Big Adventure: Day 2
Day 2: Sunday, August 15
Location: Winchester State Park, Winchester, Idaho
Miles Traveled: 0
Weather: Hot and smoky
Geocaches found: 2
Wildlife spotted: gaggles of Canadian geese
After living in our trailer parked up against a building with no room for outdoor living all summer, we appreciated getting to sit outside to drink our morning coffee and have breakfast.
After that we decided on a leisurely hike on one of the trails here in the State Park. I think we ended up on more than one trail actually. And it was “leisurely” because I’m way more out of shape than I would like to be.
Wildfire smoke continues to hang heavy in the air, muting the scenery.
There were many gaggles of Canadian geese in different parts of the lake. We couldn’t decide if they live here all the time, or if it’s just a stop-over on their journey south for the winter. If so, they didn’t seem in any particular hurry to get where they’re going. Maybe they are having a Big Adventure, too.
It was a still day, perfect for novice kayakers such as we. Alas, we have no kayaks with us. On with the hike!
Lyle has an app on his phone that helps us locate geocaches. Whaddya know? There are supposedly two along Discovery Trail. I wonder if we can discover them. (See what I did there? I’m so funny!)
These “giant boulders” look promising. But no, the GPS says another 150 feet. Straight uphill. Did I mention how out of shape I am?
A-ha! This has got to be the place! Any experienced geocacher would spot the pile of bark strategically placed on top of this stump as a dead giveaway.
Sure enough! The Chipmunk Stash was stashed down in the hollow of the stump. (Look at that! I did it again. Ha!) Score: 1.
Further along the trail, up another hill we found the second cache. We logged both of them but made no trades. They are both in need of a fresh log book and to be re-stocked with trade swag. If we had planned ahead before we set out on the hike I would have taken some swag along, and when I discovered them so empty I would have re-stocked them myself. But I wasn’t up for another such hike so we left them languishing in sad shape.
I was huffing and puffing by the time we finally made it back to our campsite. Who am I kidding? I was huffing and puffing all along the way, with frequent stops to catch my breath. But it was a good hike in spite of the smoke, the lack of fitness, and the disappointing caches. I want to go for hikes as often as we can on this trip with the hopes of actually getting in better shape.
The rest of the day we spent relaxing at our site. Reading, writing, resting, contemplating, talking.
The Big Adventure Posts:
