On May 20, 1967, there was a UFO sighting reported near Falcon Lake Manitoba.
That afternoon an RCMP officer patrolling the Trans-Canada Highway was hailed down by Stefan Michalak who was walking on the shoulder of the highway. Mr. Michalak told a story of seeing two spacecraft while in the bush and suffering burns from having touched one of them. The chain of events begun that day is very fascinating. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article giving much more detail about the incident: Falcon Lake Incident. That article includes another link to the RCMP Officer's report of their meeting on the highway.
Mr. Michalak's story attracted significant media attention. It was investigated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, the RCMP, the U.S.A.'s Condon Commission and other UFO study organizations. The television program "Unsolved Mysteries" produced a dramatized show about it.
At the time of the incident, I was a 16 year old boy and the Falcon Lake campground was our family's favourite camping place. Naturally, this UFO story grabbed my attention at the time and never completely let go.
41 years later, in July of 2008, the History Channel aired a two hour documentary titled "UFOs: The Secret History". It was produced by Winnipeger David Cherniak and his company All In One Films. The documentary had a segment shot at the actual place where the Falcon Lake UFO sighting occured. It included an interview with Chris Rutkowski who had visited the site along with Stefan Michalak during investigations following the initial incident. This fascinated me because I had always been curious to know exactly where the story began. I had recorded the documentary. As a result, I could view the footage over and over and also study the program's credits to contact its creators. After a series of e-mail exchanges I was given the exact coordinates for the site where the UFOs were reportedly seen.
My curiousity was finally satisfied on a beautiful October afternoon in 2008. With GPS in hand, I explored the Whiteshell Provincial Park forest and found a decent hiking route to the UFO site. When I arrived there, I was happy to find that the site was pristine, free of trash. There was an impressive vein of quartz running through the rock and disappearing into the bog. Veins like this held the silver that Mr. Michalak had been prospecting for. I spent some time at the site and simply let my imagination wander and think about what might have happened there many years before. A magical moment!
If your curiousity entices you to visit the Falcon Lake UFO site then this cache will help you get there.
The cache is not at the site; better to leave the site itself uncompromised. The coordinates for the UFO site have been placed inside the cache (an ammo box), allowing you to make your way to the site after finding the cache. Most of the hike will be behind you. Just about 100 meters left to go
My thanks go to MHz for graciously giving her blessing to let me take the theme of her Holy Zarquon Singing Fish cache and run with it. (Well, run is an exageration. It took me a year to get back and place the cache.)
Some necessary logistics: The hike to this cache takes you through terrain not frequently travelled; about 1.5 kilometer one way. So make preparations appropriate for the wilderness and all the hazards nature can put in your way. There is very little bush whacking required. The additional waypoints that are provided are for significant points along my route and follow existing trails and paths. (Of course, you are free to find a route of your own.) The notes for the additional waypoints will also be useful. Use your common sense to adjust to the conditions on any given day. Choosing the right day and being well prepared are the keys to making this an enjoyable cache.
