The Hoh Rain Forest

On my August Friday Furlough day Mom and I decided to go drive up to Forks and visit the Hoh Rain Forest.  Neither of us have been here before so we thought we would try a new place up in the Olympic Peninsula. We planned to leave early so we can enjoy the entire day up there.  I told Mom to be at my house at 7 so we can leave and head up there since it is a long drive to Forks.  The night before I got all of my stuff ready and tried to go to bed at a decent time.

I woke up at 6 and got ready.  It was going to be a really nice day.  Ben got up shortly after me to head to work.  Mom was late getting here so I decided to go get gas at the Texaco off of Spurgeon Creek Road.  For some reason the Escape was clanking or knocking from underneath or the right side of the vehicle and I got worried.  I got gas and then drove back to my house and then called mom to see if we could drive the Expedition instead.  I really didn't want to get stuck somewhere if something went wrong.

She got gas on her way to my house and got here around 7:40.  Not the time we wanted to leave but since we had to change our plans a little...it will have to do.

I threw my stuff into her vehicle and she made me drive, of course.  We left my house and got onto Yelm Highway, merged onto Hwy 101 and when we got to the junction to go to Shelton or Elma, I had a brain fart and ended up going towards Shelton instead of Elma on Hwy 8.  Lame.  We got off of Hwy 101 by the Little Creek Casino and got onto 108 and drove through McCleary and got onto Hwy 8 there.  It wasn't ideal but I was glad there was a road to get us to the right place so we could be on our way.

We continued into Aberdeen, where we stopped at the Walmart to use the restrooms since everywhere else is closed because of GD Covid.  We usually stop at a fast food restaurant when we come though here to use the restrooms but not this year.  We got back onto Hwy 101 and drove through Hoquiam and then north towards Forks.  It was a somewhat of a boring drive but we had a lot to chat about because we usually did.  It felt like I just came up here (which I basically did at the beginning of the month) so all the landmarks were pretty fresh in my mind.  It didn't take us very long to get up there because it was a Friday and not very many people were on the road and we didn't stop for any geocaches on the way up.

We got to the turn off and followed the road to the Hoh Rain Forest, paid our $30 entrance fee to the national park and got to the parking lot about 11 a.m.  The parking lot was pretty full (we really weren't surprised) but we got super lucky and nabbed a spot as someone else was leaving.  We had perfect timing, haha!

We decided to eat lunch before we went on our hikes in the parking lot.  Mom made herself a sandwich and I brought a turkey and cheese lunchable (because I was lazy this morning) while we debated on which trail to do first.  We finished our food and got our hiking shoes on, grabbed our back packs and then walked the short distance to the restroom.  We had to wait outside because only a few people could be in the bathroom at once.  

We walked to the beginning of the trail head and figured we should do the Hall of Mosses Trail first.  There were lots of people walking around and there were signs telling us to walk counter clock wise to avoid passing people.  We had our masks with us just in case people didn't follow the rules.  This trail is a 0.8 iconic loop that takes you through old growth forest and features a grove of maple trees draped with abundant club moss.  Just about every single tree had a moss beard!  It was so cool!

Just up the trail we did our first cache, Hall of Mosses Earthcache (GC2DGQ2), which took us to a sign where we learned about the different types of trees that grew here and the amazing height these giants tower over us.  We got our necessary information and a few photos and continued around the loop.  We saw some amazing giant trees, moss beards and maple trees that took over the forest canopy.  Why haven't we come here sooner?

We finished that loop and walked back down to the map to find out where to start the next loop, the Spruce Nature Trail. It is a diverse 1.2 mile trial that loops through both old and new growth forest as you walk alongside Taft creek and the Hoh River.  This trail was nice because it was empty.  We might have seen a handful of people which was hardly any compared to the other trail we just did.  That one was swarming with people.

It was really nice to just cruise down the path and not worry about anyone getting in our way.  There were a lot of nurse logs, giant trees with beards and a mixture of new and old growth trees that speckled the landscape.  There was something mysterious about the forest yet fun to explore.  I checked my geocaching app and noticed we were almost to the next earthcache, Hoh Valley (GC35ATG).  It was along the banks of the Hoh River and it asked us to answer questions about the valley itself and the active erosion here.

