This cache was hidden for the 20th Annual Vancouver Island Hide-&-Go (or HAG).
The theme for HAG XX is "the elements", so this series highlights the 118 known chemical elements. The Periodic Table of Cowichan Lake is a series of 118 caches along the driving route that loops around Cowichan Lake, along with some side-roads. The series is intended to be done in a clockwise direction, starting from Mesachie Lake on the south side of the lake and ending in Youbou on the north side. By driving clockwise, most caches will be on the right side of the road and there will be safe places to pull over. Any caches on the left side will either be at the start of a side-road with room to park, or on a quiet side-road where pulling over on either side is safe. For all but a few caches, orange flagging tape is located within 1-2 metres of the cache.
The roads are mostly unpaved, but are well-maintained and can be driven in a typical car. You'll still have to watch out for potholes, though. There are no services along the way, so make sure you have enough gas, food and water. There is also no cell service around the western half of the lake, with the exception of a small area near cache #70 (N48 54.310 W124 23.915). You'll be in remote areas, so make sure you're prepared.
-The use of the power-trail technique sometimes referred to as "Three-cache Monte" (signing logsheets on the way to the next cache, shuffling the log or container along the line) is NOT acceptable on this series. You should sign the logsheet on-site and return it to the same container in the same location.
-It can take approximately 6 hours to do the entire series in one trip, so plan accordingly.
-Please make sure you put the container back where and how you found it.
This cache is for the element:
Promethium
Atomic number: 61
Symbol: Pm
Atomic weight: [145]
Classification: Lanthanide
State: Solid
Appearance under standard conditions: Silvery-white metal
Radioactive: Yes