Wet slushy snowy Geocaching in Brampton, Ontario

At times when Geocaching it seems as if no one is around for kilometres. I wonder if people are tied up in their homes and can't escape into the beautiful nature that their homes are amongst. When it comes to city planning I know that Peel Region takes great pride in placing homes in areas with natural habitats that can be kept and enjoyed. But when I spend hours upon hours and do not see a second adult, child, or animal it feels very alone. Of course, this does not stop me from enjoying another fantastic day geocaching in the winter on that last day of February.

First stop was this large park along Credit River called Eldorado Park in the fine city of Brampton, Ontario. We had tried to grab a cache called Copperwoods on the way and when we stopped for it the car got very close to being stuff in the wet mud at the side of the road. Once we left the car to pursue two "Regular" sized caches hidden in Eldorado Park it became clear that today was going to be a slushy day for Geocaching.
As we got very close to ground zero (GZ) we could see plenty of evidence of muggle travels along the side of the creek, but a failure to prepare had revealed our biggest fear for the day... we were on the wrong side of the river! Whoops we messed up. After an hour or so walking to see if we could find a bridge to cross we turned around and headed back to the car. Once we got close to the car it became clear that we went in the wrong direction as the bridge was about 5 minute walk from car... too bad it was not the direction that we went in the first place.

Off to the next cache as we had to declare the previous three geocaches as did not find (DNF), but more appropriately we should have logged them as "very close except for the river". Next up was what is know as Multi-cache where the first cache you find has the coordinates for the second and so on. This time we were in a very old cemetery in an "lost" village called Churchville. We did find the first grave that was dated from September 7th, 1831 and the wooden grave marker of Amaziah Church for whom the area is named after. However, the additional hints were not enough for us to crack this one and we notched another DNF to our poor Geocaching start today.

Trying to keep our spirits high we venture forward to the Churchville park were we have 4 geocache targets on our radar (i.e. Triton 400 GPS). Nice park here in this village within a city as it had a outdoor community ice rink and a smaller area to park the care for awhile. First up was a nearby cache hidden inside an interestingly split tree with a wonderful view of Credit River. This geocache was a "small" one and I was happy to have found my first cache of the day! TFTC and SL. As we walked further along towards the next cache it was becoming clear that this park was a gem hidden within the city of Brampton. Where else can you see evidence of woodpeckers and beavers while enjoying the stench of nearby skunks that have sprayed someone or something.

From here we began to work our way deeper into the forest and off the beaten track as there was plenty of evidence of muggle activity in this area with the footprints in the slushy wet snow. The next cache targetted was a multi-cache that had two parts and we had no problem with the first part, however, the second part was very difficult. If not for the fact that the Triton 400 GPS had us spinning in circles, but once we saw the geocache it took 10 minutes to dislodge it from its frozen hiding spot. We were careful to not break the stubborn container and it eventually came free with plenty of planned force.

Once we tackled the previous geocache we had a few more to go as we worked our way further day the river and slipped down a muddy wet hill. As we picked ourselves off the ground at the bottom of the hill we began to wonder how we'll get back up it. Navigating towards the geocache we come across this odd looking tree that could not decide on which direction to grow: up, down, sideways, and up again. What another awesome natural find to add to the collection!

Working our way toward the highway bridge which we have to cross under we stop at a geocache hidden beyond a fence with the picturesque tree in the foreground. The geocache looked like an electrical box attached to some bark. Wow what an interesting cache TFTC SL.

The last of this stop was beyond the highway bridge and along a very watery slushy path with plenty of muggle footprints. I wonder who we will find on our journey. What we did find was what looked like someone putting together some makeshift structure right at ground zero (GZ) for this geocache. With this distraction it tooks us a bit of time to locate the final cache of this stop and once we did we recognized it as being exactly the same container as the cache on the other side of the highway.

