Good morning everyone. This week we'll be jumping back up to Canada and the province of Alberta for the oldest and most favorite. The oldest geocache is 'Strathcona Wilderness 1' GCA6. This was hidden in November, 2000 and is located East of the city of Edmonton. To date, it has been found 645 times and has received 253 favorite points. Speaking of favorite points, the cache with the most hearts is 'Lake of the Little Fishes' GCA079. This virtual is located at Lake Louise and was placed in October, 2002. To date, it has a whopping 3,944 logged finds and 341 favorite points. I got this one back in August, 2015.
This weekend should have been the North Dakota Camping and Caching event. Just like everything else in the world right now, this event was cancelled until next year. I have attended the last two camping and caching events. I was hoping to go again this year, but I had to wait and see when D-2002's grad ceremony was. That would have been right around the time I should be heading South across the border. We all know what has happened in the months leading up to the event with the pandemic. The border between Canada and the States remains closed, so any ideas or plans of travelling across for geocaching is out. I'm going to look back at the previous two events I did attend.
I had heard about this particular event and it was on my bucket list to go, but circumstances and finances said otherwise. I found out very early that the 2018 event would be at Icelandic State Park, just outside of Cavalier. That's a short drive from home. Maybe two hours, possibly two and a half. I had purchased a tent a couple of years earlier, but never used it up to that point. I'm going camping and I will attend this event. I'll make it happen. I had booked the Friday off from work so I could take my time driving down and finding a few caches along the way. I was trying to get enough finds so that the kick off event would be my 4,500th geocache. I also planned on making a somewhat grand entrance. Everyone in the campground knew that there was a Canadian amongst them.
Since Cavalier was a short drive from the Canadian border, there was a decent representation of Manitoba geocachers that came down for the Saturday events. Looking back at the attended logs, I count nine people from Manitoba. There was also geocachers from Minnesota as well. The Saturday event had a total of 56 attended logs. That doesn't include the spouses and children that was there as well. The 2018 event was my largest event to attend. One of the highlights from the 2018 event was finally meeting up with Geocaching Jangie. We've been following each other on Instagram for about four years and have messaged each other over time. It was like meeting a pen pal for the first time.
The 2018 event was such fun that I started making plans for the 2019 event. That would be in Dickinson, in the opposite corner of the State. I'm looking at a nine hour drive for this one. Since I'm going into a part of North Dakota that I've never been, I made plans to grab caches along the way and work on my North Dakota county challenge. This was also a good opportunity to pass through Williston and find some of the caches that Jangie owns. This was becoming an epic geocaching trip. Since the 2019 event was much further away, there was fewer Manitoba geocachers in attendance. I only count six that attended the Saturday event. Attendance was down slightly for this edition of the camping and caching event, but a good turnout. Many of those in attendance took the time to drive down the Enchanted Highway, finding the caches that are placed at each sculpture.
My drive home would include more counties for the ND county challenge and North Dakota's oldest active geocache. It was another awesome weekend with so much fun and catching up with North Dakota geocachers that I met at last years event. The 2020 edition of the camping and caching event was scheduled for Minot. A little closer to home. Maybe a five hour drive. As I mentioned at the top, my attendance was based on when my oldest was having his high school graduation ceremony. I figured I could be there for part of the weekend at the very least. When the pandemic hit, and the border closing, I wasn't sure if attending this year would be possible at all. This years event was ultimately canceled and will take place in Minot next year. Hopefully the situation in the world will have dramatically improved by then.
I highly recommend attending the camping and caching event. If you happen to be in the area next year, or maybe you will plan a trip to North Dakota near the end of June in 2021, I hope to see you there. It is a weekend full of fun, games, good company, prizes, and more. Here's to better conditions for next year. Until next week, be safe (wear a mask & was your hands), be happy, keep your distance from others (don't worry, we won't think you're being anti-social, just being safe), be kind to others, but most of all, have fun. Life is too short. Peace out.
This weekend should have been the North Dakota Camping and Caching event. Just like everything else in the world right now, this event was cancelled until next year. I have attended the last two camping and caching events. I was hoping to go again this year, but I had to wait and see when D-2002's grad ceremony was. That would have been right around the time I should be heading South across the border. We all know what has happened in the months leading up to the event with the pandemic. The border between Canada and the States remains closed, so any ideas or plans of travelling across for geocaching is out. I'm going to look back at the previous two events I did attend.
I had heard about this particular event and it was on my bucket list to go, but circumstances and finances said otherwise. I found out very early that the 2018 event would be at Icelandic State Park, just outside of Cavalier. That's a short drive from home. Maybe two hours, possibly two and a half. I had purchased a tent a couple of years earlier, but never used it up to that point. I'm going camping and I will attend this event. I'll make it happen. I had booked the Friday off from work so I could take my time driving down and finding a few caches along the way. I was trying to get enough finds so that the kick off event would be my 4,500th geocache. I also planned on making a somewhat grand entrance. Everyone in the campground knew that there was a Canadian amongst them.
(my campsite)
Since Cavalier was a short drive from the Canadian border, there was a decent representation of Manitoba geocachers that came down for the Saturday events. Looking back at the attended logs, I count nine people from Manitoba. There was also geocachers from Minnesota as well. The Saturday event had a total of 56 attended logs. That doesn't include the spouses and children that was there as well. The 2018 event was my largest event to attend. One of the highlights from the 2018 event was finally meeting up with Geocaching Jangie. We've been following each other on Instagram for about four years and have messaged each other over time. It was like meeting a pen pal for the first time.
(celebrating my 4,500th geocache found or attended)
(the 2018 group picture. I'm in the front row, right of center, on my knees)
The 2018 event was such fun that I started making plans for the 2019 event. That would be in Dickinson, in the opposite corner of the State. I'm looking at a nine hour drive for this one. Since I'm going into a part of North Dakota that I've never been, I made plans to grab caches along the way and work on my North Dakota county challenge. This was also a good opportunity to pass through Williston and find some of the caches that Jangie owns. This was becoming an epic geocaching trip. Since the 2019 event was much further away, there was fewer Manitoba geocachers in attendance. I only count six that attended the Saturday event. Attendance was down slightly for this edition of the camping and caching event, but a good turnout. Many of those in attendance took the time to drive down the Enchanted Highway, finding the caches that are placed at each sculpture.
(one of many sculptures along the enchanted highway)
My drive home would include more counties for the ND county challenge and North Dakota's oldest active geocache. It was another awesome weekend with so much fun and catching up with North Dakota geocachers that I met at last years event. The 2020 edition of the camping and caching event was scheduled for Minot. A little closer to home. Maybe a five hour drive. As I mentioned at the top, my attendance was based on when my oldest was having his high school graduation ceremony. I figured I could be there for part of the weekend at the very least. When the pandemic hit, and the border closing, I wasn't sure if attending this year would be possible at all. This years event was ultimately canceled and will take place in Minot next year. Hopefully the situation in the world will have dramatically improved by then.
(2019 group picture. I'm more to the right this time, holding the sign at chest level)
(One of the stops I had to make, geocache or not. This is one of many Whispering Giants sculptures that can be found across the U.S.)
(North Dakota's oldest active geocache)
I highly recommend attending the camping and caching event. If you happen to be in the area next year, or maybe you will plan a trip to North Dakota near the end of June in 2021, I hope to see you there. It is a weekend full of fun, games, good company, prizes, and more. Here's to better conditions for next year. Until next week, be safe (wear a mask & was your hands), be happy, keep your distance from others (don't worry, we won't think you're being anti-social, just being safe), be kind to others, but most of all, have fun. Life is too short. Peace out.
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