We enjoyed the river while we were here for a little bit because it was a very nice day, hanging out by the river was refreshing and I really can' t help myself...I had to find some rocks to skip.  Good times.  Before we left, we noticed an elk herd up stream probably getting some water after a long day of roaming the valley.  

We finished the Spruce Nature Trail, walked alongside Taft creek and back into the giant towering old growth trees with beards.  We got to see some downed trees that were uprooted from the ground with small trees growing out from it and there were large rocks, dirt and leaves packed in the root wad.  It had to have been bigger than a car.  It was insane.  

We got back to the main trail and walked back towards the Expedition.  I took my hiking shoes and socks off and replaced them with my flippers.  I took a big swig of water and left the park.  A lot of people were trying to get in.  I said out loud, good luck trying to find a parking spot.  We stopped just outside the parking lot to take pictures of the ponds because mom liked them.

I set my phone to the next cache, Iron Man's Cache (GC29FB4) and by the time we were ready to pullover at the turn out, I noticed there were two women camping near the cache so we didn't even try to find it.  I logged it as a DNF and would have to come back another time to look for it.

Mom wanted to stop at Peak 6 Tours and Gift Shop along the Upper Hoh Road.  We parked, grabbed our mask and browsed for a few minutes.  I found a couple of post cards and a sweatshirt.  I just can't help myself when sweatshirts are under $30.  Mom found a couple T-shirts for her travel quilt she is making.  We talked to the lady who was running the shop and she asked us where we were from.  We told her we were up on a day trip from Olympia.  She responded with, oh so not too far away.  Then we added that we haven't been here before and though we should come up on this beautiful day.  She said that we did choose a really nice day to come up here because most of the time they are covered in clouds and fog.  We thanked her and continued on our way. 

I wanted to grab a couple more caches that I had on my offline list.  One of those was in a camping area called the Minnie Peterson Campground and it sounded like it was a quick park and grab.  We pulled off the road and drove through a camping area.  Minnie's Mini (GC47225) was hidden on one of the signs near the bathroom.  It was an easy park and grab but the container was really hard to remove from its hiding spot.  I managed to get it out and put it back without breaking anything. 

I had another set on my phone to grab.  That one was called Pioneer Trail (GC3FFZZ) but there was an active campsite near the trail area so we decided to skip that one too.  Why are all the caches being taken over by camping?  It's not like they were legit camping areas but more of, oh...this looks like a good spot, I think I will camp here.  Another one I will have to come back for someday.

I wanted to at least end the day with a find.  I found the next closest one, DNR Hoh Oxbow (GC8A698) and it was at the Hoh Oxbow Campground.  I enjoy visiting places I've never been and it's next to a large river so we might see some cool stuff?  We pulled into the campground and I parked as close as I could do the trailhead as we could.  The cache wasn't that far away from the parking area but you know if you can park close why not.  We get out and walk the short distance to the cache and we noticed there is a tent right next to where the coords were taking me.  Uhhhh, I have no idea if anyone is in here or where they are so I am just going to check really quickly.  The last cacher couldn't find it.  There was a cool view of the river from here though.  We didn't find it, took a few pictures and were on our way back to the Expedition.  Bummer.  Another DNF.

We get back onto Hwy 101 and I really wanted to end the day on a find.  I checked the app and there was one more off of a side road.  It should be easy to find.  Winfield Memories (GC29FAX) was near a memorial marker for someone who had died.  I parked the Expedition and walked down the side of the road to find a pretty worn out container.  In the meantime, I got a big gash on my leg from tripping over a branch I didn't see.  That will definitely leave a scar.  I walked back to the Expedition and we got back onto Hwy 101.

Mom wanted to stop by Ruby Beach on the way home so that's what we did when got close to the turn off.  I told her about the last time I was here, which was about a month ago, and how crowded it was.  There were absolutely no more parking spots and people had to park out on Hwy 101 at the turn off.  It was insane.  Today, there weren't as many people which was nice.  We were able to park near the restroom and walk down to the beach.  We used the restroom first, gathered up our stuff and headed down the hill.  

