tangerineman

The Garmin Nuvi does a pretty good job. I've got the 250W which has a wide screen. You can load them right on from the cache page or load on caches from a pocket query, just click and drag it in. Each cache shows up with a little green treasure box, which you can also change to an open box if you want to show your 'found's. I've even used it like a 'real' caching gps unit, it's terrific as you approach, but once right at gz the arrow's a bit less accurate than my Magellan 'geocaching' unit. The cache names show only as a GC code, which I can find frustrating some times, but not hugely. If I'm using it off road, you need to tell it to navigate 'off road' or it just keeps directing you to drive around streets. Once done, though, you can take it into a forest or wherever. Mine doesn't leave a crumb trail, i.e. you can't retrace your steps or track.

What a great story about your discovery of Geocaching. It reminded me of how exciting it was to find those first caches.

I just plucked a tick off my puppy, most likely picked up in the Rouge. It's extremely small (actually, the puppy AND the tick), so mustn't have been there for long, which is why I can narrow down the possibilities. There's quite a bit of long grass as you approach TLI General McArthur, my strongest suspect thus far.

Good point, Nolan1995....especially to the west of Algonquin, in the Muskoka area. I'd never looked there before. Fantastic.

The person I kayak with, who is just as impressed with them as me, is about 5' 10" and admits to being a wee bit over the 200 lb weight limit. When you get in for the first time, you might feel it to be tippy, but you'll quickly adjust and realize it's quite stable. Res, the only VW I can visualize is a Bug, and the image of a kayak on top of a VW bug always makes me laugh for some reason . A VW Van? That might work. I suspect 8' is too long for an SUV, but 26 lbs wouldn't be bad for the roof lift at all. I actually spent several hours in mine this past week - portaged them along a .75 km trail into a remote lake off of a remote lake near the cottage, and had a blast paddling around this lake, then followed a couple of trails into even-more remote lakes that I'd camped on several times years ago, but haven't been back to since. These lighter kayaks were really the ticket to make this possible. The 'cockpit' is a nice open area (not a tight squeeze in as with some), which, much to my delight, allowed enough room for my "little dog too".

Fantastic, cruise, I hope you're enjoying it. I just came back from portaging mine into a remote lake, which was fantastic because they're so light. I have to say I continue to be really impressed with them.

Non-sequitur?

I really think everyone knows they're not supposed to approach wild animals. This happened to be an extraordinary event, and I'm sure the cacher used her smarts and instincts to decide if anyone should pat the raccoons. If she was driving a bunch of kids from Kingston, I'm going to guess she's a adult.

Absolutely lovely story. Thanks for sharing.

All caches in that park have being archived,at the land administrator's request. What a shame, I'm glad I got to some of them at least. This must have happened in the last week or so.

I've posted about this kayak before, but just noticed it's on sale for $200 this Saturday and Sunday at Canadian Tire, in my local flyer, anyways. I've used mine several times now and find it terrific - the lightest (26 lbs), shortest (8' - I can put 2 of these in the back of my stow-n-go van), and least expensive kayak in the country. http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_...D=1249041897123

Wow, good one HJF. I clicked on the map then backed out, and the number of caches in the downtown area is quite impressive. Clearly I have to head down there next time I'm in town. There are lots in the Mount Royal area I notice, and one's bound to be at the lookout, which is definitely worth a visit while in Montreal.

Montreal's got some fantastic caching in the Bois de Liesse (check GCZ19W) if you're looking for forest trails. It's a large hardwood forest with great trails for walking, cycling or cross-country skiing and tons of caches. Look to the north of that area as well, on Laval island. Also, east of there in the Isle de Bizzard, though my experience there was no doubt affected by gorgeous fresh snow and a full moon on new years eve a couple of years ago. I'm yet to try any downtown caches. If puzzles are more to your style (pas moi, je suis TERrible at them), there are some fantastic puzzlers in the area, including in Dollard, west island. Bon chance!

