christopher575

When I went to Langus last week, I spotted a small sign on an onramp mentioning it'd be closed Sunday, so I searched for events in town when I got home. It was the half marathon. I figured I'd stay very far away from it, and chose Japanese Gulch instead. That turned out to be a good decision, as I ended up finding some previously-inaccessible passages to large areas I'd never seen before. Thankfully I had my new multitool I bought to carry in my hydration pack; the pliers were very handy for grabbing thorny vines to snap them and move them out of my way.

https://instagram.com/p/BhUJvT2HKns

I feel bad for the marathon runners and walkers, the wind was pretty intense. It was nice to be mostly shielded from it in the woods.

https://instagram.com/p/BhT-EoHHKxg

I was able to see water from a spot on the Eastern slope that I hadn't seen it from before.

And I found my way back to this spot, which I'd only seen once or twice before.

The ballfields up top and the newest warehouse building.

What a crowd.

https://instagram.com/p/BhUJdVtHeJb

Another abandoned car, bringing the total I know about in the gulch to two.

Had to mute this one as it was loud enough that I probably would have really annoyed anyone who played it unsuspecting. At first I thought I was walking toward a large HVAC system but realized what it really was in time to get my phone ready.

https://instagram.com/p/BhUBq14Hiar

I didn't want to take the same way back down that I took up because of the mud, but ended up choosing a path that was way worse. I slipped in the mud a lot, but it was actually wet grass that made me fall into the mud. I thought I wasn't hurt at all, but three days later my right arm is sore from catching myself. It's much better than it was Monday, but still tender.