...the Lava Canyon trail gives visitors a spectacular and thrilling look into the area's dramatic geological history, offering breathtaking glimpses of the Muddy River waterfalls, cascading down through narrow chutes carved into the ancient basalt flows, but while the upper sections of trail have been developed for heavy tourist traffic, the lower end of the canyon beyond the suspension bridge still holds a significant potential for danger. So please heed the warnings. Leave the dogs and the kids at home. Wear the appropriate shoes. And while the trail is open between mid-April to mid-November, it is strongly suggested that you DO NOT ATTEMPT the trail in wet conditions. In addition to the thrill of the swaying suspension bridge which spans the falls, the trail descends along dizzying cliffside dropoffs. Proceed with caution, and stay on the trails.
...to find the cache, you will need to descend the 40-foot near-vertical ladder near the prow of the south-facing Ship, then continue north along the starboard side. Turn right at an unmarked trail junction to climb aboard at the stern. The cache is located midship, on the starboard side of the trail. AGAIN, YOU MUST CLIMB ABOARD AT THE NORTHERN END ~ "THE STERN" ~ OF THE SHIP. IF YOU ARE AT THE BASE OF A CLIFF, YOU'RE LOOKING IN THE WRONG SPOT.
From the parking area to the Ship and back is 3.5 miles round trip. (While this trail is also accessible from the Smith Creek trailhead, I've written up the description as if approaching from the more popular Lava Canyon trailhead. There is a $5 day use fee, payable at the parking lot, or if you prefer, Annual NW Forest passes are available at the Woodland Chamber of Commerce, the ranger station on Yale Bridge Road, or even at the liquor store in Kalama.) ••• FIRST to FIND ~ deliveryboy ~ 9/10/13 •••