Ship Island, located just north of and
between Horseshoe and Big Chief Islands on Lake Couchiching, has
started to be become know locally by a derogatory name due to the
complete destruction of the plant life by the population of
Cormorants. A local fellow that came by to visit as we were
placing the cache mentioned that someone he knows had counted the
birds one day and came up with over 3000 (give or take a
few) and that in the fall he has seen the flocks stretching from
the tip of Big Chief Island for as far as you can see to the
north. I have been living on Lake Couchiching since I was a
kid and I have seen the populations of these birds grow from only a
few to the many thousands we see today.
To reach Ship Island the
nearest access is about 2kM away on the East side of Lake
Couchiching. I would suggest that you wait till late January
or sometime in February or early March to get this one. The
hike out from the shore was very safely done when I placed it on
Feb. 5/11. In fact, we received 2 snowmobile visitors while
we were on the island (they just showed up outa nowhere) and asked
us what we were doing, I told them of course and now we either have
a couple of new Geocachers and/or suspicious muggles?
We'll see I guess. During the spring, summer or fall it is
possible to reach the island by boat but I would not suggest it...
this can be one nasty spot... and besides, I think it gets very
shallow near the cache location so it would be prudent to be VERY
careful.
So, in case you haven't
figured it out by now, let me say it again... This cache is not for
the squeemish... please try to do it in the winter when the ice is
safe but if you must do it by boat in the summer then please make
sure you come suitably prepared, a respirator and hazmat suit might
be appropriate! Just kidding; I think? Even if you do
try this cache over the ice I would like to suggest that you come
back to see what it looks like here in the summer when the birds
are here, its a sight to behold.
Because of the nature of
this cache and the completly different seasonal situations I will
allow two F2F to be claimed on it. The first F2F should
be claimed before July 2011. The second F2F will be
allowed to the first finder that attempts this between July 1st and
August 31st of whatever year it may be when it happens, consider it
an honorary F2F for your BRAVERY or STUPIDITY...
whatever.
Most of all, HAVE
FUN.
Thanks to Truculant Slug
for joining me on the placement trip, I really needed the company
crossing the ice.