Great Caching Week on PEI

Last fall we watched the weather and came over to PEI 4 times in October and November. The weather was great as were the caches and the offseason rates. We hadn’t biked in a long time but the 1400 Confederation Trail caches were calling so we tied our bikes to the car and came over and had a wonderful time. Mr Chignecto Duo and Belladan came over to join us for a couple of days on one occasion and we got some big numbers. We usually go over for 4 days or more and consider the trips to be vacations. It goes to prove that if you are a cacher you can have a vacation any place and in any season; and you don’t have to go very far.

We have been going over to the island every year since we started caching in 2004. There were so few caches the first few years, that we would mark the approximate location of the caches on an island map in order to guide us. After a few trips we had found 54 of the 57 caches on the island, and we had to cover the entire island to get them. The attraction then is the same as it is now. The PEI cachers bring you to places you would not have seen otherwise. You discover beaches and dunes, and views off the beaten path, that the tourists do not see. You learn about history, the railway, the towns, the shipwrecks, the fishing industry, the people, etc. So we keep coming back.

This trip we came over on Monday and we will be leaving tomorrow (Friday). The weather did not look too promising but we took a chance and tied the bikes to the car. Most days were a little cool and/or rainy so the bikes have not been used. As a result we have done some park and grabs, and lots of hiking. Because we have only one car, all hikes are double distance. So for example a hike on the CT late yesterday to get 14 caches involved nearly 10 kms. The days have been long and exhausting, starting with a great breakfast at the hotel, a day of caching, returning after dinner at around 7 and finishing with an evening of logging and some time in the pool and hot tub. We are not trying for big numbers and we are averaging 40 caches per day.

We started today with a few park and grabs and then hit the trails. Here are two of our logs from today to give an example of how our days go.

“Parked on Normandy Lane near the community center and walked to the 13 caches forming the V. We came back to our car by walking on the road to complete a 7 km loop. We were really impressed with this hike and the trails and the quality of the caches. It was especially wonderful to walk on the grassy trail where we thought we would bump into Matthew and Anne Shirley in a buggy”

and

“Decided to do a 5 km caching hike on the CT in the middle of our caching day.Another long day of caching on PEI. Some park and grabs and lots of walking and hiking. Over 40 for the day. Thanks to all the PEI cachers.”

Each day has been different. For example Tuesday was a little cool with an occasional light shower so we thought we would dress for the weather and hike to caches on the CT in a couple of areas where we still had some to do. We surprised ourselves by walking to 38 caches and figured we hiked about 25 kms. Like most caches on the island, the CT caches are top quality and we had no DNF’s. If you havent done CT caches, I should tell you that they are are all classified as small but are likely halfway between a small and a micro. Inside each container is a smaller container with the log sheet, so that the logs are always dry. (many of the caches on the island also have two contaners) The CT caches are covered in duct tape and have a wire which is hooked on a hook in a tree. The coordinates are excellent.

And what about the PEI cachers? Well the big thing on the island is the camaraderie. We all love to get together with our caching friends, and that is even more so on PEI. They often team up and invade NB and NS for a day or more. We have bumped into a van full of PEI cachers on more than one occasion in NB, and have had the pleasure of meeting up with them on many occasions at NB and NS events. But the cachers also team up when caching on PEI. Reading logss on island caches will tell the stories of friends out for a few hours together.

The camaraderie on PEI also extends to the hiding of caches. Can you imagine a bunch of cachers getting together a few nights and preparing 1400 CT caches with the double containers, the duct tape, the wire, the log sheets, etc, and going out to hide them. If you werent having fun as a group, you wouldnt be doing it.

One more comment about group hides on PEI. Often a series on PEI is planned by a few cachers and they share in the hiding of the caches. In recognition of the persons who participated, there are sometimes 2 or 3 names shown at the top of the listing. Clicking on the names will show you the actual owner of that cache. As the owner of the cache, that person will not claim a find for that cache. The other persons however, will be able to log a find for the caches. This is no different than the group hides in a series in other places, except that more than one name is shown.

One final note. I am tired and going to bed. We have two series to do tomorrow before going home:Winter River Trails and Brookvale Provincial Park (BvPP series). And of course we will be back here again later this year.