Okay, maybe it wasn’t the Temple of Doom, but it sure reminded me of an Indiana Jones movie. If you will recall, (see last week’s entry) my wife and I were camped out for free amongst horse apples in the Capitol Forest. Looking for something else to do, I discovered there were several geocaches in the area, with one less than two miles away called Ghost Town! Being a ghost town aficionado, I immediately took notice and began plugging the coordinates into the GPS. After a short trip down the road, the GPS receiver began directing us across a creek into a dense section of forest with no signs of an access road or a place to cross the creek. After driving past the area twice, we were not able to spot any ghostly ruins in the forest, but we did see a footbridge and somewhere to park. The trail across the footbridge soon entered an area more reminiscent of a jungle than a Western Washington forest. After whacking nettles and other lush greenery along the way with a stick (Indy would have used a machete!), I soon arrived at a forlorn vine covered structure nearly encapsulated by years of forest growth. Being wary of low hanging pythons, I slowly entered the Temple of Doom! Stepping over man eating holes covered with moss, dodging tetanus laced rusted hardware protruding from the walls and other fatal hazards, I soon forgot about finding the geocache and marveled at how this place had stayed off my ghost town radar. Further wandering took me past chimneys, foundations and other signs of previous habitation. It definitely scratched the ghost town itch for me.
Upon returning to civilization (no, I wasn’t chased out by hostile aborigines), I researched the site and found it was an old logging town named Bordeaux and was quite extensive in its heyday.
Discovering your own Temple of Doom, just another adventure in RVing!
Link to the Ghost Town geocache:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC31QYX
To learn more about Bordeaux, WA visit:
http://www.ghosttownsofwashington.com/Bordeaux_Washington.html
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
Leave a Reply