TENTH ANNUAL ICE WALK Event Cache

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Ma & Pa: was a great time

Thank you all

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Hidden : Saturday, February 13, 2016
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:


TENTH Annual Ice Walk
Saturday February 13, 2016
Notre Centre Grande Digue, NB.
Caching on Shediac Island and Cocagne Island.


If you wish to experience winter caching, this is the event for you. Check the UPDATE section further down the page on a regular basis for updates on ice conditions, on the weather, on the event and on caches. Cachers who have logged a WILL ATTEND will receive email copies of announcements of these same updates.

EVENT HEADQUARTERS: NOTRE CENTRE

We have again reserved the hall and the kitchen at NOTRE CENTRE. Registration will begin at 8:30 am. Come in to meet other cachers and plan your caching day. Coffee will be available all day. Feel free to start later if that suits you better. We have the hall until 6 pm and will begin closing down at 5 pm. Please note that there will be no need to collect money this year to pay for the event.

When you return from your caching, come in, relax and enjoy the company of fellow cachers and trade stories of your day. If you don't go out caching, please drop in and join in the fun. We will have warm comfort food, hot drinks, treats and sweets waiting for everyone. Some of the popular dishes, soups, chillis and desserts will be there again this year.NOTE: If you wish to bring food to be shared, we will have access to the large refrigeration units to keep food fresh all day. We will also have access to the stoves.




Cachemporium have been a popular part of the event for the past few years. Gwen and Terry will be onsite again this year with their large selection of caching supplies.

YOUR CACHING DAY

If you wish to cache you will have many choices. You will be able to cross the ice to grab caches on Shediac Island or on Cocagne Island. If you do not wish to cross to the islands, bring your snowshoes anyway, because there will be many other new caches in the woods and on trails in this area. If you would like to borrow snowshoes, let us know in advance, as we may have a few pairs available.
If that is not your kind of caching, then venture out on our country roads to pick up some of the many caches and cache series or, you may want to do a bit of urban caching in the Shediac to Bouctouche area.

If heading to Cocagne Island, you may be able to carpool and we have provided a waypoint for a parking spot across from the island.

PHOTOS FROM 2015 THANKS TO CABLEGUY

UPDATES

On a regular basis, we will be providing updates on ice conditions, on the weather, on the event and on caches. Cachers who have logged a WILL ATTEND will receive email copies of announcements of these same updates
January 5

Shediac Bay is frozen. A commercial fisherman has been out on foot in the middle of the bay all morning working on nets. It may not be safe enough for vehicles yet.

January 9

Geocacher vol21ff went over to Shediac Island today and got all 26 geocaches on that island. Here is his log: "Shediac Island, all caches on the island are present and accounted for. I did find a couple on the ground but they are now rehung. Coordinates are bang on for the most part"

I asked vol21ff about the conditions and he stated : "The walk across was excellent, no snow at all. There were plenty of atv and snowmobile tracks across the ice. The only issue I had was where the ice connected to the island. The rising and falling tide made for a slushy strip and I had to be careful where I stepped across that last few meters. "
A big thank you to vol for helping with the maintenance of the caches. His trip over has made our preparation much easier.
January 29
KD_cachers (Ken) went over to Cocagne Island today. Here is his log:
"I went over to the island to do some caching today. There were people out fishing smelts so if it was safe enough for them it was safe enough for me. Some of the caches must have been placed last winter, they were at least 10 feet up. Most of the 17 caches I found were in good shape, there were only a couple of minor repairs."
A big thank you to KD_cachers for the information about the caches and the ice. We may be going over there with Belladan before the Ice Walk so we may have more information later.

Please note that all the caches on the islands are winter friendly which means they are hung high enough to be accessible in winter. The same applies to all the caches in the many series listed further down. So if you plan on staying more than a day, you will not be disappointed. .

February 7

We received 37 cms of snow on Friday, and 20 cms are predicted over the next two days. Daytime temperatures till Saturday will be between -2 and -12 with night time as low as minus 21. We will provide more info later in the week
As mentioned elsewhere there are fridges and stoves available for any food you may wish to bring. Some of the popular items from past years will be back again this year. Also there will again be a special geocaching themed cake from Spirie.
We have added information below about 21 nearby caches from Belladan that were published today.

February 11

We have had about 2 feet of snow since last Friday. No more snow is predicted until flurries late Saturday. Whether you go over to the islands or try some of the local cache series, you will be in a winter wonderland. Check the list of new caches at the bottom of the page where we mention a new series of 31 caches from Jim52 and 21 from Belladan.
We will have a number of door prizes this year. All participants (with or without a caching nic) will be eligible. Simply register with herrminnz when you arrive at the center, either in the morning or afternoon. There is no fee. The draw will take place at 4pm. There is no need to be present for the draw

CLOTHING, EQUIPMENT AND ICE SAFETY

The walk across the ice to Shediac Island may take up to 30 minutes if crossing from Edgewater and you will not be protected from the elements. The walk across to Cocagne Island will take a bit less time. You will spend a lot of time looking for the many caches on the islands and then you will have that same walk back. You should pace yourself and start back if you feel tired. After all, it is a long walk back.

Layering your clothing is the best method of staying warm. This would include long johns and/or snow pants for your legs. We recommend that you include additional clothing items in your backpack. Extra mitts or hand warmers could be helpful as you will be exposing hands to open caches and signing logs. Because of the length of the walk, you should bring a lunch with you and also bring plenty of liquids. Snow is usually not deep on the ice so snowshoes are often not necessary to get over there. Once you are on the islands, snowshoes are very helpful.

The conditions are always changing but we will keep everyone informed. We never venture out on the ice without being as positive as we can about safety. We base it on the activity on the ice and the weather and we also venture over ourselves before the event. We will cancel the ice crossing portion of the event if there is any doubt. Every year we wait until the commercial fishermen have been out on the ice with their trucks.

If heading to Shediac Island, cross to the North side or to the west side. On the island, travel from the North to the South along the trail on the West side of the Island. When you have done the caches on the South, return the way you came. DO NOT GO ON THE ICE ON THE SOUTH AND EAST SIDES OF THE ISLAND.

NEW CACHES

If you have not cached in the area before, or if you haven't cached here in a while, you will be surprised with the number of caches. Many new caches have been placed in our area since the last event and there are plans for more before the event.

Check out the geocaching map to see the following new caches:
*New series of 26 caches along a road adjacent to highway 15, east of Shediac.
*Cableguy has a new series of over 40 caches along route 940 stretching from Sackvllle to Shemoque.
*There are also new series on the trails in Shediac (10 caches) and Cocagne (21 caches).
*Tiger tracker has a new geo-art in two parts which you can spot on the map just east of Moncton along the Trans Canada. The caches are in two series of over 60 caches along small roads not far from the geo-art.
*Jim52 has two large series of caches on trails in the rural area near the airport and just east of Dieppe. Total of more than 60 caches
*Belladan has a new series of 21 caches depicting crow fly distances to major world cities. The caches are located on Beaubassin road which runs parallel to Highway 11, between exits 2 and 7. You will notice the caches as you drive to the event.
*Jim52 has a new 31 cache series (Folly Lake Winter Cache) on an ATV trail along route 106 between Dieppe and Memramcook. Caches came out Feb 10, but caches show date placed as January 6.

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