Collect the clues from around the lake, then FTF will be yours to take.
A. Isthmus - N 50°39.530' W 100°00.390'
There is a mighty battle taking place here. On one side is the clear cool water of Clear Lake, and on the other is the muddy warm productive water of South Lake. Instead of a line in the sand between these two foes there is narrow strip of sand (isthmus) pushed up between them by the power of wind, waves and expanding ice. Occasionally the line is breached and the water is spilled across and with it a rush of northern pike and walleye (pickerel) that take advantage of the warm waters for feeding and spawning.
The isthmus is rich in diversity and very popular with a wide range of birds, including numerous warblers, bald eagles, pelicans and waterfowl.
Walking on boards that lie flat, count each one and that's that.
B. Frith Beach - N 50°39.948' W 100°01.686'
Once a competing area for Clark's Beach (now the main beach at Wasagaming) the Frith Beach area is popular among locals. With a picnic area, boat launch and swimming area it is well equipped for an afternoon of lounging by the lake. Located along the west side of the lake, it is well protected from the prevailing westerly winds and is another popular area for water sports like skiing, tubing or wake boarding. We also discovered that it is a popular spot for couples to make out during the week when it is not so busy.
The distance to Boat Cove is displayed, record it now and that's how its played.
C. Clear Lake Reserve - N 50°41.904' W 100°03.965'
This public road crosses First Nations land. The following clip from the park tries to explain the long history and complex relationship that exists between the First Nation, the park and Clear Lake:
In 1870, ownership of much of what is now Western Canada passed from the Hudson Bay Company to the Crown. Land surveys were initiated and Indian Reserves were established. In 1871, Treaty Number 2 established Keeseekowenin First Nation, which was moved to its present location near Elphinstone in 1893. Establishment of reserves did not exclude First Nations from using Riding Mountain and hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering of plant material continued until after the National Park was established (Peckett 2000). In 1896, a fishing reserve of 756 acres, known as the Clear Lake Reserve, was established adjacent to that lake for the Keeseekowenin band.
Establishment of Riding Mountain National Park forced change upon First Nations, particularly the Saulteaux people who lived on the Clear Lake Reserve adjacent to the Forest Reserve. They were evicted in 1936, the National Park took control of the land, and the homes of the 24 residents were burned in 1939 (Peckett 2000). Also, from the start of settlement, First Nation people on reserves became increasingly separated from the Forest Reserve by the designation of private land. Establishment of the National Park further displaced First Nations from the Riding Mountain territory.
The park and First Nations have been working to improve the relationship in more recent times. In the fall of 2005 a powerful joint video production called "Sharing our Histories" was produced that shares some of the perspectives of people involved in the area. The video can be viewed at the Keeseekowenin Sharing Lodge in Wasagaming or the park visitor centre.
A number designates this reserve, that is what you should conserve.
D. Spruces - N 50°42.156' W 100°00.071'
The picnic site, swimming area and boat launch on Clear Lake closest to Dauphin along Highway 10. South along the trail you will come to a secluded beach (375 m) that is pretty much unknown to most lake users. North of the picnic site a creek enters the lake that in 1994 overflowed Highway 10 and closed it down for a day or two. Off shore from this location you can see marker buoys that indicate several large rock shoals that are both a boating hazard and good fishing structure.
The distance to Glen Beag can be found on a sign, note it and you will be on line.
E. Viewpoint - N 50°40.778' W 99°58.006'
This spot is a bonus point. There is no clue to find here, but this is the highest point overlooking the lake along one of the most interesting walking / technical mountain biking trail in the park. A very rare sighting of a cougar was experienced along this trail in 2001. The north shore section of the Clear Lake trail is one of the best single track mountain biking in Riding Mountain.
The trail here joins some cottage lots known as the North Shore subdivision. People here rarely see outsiders excepting the odd group following the trail around the lake, so don't be surprised if people are surprised, and not to worry the land between the cabins and the lake is public access.
