My sabbatical idea generator

[soup]

I have begun to plan my sabbatical and was thinking about what to do. I love the northwest and have completed many amusing and fun adventures in the region. However, now that I have about a 2.5 month free time available (in the summer months), I find that it is rather difficult to come up with new and exciting adventures. It is then I realized I have a great big group of extended friends here who may know about some cache or locational activities that they find excellent. So I will give some details then beg the GC group for their input as to what I might find adventurous, amusing, or amazing.

 

So here are my details:

I will have 2.5 months available. I don't have exact dates (I can choose them when I am ready).

The usual activities I do are caching, biking, kayaking, hiking.. and some unusual activities as well.

I will either be solo, or with my family (wife and 2 children), or with a group if I can join one.

The areas I am interested in playing around are the Northwest, including parts of Canada if necessary.

 

I am not interested in returning to work 2 months later being well rested and clean cut.

I want to return smoldering, covered in muck, with a strange limp while speaking a foreign dialect and swatting at imaginary bats.

 

At least that is mostly my goal. Do you know of any caching and/or adventures out there that you think would be excellent for me to attempt?

[+Trevor and Kate]

A family oriented thing could be the Hiawatha Bike Trails... http://www.skilookout.com/hiawatha/ or going up to Glacier National Park http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/glacier.htm?gclid=CMOAz4TCqKYCFRhCgwodmT1cpA .

 

Or climb Mount St Helens and/or Mount Rainer.

 

Lots of places in WA/ID/MT to ride 4-wheelers and camp. Deep Sea Fishing along the coast...

 

that's all we can think of for now...

 

I have begun to plan my sabbatical and was thinking about what to do. I love the northwest and have completed many amusing and fun adventures in the region. However, now that I have about a 2.5 month free time available (in the summer months), I find that it is rather difficult to come up with new and exciting adventures. It is then I realized I have a great big group of extended friends here who may know about some cache or locational activities that they find excellent. So I will give some details then beg the GC group for their input as to what I might find adventurous, amusing, or amazing.

 

So here are my details:

I will have 2.5 months available. I don't have exact dates (I can choose them when I am ready).

The usual activities I do are caching, biking, kayaking, hiking.. and some unusual activities as well.

I will either be solo, or with my family (wife and 2 children), or with a group if I can join one.

The areas I am interested in playing around are the Northwest, including parts of Canada if necessary.

 

I am not interested in returning to work 2 months later being well rested and clean cut.

I want to return smoldering, covered in muck, with a strange limp while speaking a foreign dialect and swatting at imaginary bats.

 

At least that is mostly my goal. Do you know of any caching and/or adventures out there that you think would be excellent for me to attempt?

[Love]

Yeah, what Trevor and Kate suggested. I highly recommend Rainier if you're interested in that sort of thing - see this thread for helpful advice I got from local geocachers before. I'm actually considering climbing it again this year. If getting to the top isn't your kind of thing, you could always go up to Camp Muir and camp there a night or two. And of course there's always the Wonderland trail if you'd like a longer backpacking adventure.

 

I still have Mt. Adams on my list of to dos so would be interested going with a group of geocachers for that.

 

The Olympic Peninsula is pretty amazing so I'd suggest spending some time around there.

[+MissJenn]

I want to return smoldering, covered in muck, with a strange limp while speaking a foreign dialect and swatting at imaginary bats.

I've missed you, soup.

 

Have you considered the Wonderland Trail at Rainier? Many people who tackle it take 2 weeks to hike its 93-ish miles. You could make it longer. More muck-coverage possibilities. Family could possibly meet you at certain points along the way.

[+klossner]

About the most fun I've ever had was four days chasing The Infinity Gaunlet.

 

Dark Spirits and Mental Jiu-Jitsu Challenge Cache is not to be missed. Great puzzles, family friendly hikes.

 

There are lots of great caves to explore but the locations are generally secret. One of the best ones is near Derrick's Other Treasure. The Adventures of W. Smith (Light in the darkness) is a favorite.

 

Colorado Jones's caches are worth pursuing, especially Crack of the Gods, Lost Boys, and the mystery unpublished cache in the Coast Range.

 

You could climb Mt St Helens and/or South Sister in August when the ice has cleared off.

 

Hmm ... I can't help you with the foreign dialect.

 

There are kayak trips, caving adventures, and gonzo hiking expeditions coming up this summer. Normally I would tell you to follow the PDX Geocaching forums but they've gone strangely quiet. Look for discussions in secret corners of Facebook.

[+W7WT]

I never took advantage of a sabbatical. You might consider doing the Washington Delorme Challenge and at the same time the Washington

County Challenge. Best way to see all the wonders of this wonderful State.

Edited January 8, 2011 by W7WT

[+chubby forest monkey]

Hey Soup, go down to the Southern Oregon Coast and enjoy the cool arches, beaches, rivers and mountains. Be sure to take the family to Vulcan Lake, the best swimming hole ever!

Edited January 8, 2011 by chubby forest monkey

[soup]

Thanks everyone for your timely and excellent suggestions. I feel I can look toward my enforced time off with a spring in my step and a grin to make the Cheshire cat jealous. You guys have given me some great things to think about, epically since thinking is not my strong suit.

 

I plan on tracking, updating and trying your suggestions. Thank you friends. I promise I will not go silent for so long again. Cheers to you!

[+CACHE KRAWLER]

Hey Soup, go down to the Southern Oregon Coast and enjoy the cool arches, beaches, rivers and mountains. Be sure to take the family to Vulcan Lake, the best swimming hole ever!

 

CFM, is there a cache that is close to Vulcan Lake? I am deployed right now and computers are veeeeeerrrrry slow, so doing a bunch of searching is agonizing. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[+Shop99er]

Hey Soup, go down to the Southern Oregon Coast and enjoy the cool arches, beaches, rivers and mountains. Be sure to take the family to Vulcan Lake, the best swimming hole ever!

 

CFM, is there a cache that is close to Vulcan Lake? I am deployed right now and computers are veeeeeerrrrry slow, so doing a bunch of searching is agonizing. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Closest are:

GCRDZW

GCRE0B

GCRE0K

GC12GP7

 

All appear to be within a mail of the lake

[+chubby forest monkey]

Yes

 

There are two cache locations within view of the posted photo. One at the summit of Vulcan Peak, and another at the lake. There is also a cache halfway along the short, family-friendly hike to the lake and a micro to ignore at the TH. There is a wonderful campsite next to the lake and a network of trails nearby.

 

Stay safe, sane and healthy Travis!!!

[+CACHE KRAWLER]

Thanks for the feedback Shop99er and CFM. It looks like a great place to explore when I get back. You two take care and I'll catch up with you when I get back.

[soup]

Just now trying to line some of these adventures up. Thanks again everyone for your excellent ideas.!

[+Belleterre]

If you still need the foreign dialect part - go to Pt.Roberts. It's part of the US, but you have to drive through Vancouver, Canada to get to it.