Most of the answers at each stage can be collected rather quickly without having to leave your car or the sidewalk as you take in the tour. There are a couple stages that are not visible from the road, but they are short easy walks from ample parking spots.
For out of town visitors, and those who are not familiar with the historical features highlighted in this series, I’ve included a short description of each.
The final cache is located at these co-ordinates: N 54 3A.BCD & W128 3E.FGH You will need to convert the letters in the co-ordinates to numbers by answering the question posed at each stage.
Stage 1: N54 31.008, W128 35.184 This building dates back to the very early days of Terrace and was originally the home of the BC Provincial Police (and jail) and later the RCMP until the 1960’s. The building is still located on the original site where it was built.
Find the street number on the building. A= the second number minus the third number
Stage 2: N54 30.995, W128 35.023 This building was originally built and used by the BC Forest Service as a Ranger Station up until the late 1970’s. It sits on the original location where it was built.
Find the street number on the building. B=the first number plus the second number
Stage 3: N54 30.965, W128 34.861 This building was the homestead of one of Terrace’s most famous pioneers, Floyd Frank. The original homestead was located in an area known as Frank’s Field, and the house was moved to this location in the early 1990’s to accommodate the expansion of a sawmill yard.
Find the street number on the building. C= the third number minus the second number
Stage 4: N54 31.027, W128 34.678 This building and site was originally built and used by the Canadian Army during WWII as an army barracks. Most of the buildings have since been demolished, however, extensive renovations have allowed this building to remain standing and used for its present purpose. The site was also used by Twin River Timber (a major logging company in the area between the 1950s and the 1980s) as a bunkhouse for its loggers and later as an administration office.
Find the phone number for the complex. D=the last number minus the first number (not counting the area code)
Stage 5: N54 31.156, W128 35.208 At the co-ords you will find a monument dedicated to the Founder of Terrace.
On the monument is a plague with two dates. E= the last number of the first date.
Stage 6: N54 30.930, W128 36.007 There is an information sign at the co-ords to explain the history of this building. From the information contained in the sign,
F=the last number of the year this building was moved to Terrace.
Stage 7: N54 31.072 W128 36.054 This building was designated a heritage site by the City of Terrace and was once home to another pioneering family of the area.
Find the street number on the building. G= the last number
Stage 8: N54 31.023, W128 36.720 This building was originally built and used as a public school. It still stands on its original location dating back to the early days of Terrace. It has been renovated over the years to satisfy the current tenants, however, most of the façade resembles the original building.
I couldn’t find any distinct markings on this building other than a letter “B”. However, as you face the historical building (looking at the “B”) look to your left (west) and you will see another building across the parking lot with a number on it. H=the last number
FINAL: Now that you have collected all the clues, you should have no problem finding the final cache. The final is located a short distance along a faintly visible trail with off street parking nearby. This spot is close to a pioneer homestead, and provides a nice view of the Skeena River. The Skeena River was very important during the early development of Terrace when river boats went back and forth along the river providing the early settlers with many of the goods & services they required to help develop the town. The river is still an important part of the city by drawing hundreds of visitors each year for fishing and other recreational activities.
CAUTION UPDATE: There is absolutely no reason to search for the final by trespassing on or near the helicopter base which was built after the placement of this cache. (besides the heli-base is at least 180 metres from the cache location). The heli-base has notified me of geocachers walking around on or near their base which is posing a serious safety concern. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FIND THE FINAL BY WALKING ON OR NEAR THE HELICOPTER BASE.