Looking for the Original

After completing the scenic drive along the Columbia River on Sunday, finding our camp ground without any problems, and setting up on a cement pad (the first on this trip) we were excited to be in the Portland area. Then we tried to get onto WiFi...total frustration! We drove to a Starbucks and read emails, checked in with family, and tried to get ready for our big geocaching day. That, and that alone, (big geocaching day) was the reason for our stop in Portland.

The very first geocache was placed in the woods southeast of Portland fifteen years ago. That original five gallon pail is long gone, but the spot has been memorialized and is a must do for any geocacher in the neighborhood. That was Monday's goal.

We also decided to sleep in and make it a "play it by ear" day. I am so glad we did. We both needed the eight hours of sleep.

another view of Mt. Hood

hazy skies because of forest fires in the northeast

no rocks or rattlesnake worries here

great wide paths leading us to where we needed to go

I noticed this "thing" on the end of a fallen log

a friend had fallen on the ground and started moving

is it a huge slug????

there it is

a goal of this 30 day trip

(15 geocachers stopped at the cache on Monday,

4 from Norway and 2 were from Hawaii)

It REALLY is a BIG Deal!

Hubby signing the logbook

the actual log was in the ammo can secured to a fallen tree

it was so pleasant in the woods, we decided to collect the other caches

this was titled '1 of 50'

50 plastic film containers

but we had to read the hint to find the log sheet

moss covered trees

wild blackberries at one of the caches

very, very tasty

this flower looks similar to Queen Anne's Lace

I liked the cup formed after the flower has bloomed

or maybe before it has opened?

we stopped at this 1894 school

it is used by the community and is in very good condition

looking in the window

we stopped at this cache location for a picnic lunch

it was also the site of a country school

there was a Christmas Tree Farm to the left

soft, long needles but no smell

and we were parked in the shade of a very large maple tree

this is what we drove through and on to get to the caches

much different than our roads & terrain in Mountain Home

We got help with the WiFi when we returned to the campground. Hubby did some laundry. We did some shopping at Target (locating another, closer Starbucks if necessary) and I got three blog posts ready. It really was an almost perfect day.

We will attend an event hosted by a geocacher from France on Tuesday morning, and then head into WA to Mount Rainer to meet up with winter resort friends and fellow geocachers, Jon & Sherry. Life is good (guud).