Riding, Geocaching and Exploring . . . .

That explains the round bottom wagon.

There were a few reasons for doing the Washington_State_Parks_Centennial_Tour and one of those reasons was to go to places I haven'’t been before and visit State Parks to find out what they have to offer. Besides I bought a Discovery_Pass and I’m going to get my money's worth.

My first geocache stop took me to a new place or at least a park I haven't been to. I have been to Yakima numerous times however it is one of my least favorite places in WA State. I don’t know how it is now but at one time Yakima had a very large drug problem as well as a high rate of vehicle thefts. Just going into that town always felt a little strange. I was going to see if visiting the Sportsman State Park was any different.


I had seen the Yakima Sportsman State Parks on maps and I had even ran across information about it when searching for campsites but I always assumed it was more like a boat ramp, fishing access than anything else. With it being on the edge of Yakima and my assumption that not much was there I never made the effort to go check it out. This day was different and I was going to see what really was there.



There was a very nice walking path to the cache.

Guess I should pay attention to what I'’m doing.

Taking time to enjoy the flowers along the way.

And we have lift off.


This one looked like it was glowing.


This sign made me think of Tom Edison and all the great bird pictures he posts in this thread: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=362800&page=221



It looks like there are other flying things in this park as well.


A walk over the wetlands


I thought we were too far North and too far West for alligators? You just never know.


Time to go find that cache


The cache is in there somewhere


Oh, there it is.


Stocked full of goodies. Signed the log, stamped my state park passport page, and left a ladybug kaleidoscope.


I was pleasantly surprised with the park and I’'m glad I stopped. It doesn’'t have the crime ridden "feel" Yakima does and now I know where I can camp if I need to stay in that area. Don’'t get me wrong, I’'m sure Yakima isn'’t all bad I just haven’'t taken the time to get to know it and this park showed me that some impressions just might not be correct.

It was time to move on again and a ride over White Pass.


If all goes well I will be headed out for a ride along the St. Joe this weekend so this thread will sit quietly again for a few days but I will return to tell you about the rest of the ride to Westport.

Hey AJ ,

You're right the RRs can eat up the time. There are sure some good ones out there. Thanks for popping in on this one.

Thanks.

Things didn'’t go well so there will be no riding for me this weekend. The good news is being able to spend the weekend working will help pay what the shop is charging me for a 45,000 mile service and chain tensioner repair on my F650. Not only that I get to add more to this ride report.

Now where did I leave you? Oh yeah, I left you sitting on the White Pass Scenic Route.

From Yakima I would ride Hwy 12 which goes over White Pass. Hwy 12 is my 2nd favorite east/west route across Washington State. My favorite is Hwy 20 the North Cascade Hwy but that’s much further North.

The rode cuts through forest and rock cliffs as it follows the Tieton River.


The tunnel, I like the tunnel.


Going into the light




Is this what going into the light is like? Not bad.


There is snow peaking down off those hills above Rimrock Lake.


I’'ve traveled this road I don’'t know how many time over the years and always enjoy it. There haven'’t been many changes over the years other than maybe the road kept up a little better and a few places it has been widened. It’'s a two-lane road without a lot of traffic but at times I do get stuck behind a truck or RV. Since I’m rarely in a hurry I don'’t get too stressed out about trying to get around the slow moving vehicles I just kick back and enjoy the views. There are places to pass but at times it is a distance.

One change is a viewpoint west of the top of White Pass. It was a dirt wide spot along the road that wasn'’t marked until just a few years ago. I stop there almost every time I go through to enjoy a brief break and a great view of Mt. Rainier. I have pictures of most of my motorcycles over the years at this spot with the mountain in the background. Now it’s paved and there are signs letting motorists know about the viewpoint. The chance of enjoying the view in solitude is gone but more people get to enjoy what I have enjoyed for years.

The White Pass Scenic Byway sign is now at the view-point and of course there is the view.


Another favorite view is just a few miles west of the view-point. As you are riding along not seeing the mountain, you round a corner and it feels like you are going to run right into that big white snow covered mountain.


It looks like someone didn’'t stop at the stop sign, so sad.




The next stop is the Ike Kinswa State Park for another geocache.
A nice path however GPS reception wasn'’t very good here.


The trees opened up some and I was able to verify I was still going the right way.


