Geocaching on Grant's Tracks

West Highland Way - Day 7 - Kinlochleven to Fort William

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The last leg of the West Highland Way turned out to be both miserable and thoroughly fulfilling at different times during the day.

West Highland Way - Day 6 - Kingshouse Hotel to Kinlochleven

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

After a needed day’s rest today’s hike offered grand views, a slog up the Devil’s staircase to the highest point on the West Highland Way, and a long descent into Kinlochleven.

West Highland Way - Day 2 - Drymen to Rowardennan

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The main obstacle of today’s leg was the ascent and descent of Conic Hill.

West Highland Way - Day 1 - Milngavie to Drymen

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Starting out into the unknown on the relatively tame first leg of the West Highland Way.

Wandewing Awound Wetaskiwin

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A late fall exploration and geocaching outing in a Peace Hills Park near Wetaskiwin, AB

Return to Battle Lake

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I returned to the trails near the south end of Battle Lake today to avenge a 10-year old geocache DNF - “Did Not Find”.

Hiking Baldy Pass Trail to Lusk Pass Trail

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It was last day of my 4-day Kananaskis visit and I saved this mostly flat ramble along Baldy Pass Trail following a string of geocache hides over to Lusk Pass Trail

Climb to the Summit of Horton's Hill

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The geocaches hidden on the way up to the summit of Horton’s Hill in Kananaskis have been on my bucket list for years. Today was the day I made the climb of this steep hill.

The Path to Finding "Pathfinder"

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I did a short hike to find a long-solved geocache puzzle called “Pathinder”

The Climb to the Summit of Mt Burke

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It was both a physical and psychological stretch for me to successfully climb to the 2536m summit of Mt Burke today. It took a LONG time, but the climb was completed.

Blackfoot Loop Hike to Push Shelter

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I accessed the Blackfoot trails from the Waskehegan Connector Trail, did some geocache maintenance, continued to Push Shelter and returned on Ed’s Way, a trail I’d hiked before.

Mitchell Loop Hike

Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I after a long absence, I “rediscovered” a grand loop hike in the southeast section of the Ministik Bird Sanctuary. It’s a route I call the “Mitchell Loop”, named after a cabin tucked in the woods along the way.

Ministik Hike to My 'Grassy Fields' Cache and Return

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The hike today was a thoroughly pleasant outing to find a couple new caches and perform maintenance on a few of my own.

Ministik Loop Hike From Deadfall Alley to the UofA Road

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I lived through what turned out to be a very challenging hike through overgrown trails today.

Blackfoot Loop Hike to Meadow Shelter

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Using geocache maintenance as an excuse, I hiked a 10 km loop along the always excellent trails in the southwest section of the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Prov. Recreation Area today.

Meandering Around Millet

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I meandered down some rural Alberta roads on the way to Millet, AB today.

Nature Does Some Clever Magic Tricks

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

It was some of nature’s magic tricks I noticed along the way that impressed me the most during a hike along the trails of the Chickakoo Lake Recreation area today.

Car Caching Along the Backroads of Lamont County

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Car-caching with a buddy in north Lamont County

A Short Hike Along Mtn Bike Trails East of Goldstick Park

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I returned to these trails with the goal of finding a cache I’d been unable to find in Dec. 2023. Compared to that visit, this summer outing today provided a far different experience - and I loved it.

Finding a Fairly Remote Cache South of Mandy Lake

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

To get to a remote cache today, I walked down familiar trails but then covered ground that I’d only once been near before 10 years ago - and that was in the winter months.

Ministik Five Meadows to Waskahegan Loop Hike

Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I undertook a grand loop hike in the Ministik today, what I call the Five Meadows Hike. It was a gloriously beautiful day to do it too.

Ministik Geocaching Hike North of 510 and South to Deadfall Alley

Sun, 26 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Three of us did a two part hike today, first north of Township Rd 510 and then south to Deadfall Alley

Chickakoo Hike With Geocaching Buddies

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

After parking at the Chickakoo Equestrian lot, we proceeded to scour the eastern side of Chickakoo for caches

Ministik Hike Along Deadfall Alley

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Four of us hiked south from the UofA Access Road gate all the way down Deadfall Alley today.

Ministik Lake Watery Ice Geocaching Hike

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

It’s March and the ice between islands on Ministik Lake can still be walked on. Or can it? Yikes! There’s standing water on a lot of it!

