Hike Of The Month 2012

5.6k · April 1, 2012

NepoKama - Thanks, it's been a while since I've used pictures here and they've changed things.

The first picture shows the path the van took. Looking at the scene later (the wife and I drove out there so she could see), the concrete angling down (straight down the picture from the front of the van) shows scrapings and paint, it's what put the big dent in the driver's door.

The second is from the middle of the bridge. You can see that the way it's tipped, there wasn't a whole lot of compartment that wasn't in the water. I'm just glad I didn't have passenger.

8.3k · April 1, 2012

Wow! Glad your okay. That looks like quite a ride you went for. Again, glad your fine. Driving on snow is tricky business.

1.9k · April 1, 2012

:blink:

Wow! At least you're still with us! If you want to borrow a GPS, let me know!

April 1, 2012

Jester,

Glad you're ok. Looks like quite a ride!

April 1, 2012

Wow! Those pictures show just how many worse things could have happened. Glad they didn't happen and you're okay, Craig.

April 1, 2012

wow..! the whole time you remained that cool calm person everyone has come to know. Glad you're safe.

April 1, 2012

NepoKama - Thanks, it's been a while since I've used pictures here and they've changed things.

The first picture shows the path the van took. Looking at the scene later (the wife and I drove out there so she could see), the concrete angling down (straight down the picture from the front of the van) shows scrapings and paint, it's what put the big dent in the driver's door.

The second is from the middle of the bridge. You can see that the way it's tipped, there wasn't a whole lot of compartment that wasn't in the water. I'm just glad I didn't have passenger.

April 1, 2012

Remember, all that "stuff" is replaceable, I'm glad you're ok.

April 1, 2012

So glad you're ok Jester. Wow, incredibly scary & just reading the story made me anxious.

5.6k · April 1, 2012

Thanks everyone. I'm feeling good this morning, no more aches than usual for my age (I took some ibuprofen last night to help). No bruises that I can find. The note on the car was commented on by both the officer and tow truck driver as a good idea. With the first aid and survival training I've had, I learned to put my emotions "under a rock" and deal with what's happening. You take them out later and deal with them.

It looks like the PDA is dead. It'll accept power/recharge in the cradle but won't turn on. Good thing I have back up units.

The camera seems toast also. It won't turn on even with the battery that's charged. Bummer, but than we've abused that little guy quite a bit (ran over it with the car a few years ago...).

The GPSr worked last night, somewhat. Some of the buttons were a little sticky to operate, but this morning it won't power up. Time for an upgarde? I'll use the Rino 110 until then, I guess.

The phone looks like it came thru with only one small mar on the screen but otherwise seems fine.

As said, all that "stuff" can be replaced (and will be). Cathy and I praise the Lord that I wasn't hurt (or worse - although I hear Heaven is much nicer than down here... :lol: ). It turns out I was less than a half mile from a house when I got picked up.

Hey, guys, how did the hike go?

2.5k · April 1, 2012

Jester, you are one lucky man. I'm glad to hear you came through in good shape. It sure could have been lots worse.

April 1, 2012

I had a similar experience a few years ago, going after a cache on a slick clay road in Missouri. Scooter and I spent the night trapped in my Explorer in a water-filled ditch during a raging thunderstorm while the authorities were trying to locate me. It makes you realize how quickly something unexpected can happen, and how fragile life is.

I always travel now with an emergency kit -- backpacker stove, blankets, extra clothes, freeze dried food and water, and a marine flare gun.

So glad you're OK, Craig. As everyone else has said, stuff is replaceable but life is not. Take care.

9.5k · April 1, 2012

Craig,

I'm seriously glad you came out of this OK. We fretted until 8:30 because we hadn't seen any posts you weren't going to make it. Figured you were running a little late, and you'd catch up with us being the faster and stronger hiker out of all of us. I had driven a little faster than normal on the highway to make up for lost time behind a slower driver, otherwise, I think I would have been behind you and would have been able to help out.

I know the spot you went in. The jeep had caught the edge of the road near there cuz we couldn't see it through the snow. :unsure:

I hope you have good insurance and the car and gear can be taken care of. I hope to see you on the trails real soon.

