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Vancouver BC Cache Machine


travisl

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No comments on the route, please -- I just tossed it together to see what it would look like, using month-old data, but figured I'd share. 200 miles, 73 caches, March 27. This is definitely not even close to the final route, just look at it, smile, and move on.

 

This would be as good a topic as any to discuss whether a Vancouver BC Cache Machine is even doable. Two cachers I spoke to this weekend had conflicting views -- one said that traffic and distances in BC make doing this an exercise in frustration; another said it would definitely be achievable fun.

 

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I'll put a pointer in the Canada forums to direct some folks this way, too.

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A lot, if not most of those probably have a good 10-15+ minute walk to the cache.

It would be a different kind of cache machine but if the walks are nice I think it would be great. As long as it was "advertised" as a different kind.

Agreed. I love the idea of getting to lots of neat places -- not just caches by the side of the road -- though there is no shame in that either.

 

However if 25 caches is an upper limit to what is likely to be achievable, then listing 73 is a bad idea. It seems to me the main component of fun in a CM is the shared similar experience. If everyone were to pick and choose which 25 of the 73 to go after, a lot of the fun of rehashing the day's events over a couple of pints would be lost.

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That is indeed a hefty load. A lot, if not most of those probably have a good 10-15+ minute walk to the cache. Multiply that by 75 and the driving times between them, and the most I see getting done in a day is 20-25 unless you run all the way.

 

However, I'd like to see an attempt made. It'd be fun!

The same situation existed at Victoria, but people seemed to get to these remarkably quickly, at least faster than I had. I think we should bear that in mind. After all, Moun10Bike got 73, was it? Add to that almost 13 hours of light.

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Easy enough -- lop off everything south of the Fraser River, and that brings us down to 60. Kill off the 11 north of the Burrard Inlet, we're down to 49. Skip another 16 in the Burnaby/Port Coquitlam area, we're down to 33.

 

The route is infinitely malleable at this point. I'm won't start to worry about the exact route for a month or so.

 

The show stopper, for me, would be if Saturday Vancouver traffic would make this event an exercise of idling on the freeways. Time spent on the asphalt is time not spent finding neat places.

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The show stopper, for me, would be if Saturday Vancouver traffic would make this event an exercise of idling on the freeways. Time spent on the asphalt is time not spent finding neat places.

So you're saying we shouldn't look forward to a Federal Way cache machine any time soon. :rolleyes:

 

On topic, we spent a weekend in Vancouver a few years ago and I remember the traffic being a nightmare. :lol: We drove around Stanley Park a few times looking for parking, hate to do that during a cache machine. But this was in the middle of the summer on a hot day.

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I would love an excuse to go to Vancouver, BC! Sounds fun.

 

I tend to agree that traffic has always been pretty bad when I've been up there but that has been in the summer. Maybe it's not so bad in the spring?

 

Maybe an alternative would be somewhere a bit outside of Vancouver proper like Chilliwack, Port Coquitlam, or north of Vancouver and on the way to Whistler? Maybe traffic would be less a hassle outside the city itself.

 

But, hey, whatever you plan, I'm up for giving it a go! :rolleyes:

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We spent a day in Vancouver on their rememberance day. From Quincy the first one we got was Iron horse on Snoqualme. We went up the back way through carnation and then up 5 to Vancouver. Spent a day in Vancouver, Imax, Spagetti Factory Stanley Park ect. We only got caches that were at or on the way to places we were already going. Then the next day cached back down the Washington coast to Yani's greek resturant in green lake. About 50 some caches and 457 miles!

 

On the Victoria caches. Parking...Super Bad. Especially Stanley park. And expect to pay for it too. Point Grey road has got hardly any parking and many times you are forced to park where you can and then hike back a couple blocks to the beach. There are a ton of multis and puzzle caches. I was suprised the tradionals we not more dense. Many of the caches look like they are in areas that are either undeveloped or parks but suprisingly there is MUCH more city there than you would think.

 

It depends where you plan to start or where you are staying. We drove through the SE section of your cache map on the way up and we decided to do most of our caching on the coast.

 

There are a good bunch near the beach at White rock. But you may want to hit those on your way up.

 

The key will be parking and targeting the parks. You can get 2-3 in some parks. Youll have to walk more but at least you'll have a place to park.

 

Also many of the ones we did were vandelized or missing. Make sure the ones you hunt are there.

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The show stopper, for me, would be if Saturday Vancouver traffic would make this event an exercise of idling on the freeways.  Time spent on the asphalt is time not spent finding neat places.

I'm afraid the word "freeway" is a relative term, Travis. British Columbia is the only place on the planet where a perfectly good freeway goes for miles and miles, then enters the city, where it is most needed, then just....stops. (Cassiar) The engineers have also discovered that if you make a road LOOK like a freeway, you can throw a traffic light on it, then sit back and watch the havoc.

 

Any time we travel in the Big Smoke, we depend on Marine Drive, Broadway, River Road and several other main streets. They do the job nicely. Saturday traffic will be a factor, but not a huge one. Victoria traffic is worse on weekends, (the traffic lights are not synchronized) so that will be what you should expect. At least Vancouverites are on schedule with the rest of the civilized world, and not on Island time, like we are here. If the light turns green here, and you're the second car in line, you might as well hunker down until buddy in front of you decides to go through on the yellow.

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On the Victoria caches. Parking...Super Bad. Especially Stanley park. And expect to pay for it too. Point Grey road has got hardly any parking and many times you are forced to park where you can and then hike back a couple blocks to the beach. There are a ton of multis and puzzle caches. I was suprised the tradionals we not more dense. Many of the caches look like they are in areas that are either undeveloped or parks but suprisingly there is MUCH more city there than you would think.

