Those who have done my other caches in Cougar Mountain probably know that I love this park. I have been able to run in some amazing places in my life, but I do believe that this is my favorite. It is beautifully varied, rugged, yet safe, it feels remote but is easy to get to, and it is runnable 365 days a year. I have spent more than 500 days enjoying the amazing landscape and never fail to come away inspired and moved.
This cache is on one of my favorite trails in the park, and I challenge each finder to discover their own most enjoyable way to visit it. I have approached from 11 different trailheads, and look forward to adding a couple of more routes over the coming months and years. Please log your starting point, as well as your find, so that others may share in your experience. And don't take the shortest, or easiest way in, it's all about the journey.
The cache is reachable without leaving the trail, in a location of wild amazement. I recommend searching late in the afternoon, when the sky lights up with the Seattle-sunflash as that rarely-seen orb sinks between the cloudcover and the Olympics. The entire region takes on a golden glow and the vegetation reflects back the warm rightness of the time and place. But I also recommend experiencing it on a dark, crisp, snowy evening, when the trail is barely discernible and the park is yours alone.
I normally worship here by myself (in solitude, it is amazing and wonderful to look inward), but if you know someone else who can appreciate the beauty of the woods, go ahead and make it a communal experience. Make sure that you take the time to notice some of the many, other awe-inspiring sights and landscapes.
I wrestle inwardly with whether to place another cache here, and thereby bring a few more visitors to this special place. But the fact is that there are rarely many people out here, and all who care to should have the opportunity to worship this incredible creation. Treat it with respect, awe, and reverence!
RE5.14PS119.1641JN5.7MR12.291CO13.13AC9.33LU19.8 AC24.11JU15.20EX20.9DA1.17GE46.15
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
Congratulations to PhilNi and FrodoB for FTF - a pair of worthy worshippers of the wildland woods!