We took pictures, walked along the beach, collected rocks and just enjoyed how nice of a day it turned out to be.  We were were for about an hour before we decided to start heading back towards home.  Along the way, we discussed the places we wanted to visit the next time we were up this way.  That included, the beaches along this stretch of 101, the Sol Duc Hot Springs area, Lake Crescent and some of the waterfalls just north of here.

Mom wanted to stop by Kalaloch so she could see the Tree of Life.  I was just here so I walked down to the beach with her so she could see it and get a few photos.  We were here less than 20 minutes.  

I wanted to make one more stop because I've been eyeballing this cache for a few years now and we actually had time to get it and I wasn't on someone else's time.  It was on the north shore of Lake Quinault and we followed Nuvi to the site.  I had no idea what to expect except that I knew we were looking for a broken down rusted box truck.  The road kept going and going.  We rounded the corner and saw the sign for the Kestner Homestead and a place to park.  We were going to have to walk across a bridge and a short stroll down the old dirt road.  I looked for Moving Time (GCJC1Q) which was hidden back in May 2004 and has been found over 380 times.  We explored and took many pictures while we were here.  

We walked back to the Expedition because we were getting hungry and we were still about an hour away from Aberdeen.

As we drove towards Hoquiam, I asked Mom what kind of food she wanted.  We discussed fish and chips and Mexican.  GD Covid has made it hard to eat at places because you either had to go through a drive through or find a place that allowed dining in.  If you dinned in, you had to make sure that it didn't close early especially if you were out late traveling around.  The fish and chips place closed early and we wouldn't make it so we decided to go to the Mazatlán in Aberdeen because it was open past 8 p.m. and we could dine it and use the restroom.

Mom had a burrito and I had some chicken enchiladas.  It was delicious.  We used the restroom when we were done and of course we stopped by the Walmart again.  Mom had to pick up a few thing and I wanted to see if they had my hand soap and Ben's juice since the ones where we lived were out of just about everything.  I bought some shark slippers and some baby Yoda cereal because I couldn't help myself.  Ben and I had just started watching the Mandalorian a while ago.

We couldn't leave Aberdeen until Mom got her hot fudge sundae from Dairy Queen.  The line was super long and the lady in front of us was lame and cut us off.  We were hoping that she spilled her food in her lap just because she was rude.  We got back on the highway and drove towards my house.  We got there just before 10.

I took my stuff out of her vehicle and she drove home.  I got cleaned up, watched some CSI, drank some Gatorade, logged my caches and did some updates on my blog.  I was determined to get it caught up this year.  I got ready for bed and passed out.

Next Adventure:  A Trip Up to Diablo Lake

A Weekend with Trish and Ed

Ben and I have been trying to get his Mom to come visit us for at least a year or so now.  We finally talked her into coming for a weekend and we planned on for a weekend in August.  It was written on the calendar and we planned out some adventures we could go on while they were here.

As the weekend got closer, I ran some ideas by Trish to see if she was interested in doing them.  I knew we were definitely going to ride our bikes along the trail so I told them to bring their bikes.  I told her about the waterfall Mom and I went to a few months back up in Brinnon and that I wanted to take them there and she loved the idea.  The only other adventure I could think of to go along with the waterfall was to take them to Bordeaux, over in Littlerock.  I wanted to take them to Lake Cushman and Staircase but it was closed because of being overused and vandalized by people.  Covid has ruined a lot of things over the past four months.

She said that she was going to take Friday off and she and Ed were going to spend the day at Ocean Shores and then get to our house around 9ish.  I told her anytime would be fine since Ben and I would be home doing whatever.

Now that we had that planned we needed to get another mattress for the guest room.  Ben spent about two weeks doing research to find the perfect mattress.  We were going to get the new one for us and put our two year old one in the guest room however, we needed to get a frame for it.  Ben found the perfect mattress and frame for fairly inexpensive.  He bought a 10 inch mattress and so I had to buy sheets that fit the darn thing.  I cleaned up the guest room, shampooed the carpet, bought some shelves and a curtain for the closet.  I put up some decorations on the walls and put some stuff on the shelves so it wasn't boring.  We had the Mattress Firm people set up the frame and mattress for us.  We let the new mattress rest a day or two and then Ben and I switched them and made the beds.  Everything was ready to go including the grocery shopping for the meals for the weekend.

