Pyewagon

"Yep...I see it...it's waaaaay under there, though. My arms aren't as skinny as they were a year ago, but I think I can reach it."

streeetch

reeeeeaaach

streeeeetttccchhh

"Got it!"

And just about that time, WeightMan says he has it. Okay, so what do I have my grimy little paw wrapped around, then? And I do mean grimy. 'Twere dirty underneath there. And wet. And just a wee bit scary, not knowing what else might be lurking beneath.

"Oh. It's a rock." 🎱

Ah...at least I know I'm a real cacher. "Danger lurking in hidey holes be damned, thar's a cache in thar!" I didn't even use a pokey stick. My mother would be so proud...if she didn't think geocaching is the weirdest thing she's ever heard of, that is.

Still, this was a fun caching experience near the end of a day filled with other caches, fewer eagles than we would have liked to seen, a picanic lunch in the middle of winter, a gaggle of geese the likes of which I have never seen gaggled, the most breathtaking view of Mt. Baker, the home of my spirit, and last but not least, the company of friends. We were fortunate enough to get what was probably the best view of the day of two eagles sitting in a tree, not far from a ginormous nest, which I assume belonged to them.

Thanks for the cache and the opportunity to spend a quality day playing outdoors. 🙂

A day initially intended to spot birds of one type, bald eagles along the Skagit, turned into an entirely different type of bird-watching altogether! As previously stated by WeightMan and IdaJo, there were literally thousands and thousands and thousands of geese not terribly far from the cache.

Before we arrived at the cache site, we stopped for quite some time to watch the snow geese that had landed in a nearby field. We weren't the only ones amazed, either...there were many people watching the spectacle and taking pictures. I imagine some of the photos will show up in professional venues, as some of those cameras and lenses used looked to be mighty spendy.

I've never seen such a site. I've heard of huge numbers of geese, but still, I was astonished. The mind boggles. To see them in such massive numbers, in a small spot in relative to the count, is nothing short of incredible. Absolutely gorgeous birds!

I took many, many pics, as usual, including one I truly love, as it has Mt. Baker, my favorite mountain in all the world, in the background. Then, we were off to find the cache. A tricky hide, this one! I think we'd all done a cursory comb of the area before donning our "think like a cacher" caps. Soon enough, I spotted the little bugger and the three of us squeeeeeeezed our initials into the tiniest of spaces on a very full log sheet.

As we were getting ready to leave, the blanket of geese that had been covering the field rose into the air (see the video: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v257/teeking/Washington/?action=view&current=DSCN0560.flv) . Words fail me in trying to describe what it was like. I can almost imagine a change in pressure in their wake. It was an incredible thing to see...that countless array of geese, flying over just a few acres, without bumping into one another. A mass consciousness, accompanied by a single voice. The individual honks we'd heard earlier had been replaced by a singular sound...more a vibration than an actual noise...almost a whir.

This was a quite memorable cache. Sure, it was a clever hide and a tricky find, but sorry to say, those factors pale in comparison to the awesome nature of those geese. However comma...thanks for the cache...without it, we may never have had the opportunity to see such an amazing sight. 🙂

waves wildly to the pachyderm of pink and the box-like bruno

On a day of eagle watching and caching with IdaJo2 and WeightMan, Jo told us that we'd be fairly close to this cache. I was more than happy to find this cache, hidden by someone I consider to be a friend. I'd only been to this area once before, and only on the north side of the river. Happy just to have been invited on the trip, I was riding along on the way to see one log and sign another, looking at the wonderful scenery, when...

Oh.

My.

Word.

I have never been this close to Mt. Baker before. WM told me he didn't know if we'd really get to see much of it on our trip here. And that was fine...I knew I'd probably at least get to see it on the way up to Mt. Vernon/Burlington. That was enough to make my soul smile. I was completely unaware that it would present itself with such pageantry...such regal nobility. But, there it was, in all its splendid glory, virtually calling my name and whispering, "You're home."

To be honest, this mountain is instrumental in my return to the pacific northwest. When I lived on Whidbey Island years ago, the little house in which I lived had a huge picture window. Framed and centered perfectly in that window was Mt. Baker, as if someone had painted a giant mural on the wall. I never tired of seeing that mountain, and to this day, any time I am fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of it, a sense of blissful peace washes over me. That's a powerful feeling. If we hadn't looked for Larsen's Log today, I wouldn't have been blessed with such an amazing view, the best vista I've yet to encounter. Words still can't convey the way my heart swells when I see Mt. Baker.

Oh, yeah...there was even a cache to be found...how much better could it get?!? WM was the one in our wee party to spot it. The log was signed as we discussed how much PP and SB are missed here. There are cachers, and then there are cachers who not only add merit to the activity, they add merit to the lives of those who are lucky enough to include them in their circle of friends.

We wish you and SB weren't so very far away, in a land without access to the mountains and the sea and everything that makes the pacific northwest the truly magical place that it is. I can imagine there's gonna be one heckuva party when you guys come home. And I know why you call it home. The week following finding this cache, and seeing that mountain majesty. I started the ball rolling for my next venture (not counting working on my book) which is to get me closer to that place that reminds me why I'm back here...because I belong here.

Ray and Rose, the pics are for you. You're missed.

Brrrrr!!! This was a cache stop for IdaJo2, WeightMan, and myself on a very frosty, chilly morning. I usually take the time to read more info regarding the history of such locations, but I regret now that I didn't. Not to mention, I'd already consumed a goodly portion of hot tea on the trip, so the loo looming in the distance was stealing my attention from the cabin and canoe. And, I gotta tell ya, that seat was COLD!

Jo was the one to spot the cache (I think) but we were in a conundrum as to how to retrieve it. I didn't have much to do with the operation, but thankful of WM's presence, we were all able to log the cache. If it had just been me and Jo, I fear this log would have been a DNF. Or CNR. Or three other capital letters accompanied by a frowny face. But, because WM was our hero, we were able to whittle another notch into our GPS...so to speak.

I'm certain I'll be back this way again for the views of the river and a certain mountain that can be seen from near here. I hope to take more time to read about the history of this place then. Hopefully, I won't have had too much tea, and since I've already found this cache, I'll have more time to learn the story of the cabin and canoe.

Thanks for the cache and the future reasons to bring me back this way again. 🙂

This was a fun cache! I'd seen the pics taken by other cachers, so I knew what kind of structure to expect, but I still got a giggle from its whimsy. IdaJo, WeightMan and I were here on a wonderful day of caching and bird watching. We'd hoped to see considerably more eagles than we did (perhaps 20 for the day), but we were extremely fortunate later in the day to view thousands upon thousands of snow geese near another cache.

In any case, back to the cache at hand. We were here pretty early on the morning of a day that wouldn't prove to warm up much. It was COLD out here! That didn't prevent the three mighty cache hunters from seeking the hidden treasure, though. I don't know why we had such signal bounce, but it took some time for our GPSrs to narrow down the area they wanted us to search. It probably shouldn't have taken us as long as it did to find the cache, but sometimes, we just talk ourselves out of searching in particular places because they just don't look likely.

Well, guess what. I think we'd all scanned the hidey hole several times before I finally decided to take a closer look, and VOILA! After signing the log and rehiding the cache, we had to pose for pics, of course. I'll have to do some research to see if this is a one-of-a-kind machine...I certainly had never seen one before, and it will probably be a while before I see one again. Hopefully, I won't feel the need to revisit for a self-imposed kick in the arse.

Thanks for the cache...I had a good time. 🙂