Geocaching and Calgary Community History: Hawkwood NW

Established in 1981, Hawkwood community is named after its original landowners, John and Joseph Hawkwood. With breathtaking scenic views of the Rocky Mountains to the west, this hillside community is a desirable place to call home.

Before the Hawkwoods and the Tsuu Tina Nation lived here, these lands were mostly likely home to Paleo-Indian bison hunters who were able to take advantage of the elevated views of the vast hunting grounds below. Sheltered by the rare ash tree escarpment and supplied by the Bow River, the Chinook winds became yet one more attractive feature to long-ago settlers.

Under the soil, you will definitely find clay, rocks and boulders but also may discover a fine layer of volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Mazama, Oregon 7700 years ago. Farther down, sandstone, Calgary’s premier building material may be found. Could there be fossils if you dig even deeper? There is a good chance, since Hawkwood was once beneath the waters of a glacier lake.

In terms of geocaching, Hawkwood is prime real estate for cache hiders. As of today’s date, there are only three caches located within this community. Certainly a quick trip for those cachers who like to clear the whole area. These three caches are:

• Throw Another Log on the …, GC17VDP by neired. An unusual little container, this cache is a must for your collection.

• I’ll Show You the Way, GC1EPAR by PrairieSwan. A regular-sized cache, this one has a good back-story to inspire you onward.

• Reflect on Caching – CCARS09, GC1YKDT by Blaze Wolf and Tidal Wolf. A small multi-cache hidden for the 2009 CCARS Event, it looks like this one currently needs maintenance. Check again in the future.

Cache-to-Go: On Thursday, July 29th, One Bad Ant is hosting this event cache at Ricky’s Restaurant in North Hill Mall. This event will be for those who went on Convey to GeoWoodStock VIII and for those who want to hear what happened. Everyone welcome…hope to see you there!