1.8k · April 1, 2012

Wow...scary stuff! Glad you're ok...the pictures are scarier than I imagined!

Hey, put your electronics in a bag of rice overnight before doing envy thing else to them, check them out later. Even iPhones that made it through the washing maching have been resuscitated this way.

1.5k · April 1, 2012

Holy freaking cow, Craig! Thank God you weren't hurt and that Cathy wasn't with you in the passenger seat. Try burying your electronics in some dry rice for a few days - that's saved some of Phil's wet electronics that we thought were goners. Open up the battery compartments first so you get maximum surface area contact.

5.6k · April 1, 2012

Yeah, I've been using rice - it helped the phone (the cheapest piece) and I'm going to try the PDA a little longer (it's still showing signs of moisture). I'm not sure why the GPSr (which is supposed to withstand 3' for 30 minutes) stopped working after being in the rice overnight (it worked with a few minor glitches). The camera spent the entire time under water in the pack so I'm not sure if anything can be done, I do know a shop I may take it to and have them check it out.

April 1, 2012

Glad you're fine.

April 2, 2012

Craig . . the "you're okay" part is incredibly good news! The losses are replaceable .. you're not!!

1.2k · April 2, 2012

Craig

Glad to see you are still with us! A prepared as I think I may be I can't really imagine how I would react under a similar situation.

2k · April 2, 2012

do not think I would have thought to have taken the time to write a note in case someone gets to your car on their own with you not being there. Glad you are okay.

Edited April 2, 2012 by lamoracke

9.5k · April 2, 2012

Hey, guys, how did the hike go?

The hike was good. We went a mile in the wrong direction before catching the mistake and corrected our route. The lure of nearby caches was to fault. Yah that's my story. No snowshoes required until we got to the trailhead then we were in 2-4 feet of crunchy snow most of the time. We got as far as the Standup Creek bridge at the far end before deciding to head back. The road covered with snow coming in was mostly bare coming out.

I added photos here which is a public link. The new set is down near the bottom of the album.

Anyway, this looks to be the last snowshoe for the season (unless we get a really good cold snap). It's the second time there was snow on the road going in and none coming out and the snow was starting to get sloppy on the trail on the way back down.

Future hikes:

April - TBD

May - Memorial Day weekend at Cape Alava to go after 3 virts. Sunday has a really good low tide working in our favor for traversing the reservation.

June - planning for the east side of the mountains; destination TBD and input is welcome.

2k · April 2, 2012

which three you talking about TL? There are 4 out there

Ozette River Steam Donkey

Roose Homestead

Ahlstroms Homestead

Nylund's Grave

did you mean 4 or is one of these off the table on your Memorial Day hike? The whole trail loop is 9.3 miles assuming a low tide which would get one near Steam Donkey, so curious which three are you tentatively planning?

9.5k · April 2, 2012

Then make it four.

2k · April 3, 2012

I think I would be in this time! Just hope I can keep up with everyone.

9.5k · April 3, 2012

I think I would be in this time! Just hope I can keep up with everyone.

Great! There will be two tough crossings. There will be just a little over a mile required on the beach at low tide to get past the reservation and the Ozette river crossing to get to the steam donkey and we'll need to do it twice. There are two water sources. The Ozette river is the second one and I'll encourage you to carry extra bladders or collapsible cantenes to fill up with on the way back from the steam donkey. The primary water source is a tannin saturated creek just as you enter the beach from the forest trail. Bring zip fizz and other flavorings for your water to help soften the bitterness. Even filtered, it will have a champagne color to it. There are no health risks to it; it is just an acquired taste.

I'll have more details to follow this post in the appropriate month regarding fees and food container requirements.

Edited April 3, 2012 by TotemLake

5.9k · April 3, 2012

Wow! HOMs are always an adventure, sometimes too much so. Glad you kept your head through all that and that you're ok.

2k · April 3, 2012

I see the fees on the NPS website. I am definitely going to go to these virtuals but I might make it a more leisurely hike with the wife. Our anniversary is around there and do not think I have any hopes of getting that 4th virtual with her, so I will probably bow out of the larger scheme. I thank you for getting this bee in my bonnet though to research this area and at least do these 3 virtuals and see the beach at low tide if nothing else.

