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It's been almost 2 years since I broke my leg in a motorcycle accident near here. I thought to celebrate second chances I'd place a cache out here.
Monday before Thanksgiving Day, 2009, I rode out here with my friend Cary. We had had a great time climbing all the dunes and everything and were just starting to head back to the pickup. Together we tried climbing a moderate dune with a rather short run. The sand near the top was particularly soft and we both sank in and stalled. We wrestled our bikes around to descend and try again. Cary’s efforts were successful and he rode back down the hill. Mine weren’t because I killed my engine with my bike starting to lean downhill. I couldn't keep the bike from tipping over so I tried to out-roll it in case it followed me. It did follow me and clobbered me on the way down. From the moment of impact until we stopped rolling, probably not much more than a second, my life flashed before my eyes. Not the life I had lived, but the life I would live. First, I knew my leg was broken and I'd have a very difficult time getting myself and my motorcycle out of there with a broken leg, I'd need surgery and would be on crutches for months, I would have to use up all the sick time I'd saved up at work, and my wife would kill me. Anyway, the bike and I came to rest with my head pinned under the rear wheel. The bike was undamaged, of course, because it landed on me.
Cary parked his bike and lifted my bike off me then helped me sit up. We discussed what to do next. There were some ATV riders on the dune nearby so Cary rode over and asked them for help. One named Justin, if I remember correctly, came back and offered his ATV for me to ride and he would ride my bike out. I thought the plan had reasonable merit, considering my options, so Cary and Justin lifted me onto his ATV. I was able to ride, very slowly, out to the nearest of the power lines. I was sure the ride was at least ten miles but I think it was actually only about a mile and a half. Cary had returned to the pickup and brought it out to meet me. Justin’s friends had ridden back with us and they all helped load my bike. Then they lifted me from the ATV and set me on the pickup seat. Now we had to swing my legs into the cab but any movement was unbearably painful. While we paused a moment for me to try to adjust to ease the pain Justin suggested I just "give it a virgin push". Virgin push or whatever, we finally got me inside and the door closed. Then Cary had to drive out of the dunes. That proved challenging because he couldn’t go fast enough to climb some of the sandy hills without bouncing me around a lot.
I chose to go to a hospital near home in Walla Walla instead of one in Pasco or Kennewick that would have been closer to the dunes. That delayed medical attention about half an hour but at least my wife wouldn’t have to travel so far to put me out of my misery.
I believe the most painful task of the whole ordeal was getting out of the pickup at the hospital. There was a tall nurse on duty and he lifted me out by having me put my arms around his neck. Once inside they helped remove my gear. I’m sure they’re still cleaning up sand in the ER from my clothes and boots.
That was quite an adventure and I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody. May your trip to this cache prove to be as rewarding as my ride was before I got hurt!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
V qhaab... znlor haqre n fntroehfu? V zrna, jurer ryfr pna bar uvqr fbzrguvat bhg urer?