796.587

This is the fake book opened, lots of swag!!

Right across the road from the Library was the virtual cache, so I got that as well.

Did a super cool Gadget cache in Arlington called "The Switchboard" 

This was such a cool cache, with over 250 Favorite Points, check out my video I did of it on Youtube, at:

"The Switchboard"

PS: On the right hand side of this webpage is where you can find my YouTube, and Instagram links. Please feel free to check them out and follow or subscribe!!!

Once you got all five plugs in the right spot, the cache door would open. (Check out the pic above)

Found a total of 9 Traditional's, 1 Multicache, 1 Adventure Lab, and 1 Virtual cache while across the border.

Caching in Edmonton

Went to Edmonton, Alberta for 5 days to visit some family. Decided to grab a few caches while here. I like looking for a different cache type other than a traditional cache when I travel.

Did a cool AL while there called "Canada Packers Chimney Stack"

It is now all thats left standing from the packing plant that has quite a history here in Edmonton including :

The Gainers Strike (1986): One of the longest and most infamous strikes in Alberta history. Over 1,000 workers at the Gainers meatpacking plant (located on Yellowhead Trail and 66th Street) walked out on June 1, 1986, protesting wage rollbacks and pension cuts. The six-and-a-half-month standoff included massive picketing and clashes with replacement workers.

June 9, 1986 a battle rages on the Gainers picket line:Thirty years ago, one of the most violent labour disputes in Edmonton's history occured. It was sparked in the summer of 1986 when the unionized workers of the Gainers meat-packing plant in Edmonton walked off the job. Plant managers hired replacement workers to keep the operation going, but were met with violent opposition. As tensions mounted Edmonton police, in full riot gear, acted as security guards trying to keep the peace but failed. Steve Andrusiak captured graphic footage of the clash in this Newsday report from June 9, 1986. It remains in the minds of many long-time Edmontonians as they drive by what was then the Gainers meatpacking plant on 66th street.

After doing the five stages of the Adventure Lab, you got coordinates to search for the bonus cache.

Check out the wall of rocks where there was a hidden Fake Rock which held the caches. I am glad I found it quite quick.

Ended up finding 1 Traditional Cache, 5 Wherigo caches, 8 stages of Adventure Labs, and 3 Puzzle caches, and one of them was a challenge cache. I also found my "8888th Cache" during this trip!! It was "#6-pigpen cipher puzzle geocache" which I solved before coming on the trip.

NOTE: The highlighted or underlined words in my blog can be clicked on as they are links to other cool stuff!! Also if you click on any of the pictures they become BIGGER!!!

Next month, I have shows and trips all over, Including heading to Harrison Lake for a magical picnic, Whistler and down to Edmonds Washington for shows, so will be grabbing some select caches.....But more about that in Next months Blog....

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on Caching

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

Caching and Adventure Labs

Lower Mainland Cache Bache #9

For the last several years there is a cache bash, that takes place in BC. For 8 years it was known as the Fraser Valley Cache Bash, and spread from Pitt Meadows to Hope, This year they extended it to Horseshoe bay and now its the Lower mainland Cache Bash. I didn't plan on doing any this year, but then noticed there was one close to home, so I made my way over there. I was already looking when I saw some familiar faces walking into the woods. We finally found it as the co-ords were off.

We shared the FTF and I headed back home, as they headed for more caches.

Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred, and Eighty Eight!!

Coming up to getting 8888 finds!! As you may have seen in past blog's I like to mark wierd numbers. Even though I do enjoy finding round numbers and milestones such as 5000, 6000, etc., I like to mark my 5555th, etc. as you can see in part of the list from my Geocaching profile page:

5000th cache Ensconcement Interchange March 17/20 Richmond, BC
5555th cache Two Posts from Blue White March 7/21 Delta, BC
6000th cache BC Spirit Quest #30: Murray's Corners Oct. 26/21 Murrayville, BC

6565th cache Cynthia Street Cache Aug. 11/22 Saskatoon, Sask.
6666th cache DHL9 - The North West Necklace Sept. 25/22 Semiahmoo, Wash.