Ministik Hike to Hide a Geocache

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I hiked down the Mandy Lake road, past the old cabin and shelter to hide a geocache today.

Ministik Hike to Two Cache Hides Near Ministik Lake

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I’d waited to make the trek for a while. But the weather promised to be great today and and as it turned out it certainly was.

Shiningbank Lake Group Ice Walk to Geocaches

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Eight of us met at Shiningbank Lake to do a grand loop around the shoreline where geocaches were hidden. First we needed to walk straight across the middle of the lake though. Pucker up and walk!

Edmonton Science Park to Rundle Park Via Gnarly Mountain Bike Trails

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started the loop hike from Science Park, but I not only survived the hilly mountain bike trails I ended up walking on, but I enjoyed the experience.

Ministik Misasin Trail Geocaching Hike

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This was fun and challenging outing. I was anticipating a LOT more bush whacking than I ended up experiencing.

Geocaching in Calgary for Specific Caches

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I made a long-awaited trip to Calgary to target finding specific caches across the city.

Ministik Hike to Spruce Point Geocache

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I walked the familiar route from the UofA Access Road gate to the unfamiliar boggy shoreline of a large pond in the Ministik.

Car Caching Trip to the Dogpound Area

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Dwaine and I had worked on some challenging puzzles and after we solved them a trip to the Dogpound area of Alberta was in order.

Geocaching Along the North Saskatchewan River Near Devon

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Two geocaching buddies and I traversed some seldom-walked trails along the North Sask River

Glory Hills Geocaching Hike

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

It was my first time hiking around the trails at in Glory Hills Natural Area. There were a few caches here, but in the end it was the trails that I remember.

Geocaching and Exploring on the Ministik Misasin Trail

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I’d been on this trail a couple of times before but it’s been a long time since the last visit. It’s named Misasin by fellow geocachings, so I’m going with it. It was fun exploring new sections of it today.

Geocaching the "Sturgeon River Stroll" Series of Caches

Wed, 31 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This is a geocaching outing where I was SO glad to be with other cachers. The first hide was diabolically hard to find and it was Dwaine who spotted it. They weren’t all like that but some were oh so nicely crafty indeed.

Chickakoo Caching Hike

Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve always just loved hiking in the Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area. There’s is a great mix of tree species that line both the well-travelled main trails and the less-travelled “goat tracks”. This was a solo geocaching hike and I found all but one of the caches I looked for today.

Ministik Hike to Mandy Lake for Two Geocaches

Sun, 14 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I traveled down the winding road to Mandy Lake today to find two caches. I was with the cache owner when he hid them, so I’m returning to find them fair and square.

Ministik Hike to Dorward Lake for Two Challenge Caches

Wed, 10 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I had multiple goals today: to find a challenge cache near Dorward Lake and to capture as many time lapses as I could in the Dorward Lake area.

Blackfoot Hike to Maintain Two Geocaches

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The main purpose of today’s hike was to swap ammo can geocaching containers for lock ’n lock containers. These caches were hidden quite a distance from parking in the Blackfoot / Cooking Lake Recreational Area.

Ministik Hike to the Twins Cache

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I made walk over early spring, still somewhat snowy ground to a remote cache today

Ministik Hike From Stove Lake Trailhead to New Caches

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Four of us crunched through the snow, on trail and off to find geocaches in the area accessible from the Stove Lake trailhead in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary.

Mactaggart Geocaching Hike

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The four of us traversed a good portion of the MacTaggart Sanctuary today looking for geocaches

Hike to North Sask River Geocache Hides and MacTaggart Sanctuary

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The five of us tackled some steep slopes to get to some geocache hides along the North Sask River and after that hiked through the MacTaggart Sanctuary to find more geocaches

Whitemud Ravine Geocaching Hike

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I traversed the snowy inclined trails of the Whitemud Ravine today with a couple of geocaching buddies.

Geocaching Hike to Mandy Lake

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I followed the road to Mandy Lake to find one cache and do some maintenance on one of my own

Hike in the Northern Section of the Ministik

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I hiked on a kind of disjointed trail today with a buddy where I have a string of caches hidden.

Running of the Bulls

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

See what a fairly remote section of the Hornbeck Recreation Area northwest of Edson, Alberta looks like a the end of September as two geocachers do a loop trek on overgrown trails.

