There be Ghouls Here . . . and Zombies

It was a dark and stormy night . . . ok not so stormy, we had stars shining in the heavens and speaking of shining the moon was also nicely bright. What we did have was ghouls and goblins and zombies and clowns. Yes my friends, clowns - the scariest creatures around.

What was all this, you might ask?

It was the first ever Haunted Fort at Fort Casey State Park.

This past weekend I volunteered as a guide for the park's Haunted Fort which benefitted the lighthouse restoration.

The guides dressed up in costume and escorted groups through the zombie infested yard to Battery Turman where the real excitement began. This is not to say there weren't screams prior to showing up at the "evil carnival" The zombies and ghosts heard plenty of screams along our walk past axe-man, the sarge and the zombie picnic.

But at Battery Turman, staff and volunteers had created a beautiful mix of anticipatory scares and frightful surprises. And with each group running out of the rooms there was joyful laughter following screams and tears - laughter assuaging fears. I couldn't help but laugh myself, in unison with their joy of fright.

In the end, the Haunted Fort raised $10000.00 for restoration of the lighthouse.

I'm looking forward to next year's Haunted Fort.

Haloweenies

Old Robe Valley & Big 4 Ice Caves, 10/31/09, 5 miles, 100 elevation

Forget the Trick-or-Treaters. Forget the parties. Give me a rainy Halloween in the woods.

A few years ago, a friend invited us on a Halloween hike. However, we had other plans and had to forego the fun. Another invitation came this year and we pushed aside all other invitations to go. The name our friends were giving to our day of hiking was the Tunnels of Terror. The only terror, was that I'd actually hike with an umbrella. Yes the rain was falling so heavily as we started out down the Robe Valley that I actually pulled out the umbrella. I'm a true Seattleite and hiking with an umbrella just seems wrong. But after a backpack in Mt Rainer a few years ago when it rained all 5 days of our outing, I decided getting soaked thru-and-thru may not be the most enjoyable way to spend a day.

We finished the Robe Valley hike without reaching the washed out section right before railroad tunnel. We then decided to head up to the Big Four Ice Caves for a quick picnic and another short hike. For lunch, we broke out our costumes and bags of candy to share. Then we were off on the trail to the ice caves. Rain continued to drench our boots from both the top and the bottom from the puddles accumulating in the trail. At points, the trail itself was a stream bed for a stream that had over run its banks.

We played a bit at the caves then returned to town for well deserved hot cocoa and dry socks and looking forward to another Halloween hike. You too can find fun places to hike on Halloween. But don't forget your costumes and don't leave behind the candy, Halloween is for the kid in all of us after all.

Halloween Volksmarch

10/28/06 - 10K

Every Halloween, my sister, Kristi, & I along with Michael, our friend Diane and her son Randy head to Remlinger Farms in Carnation for the annual Halloween Volksmarch. We'll also take the puppies along for a refreshing walk in farming country. Generally we dress up for the occasion wearing costumes as varied as farm animals to cereal killers. (yes, I spelled that correctly.) The walk meanders around Remlinger Farms and the town of Carnation, along the Tolt River and through Big Leaf Maples.

This year Kristi & her dachshund Joey dressed up as hippies, just too cute the both of them. Randy came dressed in Scottish attire which looked fitting to the facial hair he's beginning to grow and his broad shoulders. Kristi's other dog Frankie came as a witch which is pretty normal for her - that, or the other itch word. Sometimes she's not a very good dog. Michael & I however didn't dress up at all nor did we get the dogs anything fun to wear - but they didn't seem to mind too much.

It was a glorious day as the fog burned off and the colors of autumn sparkled with dew. We enjoyed the morning; filled with chatter, walking, and laughs.