Port Moody - Abbotsford Caching March 27 2007

Went caching on Tuesday night; hoped to get 4 caches, the night started off looking like I would get 2, but I ended up getting 8!

First stop was in Port Moody at the historic St John The Apostle Church cache; the church itself was built in 1899, and is one of the oldest buildings in Port Moody. The cache owner has done an excellent job of creating a very informative web page detailing the history of the church. The cache itself was a quick find next to the very busy St. Johns street as rush hour traffic was stop and go. However, I think the drivers were more interested in getting ahead of the next car than watching me.

Then it was over a block or two for another cache alongside a small creek. The creeks name is Schoolhouse South Creek, a great name as it is just south of a school. This cache is a little different in it's contents; the cache owner only wants Geocoins to go in here. You find the cache and instead of leaving the usual trinket you leave, and take if you like, only trackable Geocoins.

These caches work best on a leave one/take one idea; that way there is always something in the cache for the next person. The cache found and pictures duly taken, I decided on a warp jump.

At this time I made a huge leap across my GPS screen and drove out to Abbotsford to do some night caching. Night caching is a whole different game altogether. At night you have the benefit of darkness so no one can see you skulking around; but, you can't see a bloody thing either!

That's were mini-flashlights are worth their weight on Geocoins. They are just bright enough to light up the cache hidey hole with out attracting too much attention to yourself. That's if you are looking for an urban cache; if you are wandering down a forest trail or a river side dike in pitch black conditions, then you'll want what cachers call a "BFL"; AKA a "Big Frigging Light". These are the ones that put out million candle power and light up everything this side of the 49th parallell!

Tonight I was doing urban hides so my mini-mag light would do just fine. My first cache in Abbotsford was at the Pioneer Cemetery; this is where a lot of Abootsford's European settlers are buried. The names on the tombstones reflect the name of the streets and areas in Abbotsford, and are readily recognizable to any one with local knowledge of the city.

The cache here was a micro; a waterproof match container painted to blend in with it's background did the trick nicely. It was a bit tough to find in the failing light, but I needed to find it soon as the cacher has stipulated no caching after dusk out of respect to the cemetery.

Find it I did, and with a quick sign of the log I was off into the darkness.

After the cemetery cache I did a series of Parking Lot, caches so called as they are right next to or in parking lots, making them readily available for quick pick-me-ups. No more photos tonight as it was now too dark, and I was worried that any big FLASH from the camera would draw unwanted attention to me as I was discovering the cache.

Some of these caches were small magnetic types, some were almost mini-magnetics, and others were small lock and locks hidden in such a way that when you are searching for them during the day you are in plain view. Ahh, but you see, we are night caching so no one sees you in the middle of the large empty lot while you root around a small bush. During the day you would be the centre piece of every ones attention.

I spent another hour picking up a few more caches to bring my total to 8 before the home front was on the phone wondering where I was.....OK, time to call it quits.