HUNTER CREEK HORROR

This was supposed to be an easy and boring day of geocaching. NOT!! Our intent was to grab a few caches around town, one of which would take us up Hunter Creek Canyon. My computer was acting up and we could no longer track the roads, but we decided to go for "Father and Sons 1st" (GC11GQG) anyway. Finding the right road turned out to be tricky. In fact, the right road was the right road but we chose the left. And so our adventure began!!

We traveled into the canyon about a mile, bumping over rocks, avoiding ruts, picking more wrong roads, and adding many more pin stripes to the jeep. We knew we were in trouble when there was a washout in the road and below it was a rusted out hulk of a car. This is when I bailed because I didn't want to be in the jeep as it rolled down the hill. Mike, as usual, said "No Problem". I grabbed the camera, crossed the washout, and prepared to document Mike's demise. As he started across the washout, his front tires started to slip down the hill, but he kept going. Then his rear tires started to slip and he gunned it. At this point, he had nothing to lose and I was screaming quite loudly. WHEW, HE MADE IT.

I jumped back in the jeep and off we went for about a quarter mile until we encountered a deep creek we had to cross. Again I bailed - after all, by now I was the official photograher and I figured at least one of us should survive to walk out and tell the tale. Once again Mike said "No Problem". This time he was right. GeoJeep took this challenge in stride.

We finally reached what looked like a more promising road only to run into the same creek. Over we went again. We continued along the road, watching it get narrower and narrower until it terminated at a log fall. I was sure we were turning around. But Mike, not to be deterred, was weaving his way through the trees to go around the log fall and continue on the "road", which promptly ended. SHUCKS (my word, not his).

Our only option was to turn around, weave through the trees again, cross the creek again and this time follow the "better looking road" down the canyon. Rats!! The better road just deteriorated to ruts and gullies. BIG RUTS AND GULLIES.

Again, I jumped out of the jeep, of course, to take pictures (wink, wink). GeoJeep drove down the gully with the sidewall of the tires on the sides of the gully. Several times I thought the jeep was going to fall in, but, once again, “No Problem”.

We knew we were saved when we saw two runners coming towards us. We stopped one and asked for the directions out. He pointed out the road and we headed for safety. Oh no, another creek crossing (the same creek for the third time). We thought we were home free until we saw the road on the other side of the creek. It was a steep rutted 40 degree incline. As we went up the incline, all we could see was the sky. Then our left rear wheel dropped into a rut and we were headed over the side of the mountain. I, of course, was screaming (Mike says that’s what I do best in those circumstances). Mike, however, was madly steering away from the abyss. Since you’re reading this story, you know we made it and we didn’t even break the jeep.

The trip back to civilization from here was uneventful – thank goodness. As we came back to where we started, Mike pointed to a road and said that was probably the one we should have taken. Did I want to try it. NO!!! We will be back, and this time we’ll take the “right” road.