Menzies Trail Series of Caches:
This series of 33 caches has been placed along the Menzies Trail in Golden Ears Provincial Park which goes in a North Easterly direction from a trailhead near the Golden Ears Park headquarters (on the turnoff to Mike Lake) to the West Canyon Parking Lot near Gold Creek. The trail, for the most part follows an old logging railroad grade so the elevation change is minimal. It is a horse, bicycling and hiking trail.
The first part of the trail near the park headquarters is a bit steep and rough for bicycles and the last part before the West Canyon Parking Lot is a bit rough in some places. For the most part, however, bicycles will not have a problem. The terrain rating for these caches is in the 2.5 to 3.0 range because of the distance involved.
Caches in the Series:
Other Caches along the trail:
Almost There – Lookout Loop – Golden Ears GC1VCJZ
Golden Ears Gallop Lookout Loop Letterbox GC1AMYX
Distance and Time:
The distance is about 9 kilometres one way and the suggested hiking time is about 4 1/2 hours. You will want to factor in some time to find the caches along the way.
Parking and Planning:
You will probably want to use two vehicles. Park one at the north parking coordinates and another at the south parking coordinates; If you choose to go both ways keep in mind that the distance is 18+ km.
North End West Canyon Parking Coordinates:: N 49 19.634 W 122 27.781
South End Parking Near Park Headquarters N 49 16.573 W 122 30.961
Map of the Park and Trail:
Here is a link to the map of the park:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/golden_ears/goldenears.pdf
A few cautions:
- This is a wilderness area even though it is often close to the road. Be prepared. Don’t travel alone. Let people know where you are going and what your time lines will be. Wear good hiking boots. There may be some creeks to cross so hopefully your boots will be waterproof.
- There are bears in the area. You could come across other wild animals as well. So be prepared. Read up on what to do if you meet a bear. A good resource called “Safety Guide to Bears in the Wild” is available from the BC Environment Ministry on their web site at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/bearwld.htm
- Remember that the park gate is locked at night. Note the hours it is open and ensure you don’t get locked in.
The caches in this series are meant to be found. If the cache is eluding you, please read the hint, as it provides detailed instructions for locating the cache.
This series of caches has been placed by the team of mcwilli, rumrunner1 and sailaboat. Enjoy!