2 weekends, good friends & 5 FTF's

Slide Show!

The last few weeks have found us busy again as usual, summer's hear and what better thing can two turtles do then spend the first weekend with good friends! Then of course the next with a very very long overdue weekend adventure taking us about 800 kilometers.

The weekend of the 19th found us in Tulameen playing host to several of our awesome friends. The first being Catapult Jeff & Iron Maiden - they were there to celebrate their 2500th cache with us. I'd love to tell the story in my words - but you know what Jeff's version is so much better - it can be found here:

Catapult Jeff & Iron Maiden's 2500th find!

The next day found us teaching Geocache 101 at the Tulameen Community Hall, we are quite happy with the turn out and do hope that all that attended will claim thier "attended". It was a good turn out and we walked to the nearest 3 caches as opposed to 5 as it was a very very hot day. But smiles were had as the cachers learned their way through some of the traditional caches and the one that is a bit trickier along the way. It was great to see Geo Canuck 77 & BCrockcrawler & Crossstitcher as well again.

We then came home and rested up for the weekend to end all weekends, 800 kilometers would be had! (or so there abouts), 4 FTF's, a false call to 911 due to thinking there was a fire and in the end an amazing waterfall!

We left Maple Ridge about 7 on Friday night, a little behind schedule due to poor planning on our part. We haven't been camping since last year and had a few last minute things to iron out - like pick up beer ahead of time, pack water - minor details. We then finally got out of town and headed up the canyon stopping for a few of the newer caches along the way. We finally made it into Boston Bar with a last minute thought! - Wait no ice!! It's 10:05 PM what will be open??

Well luckily the Husky was amiable, he was counting cash and I put up a sign in the window that said ICE!! CASH!!! He opened the door and let me get 2 bags, of which apparently I only needed one - but hey who's counting. We then continued booting it up the canyon to Lytton - our destination for the night. In a previous adventure we had come here in search of the Botanie Mountain Lookout and knew just where the perfect tenting place would be, on the lower portion of the road. We got there and set up about 11 PM and settled in for the night.

The next morning I woke up to find my favorite camping food.. berries - now why I love berries is because they are succulent, delicous, mouth watering and these I wasn't sure what they were but I'm venturing a guess that they were boisen berry.. if not Jordy had a picture so when he would have to take me to the hospital they'd know..!!

Cache #800 was on the horizon as we had claimed #799 the previous night, one of Ilovevacations - Blink and you'll miss it. We had opted for Lion's Den to be #800 or is it #801 - It was a place where 2 caches co-existed in happiness together. Was very neat to be there and see the park, I had to step in the beautiful stream that was there though as it was so refreshing!!

We explored for a bit then opted to move on down the line to Lillooet where our first weekend goal was upon us. Fools Gold in Shulaps. We had planned for this cache for the last year and this weekend was our first opportunity to get it. We had expected (since it had sat there for almost a year) to have some sort of challenge in obtaining it - So we were prepared with tow rope, chainsaw - you name it.

We made it into Lillooet and were both happy and sad at the same time, as the forest fire was in the town. Happy that it wouldn't impact our plans, but sad at the same time for the people who live here and the fear they must go through when the fires rage so close to their front doors. We sat in awe at the Helicopters as they picked up the buckets of water and dropped them on the fire, the precision they must have. As well how does water ever make it onto the fire, as it seems so much streams out of the buckets as they head towards the fires.

After cooling down a bit with a slushie and getting gas we headed on up the road that goes to our destination - Fools Gold in Shulaps, and what an amazing beautiful drive it turned out to be. The Horseshoe Canyon amazing, we didn't want to pull the Jeep to close to the edge as we feared we might be the next ones down it!

After making the stop there we continued on up until we passed the sweetest little river that looked so cool & refreshing, alas mean Mr. Turtle wouldn't allow me to play - I had to navigate him somewhere and to play would be my reward.. So I went along for the ride and we made the final turn on to the final FSR that would take us to the top. Along the way we passed Albert's house - how do we know's it's Albert - Well his Lizard told us so! One of those funny things you see, the huge lizard was just sitting in the tree guarding shrek's swamp.. lol

After the momen of humor we continued on up the switch backs, all the while getting closer and wondering when we would reach the top and what obstacles would be in our way - we made one wrong turn down a spur for a few moments but quickly turned ourselves around and headed up the correct route. We finally made it to the top and were in awe that there was nothing in the way, nothing that woud discourage one.. all that was left between us and the cache was 300 meters and a fear that someone had been here and forgot to sign the book - like last time!




