Traditional cache place on Christmas day 2018. Jan is a nurse so she usually works on Christmas, so I have a little time on my hands. I like to grab and put out caches on Christmas Day.
This cache is rated for a typical day in the orting valley. There will be a little off trail to get to the cache but not too bad.
But if Mt Ranier decided to erupt, we will immediately change the D/T rating to a 5/5 on this one.
Lahars are violent mudflows or debris flows composed of a slurry of pyroclastic materials, rocky debris and water. The materials flow down from Mt. Rainer, typically along the river valley, just about where you will be standing.
Several mountains in the world, including Mount Rainier, are considered particularly dangerous due to the risk of lahars. Several towns in the Puyallup River valley in Washington state, including Orting, are built on top of lahar deposits that are only about 500 years old. Lahars are predicted to flow through the valley every 500 to 1,000 years, so Orting, Sumner, Puyallup, Fife, and the Port of Tacoma face considerable risk. The USGS has set up lahar warning sirens in Pierce County, Washington, so that people can flee an approaching debris flow in the event of a Mount Rainier eruption.
According to the USGS we will have around 40 minutes to get the D/T rating changed before the flow takes out this area.
Small lock and lock