Alberta Parks decides Kananaskis can now not help new geocaches

Article content material

Beneath a rock, in a fallen hollowed tree — a whole lot of hidden treasures await discovery in Kananaskis Nation.

However simply what number of of those man-made caches can the area sustainably accommodate? For Alberta Parks, whereas it has not been clearly said to the general public, that restrict might have already been reached years in the past.

“The native geocaching group talks about this pretty frequently, and I believe most of us have simply accepted for the time being that there’s simply no dialogue,” mentioned Ian Hunt, an avid geocacher who owns over 30 caches in Kananaskis.

Article content material

“I’d similar to there to be a dialog.”

Geocaching — an outside leisure exercise that gained reputation within the early 2000s — sees members use GPS expertise to find hidden containers, often called geocaches or caches, positioned by different customers in numerous areas. Caches can fluctuate in measurement and most frequently comprise a logbook for finders to signal and depart messages, and typically small trinkets for buying and selling.

Whereas the exercise fosters a way of journey and group, it has additionally raised dialogue about environmental affect, land use and public security.

In Alberta, a cache proprietor who needs to position a bodily cache in a provincial park, provincial recreation space or pure space of wildland provincial park should get hold of permission.

Understood tips on geocaching.com — the official geocaching web site the place tens of millions of caches are listed globally — additionally contains putting caches close to an current path and selecting a location that doesn’t disturb wildlife and the surroundings.

In an electronic mail, Alberta Parks mentioned it stopped accepting new geocaching purposes in Kananaskis in 2019 and has no present plans to reopen purposes.

Article content material

Article content material

“It has been found that some geocaches have been positioned on or round undesignated trails with out correct strolling paths or customer infrastructure,” mentioned press secretary Pam Davidson.

“This may trigger injury to native crops and have impacts on wildlife, and typically put guests in an unsafe location.”

Davidson famous there are greater than 1,000 geocaches within the provincial parks system in Alberta and “a whole lot within the larger Kananaskis space.”

Geocaching, different actions have various ranges of environmental affect

Hunt acknowledged there are cheap grounds to take away a cache, with contents most frequently contained in a Tupperware container or army surplus ammo can to guard from the weather.

“I believe slightly little bit of management over ensuring caches don’t get put in harmful areas is a real concern,” he mentioned.

“There are additionally situations the place a meals merchandise like a granola bar may be stashed, and that’s actually a priority as a wildlife attractant, but it surely’s very uncommon.”

Hunt mentioned he wrestles with what he sees as a contradiction of different allowed actions in Kananaskis that arguably are related and don’t have any official limits or tips — like mountain summit registers — or have a larger environmental affect, particularly when executed irresponsibly.

Article content material

“I can consider different actions that I do know go on within the parks which might be clearly tolerated or actively inspired with a whole lot of sources thrown at these, and that geocaching doesn’t require,” he mentioned.

If the provincial parks authority decides it has motive to take away a cache, it can’t be changed in what could also be a extra appropriate location below present parks tips for Kananaskis.

It is a going concern for homeowners who might now not be capable of keep their very own geocaches in Kananaskis for numerous causes, Hunt famous. In that case, some might put their caches up for adoption for one more consumer to take care of. Upkeep is the duty of the proprietor, not Alberta Parks.

Hunt has adopted a number of, with the principle motive for doing so due to their location inside Kananaskis and never desirous to see them misplaced.

He cited path reroute work on Ha Ling close to Canmore in 2018-19 as one occasion the place many caches had been forcibly archived, even previous to Alberta Parks’ choice to cease purposes.

Article content material

“To me, it’s comprehensible to try this as a result of they don’t essentially need individuals simply wandering off the path anymore in quest of a geocache. However they might have requested if homeowners needed them changed afterward the rerouted path,” he mentioned.

Geocaching grew from 2000 origins

For some, there’s historic and environmental worth in letting caches stay. Some geocaches usually are not solely many years previous, but in addition draw consideration to historic websites or geographical options.

The inception of geocaching started in Could 2000, shortly after the U.S. authorities made GPS expertise out there for civilian use.

The primary official geocache was hidden by Dave Ulmer, a pc advisor in Oregon. He positioned a plastic container within the woods close to his residence, crammed it with trinkets, and posted the coordinates on-line, inviting others to seek out it. This marked the beginning of the treasure-hunting passion.

The idea shortly gained traction, with lovers adopting the concept and creating their very own caches. On-line communities started to kind and web sites devoted to geocaching emerged, making it simpler for individuals to share their caches and experiences.

Article content material

As GPS expertise improved and smartphones grew to become widespread, geocaching advanced into a world exercise, interesting to adventurers, households and outside lovers alike.

Fans need clearer communication from Alberta Parks

For Dan Overes, the exercise has been a significant motivator to discover the outside. He owns a couple of dozen geocaches in Kananaskis.

“I used to be by no means actually a giant hiker and the considered going out and doing a number of kilometres on a path, up a mountain, up a hillside for no motive aside from to climb the hill or the mountain, wasn’t actually for me,” he mentioned.

“As soon as I obtained into geocaching, it actually gave me the motivation to exit and do this. It provides a aim or a goal apart from simply hitting a summit.”

Hunt and Overes mentioned clearer communication from Alberta Parks might have helped the geocaching group higher navigate the adjustments quietly carried out in Kananaskis and higher perceive the rationale behind the choice to ban new caches.

“I’d not need to see a free-for-all once more. I believe there’s simply so many individuals concerned now that that would simply be a catastrophe,” mentioned Overes.

“However I’d like to see them do some session with the geocaching group to sort of discover a resolution that works for everybody, or no less than some messaging round why this needed to be executed.”

Article content material