It was my second visit to the Pixie Crossing. For Bill, the visit marked his third. We had a group with us, though, so he didn't want to spend too much time staring at the ground, looking for a geocache "find."
So, we moved on through the gate and up a trail---all 11 humans and two dogs.
Little did we know that our adventure yesterday afternoon would elicit SO much to talk about in our respective Monday-morning klatches in Selle, at school, in Wrenco, and at work in Plummer.
In my case, the Monday-morning klatch is right here in this upstairs bedroom at this computer. The universal headline for our fun-filled, yakkedy-yak family hike yesterday in Gold Creek would probably read "Cougar Sighting."
And, for that cougar, I'm sure it had plenty on its mind as that menagerie of noisy, two-legged creatures, all sizes, all ages came invading its space.
Yes, we were noise along the trail, but we didn't car. We had gone behind a locked gate, and we didn't expect to encounter any other humans.
Cameras were snapping all along the way. Nine-year-old kids were eyeing the ground for stuff to stuff in their pockets. Pretty purple rocks filled with big pieces of mica inspired one stop.
That sight took me back to my own history when I was about that age and when finding mica was just as important to me as it was to the triplets yesterday.
There was education along the trail---how many needles a white pine tree has and an easy way to remember. How many letters are there in the word "white"? That's how the newly retired forester explained to the young open ears.
Noses sniffed wild ginger, again after the forester plucked a piece and passed it around for some hikers to smell.
We took off on a side trail through a clearcut. That's where we first spotted the turkeys. At first, I thought deer, but as we came closer, we chuckled about that deer really being some turkeys scurrying off to the right.
As the rest of the troops caught up with us, we were anxious to show them where the turkeys had gone.
Turns out our turkey population of two was minimal compared to the herd off to the left slowly making its way across the clearcut.
"The ground is crawling with turkeys," my sister Barbara noted. She was right. This herd was substantial. Seemed like they just kept appearing out of the clearcut woodwork.
Later, when we headed back, Bill suggested that we go check out the water situation just down the trail. We did. It was just a small pool next to the road.
On the other side, though, an gray item hanging in the trees elicited some of the more intense enthusiasm of the day---for the men at least.
After a few minutes, Sefo just couldn't stand it any longer. When he picked up a rock to fling at the hornet's nest, a mass of humanity raced down the trail. Mary's tales of bee sting allergies drove our need to get the heck out of there.
And, warnings to Sefo fell on deaf ears. Soon, all the females were standing a couple of hundred feet down the trail while all the males, including Jacob, hung back at the hornet's nest. Rocks kept flying.
I learned this morning from Bill that the nest was empty.
Later, Bill led us off the trail again to another clearcut. While some talked about various species of pine trees, Sefo (always the lone adventurer) walked off to the main trail. Some of us followed.
Suddenly, Sefo turned around and said, "Coyote."
I figured right then I'd never see it because it would surely run off before I walked to where Sefo stood.
It did not run off, and I was able got grab a vague look at it through the trees just off the trail. Laura ran to where Sefo stood. A second later, she yelled out, "COUGAR. It's a cougar!"
That's when the creature decided to exit and ran off into the trees.
It was exciting and eerie at the same time, thinking about how long that big cat may have been following our group. We were also glad that the kids had all been surrounded by adults.
Later when we saw Janice Schoonover back at the Pixie crossing aka geocache site, she told us that there had been cougar sightings in that area.
And, even later last night my horse shoer, John Fuller told me about three specific sighhtings---one with a person on horseback and another where the cougar was right in someone's yard looking in the window.
"It apparently has no fear," John told me.
Well, with the cougar hullabaloo, there were a few other side stories, including the eventual find of the elusive geocache at the Pixie Crossing. That's why Janice had arrived.
She (also a geocacher) came with her mom Virginia to give us hints of where to look. We found it, Bill logged it and put it back. I can guarantee to all future geocachers, that's a tricky cache.
Our hike was filled with adventure, beauty, camaraderie and even a circus act. Young Jacob has learned how to walk on his hands, and he practices often.
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