Ben and I did our Friday routines.  I had Thursday and Friday off and I was suppose to go to Diablo Lake on Thursday with Mom and Bev and a hike to Mima Falls on Friday but neither happened because of the rain and other circumstances.  So I filled them with chores instead.  Once again, 2020 has disappointed me yet again.

As we waited for Trish and Ed to get here, Friday night Ben and I made homemade chicken teriyaki and watched part of End Game.  We have been watching all the Marvel movies in order when we had time.  We were almost done with this series of movies.  We've already watched all the Star Wars about a month ago.  We would have to watch the rest of End Game another day because that's when Trish and Ed walked through the door.  We asked if they needed help bringing stuff in the house and they said they had it.  I showed them the room they would be staying in and they got settled in.

We played marbles, Ticket to Ride and Joking Hazard before it was time for bed.  We tried playing different games because we were wearing out dice, rummy, Uno and Phase 10.

The next morning we got up around 9:30 and I started making breakfast.  It was my famous hash brown, scrambled eggs and sausage scramble.  I made toast to pair with it.  We had an assortment of coffee, milk and orange juice.  After eating, we cleaned up and then got ready to go on our afternoon adventure to Brinnon to see the waterfall and then to Littlerock to see the ghost town.

I went outside to get the Escape ready when I saw some cachers pull up in the cul-de-sac.  At first, I had no idea who they were until we started chatting.  They said they were the pnwfamily6 from up north and wanted to finish some of the caches in the area that they weren't able to get last time they were here.  As we chatted, I found out how we've met before.  We met last summer when we drove up to Monte Cristo to go on the hike.  She remembered I was there with my Mom and Dad as we were the only group of cachers to drive up from Olympia and that I was really good at finding caches without a GPS.  We wrapped up our short visit and told them I was glad they came down to find some of my caches.

We finished getting everything in the Escape, piled in and we were on our way towards Brinnon on Hwy 101 north of Shelton.  Traffic was pretty minimal until we got to the Hwy 101/8 junction.  It was busier than I've ever seen it.  There was a lot of traffic headed for the ocean beaches for the day or weekend and I was glad we weren't going that way.  I really hoped that the waterfall wasn't going to be super busy today and that there were parking spots.

I should have put coordinates into the GPS before we left but we didn't and I drove past the location where we were suppose to turn.  I was trying to do it all by memory and the joke was on me.  We turned around and found the correct road, found a place to park, got out and walked the short distance to Rocky Brook Falls.  

We spent a good 45 minutes to an hour here enjoying the falls.  This time it was warmer so I was able to wear my water shoes so I could walk through the creek onto the other side to get better shots of the waterfall.  

There were some people here and a handful of kids actually swimming underneath the falls in the pool area.  We got a couple of good shots of the falls and some of us and our group.  It was a nice day to get out and explore.  I just wish the Lake Cushman area was open.  Eh, maybe next summer granted that GD Covid goes away.

On our way back towards Olympia, I thought it might be a good idea to stop by Dosewallips State Park to use the facilities before we drove home.  Besides, I had to avenge a DNF from last June called It's the Water (GC3F1K6).  We parked in the lot, at the free 15 minutes stall (I still need to get my Discover Pass renewed) and everyone used the restroom.  

Afterwards, I asked everyone if they wanted to go find a cache with me and they all said sure.  We walked over to the large tree on the other side of the restrooms and looked for a micro cache.  The cache could have been hiding anywhere.  There were so many hidey holes around this tree.  Within a few minutes I heard Ed call out, "found it!"  Yay!  Ed found his first geocache.  We signed it, took a group picture and then put it back exactly where he found it.

We walked back over to the Escape and had some crackers and chips as a snack and chilled for a bit.  We got back in the Escape and drove back to the Hwy 101 junction to take us back into Olympia.  As we merged we were almost hit by a car who honked at us like it was our fault for trying to merge onto the road, it was like where were we going to go?  The road ended and he was in the way.  We flipped him off because he deserved it.  We merged onto I-5 and headed south towards Littlerock.  I've been to Bordeaux a few times so I knew by memory on where to go and where to park.