Parking would be an issue to think about. The only place you should have to pay is Stanley Park, but finding parking for a large group, especially downtown and in the Point Grey/UBC area. It's hard enough to find space for 1 car let alone 10. I've also found that most of the smaller parks only have 2-3 parking spots, if any dedicated to them, and in the above areas, even residential parking is packed very tightly. There will definately be some delays just for parking and walking a few blocks to get back with the group.

 

Since it's a cache machine, I'm fairly sure the puzzles and multis are out, unless people want to solve all the puzzles and get co-ords ahead of time, which is usually quite possible. I know a lot of the puzzle caches have awesome hiding spots to reward you for your hard work.

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To drive one you would need a CDL or a chaufers lisc. in Washington. Dont know about Canada.

Actually, I beleive that a 15 passenger van is the largest one can drive WITHOUT a CDL. I'll try to check the rules to verify this. Of course the rules may be different in Canada.

 

Just throwing out an idea. If a local volunteer that didn't want to actually search for the caches could be found even better since then they could circle the block instead of having to find a parking place.

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Funny thing :unsure: -- The Phatboyz are going to be there (in Vancouver BC) that weekend for a hockey game. It’s kind of a boyz weekend. The game is against Dallas at 7:00.

 

Just to let you cachers know this will also add to the traffic for that weekend, just something to think about while you are planning.

 

I not sure if any of us will make any of the caches (there are a few of us that don’t cache), but we will have to wait and see what happens. It would be a shame to be in the same city as a cache machine and not do any….

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just a suggestion that a cache machine outing in the chilliwack area including harrison hot springs and cultus lake would keep a guy busy for a couple of days. some of the caches this time of year would require a little more time because you can't drive as far on some of the roads due to snow up on the mountains but there are plenty on the valley floor.

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The Vancover Cache Machine page is built, and should be visible as soon as it's approved. I've created the first draft of the route, too.

 

In spite of some of the warnings I've heard about traffic, I'm ready to go for it. I am placing the three Stanley Park caches very, very early in the route. Like 6:00 a.m. early.

 

Most of the Point Gray caches should be taken care of by 10 or 11 a.m., which should also help.

 

My tentative starting point is the parking lot of the Dufferin Hotel, which I know nothing about, other than Travelocity listed it as one of the least expensive hotels in the area.

 

Sugggestions?

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I've just posted the second draft of the route, but am facing a quandry over one location. I'd like to stop by the makeshift memorial that's been put together across the street from the infamous Picktin pig farm in Port Coquitlam. There's no cache there, but it's a location I'd like to visit. On one hand, it's a little morbid. On the other hand, it's not much different than a traditional or virtual in a cemetery. Should I include it on the final route?

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I've just posted the second draft of the route, but am facing a quandry over one location. I'd like to stop by the makeshift memorial that's been put together across the street from the infamous Picktin pig farm in Port Coquitlam. There's no cache there, but it's a location I'd like to visit. On one hand, it's a little morbid. On the other hand, it's not much different than a traditional or virtual in a cemetery. Should I include it on the final route?

why not. I figure if people don't want to go see it they'll just pass over that option. Not any different than skipping over some boxes during the course of the day.

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Flattered, imitated, obsoleted... same thing :huh: I'd heard about the Bellingham event before it was released, and the only thing I don't like about it is that I'm not going to be able to make it :lol:

 

I think I've got another one in Bellingham sheduled for January 2006. No biggy.

 

I did make it to the Beaverton Cache Machine last year. That was a lot of fun, in part because I didn't have to put it together :D

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O/T, but Travis, it looks like you're being flattered. Or maybe just imitated:... Bellingham Cache Machine:

For the record, I asked Travis for permission to use his cache machine concept before I created the BCM Cache Event. I did not want to start and international incident, but after all, you are invading us at the end of March. :-)

 

Consider it a warm up for the biggy in Vancouver, minus the rubber glove treatment at Canada Customs an the way north.

 

I created it as an Event as there is quite a few Vancouver cachers that have been wanting to cache in Bellingham (only 10 minutes from the border) for sometime. Also, as Travis has advised, his schedule for a CM in Bellingham is 2 years away. I think there may be a few more caches to add to that route between now and then.

 

Hope you all can make it to Bellingham on February 28th.

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Before I'm done caching I really want to do one of your cache machines.

Like the Portland/Vancouver WA machine June 26-27?

I keep telling ya those dates are all wrong. :lol:

 

I will most probably as things stand now be in France. :D

 

July would be much better or a couple of weeks earlier in June. :D

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Will be spending a romantic :unsure: Valentine weekend with my wife in Vancouver... with maybe some caching on the side (I have not told her yet; she is more of a "parks are for birds, let's stay in and watch an old movie" type person).

 

Shocking lack of urban micros in that town. Not many in Stanley Park either.

 

The jury is still out -- in my mind -- on group caching. I remember reading some logs from last summer's Spokane machine, things like: "My notes say I did this one around 10am, but I really don't remember..."

 

I remember each of my measly 90+ finds, solos every one.

 

Anyway, best of luck.

Edited by GO West
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It seems pricey, compared to some others I'm seeing at Travelocity ($50 USD or less). And I'd wager that it's not free wireless access. For example, the Bellevue Hilton offers wireless access, but it's like $10 a day. Yow! I'll scrape up an AOL CD somewhere and take advantage of 1045 free hours first :D

 

bcgeocaching.com's forum is suggesting we try Priceline.com, or Century Plaza hotel and spa at Burrard and nelson. It sounds like we're hitting the town in the off-season, so it could be cheap.

 

The exchange rate, as of today, is $1.00 USD = $0.75 CAD

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