With a few successes under our belt it was time for us to call it a day and get back home to watch Team Canada hockey win the gold medal on the last day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Here are some more great geocaching photos of today's journey:

Geocaching adds a twist to exploring nature in your neighbourhood and beyond

How I got started with Geocaching began a few years back when I had stumbled across the web site www.geocaching.com and noticed that some folks had hidden some containers with stuff in it around my neighbourhood. Mostly out of curiosity I began searching the web site for other major cities across Ontario, Canada and the World and to my surprise Geocaching was indeed an international pass time of thousands of people. Without the necessary GPS technology or desire to do more this was the end of my interest with Geocaching as more of an internet curiosity.

Over this past Christmas holiday 2009 I accidentally rediscovered the Geocaching website via an Australian flickr account that had wonderful photos of geocache finds in Australia. This renewed my desire to get outside and enjoy the fauna and flora that live among us, but we often do not recognize. After several days of reading different GPS reviews and looking at various stores to find the best price I settled in on a great Triton 400 GPS to get you started with Geocaching.

The next few days required plenty of reading and messing around with the GPS and PC to try and get this hobby started up. Plenty of website bookmarks and late nights later and I had my Triton 400 GPS loaded with topographic maps and geocache waypoints. As a result of this jump start I learned a bunch of new language:

GPS Receiver: uses the Global Positioning System, a network of satellites in space and monitoring stations here on Earth, to find an exact location. Now relatively common in automobiles, these devices help drivers find their way to a specific location — a restaurant, a theater, you name it. In the case of geocaching, the device is handheld and can be carried into the wild. These can be purchased at a variety of shops including sporting goods stores. It is also common for geocachers to have a car GPS Receiver (e.g. Tom Tom, Garmin) to get your car close to Ground Zero of the cache.

Waypoint File Formats:

• LOC - The original download format for the search results page on Geocaching.com. This contains only the most basic data.
• GPX (GPS eXchange Format) - Available for Pocket Queries, a Premium Member feature on the Geocaching web site. The GPX file format has specific geocaching information that can be used by supporting applications.
• KML - Although originally used for Google Earth (formerly Keyhole - KML stands for Keyhole Modeling Language), KML is increasingly being used to read and display map data. Geocaching.com uses this format to view caches and to view the movements of trackable items.

Geocache: is the “treasure” in the activity of geocaching. Most often it is a sturdy, waterproof container, hidden and registered by another geocacher, offering a mix of fun, adventure and prizes. Using the GPS, the geocacher searches for the cache like a game of “hot and cold” — one moment the cache is one quarter-mile that way and soon enough, hopefully, you are 50 feet away. Upon locating the cache, you log your visit in the enclosed journal, and trade for some treasure or swag if you wish. Geocaches can be filled with a wide variety of items from marbles and trinkets to toys and tools.

Caches are hidden in an endless variety of locations. I’ve had to climb high into a tree, crawl into a cave, go out on a limb, scramble into a thicket, and wade into a stream to name just a few examples. Caches reflect a wide variety of creativity, cleverness and challenge. They’re rated by difficulty so that you can pick and choose. There are different types of geocaches as well. The basic geocache is known as the traditional cache, with one set of coordinates leading to the hidden cache. There are also multicaches, mystery caches, earth caches and event caches.

Travel Bug: used to describe a dogtag used in Geocaching. It is moved from cache to cache, and its travels can be logged on the geocaching website (www.geocaching.com). Each travel bug tag is printed with a unique PIN, which is needed to post a log online. Some tags are fastened to an object, such as a plastic figurine, before they are put in a cache.

Some travel bugs have goals to travel to a specific cache, location or a certain type of location. Other travel bugs simply have the goal of traveling as far and widely as possible. Most travel bugs consist of a "bug" (which could be just about anything pocket-sized) with a metal plate attached by a small chain. The plate has the PIN on it.

Geocoin: is a metal or wooden coin minted in similar fashion to a medallion, token coin, military challenge coin or wooden nickel, for use in geocaching. Some geocoins are trackable on the internet using a serial number and website address engraved on the coin. Personal geocoins are a personal signature item bearing the geocacher's handle and personal design, similar to a heraldic device. Geocoins are often minted by caching organizations and as fund-raisers for geocaching events.

