Subject: addendum to Christine's description of our Wenas trip
Date: Jun 6 12:58:50 2000
From: Rahne Kirkham - rahne at mindspring.com


A new motion picture release!
Alive 2:The Trip to Wenas!

Christine Vadai filled you all in on our wonderful birding trip on the
Umptanum rd to Wenas, Crab Creek and Vantage but what she didn't tell you
was the real life adventure we had. As if 111 species on one trip were not
enough!
We got on the Umptanum rd in Ellensburg and, except for dancing for joy over
the prairie falcon, it was uneventful. Then Christine started noticing that
her cellular phone was showing that there was no service available. She kept
checking periodically but I didn't think it mattered since I knew her truck
was both strong, fairly new and beautiful and nothing could possibly happen
to us.
I had affirmed to Christine that I knew the way to the campground at Wenas
as I had been there several times both with Seattle Audubon and alone. She
obediently took the right fork and our adventure began. First the road began
to deteriorate rapidly, attaining ruts and holes that I didn't remember. We
went for miles and reached an uphill path surrounded by nothing but manmade
crushed up rock. This was definitely not familiar. We had passed workmen on
the road so maybe during the last year they had redone the road. We went on
but I knew we should have reached the campground by then so we turned around
and took another fork that looked kind of familiar. We passed the beautiful
creek and deciduous trees I remembered. Yes, this had to be it. It looked
familiar until the road was flooded and we ended up driving up the
streambed! (Thank God for 4-wheel drive.) Bouncing like mad, I wondered how
had Audubon had its yearly campout if the road was flooded!? Then I saw the
bridge...in fact we went under the bridge...or part of a bridge...It was
collapsed at the far end! The water got deeper and deeper so we decided to
turn back. Only there was no room to turn. Christine said,"Don't worry. My
four wheel drive can handle it and we began to turn around." I trusted her
until I looked out my window and saw the ground! I started to loudly pray!
We did get turned around without the truck falling on its side and headed
out. I sat pondering how a place could change so much in a year when
Christine said,"What would you have done if the truck had tipped over with
no service for the cellular?" I started having visions of us being trapped
and hungry until one of us was inspired by the movie, Alive. This made me
glad the truck had not fallen over.
Finally, we reached the crossroads where we started our adventure. I said,
just for a kick, let's see what's down this other road? We rounded a bend
and there it was, Wenas Campground in all its glory. I had led Christine
down the wrong road all along.....
Opps!
Rahne Kirkham
Federal Way, Washington
rahne at mindspring.com
"For the human spirit is virtually indestructible
and rises from the ashes as long as the body
draws breath." Dr. Alice Miller