There’'s the cache


I left the shamrock with the ladybug sticker and took the cancer sucks bumper sticker.


As I was walking back I thought about cancer and two people in my life who are battling the horrible disease and how they are handling it very differently. My nephew has brain cancer is angry, bitter and doesn'’t want to see or talk with anyone. I’'m respecting his desires but it breaks my heart that he doesn'’t want to see me. My best friend, who is more like a sister, has stage 4 melanoma and is fighting it with everything she has. She is working on her "bucket list" and making the best of her time.



With being out there in the quiet beautiful forest it was easy to let my mind wander to sad places but then I reminded myself I had quality time coming up with my friend helping her go through that bucket list. Then I started thinking about some of our past trips and my mood brightened, we always have lots of laughs and make good memories.

I like the moss hanging from the trees. The east (dry) side of Washington State has evergreen forests but not the lush moss covered forest like the West (wet) side does.


Back where the bike was parked is the day use area and the beach. There were a few people relaxing alongside of the lake, a couple families enjoying picnics and kids playing.


Ike Kinswa State Park was another park I had not been to before and again I was pleased with what I found.

I re-filled my water bottle and it was time to move on since I still needed to get where I planned to camp for the night…..

It's funny how when something new enters someone's life how the old depenable standby get shoved to the back, eventually sold and forgotten.

You might want to hold on to that boat in case one day you want to go float around on a lake. At Ike Kinswa SP did you run your boat up that channel past the waterfalls and to the other end of the lake?

After I get through with this State Park Challenge we'll see which one I'm the most impressed with. There's almost two years to complete the challenge. I want to hit at least 50 state parks and not figuring on getting all 100 since some of them are out on the San Juan Islands and I don't know that I want to dedicate that much time nor money for ferries to go get them.

The next stop is Lewis and Clark State Park. It has camping so this is where I would call it a day.


The campground was fairly empty so I headed out to look for the cache before setting up camp. The trail to the cache was a little ways from the camping so I rode up to the trailhead.


When I got to the trailhead I noticed a man in a car parked on a spur road within eye-shot of the parking area. I sort of wondered what he was doing but started out on the trail anyway.




It was so pretty out there


I walked a little ways down the trail but I kept thinking about that man in the car and there was no one else around. My gut instinct told me that wandering alone into the dense forest might not be the best idea.


There probably was nothing to be worried about and the man may have just been enjoying some quiet time but I listen to my instincts. I rarely have feelings like that so when I do I listen. Hopefully I will never find out if my instincts are correct or not.

I found a campsite, unloaded the bike and set up my home for the evening.


After things were set up I decided to run up to the gas station, fill up the bike, and see if they had anything for dinner. On the way to the campground I spotted what looked like a historic site along the road and wondered if I could access the cache from there.


The historic site was pretty dilapidated which is too bad since it looks like it was a nice stop at one time with a lot of information. The cache was about a half mile from there but there wasn'’t a trail so I would wait until the next morning and go back to the trail and look for it.

The platform has seen better days


The bark on this tree was very thick.


I returned to camp, had dinner and went for an evening walk. For some reason I didn’'t take my camera with me when went for the walk which is unusual for me.

Back at camp I checked my pedometer to see how far I walked during the day.


Until this year I had no idea how much I actually walk when I’'m out riding and looking for geocaches. Not too bad for a sedentary out of shape gal.
It’s amazing how I have managed to stretch out one day. We’ll see if I do the same with the following days….

Friday, July 12, 2013

After camp was broke and packed up I headed back to the Old Growth Forest trail to see if I could find the cache. I was still out there alone but this time there wasn’'t a man lurking in a car nearby. I felt much safer going into the forest alone.


There are always interesting things to see in the forest.


The tree cover was thick enough my GPS wasn'’t connecting to the satellites but as I walked every so often I could see a glimpse of light which appeared to be an area that might open up so I kept going.

In the NW where it’s damp/wet there are slugs and slugs come in different varieties. In Spokane all I ever see are the brown slimy looking slugs. I have seen the bright yellow banana slugs in Northern Californian coast area but this if the first time I have ever seen a black slug. This guy looks like a biker slug all dressed up in his leathers.


After posing for his photo op he had places to go. I’m sure he has a Harley waiting for him. Hey looky there, that slug rides like I do.



OK my GPS will be able to see the satellites here, even if there is a high fog hanging.


