We packed up Friday afternoon and headed up Mountain Loop Highway to Bedal Campground. I had never been past Mt. Pilchuck, the highway actually has an area of being a gravel one-way road. Our campground was along the Sauk River. It is running fairly low at this time of year, but we did see some salmon heading upstream. The kids brought a mutual friend from school and a fellow runner, Christina. We met our friends, Jude and Dean at the campground. Saturday morning we (Dean, Michael, Kelsey, Christina, and I) decided to get out for a hike, on Goat Lake Trail. We were not equipped to be out for the entire hike up to the lake, so we just hiked the trail for a couple hours. As we reached 1/2 -3/4 mile up the trail, there is a bend in the trail, along a drop off. Much to our surprise, as we get to the bend, and look down, there is a motorcycle just off the trail! The bike looks new, and hadn't been there very long (no rust), but whoever dumped it is long gone. We continue our hike. On the way down, I notice that the key is still in the ignition. Weird. After we get back to the campground and tell our story to Pat and Jude......there is the challenge to go get the bike. So Pat, Michael, Christina and I with 50 feet of rope go back to the trail. After a bit of work, okay, a lot of work, we get it out from the ledge, and up on the trail. Pat had already determined that it still had battery life. When we got it on the trail, it started right up. He rode it back to the campground. It is a Yamaha Virago 250. (a small bike) And NOT a trail bike! We reported it to the campground hostess, and she said she would call the sheriff. Michael, Christina and I all had our first motorcycle riding lessons in the campground! Michael seemed to take right too it (yikes!). I am still okay with being a passenger on the back of Pat's bike.
The weather held out for us...there was rain in the forecast, and we just had a little sprinkling on Friday night.
We never saw the sheriff. The hostess told us that the bike had not been reported stolen yet. It had current tabs, and only 260 miles! So, we may never know the outcome. We left the bike there for the sheriff to pick up.
*****breaking news****** Pat just got a message from the hostess: they found the owner-it is a 63 year old man that was riding where he was not supposed to be riding. He dumped the bike, and broke his hip. He is currently in a hospital, and will be getting a ticket from the sheriff. We don't know how he got off the mountain!
Our campsite:
Kelsey, Christina, and Michael (braces are off!)
Our surprise find along the trail:
cool rock formations
ahhhh, my favorite
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