Here in the Pacific Northwest you don't have to look to far to see Volcanos and Lava rock...Many remember 1980's eruption of Mt.Saint Helens and the destruction of Spirit Lake... That lake got it's name from the amazeing ability of being surrounded by air injected "Pummice" a form of frothy Lava...that actualy causes these rocks to float! Imagine...Floating Rocks! The indians thought this a spritual place and very sacred....but in later years it became a favorite destination of Ranger Outpost 207. On the South side of Mt. Saint Helens...you can still find large twisting Lava "tubes" formed from rivers of hot flowing lava rushing down the side of the Mt. and cooling first on the outside to form a large pipe like tunnel under the ground! Amazeing! The Lava is long cooled...but when the core ran out it left mi's of tubes...still unfound from all the previous eruptions of the famous Mountian. It's fun to explore these tubes and Outpost 207 likes FUN!! So we loaded up the church Van and off we went into the woods around the Mountian. Lot's of Legends grow out in the back country and I'm sure you've all heard about Sasquatch or "Bigfoot" as he's called....but we Ranger's don't worry about legends and such..especialy when we are haveing fun! So... We arrived at the entrence of the tunnell...check our gear for utility and emergency uses and all carried two sources of light.... as the cave being underground and Mi's long is pitch black...NEVER HAVEING SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY! This cave was only discovered 50 years ago when a trapper on horseback feel into a sink hole....only then was the tunnel discovered, and parts have yet to be explored.... The Rangers lit off the Big Coleman Gas Lanterns...and we scrambled down in to the cave.... The summer air was warm on the surface...almost Hot! but the cave underground keep's a year round temp. down in the 50F range...so we put on our sweatshirts...and that felt good. Down and down we walked and climbed till the passeges became a blurr, and the Ranger's strung out in a long line of lights.....This Cave is BIG! I've been down there several times and never had any trouble finding my way...but today I looked back to find myself alone! I must have made a wrong turn...and nothing looked or felt familiar to me.... I pushed on and as I did...my lantern hit a rock and the mantle that burns so bright tore off and the light went Dead! I reached in my pack and pulled my Flashlight out to serch for my pack of mantles...but I guess they feel out on the way in because I could not find them... worse yet! my flashlight was starting to fail!! and in the dimming light, I push on to a new passage that got very narrow and small... I had to get down on my belly and crawl...and then the light quit! I was lost...in the dark... in a strange cavern! I felt along the walls trying to think of what I could do when I had to stop.................. I had the "FEELING, I was not alone!" I listened...and heard air riseing and falling... "Aaaaahh...Ohooooo..." LIKE BREATHING! I had a few..very few matches in my pack and I got them ready as I felt my wall around the wall till I STOPED IN MY TRACKS! SOMETHING FURRY WAS THERE! I struck the match and went blind for a moment...and there was a BIG FURRY THING ASLEEP!!!! BIGGER THAN A GRIZZ! I had to touch it....and I reached out...and with one finger, touched it! SUDDENLY IT MOVED!! In the dark I thought I saw a BIG RED EYE LOOKING AT ME!!!!!! "That's it!!! I'm OUTA-HERE!!!!" and I ran back as fast as my legs could go! I shot thru that narrow opening...and running,falling, banging my head and skinning my elbows I BOOGIED OUT-A THERE PRONTO!! Right behind me came this MONSTER!!! Man was I SCARED! I never ran that fast before...and shortly I came to see some lights ahead! It was Outpost 207!!! RUN FOR IT BOYS!!!! Thar's a MONSTER! IEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCHHHHHHH!!!! We all ran out the cave and into the sun but the Monster did not give up! we ran and ran and came to a box caynon....a sheer wall! It looked like curtains fer **>A-No.1<*** yes sur ree! CURTIANS! I stoped and threw some dust in his eye...to confuse him and scooted my boys out of his path and baited him toword me...HE WAS MAD! STINKING MAD!! I ran up to the rock wall and started to climb...but lost my footn' and slipped down to his feet... "now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the LORD my soul to keep" I said quickly...as he towered above me... The MONSTER GOT REAL CLOSE TO ME AND SUDDENLY.....smiled! He rach out his boney finger and touched me.... TAGG! Your it! :') *Repost-4Cyber2powwow! -=A=- _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks!" RTKB&G4JC! Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rangernet.org
