The Navigatorz

For those of you who will be going on the August 17 Hike (to Altitude is Your Friend), you may have noticed that several new caches in the vicinity were just approved. We will be driving by Naneum Point and stopping at Wenatchee Mountain cache for the start of the hike. Perhaps if there is time after the hike, those who are willing and have the time may want to drive down the backside of Mission Ridge to get these caches as well. These caches were hidden by Chabagan who rode ATV's. but it appears they are driveable with 4-wheel drive vehicle with clearance. Here is a Map of the Caches on Mission Ridge. Red dots are the newly published caches, Blue dots are old caches on top of the Ridge, and the Purple Dot is the goal of the hike - Altitude is Your Friend. . I would estimate adding a couple more hours to the trip if you want to do all of the caches. (This is turning into a mini-cache-machine).

A new qualifying cache was recently hidden by firenut-hunter on Mt Bonaparte, 15 miles NE of Tonasket. Elevation 7258 feet. A 12x12' log cabin built in 1914 still exists, as well as a 20' tower built in 1961 which is manned. Both structures are Listed on National Historic Lookout register.

Oooops, I stand corrected. I had mistakenly named the plane that crashed in 1944 on Mission Ridge as a B-52, when it was actually a B-24 Liberator. I really wasn't trying to re-write history.

Yes you can. If you're able to meet with us at the scheduled time, you're more than welcome to join us.

August Hike of the Month Save the Date: August 17, 2008, Sunday Meeting Place: Lincoln Park (Ski Link Parking Area, South Mission Street between Crawford St. and Parkway Ave.) Times: - Meet at 7:45 AM - Depart at 8:00 AM - Return 2:00 PM Destination: Altitude is Your Friend (on ski slope of Mission Ridge, location of 1944 B-52 plane crash site) Driving Distance Lincoln Park to Wenatchee Mountain: 24 miles Hike Distance: 1.4 miles one way with 300' elevation difference, Downhill to cache, Uphill back out. Road Terrain: Rough, vehicle with clearance recommended Other caches available along the way: See Bookmark Please let me know if you plan to join us on this hike, and whether or not you will drive or need a ride.

This cache is on my to-do list for this year, so I'd like to meet up with everyone at the trailhead if that's ok.

Mt Hall Summit Cache (Waypoint GC1EE15) is a new cache located at a lookout site in Area 8, about 9 miles NE of Ione.

Here's a picture of what the hike to Altitude is Your Friend cache would look like: Drive up from Jumpoff Ridge to Naneum Ridge to the peak of Wenatchee Mountain (Elevation 6742 feet). Then hike west down the hill toward Mission Peak for about a mile until we reach the ski lift maintenance road and follow it to the cache, which is at elevation 6420 feet. (PS. There are geocaches at Naneum Point, where there used to be a lookout tower, and another at the end of the road at Wenatchee Mountain).

That weekend works for me too!

Altitude is Your Friend is one I haven't done yet, and since I don't ski or snowmobile, I figured the only way to get there was to hike up the ski hill during the summer. But since the Mission Ridge road is closed for repairs this summer, the only other options are to hike down from the top of Wenatchee Mountain or Mission Peak. I think hiking down from Mission Peak is further (you have the added distance of hiking in from the Liberty Beehive road), whereas you can drive to the top of Wenatchee Mountain. Plus you may have too many rock fields to cross if you approach it from Mission Peak. So if we hike to Altitude is Your Friend from the top of Wenatchee Mountain, it looks to be a 1.4 mile hike with a 300 foot elevation decent, then hike uphill going back out. That would be great to get that one. Its been out there for over 5 years taunting me to go up and find it.

I woke up this morning with sore muscles, but it was worth it...right?? That's a view you have to work at to see. There'll never be a roadside viewpoint there. Thanks again to all who came on the hike. And thanks westsiders for your patience at the late start as part of the caravan got garmined and ended up on another part of Wedge Mountain. But after a couple of cell phone calls, we were all together and off hiking. I'm looking forward to our next months hike. Any ideas?

So the group is looking like: g-people Mr. Gadget #2 The Navigatorz Jaken Robinego and Husband mmauvil K-Ddid LandRover Hydnsek AndrewRJ We'll be leaving the Park N Ride (Easy Street) at 9:30 sharp. It's going to be hot. The forecast for Saturday is 92 degrees. Bring plenty of H2O. Hydnsek and AndrewRJ, see you at the trailhead. PS. Westsiders...Want to share cell phone numbers, just in case? We can do that by separate email.

A new cache hidden by Mr. Gadget #2 qualifies for the lookout challenge. Its called Observation Point - Manastash LO (Waypoint GC1E5W3) and is located in Area 5. This cache replaces the archived cache called Poor Kate's Kitty (Waypoint GC1DA2). Thanks Mr. Gadget for retrieving the old cache and for the new hide. Another cache near a lookout site in Area 2 was recently brought to my attention. Hills of Morning (Waypoint GCGJQQ) by colbridge was hidden in 2003 but was not listed in the Lookout Bookmark list because another cache, called Sauk it to Me, was closer to the lookout. However that cache has been archived. Thanks AndrewRJ for the heads up.

The Easy Street Park n Ride is at N47 28.200 W120 20.100

From Leavenworth to the trailhead is about 12 miles dirt road, and I would estimate a 30 minute drive. The Wenatchee group will depart at 9:30 from the Wenatchee Park and Ride at Easy Street and will be at the trailhead at 10:00, driving up Mountain Home road from the Hiway 97 side. Hope that works for everyone.