When we arrived, I noticed the area grew up a lot since I was last here in September 2016 and February 2013.  It looked significantly different.  We got out and started meandering along the muddy paths towards the creek.  I also noticed that the wooden foot bridge was gone so we would have to cross one of the many downed logs that fell over the creek.  It's an adventure! 

We all crossed the creek and continued walking along the trails until I saw some familiar structures and told everyone where to go.  We spent a while exploring and taking pictures.  

There was so much more graffiti on the structures compared to the previous times I was here.  No wonder there were no trespassing signs next to the entrance.  It was to keep the douchbags from ruining these cool areas.  We were here to look not to touch or ruin the area.

We walked back across the creek and onto the muddy dirt trails back to where the Escape was parked.  Trish and Ed really liked the area and were glad we brought them out here.  This was also Ben's first time out here as well and thought it was pretty cool.

Since we were out this way, I decided that I needed to stop by Millersylvania State Park and check up on my cache.  A few weeks ago I received a weird log from a cacher that the cache was missing pieces to it so I thought I would come check it out if I was out this way.  Since I didn't have a valid Discover Pass, I asked everyone if they wanted to stay in the Escape while I went really quickly to check on it.  Everyone wanted to stay.  I got out and walked the few hundred feet to the cache.  I made sure no one was around when I pulled it out from it's hiding spot.  I am not sure what the log meant by the last person who found this but I saw nothing wrong with it.  I added another logbook to the bag just for fun.  I walked back to the Escape and off towards home we went.

When we got home, we unloaded the Escape and went inside to relax.  Ben and I started getting all the stuff ready for rice yuck, a dish my Mom made that my Dad hates so he called it rice yuck.  The name stuck throughout the years.  Ben and I make this meal just about every two to three weeks because it's delicious.  Trish and Ed played a round of 10,000 while Ben and I made dinner.  The meal takes a while to prep but the cooking time is quick.  Trish and Ed have never had this meal before so we were anxious to see if they liked it or not.  Once it was done, we dished up and ate our food at the dining room table (which is rare for us unless we have people over) and ate our food while we chatted about the upcoming Seahawks schedule and if the fans were going to be allowed in the stadium this season or not.

Trish and Ed really liked rice yuck which was awesome to hear.  We might make that again for them the next time they come over on a weekend to visit.  We cleaned up, played a very competitive game of Phase 10 and ate berry pie...because Ed insisted it was like the best pie ever.  I beat everyone at Phase 10 and it left Ed very salty because he hates losing and being skipped.  Haha!

I got a quick shower in and we all went to bed.  Tomorrow was going to be another busy day.

The next morning we got up at 9:30, got dressed and came out to make blueberry scones and bacon for breakfast.  I had asked Erika and Zach if they wanted to go on a bike ride with us and she said she would really like to but she had a bunch of homework to get done.  I told her, well...maybe next time?  She said maybe, it would depend on how busy she was.

We ate breakfast, cleaned up and then got ready to go.  We packed up the bikes into the Escape while Trish and Ed already had theirs secured on the back of Ed's SUV.  We drove to Erika's apartment complex off of Sleater-Kinney which butted up against the Chehalis-Western Trail (CWT).  We got our bikes out, made sure we had enough water and I brought my backpack so I could stick my keys, water and other misc things inside.  I had planned on getting a few of the caches along the way as well.

Around 11:30, we got onto the CWT from there and decided to go all the way to Woodard Bay, which was roughly 5.5 miles from this trail head, round trip would make it about an 11 mile bike ride.  It was a warm summer day and most of the ride would be covered in shade.

Along the way I stopped for 5 caches that I've had on my radar since they were published.  At one point, I had all of these caches along this trail cleaned out.  They were archived and more were put in their place.  I knew if I stopped I would be able to catch up.  The first one I stopped for was called Side Trail (GC4QEAX) and it was a quick stop and find.  Dad had called me right in the middle of finding it so it made signing the log and putting it back difficult while I talked to him on the phone.  I got caught up with my group of riders.  