6969th cache Welcome to San Juan Travel Bug Hotel Apr. 22/23 Friday Harbor, Wash.
7000th cache English Camp Apr. 22/23 San Juan Island, Wash.
7777th cache Bygone Hwy - Basking Rocks May 12/24 100 mile house, BC
8000th cache West Richmond Community Centre AL Nov. 9/24 Richmond, BC

8888th cache ???????? 

Will I make it to 8888 this month? Maybe you will you have to wait till next blog to find out??

NOTE: The highlighted or underlined words in my blog can be clicked on as they are links to other cool stuff!! Also if you click on any of the pictures they become BIGGER!!!

This month I was lucky emough to be chosen to chat on an Online call with 2 Lackey's from Groundspeak. They wanted my opinion of a new thing they are thinking of putting into the game. It's something called "Sharable's" but it's not yet been started. I am waiting to see if they launch this new feature or not!! 

Adventure Lab Geoart

I got to be a part of an adventure Lab geoart builder. It is being spearheaded by a cacher in Victoria called Benicha. When finished it will consist of 124 AL's with 5 stages each totaling 620 finds all from one spot. I did 26 AL's at the San Diego airport back in October when I was thru there, for a total of 130 finds and though that was a lot. 

My Adventure Lab which is the 6th one I have done now is about Shipwrecks around Victoria, BC

Here is the FB post that I saw, that lead me to asking to be a part of it:

I VICTORIA – GeoArt Project

We’re building a large GeoArt in the ocean off Ogden Point — and you can be part of it! We are halfway there!!

Each person creates one Adventure Lab (5 locations) that becomes a piece of the design.

Themes are extended to all of Vancouver Island

I can provide:• A theme• 5 questions• Multiple choice answers

All you need to do is: Add 5 photos Build your Adventure Lab Let me know when you’re ready

I’ll then assign your official ocean coordinate + title, and you can publish.

Bonus: Publishing your Lab may trigger another Adventure Lab credit (sometimes right away, sometimes in 3 months!)

No stress, no pressure — I’m happy to help make this easy

It looked like a fun project, so I asked if I could be part of it. And now I am!!! Mine just went live!! 

Mine is "I {heart} Victoria BC 071"

Now I am hearing they are planning on making one in and around the Kelowna area.

PS: On the right hand side of this webpage is where you can find my YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, links. Please feel free to check them out and follow or subscribe!!!

Blue Switch Day

This month on May 2nd was what cachers have dubbed "Blue Switch Day"

On this day 26 years ago the decision was made to discontinue Selective Availability, ending the intentional restriction on civilian GPS accuracy and significantly improving GPS technology for public use. This date is recognized by geocachers as “Blue Switch Day.”

And this happened the very next day:

The first geocache was placed on May 3, 2000, by Dave Ulmer in the woods near Beavercreek, Oregon. He placed the container shortly after the U.S. government turned off Selective Availability for GPS satellites, creating a fun test to see if others could find a specific location using exact coordinates.

The original "stashed" cache was a black plastic bucket that contained software, books, money, and a slingshot. Today, there is an official Original Stash Tribute Plaque placed at the exact historical site.

M is for MAGIC!!!

Had a show out in Mission and stopped for a few caches along the way. 

This was a cache that I grabbed at this large Metal "M"

There used to be a cache here in the past that I got, but it must have been archived, and now there is a new one here. Plus there is one stage of an Adventure Lab here.

Next month, I will be heading to the States for a show, and then off to Edmonton to visit Family, and will also grab a few caches.....But more about that in Next months Blog....

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

Travel is fun!!

McLeod Lake

 Booked a show in McLeod Lake which is about 2 hours north of Prince George. Flew into PG and rented a car, and then headed up the highway towards McLeod Lake. 

My show was in a small community by the lake. I only found 4 caches while here.

I felt there should have been a cache at this location.

But there was not!!