The nearby businesses are Wedge Mountain Inn (Motel) and Big Y Cafe both near the intersection of Hiway 2 and Hiway 97. We would have to get permission to park vehicles in their parking lots. So far it appears there are two individuals (Hydnsek and AndrewRJ) coming over from the west side Saturday morning in one vehicle (LandRover states that he will already be in Wenatchee and will meet the carpoolers there). Are Hydnsek and AndrewRJ able to meet us at the trailhead? You would need a high clearance vehicle. If so, here is a suggestion that might work: East meets West at the Wedge Mountain trailhead? Those coming from the Wenatchee-Cashmere side meet at the Easy Street Park-n-Ride in Wenatchee. We can then carpool to the Wedge Mountain trailhead via Hiway 97 and Mountain Home Road. Those driving from the west side could drive up Mountain Home Road from the Leavenworth end. There are caches along the way they may want to find after the hike such as 21 Candles and Charred Log, both on the Mountain Home Road, and also Boundary Butte and Boundary Butte The Top, both just a short drive off the Mountain Home road. If the west siders are not bringing a high clearance rig and need rides, then we'll have to meet them at the Park-n-Ride in Leavenworth (a few miles further to drive for the eastsiders), or I can call the Big Y cafe and ask if we can park vehicles there for a few hours on Saturday. So westsiders, is meeting at the trailhead a possibility? Or do you need to ride up with someone with higher clearance vehicle?

I just finished 3 days as a volunteer lookout at Sun Top and wanted to share some photos with my fellow geocaching friends. It was a fantastic experience and one I was able to share with my teenage daughter. She is the photographer so the credit for most of the pictures go to her. Sun Top in my opinion is one of the best places to visit in Washington state. Serving as a lookout is something I've always wanted to do, and I now have a greater appreciation for those who have worked at lookouts weeks and months at a time. I'm lookoing forward to going back next year. By the way, there is a cache at Sun Top. Click here for my Sun Top Photo Album. They are arranged from Sunrise to Sunset and are best viewed by clicking the Slideshow button.

Woops, I didn't know g-people had already posted the same sort of question. I'm off to Sun Top!!!

What he said. And we might even carpool. But for me it partly depends on just what "ungodly hour" y'all plan to meet, since we are coming that morning from far, far away. And I may have to choose between this and the Wet Side HOTM, which is the next day (sigh). Since there are some from the other side of the divide who want to come, I vote we leave later. Would 10:00 work for everyone? Or later?

I was asked if I could show the relation of Wedge Mountain cache to Lloyd's Last Lunch Box cache. Lloyd's Last Lunch Box (GCP038) is also located on Wedge Mountain, but on a different road than the one to the Wedge Mountain trailhead. But for those who want to drive to it after the hike, here is a map. The colored routes are: Turquoise - US Hiway 97, Green - Snow Lakes trail, Pink - Mountain Home Road, Purple - Road to Lloyd's Last Lunch Box (NF-400), Red - Road to Wedge Mountain Trailhead (NF-7305), Blue - The trail to the top of Wedge Mountain. And here it is in 3D:

There's an article in the Wenatchee outdoors newsletter where some of the Wenatchee Outdoors staff hiked up Wedge Mountain on June 18 (4 days after I hid my cache). What interesting about the article is it seems they got to see a mountain goat who was hanging around at the summit. CLICK HERE for a detailed hike report with a photo of the goat. That would be neat if we could see him too on our hike. g-people would probably nickname him "Wedgie".

Congratulations!! I was with you when you found 300. Doesn't seem that long ago. You'll have 500 in the bag before summer is over.

This Happy group of Cache-cadians made it to the Center of Washington. It was a hot day, but a fun journey. Thanks to g-people who organized the hike. We missed you!! Thanks everyone who came to the hike. Looking forward to next months hike.

Thanks for the quick responses. I heard from just about everyone either by email or phone. Looks like we're sticking with the plan to Journey to the Center of WA (Devils Gulch). The forecast for Saturday is 100 degrees so it may be nice to get a little wet. I'm going to pack in an old pair of tennies to wear when crossing the creeks. I'm looking forward to the adventure. See everyone on Saturday.

Not so good news for the Devils Gulch hike: I did a little internet search on the Devils Gulch trail this evening, just to see if I could find any photos or trail information. What I found out may cause for a change in plans for this Saturdays hike. According to this article BBTC, the writer states that the trail crosses Mission Creek several times. A recent update on May 26 of this year states "Be Prepared to get your feet wet as the river was running high and swift for three or four of the crossings. The last one was thigh deep on me, I am 5'8" and one of our group almost lost their bike to the current". We should have picked up on this from the Journey to Center of WA cache page where it states "Take an extra pair of socks, because you'll need to ford a stream or two. When the snow melts, the water may be too high, don't risk it!" So at this point I'm thinking not everyone will want to ford a stream and get wet. Any thoughts or suggestions? We're getting down to only 2 days left so we need to communicate on this. I talked to Patudles about this today and she had a suggestion for an alternate hike. What does everyone think about hiking to Eight mile lake instead? The cache page says its a 3.2 mile hike to the lake with a 1300 ft elevation gain. Beautiful scenery at the lake. Sorry about the last minute news, but its better to think about doing an alternate hike, than start up Devils Gulch only to turn around part way because we couldn't cross Mission Creek. Hope to hear from everyone soon. The hiking distance and hike time is about the same for both hikes. Google maps gives the following for driving time from Wenatchee to the trailheads. Devils Gulch trailhead: 40 minutes Eightmile Lake trailhead: 1 hour