9.5k · April 15, 2012

GreviousAngel has set up a hike for April and its cool enough to be put on the HOTM. I'm making the virtual GCF591, END OF AN ERA, the target geocache. Here are the details she posted in a PM:

Here’s some info about the Dungeness hike on April 21.

Time: The hike apparently takes 4-6 hours, so I think it would be good to start at around 10:00. (Low tide is at about 12:30.) Google Maps gives the driving time from Kingston (via 104 W and US-101 W) as 1 hour and 13 minutes. Adding in 30 minutes for the ferry crossing, it looks as if the 7:50 ferry would be the best. Info here: http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/ScheduleDetail.aspx?departingterm=8&arrivingterm=12&roundtrip=true or on the attached PDF.

I know not everyone will be taking a ferry; Google Maps says 2 hours and 15 minutes from Olympia, 2 hours from Tacoma.

Fares: Ferry fares will be $20-30 round trip for vehicle and driver, $3.75-$4.50 for passengers, depending on the size of the vehicle and age of the driver and passengers. Details here: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/fares/FaresDetail.aspx?tripdate=20120421&departingterm=8&arrivingterm=12

Entry Fee: There is a fee of $3 (individual or family of up to four) to enter the wildlife refuge. Kids under 16 are free, and Federal Recreation passes such as the Golden Eagle, Golden Age, Golden Access, Federal Duck Stamp and the Dungeness NWR Annual Pass and Annual, Senior, Volunteer, and Access “America the Beautiful” passes are accepted.

Unfortunately, you can’t bring your dog (or play Frisbee, throw a ball or boomerang, light a fire, fly a kite or ride a bike.) Between the parking lot and the lighthouse, there are no toilets and no water. There is, however, a tour given by lighthouse volunteers at the lighthouse, and you certainly can bring your kids.

Caches: I believe the parking for the hike is the same as parking for the earthcache GC2ZBKB, Take Refuge in Dungeness, and at the end of the spit are another earthcache, GC33G8A, Dungeness Spit, and a virtual, GCF591, END OF AN ERA. I think there's also a TerraCache, but I haven't looked into it yet. There are lots of other caches on the way here and in Sequim, but just the three on the hiking route.

If you want to come and want to carpool, why don’t you just hit Reply All and try to get in touch with others in your area? No one is yet committed to going.

Hope you can make it—it should be fun.

--GA

8.3k · April 15, 2012

Just a nit on the fares ...

Only west bound for passengers, $7.50 for 19-64, old farts $3.75, youth 6-18 is $6.05

Cars 14-22 feet, $12.75 both ways for 19-64 and $$10.65 for old farts.

Cheapest overall cost is have the old fart drive east and ride west.

9.5k · April 15, 2012

Yah I've gone both routes. What's not considered are:

There's the additional 90 minutes driving time (one way) involved plus wear and tear on the vehicle just to get to the same location. When ALL things are considered, a roundtrip ferry ride is cheaper than a full tank of gas and less stressful.

5.6k · April 15, 2012

This sounds like a great hike - I haven't been out the Spit in over thirty-five years (and that's a story!) - but we have too much on our plate Saturday to join the group this time. Have a great time and maybe we'll be on the May hike.

9.5k · April 15, 2012

This sounds like a great hike - I haven't been out the Spit in over thirty-five years (and that's a story!) - but we have too much on our plate Saturday to join the group this time. Have a great time and maybe we'll be on the May hike.

That's too bad. Looks to be a good crowd this week. I'll be posting details of the May hike after next week's hike.

April 17, 2012

I am a newby and am really interested in the "Hike of the Month" activities.

I would love to join this hike, but am already doing Beach clean-up at ShiShi on the 21st.

For future reference how do I sign up for hikes? I am not sure what you mean by reply all, do you mean here or elsewhere?

5.6k · April 17, 2012

I am a newby and am really interested in the "Hike of the Month" activities.

I would love to join this hike, but am already doing Beach clean-up at ShiShi on the 21st.

For future reference how do I sign up for hikes? I am not sure what you mean by reply all, do you mean here or elsewhere?

Just state you interest here. The "reply all" was part of the email TL was quoting in that post.