But before I start following the GPS I took a photo of where I came out so I could find my way back. I could have marked the GPS but that would be too easy.


Headed north 463 feet, no problem.


Stopped to enjoy a flower along the way


Geocache found






It was time to say good-bye to the Lewis and Clark State Park. It'’s another park I was very pleased with and it'’s now on my list of positive places to camp.

Next up

Thanks and yes I am having a lot of fun. I wasn't sure if people here would want to read about the geocaching but ADV has such a variety of folks that I was hoping there might be at least a few. Besides we're all interested in fun motorcycle rides.

I get sidetracked by a lot of things and that's all part of the fun for me. I'm glad you liked the biker slug.

Found your first cache did you? How fun! I hope you enjoy adding a little caching in with your riding.

I was headed for Willapa Hills Trail however I didn'’t pay attention to the trail part and was looking for a State Park. I headed for where I thought I would find the "state park" but I didn’'t see any sign nor a park. The road turned to dirt and after I went around two switch backs I stopped to see where the GPS pointed the geocache to be. It told me it was back where I came from but I didn’'t see a park there. I decided since I didn’'t know where the road was going I would turn around.


After going back down I decided to give up on that one, for now, and go find the cache at the Rainbow Falls State Park. It had been a number of years since I had been to that park and at the time you could access it from Hwy 6. Now you have to cross the river and access it from the North side.


Cache found




I liked the blue Geiko gecko. It'’s trackable and even though I thought it was cool I left it for someone else to find. Sometimes I will take trackable items to a new cache but other times I don’'t.


I'’m starting to get some stamps on my two page "passport".


There is sign describing a flood that went through in 2007 which change the park to some degree. I looked it up after I got home and found this article: http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2008/06/rainbow_falls_a_peacful_place.html I don'’t remember when the last time I was there but I know it was before it flooded and the fish were swimming up stream. It was the first and only time I have seen fish and "climbing" a falls. The falls isn'’t big but it is swift. It was very memorable.


This time the river was pretty dry, so much so I didn’'t even bother to take any pictures of it. I was looking forward to seeing the old bridge again and it was gone. All in all it was a fairly disappointing stop. The up side though is I did check out the campground and it looks nice. When I stopped before I didn'’t even realize there was a campground there. Knowing where nice campgrounds are makes it easier for me when I'’m traveling especially in areas where you really can’'t just pull off and set up camp.

As I was leaving the Rainbow Falls State Park I saw a sign Willapa Hills Trail and an arrow pointing east on Leudinghaus Rd. Ok I would follow it and see if I could find that cache. As I was riding along it finally dawned on me that I should be looking for a trail and not a park.

My GPS didn'’t think I was going the right way and wanted me to turn around.


That road had me back to where I was earlier but coming in from the other side. At the bottom of the hill I once again didn’'t see any trailhead signs. I rode a little ways and as the GPS indicated I was moving away from the cache I decided to turn around and go back. There was a small parking area and I realized it was for the trail.


The only sign indicating the trail. I was looking for a state park tail sign so didn'’t pay much attention to this sign when I past it. Observation sometimes is missing in my little bag of tricks


Maybe that’'s why there are no signs, the trail is closed.


I looked at the gate and I don’'t like to do things I’'m not supposed to do so I walked around trying to decide what to do. I didn'’t want to access a closed trail but at the same time after coming all this way plus the effort it took me to find the trail I hated the idea of not getting the cache.

While I was thinking I took time to enjoy the flowers.






Finally I decided to go ahead and walk down the trail and look for the cache. The cache was only a half-mile from the parking area so I figured all would be fine and heck there was no one around. I couldn't imagine anyone would catch me going where I wasn't supposed to be.

I kept seeing squiggly lines on the road and wondered what made them.
Then I found the culprit.




Ahead there were two small deer in the road. I thought they would get spooked when they saw me but one in particular was very curious, watching me and started walking my direction. Meanwhile I could hear the mom in the bushes whistling that high pitch whistle deer make when they think there is danger.


I looked at my GPS and realized I had passed the cache so I left the deer alone and returned to find the cache.

The GPS reception was very spotty in this area but luckily the owner of the cache had a good description in the hints so I was able to find it.


From the trail you couldn’t see the cache but from behind the tree it was easy to spot.




