Chilliwack: the "Heart of the Valley" is made up of 14 Villages - In this series of 14 caches we will introduce you to each of those Villages. When you have solved the puzzle for all 14 of the caches your smiley faces will produce the shape of a heart in the Eastern portion of Chilliwack. In each of the 14 caches you will find information which you must record in order to find the Final cache in this series, the "Heart of Hearts" cache.
We hope you enjoy your trip around the area and the cache locations we have selected for this series. Have fun and if possible involve the whole family in solving the puzzles and finding the caches, they are meant to be "family friendly".
The Chilliwack River drains Chilliwack Lake and flows in a generally westerly direction towards Vedder Crossing. In the last century, Chilliwack River water flowed north through Sardis but log-jams resulted in changes that saw the river diverted into the smaller Vedder Creek (now called the Vedder River). The Chilliwack River Valley community begins at the Vedder Crossing bridge and extends up to Chilliwack Lake. Small sub-divisions exist adjacent to the river. The logging industry, prison camps, recreational activities and some agricultural pursuits contribute to the local economy.
Numerous archaeological sites in the Chilliwack River Valley attest to First Nation’s connections to the Valley. Evidence from other locations, principally the Fraser Canyon and Hatzic Rock site, suggest that people may have lived in the valley for about 10,000 years. House pit depressions, village sites, a fish trap weir and lithic scatters are identified in the valley. First Nation’s people not only used the Valley floor but gathered food and hunted on the adjacent mountains and hillsides as well.
In 1858 gold was found in the Fraser canyon area near Yale. Thousands of gold seekers poured into British Columbia. Some travelled up the Chilliwack River valley but this route was soon abandoned in favour of a more direct route to the goldfields that included steamboat travel up the Fraser River.
At that time the border between Canada and the Unites States had not been marked. A contingent of Royal Engineers arrived to begin the task of surveying the border between the Crown Colony of British Columbia and the United States. The border was established with the signing of the Oregon Treaty in 1846 but the exact location needed confirmation. The Royal Engineers traveled the same trail, as they surveyed the boundary.
In 1859, Lieutenant Charles Wilson, a Royal Engineer, described a view of the valley when he wrote, “The Chilukweyuk stream is a tributary of the Fraser & rises in the far recesses of the Cascade mountains & by its valley we penetrate the mountain range later on in the season. The Indians give a wonderful account of a lake near the summit, where bears, marten, marmot & salmon abound; a reconnoitering party sent forward give glowing accounts of the fishing.” (Stanley, George F. Mapping the Frontier, Charles Wilson’s Dairy of the 49th parallel, 1858-1862. P. 49).
This initial influx of people seems to have been followed by a period of relative inactivity, although prospectors continued to visit the Valley. In 1909, gold was found on Red Mountain, in the United States. Access to the mountain was through the Chilliwack River Valley and a number of local packers were employed by the owners of the mine.
In 1924, railroad logging came to the Chilliwack River Valley. The Campbell River Timber Company operated the line until 1928 when they ceased production. B. & K. [Brown & Kirkland] Logging and later Vedder Logging continued logging in the Valley through the 1930s. Camps were established at several locations including Bowdenville. Vedder Logging left the area in 1943. After that many smaller companies continued the logging tradition.
Since the Second World War the economy of the Valley has diversified. A Forest Service nursery, fish hatchery, prison camps and small farm operations have added to the mix in the Valley. Several housing developments are located along the Chilliwack River Road. In recent years the river has been used for rafting and as a training centre for kayakers. Fishing for salmon and steelhead remains tremendously popular for local and visiting fisherman.
All information was obtained from the Chilliwack Museum and Archives Website- Visit them ""Here"
In order to find this cache you will need to search the above text for the following information.
The cache is at: N49 0A.BCD W121 EF.GHI
A = The year Lt. Charles Wilson Wrote his description of the Chilukweyuk Stream.
B = The year Vedder Mountain Logging left the area minus the year railway logging came to the Chilliwack River Valley.
C = The year gold was found on Red Mountain.
D = The total of the first and last years of Lt. Wilson's Diary.
E = The year railway logging came to the Chilliwack River Valley minus the year Campbell River Timber Co. Ceased production.
F = The year the Oregon Treaty was signed.
G = Subtract the year gold was found in the Fraser Canyon from the year Lt. Wilson Wrote his description of the Chilukweyuk Stream.
H = The year Vedder Logging left the area.
I = The year Campbell River Logging ceased the production plus the year gold was found on Red Mountain.