The next one I stopped for was part of the zodiac series I still have to finish.  This one was called Zodiac Series:  Capricorn (GC8GVX8) and I should have found it right away but the spot was compromised due to a homeless invasion.  I mad sure to let Harvey's Pack know that the cache was probably taken and will have to come back again some other time.  I got back on the trail and we continued to work our way north.

We continued along the trail for a bit and another cache was coming up on my app.  Hit the Pavement (GC8H52K) was another one I could leave the trail and find quickly.  It as also a good reason to stop and swig some water.  It was a quick find.

We got about a mile or so in again before we stopped for another cache, Stumpy (GC85NBY) just after we crossed South Bay Road north of Lacey near the small unnamed lake.  It took me down a dirt trail about 20 feet off the main paved trail.  This one had me stumped for a few seconds but then I found what I was looking for because it was obvious.  I flipped over the stump and underneath was the cache container bungeed onto the bottom.  I signed our names, took a picture and met back up with Ben, Trish and Ed.  They weren't too far ahead of me.

We reached a point on the trail where there was a porta potty available for trail goers and we took advantage of the pitstop.  While I was waiting for my turn, I found the cache less than 200 feet from the rest area/picnic spot.  It was called Sandstone Cache (GC6HB5J) and I made quick work of this one before a muggle rode or walked by.  I sat near the picnic table and waited for my turn.  Once everyone was done and hydrated we moved on.  We were almost to the Woodard Bay trailhead and the end of the north part of the trail.

I stopped one more time to pick up one called Mark the Nearly Magnificent Maple Tree (GC6HBG3) which was another quick stop and grab.  I quickly signed our names and caught up to my group.  They were probably really close to the end of the trail.  I rounded the corner and sure enough they were at the end of the trail waiting for me.  We took a short break, drank some water and got a group pick at the trailhead.  

We started back down south and this time we didn't have to stop as much even though I wanted to pick up all the ones I didn't have but that just wasn't going to happen today...especially when you are with other people who aren't cachers.

We stopped a couple more times just to rest and drink water.  Trish needed her handle bars adjusted so it made her want to stop a few times just because it wasn't comfortable riding.  We got back to our vehicles near Erika's apartment around 1:45.  It was a nice bike ride and didn't take up too much of our afternoon because I knew Trish and Ed had to get back, Ben had an academy meeting with Alan at the fire station and I promised some of my time helping Nicole and Del move from Puyallup to Tumwater.  Everyone packed up the bikes while I stopped by Erika's apartment to drop off her mail and to pick up the cans she had saved for me.  She briefly showed me her mapping project she has been working on.  I petted Emmett and then got back in the Escape and we went back to our house.

Trish and Ed gathered up their stuff while I made turkey and cheese sandwiches.  We paired the sandwiches with the potato salad I made the other day and some chips.  It hit the spot.  I didn't realize I was hungry until I was actually eating it.

They packed their stuff into Ed's SUV and they left around 3.  They thanked us for the nice weekend and it was fun being able to see some new stuff in the area.  I told them they should come down more often so we can do some stuff here.  I know GD Covid kinda made it hard for now but hopefully it will go away soon.  I got ready to drive out to Puyallup and Ben got his stuff ready to go to the station in Tenino.  I got to Puyallup fairly quickly.  He lives in the South Hill area.  I pulled up and asked Nicole where to park.  She directed me and I asked how I could help.  We started moving stuff into my car, Garrett's Jeep and the U-Haul.  I filled up the Escape with wine and other misc items and then helped the others tie up some loose ends.  We were at Del's house until about 6 or so and then the caravan drove out to Tumwater.

We unloaded the caravan's contents, moved our vehicles so the U-Haul could back up into the driveway.  We spent probably a little less than an hour unloading the moving truck.  

Nicole and Del treated us to Applebee's near the mall for helping.  I took Nicole home and then I went home and got ready for the work week, took a shower and then went to bed shortly after.  Ben said his meeting with Alan went well for the upcoming academy they had planned for the new recruits.  I was sad we were reaching the latter part of the summer.  It went by way too fast.

Next Adventure:  The Hoh Rain Forest