Mica Peak LbNA #23016 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Kurious Jo  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 4, 2005 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Mica |
| County: | Spokane |
| State: | Washington |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | American Boxer |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Jul 3, 2009 |
| Status: | FFFFFar |
| Last edited: | Sep 4, 2005 |
Terrain: grass
Distance of walk: drive-by
Wheel chair friendly: no
Hitchhiker friendly: if small
Recommended Ink Colors: blue, green, & black but not a big deal on this one
***This is a NEW LOCATION as of Sept 25 2006 ****
** Please note that this park closes during the cold months ****
It was Christmas Day of 1986 and they were visiting his relatives in Spokane, WA. Being restless the couple decided to go for a back country ski. By the time they packed food and gear and drove to Mica Peak, it was a late start. Progress on the snowmobile trail up the steep mountain trail was slow. Along the way a white weasel with a black tail crossed their path. There were lots of tracks and many large indents in the snow where elk or deer had bedded down. Once they got to the sheer cliff a spectacular view of the valley below was before them. They climbed 2100’ in the 3 ½ miles to the top and were hungry. As they sat eating they suddenly noticed how close the sun was to the horizon. It was 4 o’clock! There was no way to make it down before dark. They were in serious trouble!!
As they hurriedly started downhill the temperature was dropping fast and the ski and snowmobile tracks were quickly turning to hard ice. It was 10° and their breath turned to ice crystals hanging in the air. The metal-edged skis skittered over the ice instead of digging in thus they had no ability to stop or slow down. They made several attempts to ski down the 20° decline but would gain so much speed that they had to purposely crash on the hard ice to avoid going over the steep embankment that guaranteed serious injury. The darker it became the more panicked they were. Flashlights were useless - there was no way to hang on to a ski pole and a flashlight with one hand. Every piece of clothing they had with them was on them. Backwoods preparedness classes paid off. What are the family thinking? What if they did not make it down safely? They hadn’t even married yet.
As they stood looking at each other bruised and battered, they both realized that they had to forget about the relatives and gather their wits about them in order to come out of this in one piece. It was then that she realized that down hill skiing techniques may be the only way to slow down - even though they were on loose-heel equipment. They talked about it and both practiced earnestly. The narrow snowmobile track barely gave enough of a wedge on the slippery ice to slow down. It was very dicey and the going was challenging. All distress was forgotten when they came around a corner and the moon was out bright and big as life. The snow and ice came to life with sparkles of various colors. Words could not describe the fascinating beauty of that cold night on the mountain.
Getting you close:
From 1-90 take Hwy 27 south. Turn right on East Palouse Hwy
Valley Ford County Park is on your left. Don’t miss the historical sign about the town of Valley Ford which was founded in 1924. This is a charming little park with good old fashioned country flavor and various things to do.
To the Box:
Check out the chimney. Sit on it’s short cousin. Mica Peak Lb can be found between you and the tall one at 250. Under the RH twin. Please be discreet as possible.
Please re-hide better than you found it.
Hope you enjoyed the hunt. Since we don’t live in the area we can’t check on this box very often. We appreciate an update on its status.
Distance of walk: drive-by
Wheel chair friendly: no
Hitchhiker friendly: if small
Recommended Ink Colors: blue, green, & black but not a big deal on this one
***This is a NEW LOCATION as of Sept 25 2006 ****
** Please note that this park closes during the cold months ****
It was Christmas Day of 1986 and they were visiting his relatives in Spokane, WA. Being restless the couple decided to go for a back country ski. By the time they packed food and gear and drove to Mica Peak, it was a late start. Progress on the snowmobile trail up the steep mountain trail was slow. Along the way a white weasel with a black tail crossed their path. There were lots of tracks and many large indents in the snow where elk or deer had bedded down. Once they got to the sheer cliff a spectacular view of the valley below was before them. They climbed 2100’ in the 3 ½ miles to the top and were hungry. As they sat eating they suddenly noticed how close the sun was to the horizon. It was 4 o’clock! There was no way to make it down before dark. They were in serious trouble!!
As they hurriedly started downhill the temperature was dropping fast and the ski and snowmobile tracks were quickly turning to hard ice. It was 10° and their breath turned to ice crystals hanging in the air. The metal-edged skis skittered over the ice instead of digging in thus they had no ability to stop or slow down. They made several attempts to ski down the 20° decline but would gain so much speed that they had to purposely crash on the hard ice to avoid going over the steep embankment that guaranteed serious injury. The darker it became the more panicked they were. Flashlights were useless - there was no way to hang on to a ski pole and a flashlight with one hand. Every piece of clothing they had with them was on them. Backwoods preparedness classes paid off. What are the family thinking? What if they did not make it down safely? They hadn’t even married yet.
As they stood looking at each other bruised and battered, they both realized that they had to forget about the relatives and gather their wits about them in order to come out of this in one piece. It was then that she realized that down hill skiing techniques may be the only way to slow down - even though they were on loose-heel equipment. They talked about it and both practiced earnestly. The narrow snowmobile track barely gave enough of a wedge on the slippery ice to slow down. It was very dicey and the going was challenging. All distress was forgotten when they came around a corner and the moon was out bright and big as life. The snow and ice came to life with sparkles of various colors. Words could not describe the fascinating beauty of that cold night on the mountain.
Getting you close:
From 1-90 take Hwy 27 south. Turn right on East Palouse Hwy
Valley Ford County Park is on your left. Don’t miss the historical sign about the town of Valley Ford which was founded in 1924. This is a charming little park with good old fashioned country flavor and various things to do.
To the Box:
Check out the chimney. Sit on it’s short cousin. Mica Peak Lb can be found between you and the tall one at 250. Under the RH twin. Please be discreet as possible.
Please re-hide better than you found it.
Hope you enjoyed the hunt. Since we don’t live in the area we can’t check on this box very often. We appreciate an update on its status.