BBCM H2O Tour -- The Final -- Nature's Gift
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This is a mini driving tour of the West Kootenays of British Columbia. Most of the individual caches do not carry a high difficulty or terrain rating, but due to the number of caches along the route and the fact that there is some rough road, the terrain and difficulty for this final cache is reflected thus.
THIS CACHE IS NOT AT THE POSTED COORDINATES!!
The Beautiful British Columbia Mini H2O Tour or BBCM H2O Tour is approximately 110 kilometres, taking a loop from Salmo, south to Nelway, west along the Pend-d’Oreille River Valley (Part of the Dewdney Trail and planned part of the Trans Canada Trail) to Waneta, north towards Montrose and then NNE and finally east via Fruitvale back to Salmo.
This tour can be done in one day, although it might be fun to make it a two day event and camp along the way. There are numerous wilderness campsites along the back road, along with Provincial Beaver Creek, Champion Lakes, and the Seven Mile Recreation Area campgrounds along the route or nearby. There are also community campgrounds in Salmo and Trail, as well as private run facilities.
There is an abundance of water in most of this gorgeous province. Water is the lifeblood of man and beast. We have tamed nature’s food for: power, irrigation for farming, drinking water, recreation in the form of swimming, boating, fishing, camping, panoramic viewing, and even gold panning. There should be evidence of all these examples and perhaps a few more on this tour!
The tour can be done in any direction, with each of the 14 caches being stand alone caches, but keep in mind that the final cache – Nature’s Gift is near Salmo; said to be home to the finest drinking water in the land!!!
BBCM H2O Tour -- Black Bluffs GC12R25
BBCM H2O Tour -- Good Jobs had by all GC12R24
BBCM H2O Tour -- That’s Salmo not Salmon GC12R27
BBCM H2O Tour -- L8619 Homestead Gone GC12R28
BBCM H2O Tour -- Limpid, Two for the Price of 1 GC12R2A
BBCM H2O Tour -- From Days of Dewdney GC12R2E
BBCM H2O Tour -- Tufa Springs GC12R2C
BBCM H2O Tour -- Little Waterfall GC12R2F
BBCM H2O Tour -- Got Milk or Vino GC12R2P
BBCM H2O Tour -- Buster’s Backyard GC12R2H
BBCM H2O Tour -- Rock Island GC12R2N
BBCM H2O Tour -- Beaver Falls GC12R2K
BBCM H2O Tour -- 50 Minute Return GC12R2R
BBCM H2O Tour -- Sometimes Bald, but Always Archie GC12R2Q
At ten of the caches, you will find a clue that is written on both the lid of the container and the first page of the log book. Sound familiar? Record the clue. Four of the caches don’t contain a clue, but which ones don’t? Well, I guess you will have to do the tour to find out!
Once you have collected all ten clues, you will have to exchange letters for numbers in the following: N49 AB.CDE and W117 FG.HIJ, in order to find Nature’s Gift, the final.
We have offered this tour as a way of saying thank you to all the friends we have made along the way with geocaching and to commemorate the end to Blue Heron’s three and a half years of chemotherapy for Leukemia, this spring. All things look positive for the future!
The route travels along the Pend-d’Oreille River Valley with about 18 kilometres of gravel, of which about 3.5 kilometres are a little rough, but still doable via car. We used our 2006 midsize Sonata while placing the caches, and believe me, Dyelo is protective of her car, and would not have “allowed” it if it was not passable!! Remember, just take your time, and enjoy the sights. The road is narrow in places and I would not recommend pulling a travel trailer over this portion!!
Enjoy the tour and savor the water quality this great province has to offer!!!!
This last cache -- Nature's Gift has the usual swag, plus a special prize for the first few to find. Once you have completed the tour, contact us and make arrangements to receive your prize. It's a secret for now!
We would like to thank the Kootenay Pirates and Groundhog and shadow for their inspiration for this series.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur jngre urer jba'g pubxr lbh.