With the cache found I started the walk back to the bike. The trail is on an old railroad bed and is flat, straight and fairly boring. It would be a nice bicycle path though. As I was walking I spotted this feather and stopped to check it out.


As I was looking at the feather on the ground, I liked how deep blue it is, I heard a noise ahead on the trail. I looked up to see the cab of a state park pickup pointed down the trail. Ahhhhhh crap. The noise I heard was the gate opening so they could drive in. My mind started to run in circles, wondering what to do. I didn’'t think they had seen me, I could hide in the bushes. I didn'’t want to do that since if they had seen me then I would look like I was up to no good. I kept walking trying to come up with a good story as to why I was on a closed trail. I couldn’'t say I didn'’t see the sign. I no longer can get away with batting my eyes and looking cute (that ship sailed years ago) I didn’'t have a good reasons for being there and I couldn’'t even come up with a believable lie…… Crap, crap, crap, ……this is why I don'’t like to do things I’m not supposed to do.

As I continue to walk to the trail entrance the pickup came toward me, I figured I would just tell them I was looking for a cache. Going for the truth would be best. When the pickup got to where I was I smiled and waved. The two people in the cab smiled, waved back, and kept going. Whew….. no explanation needed. I was doing a lot of sweating for nothing. I didn’'t like that.

The map doesn'’t look like finding the Willapa Hills Trail should be all that difficult. I just made it harder than it needed to be.

I'll remember that in case I find myself in a similiar situation.

I'm glad that brought back good memories for you.

Enjoy you caching adventure.

With all the un-necessary stress it was time to relax over breakfast and on to Pe Ella I rode.

Evey'’s looked like it might have a nice meal.


The bucket on the roof makes me wonder what it’s for.


While I was having breakfast people came and went and it was clear it was the local meeting place. They were all older folks and some, maybe most, retired. They were talking and I was listening…. They talked about farming and the crops. They talked about other people in the area. They talked politics. They talked about their hopes and dreams. There was a couple talking with another couple and the one lady talked about how they saved all their lives to travel and now they were retired and would be able to as soon as he finished recovering from his stroke. They appeared to be in their ‘70s and the man looked like he was in very bad shape, barely able to walk and dragging an oxygen bottle behind him. Sadly I don'’t think that lady is going to be able to achieve her dream of traveling with the man she loves.

The closer I get to my retirement years I worry I won’'t have the money to do the things I want because I have spent my life doing things I wanted. Then I see people like that who worked and saved their entire lives to get to retirement but not able to enjoy it. At least when I am forced to stop doing things I do either because of health or lack of money at least I will have my memories and ton of pictures.

The stools looked lonely


I like quaint small town churches. They always make me feel positive about the world and they remind me to say a little prayer and be thankful for the good things in life.


For a bit the ride wasn'’t all that spectacular.


Then I saw the Menlo store and I smiled while memories ran around in my mind.


In 2007 I attended a rally that is located behind that store. There was about 100 people and only 3 or 4 women. I was a bit intimidated since I was still new in the adventure world, I didn’'t know anyone, and certainly the minority with being a woman. I tried to talk with a few people but I was really out of my element and I was having a difficult time making connections. Not that the people weren’'t friendly, they were, but I was being insecure.

As I was walking across the field which was the camping area I spotted the nicest looking bike ride in. I was riding my F650 but I hadn’'t seen a black and white F650 Dakar before and it really got my attention. It had a nice assortment of farkles which just added to it. I had to get a closer look so I was required to talk to it’s owner.

All in all that wasn'’t a bad thing because the owner was alinbeaverton now know as Loud Al and he became a good friend.


Thoughts of meeting Allan made me smile then I thought about the rest of the weekend, the riding class and another friend, Tantrum, showing up and her trail makeup.


Yep, someday if I get to the point where I can'’t do much I will still have good memories, very good memories.

It wasn’'t too long until I was following the water.




As I was headed toward Westport I saw a sign that indicated Tokeland, WA was just a short detour so I decided to see what was there.

Pretty pup.


Interesting horse sculpture made from driftwood.


Tokeland_Hotel




There are stories about the Tokeland Hotel being haunted but I didn’'t see any ghosts so it was time for me to move on.

My next stop

Time to go for another walk


I enjoyed the walk here.




There’'s a cache here somewhere


Getting closer


Found it




Since I was there I decided to see where another trail went…..the ocean.