F. Glen Beag - N 50°40.580' W 99°55.161'
A little known picnic area, tucked a short distance out of the way at the junction of a scenic creek valley and the beginning of the north shore. This spot is well known by scuba divers in western Manitoba who maintain a dive park just off shore in an area marked by dive buoys. The clear waters of the lake make it a favourable spot, and it is rumoured that there are several large objects of interest placed down below to allow the divers to practice navigation.
Where the divers enter the lake, there are a number of metal steps they must take.
In the shoulder season when the steps are not in place you can get the number on a sign nearby. The distance to Aspen is displayed, take the number to the right of the decimal and add one to get the number.
G. Wishing Well - N 50°40.517' W 99°54.811'
This attractive spot has long been popular for weddings. Located along Bogey Creek the landscaped area includes many flowerbeds, bridged islands, and a spring turned into a fieldstone wishing well. The temporarily closed bridge adjacent to the site makes getting to the parking lot tricky but it is still possible from the north.
Through the ornate gate next to the wishing well you can catch a glimpse of the heritage building known as the Superintendent's residence, which is currently used for staff housing. The early Superintendents in Riding Mountain were closely tied to the design and management of the Clear Lake Golf Course, which was run by the park up until 1983 at which point the operation of the course was then leased as a publicly funded concession. The 18-hole course covers many of the hillsides to the east of the lake in this area.
The creek is a favoured spring spawning area for white suckers, a fish that is quite common in the lake. There is an interesting rock compass rose between the gardens and the bridge.
At the well there is a number to find, it's where the coins are delivered from the kind.
H.Deep Bay - N 50°40.227' W 99°56.677'
Deep Bay, once known as Seaplane Bay, Airplane Bay and Montague Bay, is a secluded bay protected from the prevailing winds of Clear Lake, tucked away at the far end of the townsite of Wasagaming. It is a popular spot for water skiers as the rapid drop off along the beach allows for a standing start from shore and the protected nature of the bay provides smoother waters than most other parts of the lake. The deepest part of the lake (36 m) is found 300 m northeast of the point of land protecting the bay.
This location was the site of a hunter camp in the early 1900's and after 1912 the area became popular with campers. The site is also the location of a historic cabin built in the 1930's that was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force as a training floatplane base. The cabin was restored over the winter of 2005/06 and is now used for the Manitoba Arts Council - Deep Bay Artist Residency program, which over the summer hosts artists for creative retreats.
Sit back and enjoy the view, the number of boards you sit on is the clue.
I. Pier - N 50°39.658' W 99°58.201'
The classic Clear Lake experience, is buying an ice cream cone and strolling along the beach and out to the end of the pier to watch the sunset. It is so popular that rumour has it that half the people in Brandon were conceived there (I'm not sure if that is conceptually or physically). At any rate, it ranks high on the date-o-meter for romantic places to take your love interest.
One other feature that can't be missed is the 98 passenger cruise ship called the Martese that is docked nearby. This ship, formerly called the Kelona Princess, was hauled overland from BC in 2004. 'The Martese' is named after a Park Warden's wife who was severely wounded and whose husband was shot to death by assassins near Riding Mountain National Park of Canada in 1932. It does a lunchtime and evening cruise of Clear Lake, and the FTF prize for this cache is two evening cruise tickets.
End to end large beams lie, creating a semicircle nearby
Only the ones in the circle count, then this challenge you will surmount
Final
To find the final cache take all your clues and add them up, divide by 100 and then add that number to the minutes of both the latitude and longitude of this coordinate:
N 50°37.189 W 99°59.713
Camouflaged cache contains FTF Certificate, and assorted trading items, and is located on a public road allowance just outside the park boundary. Note that all the clues are located along public trails or roadways in the park, and there is no reason to go off trail in pursuit of the clues. Doing so will very likely cause you unnecessary discomfort. If you are doing the entire trail by bicycle it is 28 km roughly around the lake and takes 3 to 5 hours. By vehicle and walking it will probably take about 3 hours.