A NIGHT TACK CACHE

PARKING RESTRICTIONS

The above co-ordinates will take you to TWO trailheads at the end of the street. YOU DO NOT WANT the main trail on the right. It has the bulletin board beside it. The second trail (THE ONE YOU WANT) is to the left. The entrance is a bit hidden but it opens up quickly. You should see the first tack just after entering. Late night parking is available about 20 meters back.

THE PARK

The Delta Watershed Park is a very popular park noted for its incredible trail systems. It is especially popular with mountain bikers who have constructed some interesting trail obstacles and make use of the natural ravines that serve as half pipes and fear-to-the-wind down hill runs.

In general, the trails are in very good shape.

Watch out for mountain bikers. Yes, at night too. They don’t ride any slower just because it’s dark. They just use brighter headlights.

PLEASE NOTE THE TERRAIN RATING

For the most part, the trail is pretty flat and easy, however there is one steep spot that puts the terrain rating where it is. At this spot the trail is VERY STEEP. It will be very slippery and not recommended when wet, except for the very determined of course. When dry, I’m sure the kids will be up and down it before you know it. If you feel you must avoid this spot, you can take an optional ‘Chicken Out’ route. To do this you will have to backtrack a short distance, always keeping to your left at any trail turns. You will soon see the steep ravine trail down on your left. This is where you would have come up had you taken the original route. Continue now on the trail you are on. A tack should be visible right away. Avoiding the steep spot will drop the terrain rating to about a 2, mostly for distance.

THE TREK

For those new to Night Tack Caches, the trail is a series of retro-reflective markers that reflect light almost exclusively straight back to the light source (your flashlight) in a very narrow beam. It is very important to hold your flashlight right up close to your eye or you may miss seeing the tacks. Headlamps work great.

One of the unique features of this cache is the variety of terrains and environments that you will encounter. It will follow some less travelled trails and past some lesser-known features. You will witness cozy corridors, a glacier erratic, evidence of old time logging, spooky forests, romantic views, daring obstacles, and comfortable resting spots. Note though, the park has an uncanny tendency to mess with peoples’ sense of direction so please, carry spare batteries and trust the tacks.

This trek is approx. 3.2 km long and will take approx. 1 to 1.5 hrs to complete, plus time spent at the cache and stopping to take in the sights etc. You should see the first tack just after entering the secondary trail (on the left at the given co-ordinates). Soon after that you will leave this trail and follow a side trail.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Send us the coordinates of any problem areas so we can fix them up. We will be inspecting the trail on a regular basis until the growing season ends.

IMPORTANT NAVIGATION RULES ON THE TRAIL

• When you come to any trail crossing or intersection, there will be a tack visible to indicate which path to take. Because of the locations of suitable trees, there may be occasions where you may have to take a few steps down a trail to determine if it is the right one. Do not go past any intersection or side path without verifying your direction with a visible tack. You may just have to go down that path. Small game trails do not count. Those are the ones that are not worn down to earth.
• This cache is meant to be somewhat challenging. A tack will not necessarily be visible to you at all times. You may travel up to 50 meters without seeing a tack but this will only be the case when there are no side trails and the path you are on is very obvious.
• When you come to two tacks a few inches apart, stand beside the tacks and shine your flashlight in the surrounding trees looking for a large diamond formed by four tacks. The cache is about 3 meters from the tree holding the diamond. You will be off the trail but in a clearing so no bushwhacking or stepping on greenery is required.
• After you have found the cache, re-hide it and return to the two tacks. Continue along the original trail in the same direction that you were going before, again following the tacks. NOTE: A new trail has formed parallel to the original, so make sure you are on the correct one. Do not return via GPS as there is more to see on the way back.

I hope you have as much fun on your trek as we did creating it.

Congratulations to: vmclaren, mrgulllable, & Adroit Seeker for their shared FTF.

LM