The Palm Springs of Washington

Yes, we are still alive. It has been more than a week since we posted on the blog. It has been an exceptionally busy week and quite simply there just has not yet been time. We spent last weekend (Fri.-Sun.) at the Yakima Cache Machine, a geocaching event in, you guessed it, Yakima. It was a crazy busy time. We left straight from my work on Friday afternoon, fought a spring snowstorm to make it over Snoqualmie Pass just before the passed closed to get to Yakima and then I cached for 24hrs straight from 7PM on Friday to 7PM on Saturday.

Before I get to far, I should explain the title of this post, there is a not-meant-to-be-funny sign on the freeway as you enter Yakima advertising it as "The Palm Springs of Washington" which is always good for a laugh for those arriving in a white-out or those more familiar with some of the City's finer points. I would consider it more, "The Newark of Washington" but that slogan doesn't really have the same panache.

The primary team for our geocaching marathon consisted of Lars Urvina (Val's dad), Joe Urvina (Val's brother - he was late because of the pass closure), Dave Button (brother-in-law), me and (I know this sounds very odd) "Tomison" a cacher know from the internet. No need to call Dateline's Chris Hansen, he is a member of our local caching community. Actually I've met him several times before this.

We really had a blast finding somewhere around 125 caches in that time spread all the way from Benton City in the south to Ellensburg in the north. The overnight was especially interesting as it was around 20 degrees outside with winds somewhere around 35mph which I believe calculates to a wind-chill of something like minus 4 million. It was a reminder again of why we live closer to the coast and the relatively mild temps there.

I picked Valerie and the boys up at around 11AM on Saturday and she joined the fun from there. The normal cache machine route included I think around 70 caches but we chose to extend things slightly on our own. I had a great time. The caches were not all very easy park and grab types. Many included serious terrain. We were able to get to know some of the more beautiful areas of the state a bit better such as the Yakima River Canyon.

That is me in orange up there.

Unfortunately, I was moving so quickly that I don't think we have many quality pictures to keep or post here. We've pretty much been tired since then.

Helpful public diet tips. Take that Palm Springs!

Now if I can just talk Valerie into letting me do the same thing in Missoula, Montana in June... please? Put in a good word for me in the comments.