Trans-Canada Run

[+Alkhalikoi]

I was thinking about this summer -- maybe next -- of geocaching from St John's, Newfoundland to Victoria, BC. I figure that, although I've been to 48 states and 19 countries, I have never set foot in the Great White North. So why not start seeing Canada by seeing a huge swath of Canada? Anyone done such a journey in one stretch? Figure I'd take about 10 days to do it.

[7rxc]

I was thinking about this summer -- maybe next -- of geocaching from St John's, Newfoundland to Victoria, BC. I figure that, although I've been to 48 states and 19 countries, I have never set foot in the Great White North. So why not start seeing Canada by seeing a huge swath of Canada? Anyone done such a journey in one stretch? Figure I'd take about 10 days to do it.

Hi... glad to hear you are thinking about such a journey, but... I've been doing it using various means over a lifetime and still have just scratched the surface... and I live here in Canada. In other words, 10 days is fine, but you won't do much more than drive, eat, sleep and drive. Of course you said see a swath, not the whole place... and I hear that. Just a caution on my part... and the other question is are you counting the outbound trip from CA in the ten days? You might get advice on lots of places... but ask a bit more locally. I can suggest using the hwy 3 route if you come through South Eastern BC, lots of good caches around from Medicine Hat AB all the way through to the coast, and you can turn homeward at many points along that route as well if running behind a bit. I went down to Ontario (home once) and cached for 5 days each way from here... barely touched the selection but we were on a tight schedule and had a vehicle in need of much attention to do so. Speaking of which, factor in gas prices if you drive, they are higher in Canada. But your choice of vehicle will count in that. I tried to do one cache attempt every 30 minutes of driving on average, but that was as much to relieve my back as anything... but weather has a way of changing things... speaking of which, the East is still buried in snow and often is into late May. This year they may exceed that one. On the other hand in BC it is spring and there is way below normal snow pack... just quick little dumps and gone. If you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes is the saying.

 

Hope that helps plan, not discourage... I've done most of that by bicycle as well.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+narcissa]

I was thinking about this summer -- maybe next -- of geocaching from St John's, Newfoundland to Victoria, BC. I figure that, although I've been to 48 states and 19 countries, I have never set foot in the Great White North. So why not start seeing Canada by seeing a huge swath of Canada? Anyone done such a journey in one stretch? Figure I'd take about 10 days to do it.

 

Not long enough, if you're leaving from St. John's. A little more reasonable if you skip NF and do the other nine province, but it still wouldn't leave you much time to do anything but drive and sleep.

 

Have you tried mapping a route to see what driving times are really like? Do you have any idea what it's like to drive through the entirety of Newfoundland and Labrador?

Edited March 23, 2015 by narcissa

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I was thinking about this summer -- maybe next -- of geocaching from St John's, Newfoundland to Victoria, BC. I figure that, although I've been to 48 states and 19 countries, I have never set foot in the Great White North. So why not start seeing Canada by seeing a huge swath of Canada? Anyone done such a journey in one stretch? Figure I'd take about 10 days to do it.

 

Not long enough, if you're leaving from St. John's. A little more reasonable if you skip NF and do the other nine province, but it still wouldn't leave you much time to do anything but drive and sleep.

 

Have you tried mapping a route to see what driving times are really like? Do you have any idea what it's like to drive through the entirety of Newfoundland and Labrador?

 

On the other hand, going to St. Johns would provide an opportunity to find the eastern most cache in North America

 

Plus, St. Johns is just a really nice place to visit. Perhaps a flight from Halifax with an overnight stay would be a good option. It's either that or a long ferry ride and a very long drive across the province.

 

 

[+CanadianRockies]

On the other hand, going to St. Johns would provide an opportunity to find the eastern most cache in North America

Nope. Shemya Island - The Rock at the Edge of the Earth is much, much farther east.

