The Legend of the Ka-Ho-Nee
(or You Went Where???)
Ancient legends tell of a people long vanished from the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, the Ka-Ho-Nee. A peaceful people, searchers by nature, they spent many a day wandering the forests of their native land in search of things others would never know existed. Often they would revel in the pure joy of the search. Taking the greatest of pleasure in hiding little treasures solely for others of their tribe to locate.
They took so much pleasure in this sport that they would often go out in conditions that would cause less fanatic peoples of the land to take shelter. Conditions that even the Gods would recede from. The Ka-Ho-Nee people were rarely seen and even more rarely recognized, preferring to spend their time stealthily on the search, keeping the object and even the search itself a carefully guarded secret.
Little is truly known of the Ka-Ho-Nee people. They were said to almost never take the easy route. To be a solitary people, rarely traveling in groups larger than four, most often they would search alone or with one other. They would sometimes travel hundreds of mile in search of trinkets others would scoff at.
The most closely kept secret of these reclusive people was the location of their sacred waterfall. Only the best of the Ka-Ho-Nee searchers would venture to its hidden location. It was considered a rite of passage for a young Ka-Ho-Nee when they were finally grown enough to make the journey. A journey filled with slick logs, loose rocks, steep ascents, and many water crossings. The trek would take half a day for the best of them, their only guide being their well developed search instincts and the little devices that watched the birds high above. They would pack food, water, sturdy trekking shoes and a stout staff for their journey. Many would turn back at the first find of the journey, but the truly devoted would press on. Braving the challenges that lay ahead and finally reaching the magical place known to the people as Ka-Ho-Nee Falls.
There they would write of their journey for those who would follow to share, and knowing that they were truly capacious among the Ka-Ho-Nee they would make their way back to their homes. The stories of their journey would become the tales passed on to the next generation of young Ka-Ho-Nee, inspiring them to prominence among the proud seekers of the Ka-Ho-Nee people. For this was not a journey for the casual searcher. No, this was a journey for the most stalwart of the Ka-Ho-Nee peoples, those that knew the forests and the obstacles that would be found there. The children could only hear the tales, the pets would never see the falls, only the most capable would reach the final find. Only those that were capable of pressing on in the toughest of conditions would be graced by the sight of the great Ka-Ho-Nee Falls and be able to write their names in the mystic scrolls kept there.
Begin your journey at Ka-Ho-Nee Wannabe!
WARNINGS:
There is no trail to where you are going. The Munra Point Trail, which is a little east of the footbridge will not help you. The sides of the canyon are dangerous. You must follow the creek.
There is no trail! Expect mud, slippery and loose rocks, slippery and loose trees, etc. A stout walking staff is invaluable for balance.
There are no bridges, except the one at the head of the creek. We had to cross the creek seven times. Sometimes you can cross on fallen trees. Sometimes you must wade. The water is cold. It's deep in spots. It's fast flowing in spots. Tree snags may be unstable.
This is a deep valley/canyon. Your GPS will have trouble getting a lock. Your FRS radio will not travel very far. Your cell phone won't work at all.
Do not attempt this cache alone. Tell someone where you are going, and when you expect to return.
We didn't see any, but don't be surprised if you find poison oak.
The cache is a 50-cal ammo can. It's about half a mile from the footbridge. That half mile will take about three to fours hours roundtrip.
Note: This page is written for the winter/spring when the water is high. During the summer, when the water is low, it is a lot easier, the falls are much less spectacular, and it is not nearly so fun. :)
The difficultly rating is almost entirely due to poor satellite visibility. The cache is concealed, but shouldn't be a problem. This photo shows the cache hiding location in the foreground, with the waterfall in the background.
