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Little Tract North Traditional Cache

Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

The north entrance to the Little Tract leads to a beautiful walk through a mature hardwood stand, full of spring wildflowers in May. A lot of variety, easy walking with good trails. Small cache, with TINY trinkets.

Parking is at N43 27.807/W080 15.369, through a narrow short lane from the sideroad. You'll probably stop first for A Cache to Start a Walk in the Woods, within sight of the parking. Take the left trail to it; follow this trail and turn right, following the trail W and SW. You're passing through a red pine stand planted about 45 years ago, and properly managed through thinning - though it could use further thinning now. A lot of ferns to look for if you're interested.

You join the main trail again at approximately N43 27.616/W080 15.387, (another reference point, just to help you not get lost) just as the trail dips down to cross a swamp. This is a great place to listen to frogs or watch for birds in the spring.

After crossing the swamp (sometimes some muddy patches), the trail heads uphill, through a rare almost pure stand of mature hemlock. Thousands of Ontario barns were originally built of hemlock planks and beams, and the bark was used in the tanning industry. You don't find many stands like this one left.

After this you come out to the hardwood stand, one of my favourite. This is a great place in early May, when I bring students out to learn how to recognize spring wildflowers. Follow the main trail along the west fence, then turn left and downhill. At this point you're getting close to the cache.

You can turn right and hike as long as you want on the trails through the reforested area, then return to this point (use a waypoint to get you back if you get lost on the many trails). Or you can go for the cache right away. It's off the lower trail, as you're heading back north. There is a cache and a letterbox in the southern half of the Little Tract as well.

After you find the cache you can take the lower trail for a nice walk at the edge of the hardwood stand on the one side, and the swamp on the right (wouldn't recommend this in mosquito season!). Or you can go back to the upper trail and take a less-used trail right up over the highest hill in the hardwood stand - looking for wildflowers if you're there in early May.

Hope you enjoyed the walk.

A free TH coffee on me for the FTF.

This is a small cache, with TINY trinkets, so please only trade for other TINY trinkets.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ynetr urzybpx orfvqr genvy Ybtf ylvat syng Ybbx haqre fghzc Lbh qba'g arrq gb trg jrg

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)