April 17, 2012

I might actually be tempted to join for this hike as it's been on the list. I had committed to a CITO, but there seem to be some in other weekends coming up that I can attend to make up for missing this weekend. I will think on it.

1.2k · April 17, 2012

I will be there. The family is going to spend the day in town while I am out hiking.

9.5k · April 18, 2012

I am a newby and am really interested in the "Hike of the Month" activities.

I would love to join this hike, but am already doing Beach clean-up at ShiShi on the 21st.

For future reference how do I sign up for hikes? I am not sure what you mean by reply all, do you mean here or elsewhere?

Just state you interest here. The "reply all" was part of the email TL was quoting in that post.

Yup posting your interest to join will help me out a bit. I give out a signature item at the beginning of the hike and it helps to know the headcount. This looks to be a big group hike and I'm excited to see everyone again.

Jester, for the record, we'll do last month's hike to the lookout again, but we'll call it the W-w-wipeout! HOTM.

1.9k · April 18, 2012

Jester, for the record, we'll do last month's hike to the lookout again, but we'll call it the W-w-wipeout! HOTM.

Don't forget the

!

Edited April 18, 2012 by Dgwphotos

April 18, 2012

Excellent! I will look forward to May then.

The 21st is International Beach Clean-up Day.

Pack along a bag and take some unwelcome beach junk on the way out.

Hope for low winds and interesting sightings.

1.2k · April 18, 2012

I am a newby and am really interested in the "Hike of the Month" activities.

I would love to join this hike, but am already doing Beach clean-up at ShiShi on the 21st.

For future reference how do I sign up for hikes? I am not sure what you mean by reply all, do you mean here or elsewhere?

Just state you interest here. The "reply all" was part of the email TL was quoting in that post.

Yup posting your interest to join will help me out a bit. I give out a signature item at the beginning of the hike and it helps to know the headcount. This looks to be a big group hike and I'm excited to see everyone again.

Jester, for the record, we'll do last month's hike to the lookout again, but we'll call it the W-w-wipeout! HOTM.

TL

Please remember to bring the tag for the Baker Lake snowshoe. See you on Saturday.

9.5k · April 18, 2012

TL

Please remember to bring the tag for the Baker Lake snowshoe. See you on Saturday.

Thanks for the reminder! Until then!

5.6k · April 18, 2012

Jester, for the record, we'll do last month's hike to the lookout again, but we'll call it the W-w-wipeout! HOTM.

I'm thinking of placing a cache near the accident site called "Jester's Car Wash".

8.3k · April 18, 2012

Jester, for the record, we'll do last month's hike to the lookout again, but we'll call it the W-w-wipeout! HOTM.

I'm thinking of placing a cache near the accident site called "Jester's Car Wash".

LOL! Good one.

April 18, 2012

Why not... 'Slip, Slide Away'? :laughing:

1.2k · April 19, 2012

Well it looks like the wife and kids will no longer be going with me... So I have an empty vehicle and am willing to carpool people over. Let me know.

April 19, 2012

Sadly(?) it is my grandson's birthday on Saturday so I will not be joining on this one as much as I want to visit this area. Oh well, I do have a party to look forward to! Have fun, take lots of pictures,

April 19, 2012

Okay thinking done. I'm in! Looks like we might even get some decent weather for the hike.

April 19, 2012

My weekend just cleared up! Gymrats1, Jiffy98 and I would like to carpool with someone if you have the room.

2k · April 19, 2012

wow, the hike of the month is going to the Dungeness Spit. I guess I will be getting some emails about the trip for those logging my earth cache!

FYI, for those who give a rip about the new challenges, before my earth cache and the other one got set up there, I created a challenge there..

http://www.geocaching.com/challenges/CXBA0_Hike_to_the_Dungeness_Spit_Lighthouse

Just basically hike and take a picture of yourself at the lighthouse. Also there is a benchmark or two at the lighthouse as well.

Not much out there so might as well maximize what you can find. Great walk, especially if you time it right.

April 19, 2012

I've decided that I'm in for this HOTM too. Looking forward to it.

In addition to the two Earthcaches and the virtual, there's also a traditional near the parking lot:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC90AD

Hike Of The Month 2012

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