Innis Arden Reserve Park is located in Shoreline, WA. The view from the overlook on the north side of the park is splendid and a good place for a picnic. Even in July the trail can have muddy spots and a few nettles; though it looks like some trail maintenance has been done in the worse muddy bits.
Stinging Nettle is a perennial flowing plant which is not native to North America. The stinging part comes from trichomes on their leaves and stems. Trichomes are small hollow hairs which prick the skin and inject histamine and other irritants. Stinging nettle is identifiable by jagged edged leaves growing from a single stock. Nettle flower grow from the base of the leaf at the stem. Nettles can grow to over 6 feet high in the Pacific Northwest. A common forest remedy that is said to relieve the irritation is to rub the nettle sting with the underside of a fern.
When I first explored cache locations in the summer there were quite a few nettles getting to GZ. When I placed the cache in November, the trail was a true quagmire of mud, but no nettles. Coordinates were determined by using the median of 4 bouncy GPS readings.
This cache was so named not only for the annoying flora in the area but also to help friends pursuing The Q Challenge GC5D1ZT