The twist this time is that you will have to find and identify eight types of trees. Rather than finding new coordinates at each waypoint, this time you will gather a number at each stop to assemble for the coordinates to the final cache.
For example - if waypoint 0 is given as 47° 05.???/122° 40.???, you will:
1. go to those coordinates,
2. find the indicated type of tree,
3. locate the number hidden at that tree, and
4. place the number you found there in the matching spot for the coordinates.
Of course I included a Madrona on this journey. I know how much pleasure cachers get when finding Madronas while hunting for my caches.
All of the waypoints are given below and can be downloaded to save you time.
There are two trailheads - they work equally well, one has easier parking and the other has a slighly shorter walk.
On your walk look for other types of trees such as Grand fir, Garry Oak, Black cottonwood, White birch, Bitter cherry, and Red Elderberry. (And be glad I didn't include each and every one of them above.)
The coordinates for the final cache are: N: N: 47° 0A.BCD W122° 4W.XYZ
You have a choice in finding the needed numbers. You can test yourself by going to each of the given waypoints and figure out which tree has the number you are looking for and then identify it. The simpler way is to use the hints and information given with the waypoints.
Due to most hemlock trees dying from an unknown cause, the hemlock is about 25' off the trail. The dogwood has fallen and been temporarily replace with a holly which is less than 20' off the trail.
A _____ is a Bigleaf Maple, best known for having largest leaves of any maple, and often has moss and licorice ferns growing on the trunk.
B _____ is a Red Alder, having grey bark that often has white patches of lichen growing on it, and frequently has “upside down eyelashes” sprouting on the trunk.
C _____ is a Western Redcedar with grey to reddish brown bark that tears off in long fibrous strips and scale-like leaves with a braid-like appearance.
D _____ is a Pacific Crab Apple, a small tree, with lance shaped leaves which are pointed at the end. Older bark is deeply fissured. It is an important food source for coastal peoples, either eaten fresh or stored in water and oil in cedarwood storage boxes.
W _____ is a Pacific Madrone, best identified by peeling red-brown bark exposing a greenish trunk. It is an evergreen tree.
X _____ is a Pacific Yew with papery, scaly bark and delicate, short needles. It rarely grows taller than 15’ and is a protected tree in Thurston county.
Y _____ is a Douglas-Fir, one of our most common evergreen trees with thick, dark brown bark on tall erect trunks, and dense, spirally positioned needles.
Z _____ is a Western hemlock with its distinctly drooping tree top and flat, irregularly spaced, unequal in length needles.
With the exception of waypoint 4 and the final, all tagged trees are close to the edge of the trail.