I'm pretty sure it means JP's in a 'discussion' with someone and he just made a good point, thus putting him in the lead.

Canadian Tire carries it.

Well, the individual I was with is just under 6', like 5'11". They found there to be enough room, and this is someone who tends to like to, shall we say, be fussy about things like that....this is also someone who never reads these forums . The Ripple kayak has more leg room and a very open cockpit. I take my puppy in that one, but am probably not going to take him in this one. The Ripple is almost 10' long and weighs 42 lbs. The Pelican is a fair bit faster, and can pivot on a lily pad....When I stop paddling my ripple, it just keeps cruising through the water, but when I stop paddling the Pelican, it can easily tend to turn around. But it's supper easy to steer, and is very responsive to the paddle. Today it handled beautifully both in a teeny bit of current on the Rouge, in the calm Rouge marshes area, and on Lake Ontario, which had gentle swells. It's probably the cheapest, and lightest, and shortest sit-in kayak available, handy for caching as you can pop it in the back of the van. I purchased it at $280, but am still within the time limit to get the sale price...$100 refund on 2 kayaks...a very happy Canadian Tire shopper here.

Canadian Tire has these kayaks on sale for $230. http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/5/Sp...-in%2BKayak.jsp They weight only 26 pounds, and at just 8 feet long, you can toss them in the back of your van. They're only good to 200lbs, but I just kayaked 9 km on the Rouge and out to L. Ontario with someone admitting to topping that weight, and they were very comfortable. I have spent hundreds of hours on flat water in my Paluski Ripple kayak, and found these just as stable (very stable), very comfortable, and faster than the Ripple.

Very, very cool shot

'Wilberforce and Greater Surroundings' - (sort of makes it closer to 'city' ststus ?) Check out <geocachingcapitalofcanada.com> I can do you one better than checking out that link, some of my and SurvivorGirl's earliest caching experiences were in and around Wilberforce. My favourite cache of all time in fact is just north and east of town, as I recall. It's since been archived, but you walked up a wide trail about 1/2 km to an old mine opening with pieces a rock I'm trying to remember - purple and white bands - lying all around the area. Really unique. Unfortunately, in that case I can also still remember how excited we were to find that store in Wilberforce that sells everything including geocaching items - TB tags, lanyards, pads, miro containers - we were all atingle, wondering if the people behind the counter were cachers, but never asked. Nice memory.

K, I'll risk it.......WGS?

If anyone's looking for a great caching city, you should check out Montreal. GCZ19W will get you to the area, in the Bois de Liesse, a gorgeous forest with trails and loads of caches. Click on the map and look to the island north of there (Laval?), or just zoom out. There are hundreds of forest caches in Montreal and surrounds, mostly traditional, good for paperless caching. I don't think any city can compete with it.

MANY thanks, I really appreciate the notice. By west-end park...like High Park, say? or Mr. and Mississauga? I never would have thought to start looking for them this early....the dog owners you refer to must have been horrified!

I always fail to see myself as a trend-setter, but the numbers say it all.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure what response I'd get to pulling these caches. So far it's all good

I've decided to archive a few of my caches to free up space for others to place their own hides - all caches that have been around for a couple of years or more, some have had as many as 70 finds. But as more and more cachers have already found them, some of them have had only a hand-full of finds in the past year. So I thought what's the point of holding onto this space. I'm all about new beginnings. I've removed one from Bluffers' Park (Over There?), and am about to remove (now archived) 9 from Walker Woods/Glen Major Forest- a fanTASTIC forest bordered by Westney Rd to the west, Uxbridge Rd to the East, south of Goodwood Road. In this area I had Partridge in a Pine Tree, 2 Turtle Doves, 3 French Hens, 4 Calling Birds, 5 Gold Rings, 7 Lords a Leaping, 8 Maids 'a Milking, 9 Pipers Piping and 12 Drummers Drumming....also 6 Geese a'Laying and 11 Swans a Swimming, both on or above the shore of L. Ontario have been archived and will soon be removed. Let the hiding begin!