Highway 24 is 97 kms long running east / west between highway 97 (at 93 MIle) and highway 5 (at Little Fort). It connects the Interlakes area to all things local & beyond. Though a rural gravel road long existed between 93 mile & Little Fort, construction to make it a highway began in 1974, it opened in 1977 as a dirt highway, was finally paved in 1981 and in later years has had some sections straighten. It is definitely our main corridor for getting us to where we're going.
This 'Gettin There' series came to be as a result of items, in this case modes of transportation discovered & recycled as cache hosts from our local share shed (which is located along Highway 24). Highway 24 is also known as The Fishing Highway as it connects us to many of the great fishing lakes in the area, resorts and campsites. It is also referred to as The Little Fort Highway or The Interlakes Highway. During the wild fires of 2017 hwy 24 became a very important corridor providing the only means of escape from the area for the many that were evacuated from their homes.
Fortunately railway tracks only cross highway 24 in this one location and in 14 years I've only ever had to stop for the train here once. With the harsh Cariboo winters, frost heaves are a reality. In the past, the road just before and after these tracks have been known to cause significant damage to vehicles & trailers going over them too fast & not respecting the speed limit signs. Proper road repairs have made them far more manageable, but reducing speeds in this area is still wise. This cache could be accessed coming from either way but is easier for traffic heading West on hwy 24 with an exit right after the railway crossing providing safe parking, acquistion to the cache and an exit back onto the highway.
Take the time to enjoy the nice view or glimpse of Irish Lake by looking down the tracks to the south.
Please bring your own writing utensil. The access & parking here is probably plowed in the winter months for the railway maintenance workers.