Current at 11/6/2011 (Online waypoint URL) You have already found this cache! Master Index    Nearest Caches Iron Lung by Flotsom and Jetsom (1.5/1.5) N49° 52.150  W97° 07.358 (WGS84) UTM  14U   E 634906  N 5525774 Use waypoint: GC19747 Size: Micro    Hidden on 2/8/2008 In Manitoba, Canada Difficulty:     Terrain:                         In an decon container. Contains log book pencil and small items. CONGRATULATIONS TO BURCHIL ON FIRST TO FIND! This cache is near the site of the old Muncipal Hospitals, Princess Elizabeth, King George and King Edward. These were established as treatment centers for infectious diseases such as diptheria, typhoid, TB, smallpox and polio. The facility was founded in 1911 by the City of Winnipeg as the Winnipeg Municipal Hospital. Two buildings, the King Edward Memorial Hospital (1911) and the King George Hospital (1914) were considered at the time to be the most modern hospitals in the world for the care of people with communicable diseases, such as typhoid fever, diphtheria, small pox and tuberculosis. Riverview gained international prominence for the services it provided to victims of poliomyelitis during a tragic epidemic in 1953 (two years before the discovery of the Salk Vaccine). Doctors and nurses at Riverview worked around the clock to care for both adults and children, many of whom were confined to iron lungs. A number of polio patients from that epidemic still live at the Centre today and proudly refer to Riverview as their home. As the incidence of infectious diseases started to decline, Riverview turned its attention to providing long term care to an increasingly aging population. Plans turned to action when, in 1950, the Princess Elizabeth Hospital opened as the first long term care facility in Canada Flotsom remembers going to the hospital Christmas party in the early 1950's where she saw people using "iron lungs" and chest respirators. Her dad was a volunteer there with other members of the Winnipeg Police. Both Flotsom and Jetsom remember the fear of polio and having their summer activities curtails until the first vaccines were developed in 1957. Keep up your immunization! The facility contains a museum with one of the few remaining iron lungs in Canada. You can visit after you find the cache or take a virtual tour at http://www.riverviewhealthcentre.com/index.cfm?pageID=169

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7/30/2008 by Kabuthunk
Wow... this cache's hiding spot kicked the crap outta me. I honestly spent a full 30 minutes there, trying to fathom where in the world I hadn't searched yet that the cache could be hiding.

I started out parking not far from here and walking over. Thankfully, the park was surprisingly empty. For being about 6:00 pm, I was actually kinda surprised. A nice park, a nice day, after work... no reason it shouldn't have people walking their dogs, kids playing, etc. So I'll chalk this one up to dumb luck .

In either case, as I neared the coordinates, I shuddered a little bit inside. Spruce trees. Micro container. Arguably my least-favourite type of hide, since there's approximately 3 trillion places it could hide. And given the size of these trees, it goes up to about 4 trillion . Little did I know I was in for a very pleasant surprise. Y'see, with virtually every other micro-in-a-spruce-tree hide, it's very unimaginative. Film canister tossed under a dead log, or sitting precariously in a nest or something? C'mon!

In this cache however, it's clear that there was a thorough effort put into the hide. I however was unaware of this at the start . I began my usual way when it comes to trees... attempt to stare at every single branch, followed by poking around at every single lump on the ground. And thus I proceeded to do so, for a full twenty minutes. Thankfully, only two people passed anywhere nearby. One on a bike, one walking. I'm not sure either of them saw me, since I was embedded deep in the tree at those times .

Although, having embedded myself into a tree, I can honestly say that this cache has put more sap on my hands than any other cache to date .

And arms.

And pants.

And shirt.

And hair.

Oh yes, it will be an interesting shower tonight, trying to get that out. If I attempt to scrub it with shampoo, I'm sure it'll just ball that area of the hair up. Perhaps a minor trim in a few places may be necessary .

After said twenty minutes, I proceeded to my second step when it comes to micros. I just sat back, didn't move, and just looked. Just kick back and relax, and let your eyes wander. For 10 minutes. Still nothing!

At which point I proceeded to step 3 with micros. Spread out my search a bit further, and generally prepare to leave empty-handed. Having already spread my search out pretty far (which turned out to be unneccessary... as FamilyA&W said... trust the GPS), I basically just gave a few last-second glances before walking back to the car. I dunno... for some reason, I've gotten lucky that way on more than one occasion.

And this cache adds to the occasions. My eyes quickly stopped on something that at first didn't "look right", which quickly turned into recognition of a cache container! AWESOME HIDE!!! Very imaginative, very well done. I can see why others have had problems with this one. Definitely one of my favourite micro hides to date.

Although, it looks like other cachers may have tried to climb the tree, given scuff marks on the branches. I didn't bother, since I stared at all of those branches for like... 5 minutes from the ground, but just a mental note... no tree-climbing required. Leave the poor branches un-scuffed .

Took: Nothing
Left: Logbook entry and micromail ball

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