Ministik Hike Past the Northeast Passage and Return

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Hiking to one of my geocache hides to do some maintenance was my excuse to experience a beautiful day in a remote, beautiful place.

Ministik Geocaching Hike to New Hides

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I hiked in what was for me a new area in the Ministik today and that’s always fun.

Ministik Geocaching Hike to the South End of Oliver Lake

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I walked along the crusty snow first on familiar trails, then off trail on new ground to get to the south end of Oliver Lake today.

Ministik Mandy Lake Hike Over Snowy Trails

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I had to do some maintenance on a cache near Mandy Lake in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary and had great outing walking along the still snowy trails to get to it.

Ministik Mandy Lake to Waskahegan Fire Tower Geocaching Hike Via Trails and Lake Ice

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This was a memorable day of geocaching for a few remote caches int he Ministik Bird Sanctuary.

Ministik Hike to Dorward Lake for Two Remote Geocaches

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I had a glorious trudge through (not over) the trails to Dorward Lake today to find two caches.

Driving on Lac Ste Anne Ice to Find Farming Island Geocaches

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Hugh and I were planning on walking over the ice to the caches on Farming Island on Lac St Anne. But we saw ice fishers on the ice, so we drove instead.

Ice Walking to Island Geocaches on Oliver Lake

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I met my buddy Hugh and we spent hours walking over crusty lake ice to find geocachings hidden on islands on Oliver Lake in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary

Ministik Hike from Mandy Lake to Dorward Lake Over Lake Ice

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I had an excellent walk over hardened trail snow and lake ice to get to remote cache in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary

A Satisfying Hike Over Lake Ice to the Domino “Puzzle” Cache

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A geocaching buddy Hugh and I trudge across lake ice early in March, 2021 to get to an island on which a “puzzle” geocache was hidden.

Winter Walk to the Waskahegan Fire Tower

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A hike to a fairly remote fire tower in the Ministik Bird Sanctuary southeast of Edmonton is brought to life with StoryMapJS, software that combines maps with images and text.

Quad Trek to Grizzly Ridge Tower

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000

I’d been “map-dreaming” for literally years about making the trek to Grizzly Ridge Tower. I’d even tried and failed once foiled by muddy roads. But because of the kindness of friends, I was finally able to get there.

St. Laurence Anglican Church - Monitor, Alberta

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000

St. Laurence Anglican Church is located in the hamlet of Monitor, Alberta. Constructed in 1915, it is registered in the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

Hike to Oliver Lake to Find Two New Geocaches

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0000

My goal for the day was to find two new caches hidden by Jazzhiker who, like me, came to geocaching via hiking.

All the Diamonds in This World

Sat, 13 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

A winter walk over lake ice to Birch Lake Isle near Innisfree, Alberta.

Crooked Trees

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I found out about the “Crooked Trees” from my sister so I made a point of visiting on my way back to Edmonton from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. My scientific opinion?: “They’re weird!”

Hike up Cardinal Divide Ridge

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Although not at all easy to get to even by vehicle, the Cardinal Divide is a memorable place to visit.

Ministik South Recon Hike

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

This recon hike was made and the blog post written early in my explorations of the Ministik Bird Sanctuary. It’s fun for me to relive the experience these days when the area is well-known to me.

Blackfoot Islet Lake Hike for "Cigar" Caches

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A hike to inner depths of the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area. Starting from the Islet Lake Staging Area, I was on the hunt for ‘cigar’ caches.

Climb to the Summit of Folding Mountain

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A made the memorable climb to the summit of Folding Mountain mid-August, 2010.

Hike to Lusk Creek Ridge Central Summit

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

It was my first ever visit to Kananaskis where I made the very memorable off-trail climb to the central summit along Lusk Creek Ridge. It was July 1, Canada Day, too!

Hike to the Summit of Mt. Louie

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

My friend Amy and I hiked to the summit of Mt. Louis. There was an elevation gain of 714 meters and along the way the reward of some breathtaking views of the mountains and valleys that surround Grande Cache, AB

Blackfoot Hike (Wanisan Lake)

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

A second visit to Cooking Lake – Blackfoot Recreational Area in two days. After a fresh snowfall, I broke trail to out of the way places that were brand new to me.

Blackfoot Geocaching (Waskahegan)

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

A memorable day of geocaching in the Cooking Lake Blackfoot Recreational Area. I was new to geocaching and this area was completely new to me at this time. The experiences of the day really made an impression on