Current at 11/6/2011 (Online waypoint URL) You have already found this cache! Master Index    Nearest Caches Finnegans Wade by crackerjackie (1.5/2) N49° 55.891  W97° 02.112 (WGS84) UTM  14U   E 641007  N 5532867 Use waypoint: GC2J968 Size: Regular    Hidden on 11/14/2010 In Manitoba, Canada Difficulty:     Terrain:             FINNEGAN BRING YOUR BOOTS! This cache for my little dog Finnegan whose medication schedule rules my life. Everyone knows that crackerjackie has to be home from caching by 5 or her dog's eyes will blow up (glaucoma). This cache is located beside a marsh and it is extremely wet. If you park on the road, keep in mind you will have to go around the marsh. Rubber boots are a must. If you bring your dog in here, expect your leash to get tangled in the trees and your dog to be muddy and messy. Finnegan would have to be carried in here! The cache is a doggie cookie jar full of doggie stuff. When trading please do not leave dog treats or any beef scented dog items in this cache or it will get destroyed by animals.

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2/21/2011 by Kabuthunk
Second cache of the day, on a day that thankfully broke a fairly long (approximately 30 or so days) drought of not geocaching. I'll blame video games and procrastination for this one . In either case, I just finished finding the nearby 'On the Edge' cache also in the park. Sadly, it appears that at this time of year, the caches that I haven't yet found in this park (minus the caches not found since before winter with multiple DNF's... figured I'd just steer away from those until spring) are far and few between. However, that doesn't stop me from getting some really good snowshoeing in.

As well during my adventures today... I've discovered (again, and perhaps moreso) that dogs simply don't like me. Well, not so much that they don't like me, but they definitely like barking at me. One dog walker called out to me after calling their dog back that it must be my getup, with the ski goggles, hiking poles, snowshoes, etc... apparently their dog wanted to bark at that. Evidently, when I'm all decked out, I no longer look human to the point that animals are unnerved around me. I don't know whether to be proud or depressed .

So I'm going with proud .

But that aside, in the midst of working my way across the park (making a bit of a big loop over the far NorthEast part of the hill to get more distance and exercise in), I discovered that the aforementioned ski goggles have an interesting effect when it's this bright out. Anywhere with a particular crystalization on the surface of the snow had a bluish, greenish, purplish shimmer to it. So I got to spend the afternoon walking through pools of shimmery bluish greenish purple here and there. It was a really weird experience. And no, I wasn't dropping acid . Nonetheless, after much trekking, I found myself tiring out when I was about 500 meters from the cache. So I decided to mostly follow one of the actual walking paths, and figured I'd rest at the cache itself. Once I started to get close (ie: 300 meters or so), I made more of a bee-line for the cache. However, my poor, tired legs were not ready for the surprise waiting for them. Once I reached what obviously inspired the name of the cache (not the Finnegan part). And I figured it would be as such.

But it’s winter. Why, there’s NOTHING to be worried about.

Foolish, foolish Kabuthunk.

So about 50 meters from the cache, right when the swamp would typically begin getting… y’know… swampy in non-frozen times, I discovered a new type of snow. A snow SO soft and powdery, that despite wearing snowshoes, I would sink down to my upper-thigh with each step. Every. Single. Step. Not to be deterred, I trudged onwards. At least with snow THIS powdery, pulling my snowshoes up out of there was easier than I expected. It still drained my strength of course, but I’m surprised at how it wasn’t like… getting me stuck or something.

I managed to trudge through that, only to find a veritable maze of trees that were not fond of allowing someone wearing snowshoes to get easy access around them. Much fumbling and fanangling later however, and I eventually zig-zagged my way to the cache container .

By this time however, I was so ridiculously hot from the workout that I stripped off my backpack, jacket, goggles, fur hat, and gloves. Steam was absolutely pouring off of every possible surface of me and my clothing. So I sat like that outside for about 15 minutes and munched on some snacks while signing the logbook.

All in all, this cache definitely made me work for that find. I earned this one . After cooling down a bit, I re-clothed and made sure nothing was left behind. At this point, I figured I’d had enough of a workout, and decided it was time to head back to the car. The rest of the snow was either solid or only 6-inch-sinky, but dang… I don’t think I’ll forget this area sometime soon. If I needs a workout in winter, I think I know where to go.

Took: Nothing
Left: Logbook entry and chainmail ball

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Dogs love trees