Found the Trestle - aka Hollow Woods Ride

Well, I'm glad I got to ride last Tuesday with my riding partner "Georgie" my dog, and not today. I planned for Monday, but ended up changing it too Tuesday due to important life things like: grocery shopping, and helping relatives move. Not that I'm opposed to riding in the snow, but it is more comfortable on a sunny dry day.

If I would have waited until today, this is what I would've been riding in.



Fortunately, this is what it looked like on my ride day.



Anyway, my planned ride was to visit some local geocaches in the area and get some good riding in. About 1/3 of the way, I had to break from my planned route as I ran out of time. But all-in-all, still a nice day. Route marked in Green was my planned route, route marked in Magenta was my actual route.



First destination for the day was the Hollow Woods cache. Before departure, I kinda wondered about the "Woods" part of this. I can't remember there being any trees in the barren BLM land I ride. Here on top of a ridge, my GPS is pointing to that scrub looking brush stuff. Doesn't look like woods to me.



Here's the view from the same spot looking in the oposite direction. Are sagebrush considered trees? I know there's trees in the distant mountains. Great view though!



I discover "Hollow Woods" cache is in a Wildlife Management area and is fenced, so I must dismount and hike less than a 1/4 mile. As I get closer, the "Hollow Woods" still looks like sagebrush and in the distance, sort of a tree???



But when I arrive near the cache, I'm supprised. Here's "Hollow Woods".



Spot a bear cub in the woods!



Just kidding. This is Georgie enjoying and investigating the woods. On a side note, I couldn't find the cache. Looked and looked, but nothing doing. Cache 1, Admiral 0.



No photo of my next cache, Badger something, but I should report: Cache 2, Admiral 0.

Had a little mishap on my way to the 3rd cache. I must pass through some fences while crossing the highway.



Normally, this is not an issue, but as I was trying to lift my leg over the TW to get back on, the TW slide slightly forward, pushing the kickstand back into place, before I was on. Before I try this there has not been a car on the highway for over 10 miniutes, but as luck would have it, as I and the TW are falling over, not 1, but 2 cars pass by. I had to look like the Michelin Man rolling off the TW.



Ok, I make it to the next cache - "Stumped". I kinda wonder what is up with this whole tree thing! Cache update: Cache 3, Admiral 0. I'm really starting to doubt my GPS cache hunting skills!



I now heading to the old train trestle cache which is straight ahead and the end of this gulch. In its heyday, this old abandoned part of the rail line use to run from Emmett, Idaho to Middleton, Idaho, hauling fruit and timber products from Emmett. Emmett Valley use to have orchards as far as the eye could see. The old timber mill is closed again. Been operating off and on, but I think its finally seen its last logs earlier this year. Sad to see these industries gone.



The trestle spans part of an irrigation canal. Here is a portion of the canal which travels through a tunnel from one side of the hill to this side just before the trestle.



Finally make it to the trestle. The cache is suppose to be in the middle of the trestle, but with the bridge deck gone, I decide to forego trying to find the cache. Caches 4, Admiral 0.





I had a little fun and technical riding to get to and from the trestle, for me anyway. Here's a short video of my ride to and from the trestle from the ridge and later when I tried to get their riding the old railroad grade.



When I originally planned my route to the trestle, I was gonna use the old railroad grade to get there. Because I was closer to the trestle from the last cache, I went to it down the 2 track in the gulch. This was a good choice, cause I would have never made it using the old railroad grade. Some of it went back to the local landowners and here they fenced it off.



After riding down and back on the old railroad grade, time was getting short. I needed to cut the ride short and get back home so I could make it to my daughter's basketball game. So, I traded the dirt 2 track roads for some pavement. However, I've got just enough time for one last cache "The Cat's Meow". At least I'm done with the tree and stump theme!

And what do ya know, I found it!





I do wonder why it's named "The Cat's Meow". When I open the cache, I find out why. Cute!



Final Score: Caches 4, Admiral 1. But I had fun and it was a good day to ride...compared to today! Hope you enjoy the ride report.