[+Alkhalikoi]

Google Maps gives a 90 hour drive time (including ferries) for that route. I've found that for my level of geocaching on long trips (probably 2 per stop, stopping every hundred or so miles, plus grabbing caches near a gas station or food, as the need arises) a doubling of that gives some generous room. So maybe I'll think about stretching it to 17 or 18 days, buts you at about 10 hours a day -- but my guess is a a couple of those across the middle would just be big 12-14 hour days.

 

(And I'd fly from San Francisco out to St John's, or up to BC and out from there -- I've found some places that will do one way car rentals from St John's to Montreal, others that will let you from Toronto to BC -- Montreal to Toronto must be pretty obvious)

 

Thanks for the comments! Not quite sure when I'll do this, but I mean to.

[+The Jester]

In 2008 my wife and I did the drive from Port Hawkesbury, NS to Vancouver, BC in 13 days. This included a dip into the US for Mt Washington, and a big zig zag thru Ontario for a couple of waterfalls. We had enough time for caching every hour or so (anywhere from roadside to 3 hour hikes) and sightseeing (a couple of stops were 2-3 hours), stopping about 6-7pm in the evening. It wasn't rushed, but not a lot of lingering either.

[+narcissa]

Google Maps gives a 90 hour drive time (including ferries) for that route. I've found that for my level of geocaching on long trips (probably 2 per stop, stopping every hundred or so miles, plus grabbing caches near a gas station or food, as the need arises) a doubling of that gives some generous room. So maybe I'll think about stretching it to 17 or 18 days, buts you at about 10 hours a day -- but my guess is a a couple of those across the middle would just be big 12-14 hour days.

 

(And I'd fly from San Francisco out to St John's, or up to BC and out from there -- I've found some places that will do one way car rentals from St John's to Montreal, others that will let you from Toronto to BC -- Montreal to Toronto must be pretty obvious)

 

Thanks for the comments! Not quite sure when I'll do this, but I mean to.

 

That sounds a bit more doable. Are you going to bring someone with you?

 

We did nine provinces in one summer, in two separate trips. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of driving.

[+Shinook & White Juan]

We've done the cross Canada geocaching vacation a few times minus Newfoundland. One thing for sure, even if you drive straight through Ontario alone, whether it is on the 17 or 11 from Thunder Bay east, it will take you at least 2 days of driving alone. We always look forward to the this trip each year, but last year, we went Saskatchewan east to Cape Breton and PEI. It is a beautiful drive though around Lake Superior in the fall when the leaves are turning. It is alot of driving but very fun. We will probably do it again this summer.

[+6NoisyHikers]

Driving through Ontario... no matter how long you're on the road, you're always still 300kms to Sault Ste. Marie...

Edited March 24, 2015 by 6NoisyHikers

[+Shinook & White Juan]

And driving to Marathon seems like a marathon.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

And driving to Marathon seems like a marathon.

 

Which Marathon? There is a Marathon, NY, which, if I set a starting location in the right spot in the city in which I live, and use Google maps to plot a route, it will tell me that it's 26.2 miles away.

 

 

[+narcissa]

And driving to Marathon seems like a marathon.

 

Which Marathon? There is a Marathon, NY, which, if I set a starting location in the right spot in the city in which I live, and use Google maps to plot a route, it will tell me that it's 26.2 miles away.

 

Marathon, Ontario.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

And driving to Marathon seems like a marathon.

 

Which Marathon? There is a Marathon, NY, which, if I set a starting location in the right spot in the city in which I live, and use Google maps to plot a route, it will tell me that it's 26.2 miles away.

 

Marathon, Ontario.

 

Okay. BTW, If I enter Marathon into the new search box it returns a list of caches near Kalamazoo, Michigan.

 

 

[+frinklabs]

It is a beautiful drive though around Lake Superior in the fall when the leaves are turning. It is alot of driving but very fun.

 

Totally worth it. Here's a photo from an event I attended on Batchawana mountain:

 

[+narcissa]

And driving to Marathon seems like a marathon.

