Walk on a Rocky Beach Traditional Geocache
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(regular)
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This cache is located near the Southern tip of Marrowstone Island, on a spectacular rocky beach that not many people seem to know about. Bring good shoes, and enjoy the views! Due to the rocky terrain I recommend against doing this with very small children.
The nicest way to get to it is by walking along the beach. The cache is on public property, but some parts of the beach are private down to the mean low tide line. I have never encountered anyone, but some people approaching from the western side have, so there's a caveat: stay close to the water. If you're coming from the West, you could park near Little Rocks III and follow the beach. Alternatively, you can drive on SR 116 past Nordland, and then turn right on East Beach Road until the little parking lot at the end (N48 03.408 W122 41.329), and then walk south.
In spite on the great views from here, you are not likely to meet anyone on this walk, except for seagulls and other water fowl, and eagles. Towards the Southern corner of the island, the bluff is tall and steep. Right above the cache location on top of the bluff, there is a tree of which the lower half is covered with thick ivy. As I place the cache, two bald eagles were sitting in the top. Leave a note if they're still there...
A third approach is a shortcut via an unmaintained narrow and curvy trail through tall vegetation, which gets a bit steep at the last bit, where it descends the bluff. It appears to pass between privately-owned properties, and was actually shown to a fellow cacher by a local resident. To get here, turn right on Robbins Rd onto Baldwin Rd, and park on the side of the road. I suggest walking rather than driving down Baldwin Road (about 0.15 miles), until it turns right and continues as a private road. At that turn, the unmarked trail continues straight ahead. There are no private property signs posted, and let's keep it that way by being respectful to local sensitivities, and not park directly at the trailhead.
From the cache location, you will be looking right across the water to Hansville on the Kitsap Peninsula, and to Point-No-Point. To your left will be the shipping lanes and Whidbey island, and to your right are Oak Bay, Port Ludlow, and behind them the Olympic Mountains. Especially if you're coming from the North or down the bluff, it's worth continuing a little bit and look around the corner.
The cache is an ammo box, easy to find for geocachers, but sufficiently concealed so as not to be noticed by other occasional passers-by.
Enjoy your hike and leave a log!
Additional Hints
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