Geocoins with tracking numbers that have been registered on their associated websites are said to be "activated", whereas geocoins that are still unregistered are termed "unactivated". Activated geocoins that have been left in a cache are meant to be moved from cache to cache like a Travel Bug, whereas unactivated geocoins may be placed in geocaches to be found by others and kept as trophies. Unactivated coins may be also traded or given to other cachers like a calling card, as prizes, as awards, or merely sold and collected.

The excitement of searching for a “treasure” has helped me get into the wild more consistently and has me spending 2 to 3 hours each week preparing for the next Geocaching adventure. There is an addictive nature to going out and you've "gotta catche them all" as there are over 900 thousand hidden around the world including the International Space Station. Each week with my list in hand and Triton 400 GPS fully charged up and loaded with the geocaching GPX waypoint file I have the goal of finding as many caches as I can while the sun is still up.

Fresh air, sunshine and exercise are among the healthful benefits of geocaching as you go for the hike and walk amongst the nature in your neighourhood. This cannot be overlooked in an age when screen time seems to be the primary form of recreation for most. Geocaching also leads to new parks, new trails and new discoveries.

Some people are just starting with only a dozen or so finds and others are seasoned veterans with many thousand finds. Ultimately this is not the real treasure of geocaching. It’s not about a container full of cool trinkets. It is not even about the success of finding the cache. It is more about the journey that you take and the sights that you see.

It is about discovery and magic, the song of a stream or the language of flowers. It is about the many wonders that surround us out there. Geocaching is fun, even addictive, and can serve as a reminder of the importance of protecting natural habitat. With just a little attention, it can lead to a deeper appreciation of the natural world and a better understanding of our place in the environment. If you need an extra lure to get yourself exploring nature in your neighbourhood, give it a try.

Another fine Geocaching day in Mississauga

What a fantastic February day for Geocaching in Canada with little winter snow on the ground. This, of course, makes it a lot easier to find those caches as they are are not covered up by the snow. Geocaching in the winter does have its advantages in that it keeps that bush wacking to a minimum. First stop on today's adventure was a small urban forest squashed between a large pharmaceutical plant of GSK and new housing development. There was a small frozen creek that had to be jumped over and strange mushrooms to avoid. This cache was labeled "Small" but had the larger size of a "Regular" geocache.

Next stop a short drive away was a nice neighourhood forest behind a housing development. Sometimes I wonder if the locals that live here every take a walk in the beautiful forests behind their houses. This geocache proved tricky as the Triton 400 GPS had us walking in circles. I must have walked past the cache about 5 times as it took a lucky view to find it after all. This one was nestled underneath the strangest looking tree lying on the ground with a "Y" shape that looked manufactured.

After spending some time with a quick picnic snack it was time for a hike to the next geocache. This time we hustled down a small hill and off the path of the muggles. As we escaped the other side of the very tall bushes (~over 6 feet tall!) we stumbled across a baby forest that looks like it was recently planted. The hint for this cache was a willow tree and we found the creepiest and oldest willow tree I have ever seen. It was a good 4 feet in diameter and split 3 ways in a manner I have not witnessed before. Plenty of evidence that this a spawning ground for young muggles and their alcholic beverages. After much searching it became apparent that this one was not to be found so we had to log this geocache as DNF (did not find) and move on to the next one.

The next geocache was purposely choosen as it had not been logged (SL) in over 90 days so it was felt that it needed some Geocaching TLC. Nestled in behind what look like very new homes this cache required some fancy footwork to get through the wonderful forest that had no man-made paths. I must have tripped 10 times over the glorious roots that popped up from the ground of very old trees. As we got close to ground zero (GZ) it became apparent that it necessary to crawl through some very thick bushes to get the geocache. The Triton 400 GPS was pointing to a spot that was heavily guarded with bramble bushes hence the name for this cache "Bramble Path". After pulling all the loose twigs from pants, shirts, shoes, and pockets we come across the largest white geocache I have ever seen tucked in amongst the bramble bushes. From this vantage point it became clear that there was a much more direct way to get to the cache that did not require the "crawling" or the "cleaning of twigs" so we used it on the way out.