 

Which Marathon? There is a Marathon, NY, which, if I set a starting location in the right spot in the city in which I live, and use Google maps to plot a route, it will tell me that it's 26.2 miles away.

 

Marathon, Ontario.

 

Okay. BTW, If I enter Marathon into the new search box it returns a list of caches near Kalamazoo, Michigan.

 

Yeah, not surprised. Marathon, Ontario is like a blink-and-you-miss-it place on the highway.

[+Roman!]

Google Maps gives a 90 hour drive time (including ferries) for that route. I've found that for my level of geocaching on long trips (probably 2 per stop, stopping every hundred or so miles, plus grabbing caches near a gas station or food, as the need arises) a doubling of that gives some generous room. So maybe I'll think about stretching it to 17 or 18 days, buts you at about 10 hours a day -- but my guess is a a couple of those across the middle would just be big 12-14 hour days.

 

(And I'd fly from San Francisco out to St John's, or up to BC and out from there -- I've found some places that will do one way car rentals from St John's to Montreal, others that will let you from Toronto to BC -- Montreal to Toronto must be pretty obvious)

 

Thanks for the comments! Not quite sure when I'll do this, but I mean to.

 

I have done trans Canada and US trips and comparitavely found the trans Canada trip much more boring but since you've travelled much of the states at least Canada will be new.

 

I have rented a car for a one way trip from toronto to vancouver and pretty much every place quoted me $2000 - $4000. I found one company and now can't remember which one, possibly budget, from the airport in TO to YVR for $850 or so.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

And driving to Marathon seems like a marathon.

 

Which Marathon? There is a Marathon, NY, which, if I set a starting location in the right spot in the city in which I live, and use Google maps to plot a route, it will tell me that it's 26.2 miles away.

 

Marathon, Ontario.

 

Okay. BTW, If I enter Marathon into the new search box it returns a list of caches near Kalamazoo, Michigan.

 

Yeah, not surprised. Marathon, Ontario is like a blink-and-you-miss-it place on the highway.

 

Marathon, NY is pretty much the same but the do have an annual maple festival that is worth attending. It's also where Grumman canoe's started. It's just off of I-81 so it's easy to get to but few people get off the interstate to see it.

 

Oddly enough, the location of those caches when entering Marathon is near Kalamazoo, Michigan but there doesn't seem to be any place there with the name of Marathon.

 

 

[+Harry Dolphin]

I was thinking about this summer -- maybe next -- of geocaching from St John's, Newfoundland to Victoria, BC. I figure that, although I've been to 48 states and 19 countries, I have never set foot in the Great White North. So why not start seeing Canada by seeing a huge swath of Canada? Anyone done such a journey in one stretch? Figure I'd take about 10 days to do it.

 

Not long enough, if you're leaving from St. John's. A little more reasonable if you skip NF and do the other nine province, but it still wouldn't leave you much time to do anything but drive and sleep.

 

Have you tried mapping a route to see what driving times are really like? Do you have any idea what it's like to drive through the entirety of Newfoundland and Labrador?

 

On the other hand, going to St. Johns would provide an opportunity to find the eastern most cache in North America

 

Plus, St. Johns is just a really nice place to visit. Perhaps a flight from Halifax with an overnight stay would be a good option. It's either that or a long ferry ride and a very long drive across the province.

 

Three of us were visiting my sister in Maine (plus the EarthCache Event). We decided to visit the Maritimes. We'd been to New Brunswick before. So we added Nova Scotia, PEI, and took the plane from Halifax to St. John's. Very expensive bridge to PEI. Something like $44.50 CDN. Off to Halifax (finding Canada's First). Flight to St. John's. Loved St. John's. Beautiful place (in the summer...) But we did that as a two-week trip (including from and to New Jersey) That's about the right speed for us.

Oh. And Extreme East is further east than Cape's Spear Light.