Hidden Channel Virtual Cache
Hidden : 7/29/2001
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: virtual (virtual)

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Geocache Description:

UPDATE 2022: The Lost Channel was closed to paddlers in 2020 and 2021 to prevent transfer of invasive Starry Stonewort to other areas. Please do not enter the areas that are posted with signs. So far this year, it is open, but please clean off your kayak to prevent spreading of Starry Stonewort. There is a lot of it in the channel now.

All the below wildlife (and more) have been seen here this year...

Be still and quiet.
And most of all, be patient.
A beaver will lead you across the pond.
A turtle will climb from the water onto a warm rock.
A red fox will swim the channel with breakfast in her mouth.
An osprey will pluck a fish from the water, and take it to her young.
A heron will imitate a statue.
A bullfrog will imitate a moose.
A racoon will dig for clams in the soft mud.
A fawn will follow a doe.
Ducklings emerge from the reeds.
A bear will lead her cub along the shore.
A loon will be incubating her eggs on her nest.
The local bald eagles will watch you from above.

There is no box for this cache. No need to leave anything behind. There is a very old logbook, which has been replaced annually in the spring since 1979, at N44° 32.698' W78° 10.359' and makes for very interesting reading. The logbook, like the channel, is only accessible from your boat. There is no need to step on land at all. This logbook even had its own facebook page.

Beaver Lodge. In July and August you can hear the young inside. In the early morning, you can watch them swim. The beavers have built a dam across the narrow part of the channel. When the water is low you will have to pick a low spot and make a bit of a run at it.

Legend of the Lost Channel.
Legend has it that two Jesuits, pursued by Iroquois, paddled west through the Hidden Channel. But at this point, they chose the north fork, and found it to truly be a dead end. Paddle that way and watch for their ghosts. If you dare.

Anonymous Sculptor. The loon has been here for several years. The inukshuk appeared recently. A turtle lays her eggs here in late June. If the racoon hasn't eaten them, they will hatch in August. 2004 update: Unfortunately, the local Taliban have toppled both sculptures.

Osprey Nest. In July you can see the heads of the chicks in the nest. The osprey moved off just before the tree fell. Smart birds. There are still osprey in the area.

Beaver Lodge 2. There are always beaver in the channel, they build at different places each summer.

The area is a protected wetland. Canoes and kayaks only. This area is not accessible by land or by motorized craft.

 Click to see photos of the locations.

Get here as soon as possible after sunrise to see the action. Don't forget to look down. The water is exceptionally clear and there is a lot to see down there as well.

A comfortable paddle from the park at N 44° 33.334' W 78° 12.023'W via the Little Fraser Island Cache, or from Kawartha Park Marina.

You can prove you visited the cache by uploading a photo taken in the channel. If you don't have your camera with you, email me, telling me exactly where the old logbook is.

A video of a kayak trip through the Hidden Channel on YouTube. Spoiler alert: the logbook is visible at about 1:16.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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