Ok, maybe trail running in the remote DNR forest after the two biggest storms in the last ten years can through the area, wasn't the best idea I had, but it was fun.

Stan, Bridget and I left the fitness club about 7:08 a.m..  We ran out Beaverton Valley Road until School House Road Number Two where Bridget climbed in Stan's little red truck and drove back to town.  Stan and I continued out Beaverton Valley Road, up and over Chaddy Mountain and past the turn off to Mitchell Bay to a little dirt road that ends at the trail head in the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) property.  Our plan was to run North into the National Park and then down into Roche Harbor Watershed and finally over to Roche Harbor Road and back to town.  All on trails.

I have a history with this forested area.  Most times, when I run in there, I get lost.  Not that I don't have good sense of direction or a keen sense of bearing in the forest, which I do.  The problem is the forest.  Many roads and trails wind through this forest and one can never see - do to the thickness of the trees - where one is. 

Today was no difference - we soon become lost when I thought we should take the first right instead of the second right.  Besides being lost and running from road to trail to road looking for a way out we had to climb over the one half a million trees that had been blown over due to the storms.  The funny thing is this, Stan didn't really want to run the trails.  This was my idea.

After a couple of hours we finally found an overlook and realize that we had made one really large circle and were really close to where we entered.  After getting to the trail head we ran down to the pavement and hitched hike back to town. 

We logged over three hours of pure running, but spent a couple of hours lost.

Well, here's the deal.  Any one can run around Turn Point Loop, but it takes real runners to get lost.  In the forest.  With a half a million down trees.  At least there wasn't any bears.