We climbed to the top making sure not to look down and get veritgo and were greated with some of the most amazing sights we have seen, and reminders of the wa and reason we like to cache. It's about where it takes you, what you get to see and experience.. Not about the numbers. We took in the 360 degree view and tried to get some footage, my audio got drowned out by the wind - but I think you can get the idea!

It was then time to head back down the mountain, victorious that we got the FTF! The first of the weekend.. we headed back to Lillooet arriving in there about 7 PM, and watched the helicopters some more. Lillooet had had a farmers market running earlier and they were now setting up for a celebration of some sort. I can not think of a town that would need it more. To have the fire burning at your back door, less then 1500 meters up the hill would make even the strongest of people unsettled.

We then headed over to Cache Creek to head towards our next destination High Thynne - yet another FTF that Jordy had the fever for. On the way there we passed through Cache Creek, outskirts of Kamloops & Merrit. Never in my life have I seen such an amazing thunder storm. I tried and tried and tried to get pictures and video but it continued to ellude me no matter how hard I tried. We did manage to pass over the 5 mud slides on the road from Cache Creek to Kamloops without it stopping us.

But the lightening covered the entire area from Vancouver, up the canyon to lillooet, over to Kamloops and back down along the Coquihalla and the dancing lights had me more then a bit nerous and the thought of all that lightening and the consequences it would bring. I've always feared fire - for good cause, sometimes a bit anxiety and panic ridden but hey better safe then sorry. We arrived at the Brookemere turn off and headed up there and into the Misty Mountains in search of another Plastic Tupperware FTF! We headed on up past the FCC & Andy's lake, on up passed the turn off, on up the road, on up the turns and higher and higher until we rounded the corner and orange embers glowed in the distance.

NOOOO!!! There must be a fire, quick do we have cell service - yes we do, call 911 report forest fire says Mrs. Turtle she dials - thankful for Cell Service talks to the operator gives her the coordinates, describes the position and that they are about a mile from the Coquihall and the fire is bigger then a house - it's in 2 lines - must have been an amazing bolt of lightening that did it - and just as the operator has to go there is another call and she'll have forrestry call them back do I clue in.. although a moment too late - that it is not a fire, through the pouring rain at the top of Thynne Mountain I am seeing the lights on the road before.. DOLT!!! I am Now before I go on I am reminded that I did see the geocachers ultimate dream -Hudreds and hundreds of little green boxes!!

From 4 FTF's!

It is now midnight and I am tired, Mr. Turtle is tired it is dark and it is raining and it is lightening and we are at a fire lookout with radio towers around us - hoping they will take the lightening strike. And Mr. Turtle looks at the GPS - 130 meters or something that direction to which is ready to give up his precious FTF at this point. I tell him no! In my cranky state if you dragged me up here this late at night I want my find - grab your man card, a sweater and let's grab the dying flash lights to find it. To which we wander off hand and hand to the cliff in the dark (or what we think is a cliff) together by the dim light hoping to have to walk back to more then the light of the GPSR. We find what.. a lined rock pathway that leads to the helicopter pad.. lol We then feel safer figuring the grizzlies would safe in their dens so quickly find it. Jordy eccstatic that he gets the FTF after all that!

We then retire to the jeep and make the trek back down a bit quicker and off to the cabin for a good solid 11 hour sleep until noon. We wake up and noon & visit with Alvin and the munks feeding them some peanuts, have coffee on the back deck and plan the days adventures - 3 more potential caches - the new one on Rabbit Mountain and the 2 at the falls. The cabins up at Rabbit Mountain were special as Jordy & I had tried to find them some time ago but had failed. Thankfully for caching we got to discover them again - thank you for that. We made the quick run up there but after finding the caches had to turn around as now there was a log in the way the other direction.

From 4 FTF's!

We left the cabins and headed back down River road towards our final 2 stops of the day - Way to the falls and the waterfalls themselves. Great minds think alike and we had been planning on placing a cache here for the last year, just timing never seemed to avail itself. We climbed down the little hillside and found the mining equipment below. Pretty sure it belongs to our friend Will, who we think stays in the trailer above. Really cool guy - if you're on his goodside!

We hiked into the falls, reliving the same steps as we did almost 3 years to the day - when Jordy first brought me here (other then in 1974 when I lived here and don't remember.. lol)

It was an awesome weekend - the same as the one before full of memories - so thank you to our friends for sharing it with us, and thank you to our friends for placing the caches out there!

Cache on & 42!

From 4 FTF's!