SWAG Pilgrimage to Washington

Here we are at take-off Ground Zero...Albany, Oregon. Cachers from Corvallis (us), Albany, Lebanon, and Eugene all met for a quick hello and good-bye.We met up later that afternoon in Seattle, after all driving up in many different directions. We had booked a "tour" of Groundspeak. What a dud. It's just some cubicles and nerds. Seriously, boring! We did each snag a beautiful geocoin that is "owned" by Signal!
We all ended up going our own ways, again, but managed to meet a couple of hours outside of Seattle along the Snoqualmish Pass, I-90. Quick photo, and off we went.
Our group of 4 women biked through the tunnel in order to snag IronHorse, Mission 9: Tunnel of Light, and great scenic views! We dropped out mountain bikes into the brush at one point, and sat on the mountainside, sipping wine, eating fruit and cheese, and telling stories. The photo below is of the APE Cache we managed to snag, one of the few left in the world. Very lucky, very lucky, indeed.

Jet-Powered Bicycle!

Today, Hubby and I decided to bike into town to hit the Farmer's Market and run some errands. One of those errands involved dropping our big gas-powered leaf blower off at a local repair shop. Hubby strapped it onto the back of his bike, using Bungee cords, and off we went. When we arrived at the Market, we kept getting funny looks from some folks as we strolled about, looking at goods and visiting with friends. One man approached us and asked my husband how he uses the "jet pack" on the back of his bike! OMG! People were actually thinking it was a REAL jet pack! One guy asked what kind of mileage he gets. Another asked if he only uses it for going uphill!!!! I blurted out the truth to one man, who then decided to play a joke on his visiting brother. He brought him over and told him all about the engine on Hubby's bike. I said, "Yeah, and it's made in Poland!" I hope you get it. He didn't and kept on asking questions!

On another note, I was finally able to use GSAK today to upload 200 caches onto my Magellan with one-click! I'm such a dummy! I'd been manually entering information for 3 years! Now, I have all of the caches within many, many miles of my home, loaded and ready for seeking!

My Daughter Survived!

Malory has a penchant for living on the edge, sometimes. At 18, she is already a world traveler and has done and seen more than I have at 45. She craves adventure and sometimes opts to ignore "common sense" in order to develop a huge background of amazing quests and tales.

This past weekend simply added to her internal journal of temerarious apologues.

While backpacking in the "Cache La Poudre Wilderness Area" in Northern Colorado with a group of new friends from college, she and a fellow hiker set out on a mini-hike away from the established camp. Other backpackers noted the time they left and a time they would expect to return to the campfire.

When they didn't return, the smart group contacted local authorities, who set in motion a Search and Rescue group to begin combing the area. This was just as the sun set Saturday night.

While this was taking place back at the base camp, Malory and the other backpacker realized they'd lost all sense of direction. AS A GEOCACHER, MYSELF, I CANNOT STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A GPS UNIT WITH YOU WHILE IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY!

They realized they were in trouble as the sun disappeared. Malory was only wearing shorts and a "spaghetti strap" tak top. They had some water, snacks, and matches. They quickly built a shelter and a fire, where they huddled as the temperature dipped down to 31 degrees that night. Needless to say, they got absolutely no sleep. They also had no idea if anyone would really realize they were lost.

At sunrise, they began their quest to "find home." However, nothing was ringing a bell for them, so they made it to the Cache la Poudre River and began following it for many miles. Eventually, they came to a highway, where they waited for a passing car. They were lucky enough to hitch a ride back to Ft. Collins. When she settled back in her dorm room, she accessed her cell phone, which had died with its old battery, plugged it in, and began calling others from the original group. However, she discovered that there were many messages from the local sheriff. Upon calling the agency back, she realized the impact of the adventure...a Search and Rescue Group was actually out in the Wilderness Area, searching for them!

As a parent, I cannot express my relief enough. I am also concerned, however, that no one contacted her family upon her disappearance. It's tough being the mother of an independent-minded, adventurous teenager. I guess, in many ways, I'm glad I didn't hear about all of this until after-the-fact, as I would have been up all night, worrying and booking a flight to Colorado.

For Christmas, even if she doesn't want it, I'm getting her a GPSr and making her swear to carry it!

Dropped 16 Pounds...

Since June 30, I have officially lost 16 pounds.
I don't crave sweets right now, which is a biggie! When I do, I just get busy, go geocaching, ride my bike, work in the garden, or beg my husband for sex.
My husband likes me a lot.

Now, It's the Boy's Turn

Please don't judge me on the content of this photo. My son has my genetic material swarming through his veins. He knows not what he does... My daughter has moved away to attend her freshman year at Colorado State University. My son, 16, is now an "only child" here and seems to be doing alright. He misses his sister so much, but is filling his time with busy activities to ease the pain. They are best friends.

Today, he raced his first Cross-Country race with the CHS Team. It was the Newport Agate Beach Invitational and he did a great job! It was a 5K, all-out, mostly into-the-wind race and I was impressed! He came across the finish line smiling, so I assume he wasn't feeling the pain many of the other runners were feeling. I'm really proud of my boy!Go Spartans!

Biking with My Husband

Just like the gool ol days, Hubby and I have begun biking again! 10 years ago, I used to race on my mountain bike! I was 35 and 60 pounds lighter! I was a "newlywed" for the 2nd time and feeling healthy. Then, I got into a bad wreck on Bald Hill that landed me in an ambulance and really gave me a scare. I was out of it with a significant back injury and had basically removed all of the skin from my thighs and elbows on the gravel I crashed onto. I was so embarassed in the ambulance, that 3 men were helping me after a wreck, until one of the EMTs said, "Lady, you are hurt! Good grief! Yesterday, we transported a woman who'd gotten sunscreen in her eyes."

Well, now that time has passed, not only have I gotten into terrible physical shape, but my life is ready for a bit of an overhaul. My Beautiful Daughter has moved away to college and my son is a very independent 16-year old. So, I'm back to biking and thinking about what I put in my mouth. My husband, who is 19 years my senior, is in WAYYYYY better shape than me, so I have my inspiration right in front of me daily! My 2 good friends, CH and MCS, are losing poundage, inspiring me even more!

We rode yesterday from the Lewisburg Saddle up to the top of Dimple Hill and then back down into town, via Chip Ross Park trails. Dan's Trail is my favorite trail to ride in Corvallis, as it's just challenging enough to keep me busy the entire time. It was great to have Carnivorous Hippy with us, as she is a HOOT and we both walked together uphill from time-to-time (while Handsome Husband zipped up with no problem! Ugh!)

Today, HH and I completed almost all of the geocaches in the southern end of Camp Adair. I'd been there 2 days ago with caching friends from SWAG to hit the northern caches. What fun! My legs, however, are even worse tonight! I wore long pants today and that made a real difference!