The last stop for the day was a public park known as Meadowvale Conservation Area and as we approached in our vehicles we started to get worried about all the muggles parked in the lot as it was full of cars. In fact, a couple of young gentlemen were enjoying some smoke that smelled funny in their vehicles at the trailhead for this geocache. We did enjoy getting off the public path and climbing amongst the large rocks that ran parallel to the public path. Waving at the muggles and with a degree of stealth with came across GZ and gently lifted the rocks that were hiding the cache and signed the log (SL). There were some other caches nearby but we decided to call it a day and leave the other ones for another day.

Enjoy more great Geocaching photos of today's adventures:

Report Writing Tips - Fonts

Generally speaking Sans-serif fonts (e.g. Arial) are not commonly used for reports that have large amounts of text as they make it more difficult to read. Anyone read a book that uses some sort of Sans-serif font? Not likely. So what exactly is a "serif"? Well a "serif" is that extra bit on each letter of a font (e.g. Times New Roman) that helps the eye follow the line of text as shown in this diagram from Wikipedia:

	Sans-serif font
	Serif font
	Serif font (serifs in red)

One possible use for Sans-serif fonts in documentation is in the place of Headings. This can help to set apart the different sections of your report on top of the use of Table of Contents. As well, Sans-serif fonts are often found in presentation files that have large text (e.g. 16 point and higher) and fewer words. These type of fonts are gaining popularity in online usage too and include examples: Arial, Tahoma, and Verdana.

Some good examples of Serif fonts that would be better for reports and larger amounts of text (e.g. Textbooks, magazines, novels) include: Times New Roman, Georgia, and Courier New.

As with any written document it is important to not only consider what you want to write about and who you want to write for, but also how you are going to write it.

Geocaching photos in Erindale Park of Mississauga

Usually after a light dusting of snow it makes Geocaching more difficult while others may just choose to avoid winter time Geocaching altogether. Others view winter as a greater challenge in that the caches can't been easily spotted and require clearing off the snow. Geocaching in Canadian winters does require bundling up for the cold days in winter attire and a warm coffee.

First stop for today's Geocaching adventure was an urban forest snuggled between a housing development and a private school. After parking at the school and short walk along the sidewalk we reached the edge of the forest. There were two "Regular" sized geocaches to be found in this area. First one was near a natural triangle as shown in photo. Second one was near this funky tree that had grown in a bizarre manner. Both featured logs to be signed (SL) and plenty of trinkets to trade (TFTC).

The next leg of the journey took us on a 30 minute drive down Mississauga Road and past the Bridal Path. Along the way we grabbed a cache that I had struggled to find on two previous attempts. It was nestled in a hedge at eye level, but it was small enough (35mm film container) that I failed to find it (DNF) before. With a couple extra pairs of eyes we had success today and were ready to move on to Erindale Park.

Before we parked at Erindale Park proper we stopped across the street for a quick grab that ended up not being so quick. The big challenge was that the GPS indicated where the cache was but we failed to judge just how steep the hill was for us. Terrain difficulty was 5 out 5 for our approach to the ground zero (GZ). The name of this cache location Sleeping Beauty was cutely based on the obvious remains of homeless camp of some sort. After a big of a hike and carefully balancing to reach the cache we SL and TFTC. From this point we realized there was a path to be followed that wound it's way back up to the hill providing only 1 or 2 out of 5 on terrain difficulty.

Having conquered the Sleeping Beauty geocache we drove across the street and aptly missed the main entrance to the largest park in Mississauga "222.1 acres or 89.88 hectares" and parked in a nearby neighbourhood. From this trail head we had a healthy climb down into the park that was both steep and dangerous. This park has three geocaches that we targetted today, but unfortunately the first one, micro sized made out of a pill bottle, proved too challenging and after 40 plus minutes searching at ground zero (GZ) we declared that cache as "did not find" (DNF).

Shaken up but ready for more we headed deep in the park in search of the regular sized cache hidden under a tree that required "crawling underneath to reach the cache". Intrigued by the nature of the hiding spot we pushed onwards with the Triton 400 GPS. Plenty of muggles (folks unaware of geocaching) running, walking, fishing, and talking at this park today.