On the way back to the airport the next day, I stopped for a visit with Mr. PG

I visited him on one of my last trips up here but it was in December and minus 20. BRRRRRRRRRR

PS: On the right hand side of this webpage is where you can find my YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, links. Please feel free to check them out and follow or subscribe!!!

Edmonton Trip

Went to Edmonton, Alberta the day after I got home from Prince George, for a visit with family, and was able to grab several caches while in town. 

Also did a Free show for the Senior Centre that my Mom lives at.

Got a total of 9 Traditional caches, 5 Wherigo caches, and 1 puzzle cache.

Got 25 stages of AL's also,

got 13 of those stages while the plane was coming into the gate still. lol

 

This was a cool cache hide I found in Edmonton

NOTE: The highlighted or underlined words in my blog can be clicked on as they are links to other cool stuff!! Also if you click on any of the pictures they become BIGGER!!!

Penticton Trip

Booked a show in Penticton, and went there the night before and stayed in Summerland, so we could do some caching on the way there as well as during the day before my show

Did a bunch of caches in and around Summerland

Then we also went to Peachland for just one cache that had 128 favorite points on it.

This was the cache box on the back of the Peachland sign, but to open it, you needed a special tool that was nearby.

Here it was open, very cool. We added 2 more Favorite points to this cache!!

Found a total of 18 Traditional's, 1 multi, 1 wherigo, and 1 Puzzle that was really cool and more like a multi, and at every stage there was a different method to figure out, to get you to the next stage. 

This was at the first stage of "NOT Just Another Pile of Geo-Sticks"

You had to count the knots in the strings to get the co-ord's to the next stage.

The second Stage was just info but if you don't know how to project a waypoint or have the appropriate app to do so, you would be very confused. 

To get to the Last Stage you needed to convert the coordinates from UTM format to GPS also known as WGS84 format

We also did 5 Adventure labs with a total of 24 stages.

At the end of September I am going to Salmon Arm again for a corporate gig. I was thru there back in May and Susan and I were thru there a few years back. Gonna get several caches on the way there and in town, also in the beginning of October, I will be boarding the Holland America's Eurodam and heading south to Santa Barbera and San Diego of but more about that in Next Month's Blog.........

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

International Geocaching Day!!!

International Geocaching Day!!!

August 16th is International Geocaching Day. If you find a cache, Adventure Lab, or attend an Event you get this souvenir  

All you had to do is log a cache between Aug.15th to the 17th

NOTE: The highlighted or underlined words in my blog can be clicked on as they are links to other cool stuff!! Also if you click on any of the pictures they become BIGGER!!!

 

I got a second Souvenir on the 16th called the Memory Maker

Seems like we sometimes get these for no real reason. lol

PS: On the right hand side of this webpage is where you can find my YouTube, and Instagram links. Please feel free to check them out and follow or subscribe!!!

I got a couple more First to Find's this past month, bringing my FTF total up to 493 FTF's. Who knew when I got my first FTF in 2009, that I would be continuing today in looking for them.

Looking forward to FTF number 500!!!

Myra Canyon Trip

I am making a list of caches for an upcoming trip to Kelowna and Penticton. Hoping to bike ride the Myra Canyon Trestle trail just outside of Kelowna, and grab the caches there in September. Plus we will grab several caches on the way to the trail and then more on the way to Penticton, where I have a show the next day.

Myra Canyon is a section of the historic Kettle Valley Railway near Kelowna, British Columbia, now a 24 km round-trip recreational trail featuring 18 wooden trestles and two tunnels, known for its engineering heritage and scenic views. The trail is a popular destination for hiking and cycling, accessible to most fitness levels, though safety precautions are needed due to steep drops and rough surfaces. The area was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995 for its outstanding engineering achievement in railway construction through mountainous terrain.

Heading to McLeod Lake thru Prince George in a couple of days, and then back home and then off to Edmonton, Alberta the next day. Gonna be there for about a week to visit, and hope to grab a cache or two, but more about these adventures and more in next months blog......

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Magically yours,

Chris Yuill

Magicman65