Current at 11/6/2011 (Online waypoint URL)
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Traditional Cache Bird's Hill Ant Hill by Steve & Nicole (2/2.5) (Archived)
N50° 02.098  W96° 51.538 (WGS84)
UTM  14U   E 653324  N 5544715
Use waypoint: GC1VVTP
Size: Regular Regular    Hidden on 7/12/2009
In Manitoba, Canada
Difficulty:  2 out of 5   Terrain:  2.5 out of 5
Takes less than an hour  Scenic view  Not Wheelchair accessible  Needs maintenance 
   


This is probably one of the lesser travelled areas in Bird's Hill Park. Great view overlooking a pond. 23 years going to Bird's hill park and only recently was shown this part of the park... huh.

In summer, don't be fooled by the swampy grown in appearance of the path to this cache, there is a makeshift bridge to assist you. This geocache is very easy to get to when water levels are low, and prior to or after bushes and shrubs are in summer bloom. Found this spot in the late spring when foliage was almost non-existant, but coming back to place the cache in July was like coming to a whole new spot that resembled more of a jungle than a sandy nole like before. Also I was surprised to have a few ants feasting on my sandle clad feet this time around. Consider shoes, or bugspray.

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Current at 11/6/2011

Found it 5/16/2010 by Kabuthunk
My fourth cache of the day, and arguably one of the most fun for me. It got me to take a pile of pictures... which is ridiculously rare for me... so that's gotta say something. But anyway... the cache! I had just found the 'LKST-7 Lime Kiln' cache off to the West. Feeling like passing on other LKST caches for the day so that I could bike further/longer with stops further apart from eachother, I scanned the GPS for other caches in the vague, relative vicinity. Checking out the name of this cache, and having just been for all intents and purposes in the middle of a ton of anthills at the lime kiln, I figured I might as well get another ant-related thing, seeing as I've never been in this area of the park before.

As I said, I've never traveled this far East in the park so far, so I was quite unfamiliar with the area. I followed a variety of paths, switching here and there when some other path seemed to head moreso in the direction of the cache than the other one. Eventually, I stumbled across what I think was my first two people I've seen since having left North Drive about an hour and a half ago. Not only that, but said two people were on horses (shudder... don't get me started). First time I've seen people actually riding down the trails, I think. They were directly in front of me, heading in the same direction, but going ridiculously slowly. Since they were somewhat to one side of the trail, I decided to pass them on the open side. Naturally, the horse or rider decided at the last second to sidestep towards me to completely block the path. So one startled horse and one quick apology (only as a courtesy... if anything, they should have been apologizing to me... which they didn't) as I zipped past them later, and that ordeal was thankfully done (for now). As luck would have it, the path I quickly zipped down ended up with me being 300 meters South of the cache. Looking North... nothing but lots of water (see first pic). *sigh*. As tempting as it is to try to wade across, it's most likely too deep, too slimy or leech-infested, and an actual path exists somewhere.

Thankfully by this time, the horse duo had turned off somewhere. I backtracked a bit and headed North down a trail until it led me closer to the coordinates. And in fact, it ended up taking me right beside what I imagine gave this cache its name. Hoisting my bike onto my shoulder, I headed to the top of the hill and was treated to an awesome view (see pics 2 and 3). The open area made for a nice breeze to cool me down, and the view was nice and relaxing. Methinks it's time to take a lunch break!

Thus... I broke out a length of rope and my hammock BigSmile. See pic 4.

Kicking back on the hammock, I relaxed and let the breeze cool me down while I ate a few sandwiches. It seems though that this path isn't quite as untraveled as expected though. Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR different sets of people walked past while I was either setting up the hammock or sitting in it. When I was packing up, one set even came up to the top of the hill to check the view. No clue if they were geocachers, but I hope I didn't make any other cachers pass on the cache... I ended up with the hammock somewhat near to it ToungeOut.

Turns out however that woodticks like a non-moving target, so I ended up grabbing and tossing three of them off of my clothes or arm in the 20 minutes I was there ToungeOut.

Having had enough woodticks for now, I finally got around to signing the logbook that I had been able to see clearly from my lying position ToungeOut. After closing up the cache and hiding it a bit better than I found it, I packed up my hammock, rope, sandwich baggies, and gear, and headed out.

Thanks for giving me a cache at this awesome location. Would NEVER have found it if it weren't for the cache BigSmile. A very relaxing lunch in a hammock, enjoying the breeze and scenery BigSmile.

Took: A lunch break
Left: Logbook entry and chainmail ball


Nearby Caches
GCW2NY archived Nimowin Asiniy (0.40 kms SE)
GC12M42 ROCK HILL (0.69 kms S)
GC1HTTY archived Deer Trail (1.31 kms S)
GC1GNGM archived LKST-10 Ring (Corral) (1.49 kms SW)
GC1GNH2 archived LKST-7 Lime Kiln (1.62 kms NW)
GC1X2BA archived LKST-1v2 Looking for a Sign (1.70 kms SW)
GC1X2CW archived LKST-1a Cookout (1.91 kms SW)
GC1GTZY archived 303 Pathfinders (1.96 kms S)

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