Virtual's and Adventure Labs

Virtual Cache Credit

  

So in January of this year I was awarded a Virtual Cache as part of a limited release of Virtuals to be created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given this opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. 

I was pretty excited to receive this, and already knew where I would place this. Back in August 2015 while in Vegas for the Magic Live Convention, I went to a virtual called "Las Vegas Money Makers" 

It was a large bronze statue of Siegfried and Roy and one of their tigers. It was in front of the Mirage Hotel where they performed for many years. Early 2019 the Virtual cache was archived as the Cache owner was getting out of caching. I messaged Groundspeak (Geocaching Headquarters) and asked if I could take it over and adopt it. I wanted to keep it alive, as it was a cool tribute to two magicians that helped make magic a permanent fixture in Las Vegas. They said they could not unarchive it. 

The moment I received my Virtual Credit, I knew exactly where I wanted to put it. I wanted to place it at this statue to keep the memory of two great performers alive. I thought I will visit the statue in August while there for Magic Live and get some info to use for the Virtual.

Several months later it was announced that the Mirage was being closed and rebuilt into the new "Hard Rock Casino." 

I asked around and searched to see if the statue would stay there as it was close to the Las Vegas strip and not close to the hotel. I was told they would be leaving it there. Perfect!!!

A couple months later, the news comes out that they will be moved to the "Neon Museum"

(If you have never been, I suggest visiting when you are in Vegas) So now I was unsure where I would place my Virtual. 

BUT......

One day just about a week ago, I had a memory pop up on my Facebook about my trip to Watson Lake, Yukon back in 2012 to build the Hospital in town. I remember looking at the caching map before heading up there and noticed there were only two caches in town....Yikes!!

But then I was reminded that there is a historical site up there called the "Sign Post Forest"

I quickly looked at the caching map and noticed there was now only one cache in that town as one has become archived. I thought this will be the perfect place for a Virtual as it is right on the Alaska Highway and people visit it on the way to Alaska. So I started digging thru my pictures that I took while up there and doing some research on it.

 My virtual is now built and submitted and just waiting for it to be approved. (Editor Note: It was approved and is now live) Check it out at:

"Sign Post Forest"
If you are ever thru there, please go check out the Sign Post forest, grab my virtual and the TB hotel that is inside the forest. I even got a cool souvenir for placing a cache.

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!!!

Adventure Lab

I also was given an Adventure Lab credit to set up, and a couple months ago I went to Castlegar for a show at the Casino. On the way there I went thru a cool place that I have been thru on many trips for shows. Just above Osoyoos, BC there is a whole bunch of very cool statues of the wildlife. I looked to see if there was already caches or an Adventure Lab in the area, and there is only one cache on that stretch of highway at the Cougar statue!! One of the 5 stops on this Adventure Lab.

So I proceeded to get some coordinates and pictures and when I got back home I set up a new Adventure Lab.
If you are ever traveling thru the Osoyoos area don't miss it.

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!!!

Next month is Halloween, my favorite Holiday, plus October also has 3 days of Earthcache day, So I will need to grab one of those....But more about that in Next Months Blog!!!

Well that's it for this month!!

Keep on caching!!

Chris Yuill

Magicman65

Getting harder and harder to cache

It seems to be getting harder and harder to cache. Oh, not because I can't get out or am busy. You see I have been up in the Yukon since the end of May, and the town I am in only has two caches in town....eeek. The next nearest is about 5 mins away, then 2 about 10 mins away, and then another 2 in opposite directions about 25 minutes away. There was also one about 40 mins away, but I got that one on the way to Watson Lake as it was a FTF. So 7 caches to get within a 20km radius, what do I do on the second day!!!  LOL
Actually, I have been pacing myself, and not going for all them right away, in fact the 2 in town are both in the Sign Post Forest  and about 170 meters apart.




Sign Post Forest

 But I only did them on different days, so I would have a reason to get out and about. So after the first week, I was out of local caches.

If you read my last blog post, you would see that I have travelled some farther distances to get some BC caches for a challenge cache, as well as a cache for International Geocachers day(It was the 4th cache ever published in the Yukon, but the first one ever found) While up here I have also found BC's most northern cache, The Yukon's 4th and 5th ever caches(I plan to get Yukon's 1st cache on my next trip to Whitehorse)
Just so you know all of the Yukon has a grand total of 248 caches. In BC there is almost 28,000 active caches. A wee bit of a difference.

Today a bunch of us decided to take a trip to Liard River Hot springs 
We saw a herd of about 40-50 Buffalo along the highway. It was quite exciting as we were able to

 

stop right beside them and take a lot of photos.  There were some huge ones as well as some baby's and they just walked by the truck, and did not care that we were there.  Further up the road we stopped so I could grab a cache. It was the Yukon's most southerly cache. It was only 72km from Watson Lake but I can't use it for the VLH challenge cache(see last blog) as it is in the Yukon, not BC.                           



 

  We then stopped at a very beautful spot overlooking the river. The river was flowing quite fast, and there was lots of debri from when the floods and road closures happened a few months back. While there we saw what appeared to be a couple of duffle bags and a knapsack floating down the river. We saw no sign of people or a canoe, so we assumed they made it to shore.

 

We then continued down the road to our destination.

 

 The Liard River Hot Springs....what a awesome day it was to hang out and soak in the springs. It was almost too hot and you could only stay in so long.

 

On our way home we passed the same herd of buffalo plus a smaller herd and a few single buffalo walking along the highway. We also saw a bear, there is no shortage of them up here.

 

   

I find it funny that the bear silhouette on the  "Caution Bear in Area" sign and the bear we saw both look the same. (the pose)

 

 

 Back at Watson Lake, now trying to figure out which cache I need to travel to next week on Labour day. Do I go for the one that's SE and 140km away, or the one that's South and 138km away??

Oh well, till next blog, keep on Caching!!!

Magicman65