CHEHALIS WESTERN TRAIL

Who went: DJ, David, Elisha, Gabe, Jordon, Mrs G, Mrs M (for the drive)

When: Monday, September 24, 2007 11-3:45 (our fastest 10-miler yet)

Where: Chehalis Western Trail (near Lacey, WA)

Distance: 8.5 miles on the trail, plus another mile and a half to Stefanie's house, our pizza pitstop. Total = 10 miles. (10.1366 miles according to gmap-pedometer.com)

Weather: Warm, sunny. Perfect.

Level: Easy - Moderate (2/9)

What was the most fun?
Lunch, but not for the food. Because of the river.
Lunch
Being able to lead for the last two miles

What we did:
Hiked
Ate lunch
Walked
Talked
Enjoyed the hike

The most challenging thing:
Nothing; it was easy.
The hill to get down to the river for lunch.
Nothing.

Water Source: None, unless you want to use the water from the Deschutes River. It was moving pretty fast, but we had water with us already.
Stefanie's house (ha!)

What we saw:
A big river
Trees
Snakes
A river
Bees
Tons of crickets
A lot of birds
Railroad tracks
Neat-as-a-pin farms
Deer tracks
Trout
River

What I brought:
Daypack with ten essentials
Water bottle
Backpack
Vitamin water
Cheese and crackers
Ten essentials

What we learned:
Needed more water
A trail without hills is easier than one with them.
Having mile markers on a trail is a great thing.
Do not annoy Elisha.
This is a great hike.

Suggestions for other people doing this hike:
Eat lunch by the river
Bring a walking stick.
Bring what you need - water bottles.

Conclusion:
Easiest hike yet.
It was very fun.
The river was worth it.
This would be better on a bike.
Would have been fun on a bike.

Adult Note: There are no restrooms or suitable water sources along the trail. It crosses many roads, and Scouts should be aware that cars sometimes come around the corner very quickly.