Current at 11/6/2011 (Online waypoint URL) You have already found this cache! Master Index    Nearest Caches Dogwood by OHMIC (1.5/1.5) N50° 10.317  W97° 08.003 (WGS84) UTM  14U   E 633293  N 5559417 Use waypoint: GC2X4NM Size: Small    Hidden on 5/28/2011 In Manitoba, Canada Difficulty:     Terrain:   *No attributes specified*     Small Lock n Lock. The Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) is a species of dogwood native throughout northern and western North America, from Alaska east to Newfoundland. In the wild, it commonly grows in areas of damp soil, such as wetlands like Oak Hammock Marsh. It is a medium to tall deciduous shrub, growing 1.5 to 4 m tall and 3 to 5 m wide. The branches and twigs are dark red, although wild plants may lack this coloration in areas. The leaves are opposite, 5 to 12 cm long and 2.5 to 6 cm broad, with an ovate to oblong shape and an entire margin. They are dark green above and glaucous below; fall color is commonly bright red to purple. The flowers are small (5 to10 mm diameter), dull white, in clusters 3 to 6 cm diameter. The fruit is a globose white berry 5 to 9 mm diameter.

Additional Hints (There are no hints for this cache)

8/1/2011 by Kabuthunk
At this time, I was REALLY debating whether to just go home or not. I'd found five caches so far, and didn't really want to push my luck any further than it's already been pushed. But... the call of absolute silence... it beckoned to me! I figured I might go after that cache that's supposed to be right near the entrance to the interpretive center, but still kinda wanted to leave that one for the next time... not sure why. I looked at my GPS, and discovered that the that I THOUGHT was that entrance-cache turned out to be something entirely different, just a bit to my right! Well hell... this cache probably ALSO would be difficult to find if it were busy here. Ok, let's just push my lick a liiiiiittle bit more to take care of these caches beside the road.

So pulling my bike up over the curb, I walked it up the to the top of the hill, where I had a clear view of all parking lots and roads. Yep... today is just about the best possible time to hunt for this cache. Although, it looked like aside from the RV, which from my position was coincidentally pretty well hidden, there also appeared to be one truck parked in the picnic/washroom type area. Huh... definitely doesn't look like maintenance or security or whatever. Didn't think you could actually drive up to there, but as I was soon to learn, one apparently can, and there's parking and such. Well, learn something new every day.

However, from my current position, nobody was nearby or in sight. Time for some scrounging! I put my bike down about 10 meters from the coordinates, and without looking at my GPS, began looking at a few of the suspect spots I had figured would be viable cache locations when I was at the bottom of the hill. Those turned out to be false leads, and I turned to the GPS for a little bit more clarification on my position. Still about 6 meters away, I follow the trusty line, and found myself walking right up to and looking at the cache container. Wow, now THAT'S accurate coordinates on this guy! No minor variations... the GPS took me directly to it (well, had I continued looking at the GPS before going off on my own for a few seconds there).

This find easily acquired, I hunched down and opened up the cache. I was beginning to run out of chainmail balls, but still had a few left, so no need to kick it down to the micromail balls just yet. One signing of the logbook later, and the cache was clasped back together. Although, I had to keep moving my legs as best I could through this, since it seems like the horseflies had once again smelled me and were coming in for their dinner. One met an untimely end, but I was able to replace the cache and bike down the hill before any others decided to make an attempt.

Ahh, yet another possible-difficult-to-find-when-busy cache is under my belt. But... but the opportunity... so close! The RV was starting up and preparing to leave... everything was closed otherwise... what to do, what to do. The call of my car was pretty strong, but I figured... oh, what the heck, let's go after that 'Waterbugs' cache. It appeared that the people with the truck in that parking lot were sitting at a table on the far North side of the area, so I had a decent chance of being able to look without being spotted. At the bare minimum, it'd be worth a shot.

Thanks for yet again providing many geocaches in Oak Hammock marsh to go after. Honestly, with my having grown up in a small town South of the city, thus having never been here for a field trip, there's a very distinct possibility that without the geocaches here, I would have never visited during the course of my life. Yay for geocaching taking you places you had never thought to visit.

Took: Nothing
Left: Logbook entry and chainmail ball