It was a fantastic day for spending time outdoors and the creek was flowing at a brisk rate as we walked along it towards out next cache target. We pasted plenty of evidence of wild including the animal prints in the snow and the likely vacant bee's nest up in the tree. The Triton GPS was getting us close and suggesting we get off the beaten path as we were getting close to GZ for the cache. The hint given for this cache was "hidden in split log", which requires plenty of unsuccessful peaks into hollowed out logs that were scattered in this part of the forest. After much looking we spotted an idea candidate as the GPS indicated we were on top of the geocache. Sure enough with a bit of wiggling around our hands inside the split log we hit the cache jackpot. With another successful find we heading back to our parked car enjoying the wonderful scenario, but dreading the hike back up to the car.

For plenty more photos of today's adventure have a look at the gallery and stay tuned here for the next Geocaching adventure!

Geocaching photos on a beautiful day in Mississauga

Is was an amazing day today for Geocaching and the trusty Triton 400 GPS was in rare form today helping with the adventure. The journey started with a visit to an old church and cemetery that had a tree that was grown through the fence. This cache was described as a "micro" on the geocaching.com website, but this description can mean many different containers. Once I found it I saw that this was one of the smaller caches of the "nano" size called a bison tube.

From here we went to another old cemetery known as Kindree Cemetery that is now a historical site with no grave stones. This cemetery remained forgotten until the late 1970's and once more until the early 1990's when the area was slated for development. All I saw was a single plaque in the middle with the statement "For all the Kindree children". This cache was another "nano" bison tube type container with only a log inside of it.

Next up were a couple quick caches only a short drive between them in two urban forests that are behind neighbourhoods all over the Mississauga, Ontario. One of the caches was hidden amongst large rocks not far from the trail were the muggles travel. The second one was attached to a stick hidden under wooden staircase that is part of the path.

For the next few caches the journey took us to the University of Toronto, Mississauga campus off of Mississauga Road, in Mississauga, Ontario. Notice the theme? This stop required some paid parking of $2 for 2 hours and plenty of proper forests to hike through. What you do notice as you work your way around this area is the large number of "Deer" signs everywhere. There were plenty of unaware muggles going about their business. There was also plenty of construction going on at the campus and several newer buildings with more modern architecture.

Although there were plenty of deer prints in the snow we were unable to spot any creatures today. We did find several Geocaches hidden on this university campus including one hidden by the Paleomagnetism laboratory and a couple others hidden amongst the small forests on the campus.

Last stop for the day was at a lovely active church and cemetery just a short drive from the previous stop. This church has beautiful architecture and an active cemetery that includes very old graves and relatively new graves. This cache was tactfully hidden on the perimeter of the graveyard in a tree stump just like many geocaches.

Here are some more photos of the Geocaching journey today:

Use your mobile phone with wap.geocaching.com

Great Mobile Phone Resource for Geocaching :
wap.geocaching.com - Geocaching is a sort of geek treasure hunt where players search for hidden caches using Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS). The GPS coordinates of caches are published on the Internet. Each cache is a hidden container enclosing small prizes and a logbook. When a player finds a cache, he signs the logbook and takes a prize replacing it with an object of his own. Geoching.com is the oldest and largest web resource for geo-cachers. Once you visit the wap.geocaching.com website you will see Main menu looks as shown.


The mobile version lists caches with coordinates, hints and Google maps. There is also a virtual logbook function that lets you log success (or failure) in finding a particular cache.

From this website using your mobile phone you can View Cache to get more details on a particular cache as long as you know the Waypoint identification (e.g. GC 1YJRG).

Once you login with your geocaching.com username then then you can Log a Cache. This is be a handy feature for paperless geocaching out in the field.

Another nice feature is the ability to see the geocache hints and decrypt them, as well as, view the previous Logs of those that have registered finding the cache.

This mobile phone feature using wap.geocaching.com certainly is worth checking out in the field if you don't mind typing up information using your phone. Of course, you could always Edit your logs after the day is over with the personal computer.