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Mac has been wanting to go find this fishing spot at Drift Creek, which is at the end of May Road. He’s mentioned taking the drive several times, and I’ve said it sounded like fun. He kept saying we’d go on a sunny day, because the last half of the ride is on a gravel road. No biggy. I think half the roads around here are gravel. *wink*

Tuesday, March 18th was a beautiful day here. One of those rare sunny winter days on the coast. Warm enough to only need a light jacket – and for winter, that’s warm. We didn’t have anything pressing to do, so we took off to have lunch and then … we came home. As we neared the bridge and the turn off for Drift Creek, with the sun blazing, and the windows open in the car, Mac said, “Someday I’d really like to go find the fishing spot at Drift Creek.” So did we make the turn and take the trip? Nooooooooo. We. Drove. Home.

Wednesday, March 19th was a normal winter day – weather wise. Brisk (mid-40’s) with overcast skies that turned to rain by early afternoon. So what did we do? Why we got in the car around 2pm and took that drive to Drift Creek. Heh!

Around 4 miles in (give or take a mile) we reached the gravel road. The sky was getting darker, and the rain was coming down heavier. We drove nice and slow on all the twists and turns. A short distance later we passed a big ol’ red sign, with white letters that shouted:

BEWARE

I immediately became aware and watchful. Trust me. I kept watching my map and watching for our turn off and watching for anything that would make me more aware of whatever I was to be aware of. Finally we reach the turn off to May Road. This road was more narrow and it sloped. Oh joy. The slopes slanted down into deep, deep ravines. As in: never see the light of day again ravines. Oh joy. For some reason, both going and coming, they always seemed to slant my direction. I figure that the road has a switch on it and as our car reached each slope, the road slid so that I was facing down into that ravine. I’m not making this up either.

Meanwhile I’m trying to stay calm. I mean, we travel into the boondocks around here quite often, just like the couple of old fools we are. hehehe But today it’s raining and getting darker, we suddenly have no cell signal and there – coming toward us – are 2 large county vehicles. The front vehicle looked like something used to clear mud and debris off the road, complete with the bulldozer blade on the front. The second vehicle was a pick-em-up truck. Oh joy. They are clearing debris and heading out, and we are heading in to the woods like we have good sense.

The Big Trucks

So there we are driving on this narrow, gravel almost one lane road and coming toward us are those 2 HUGE county vehicles. There was nowhere to go. I immediately grabbed the panic strap over the window and said, “OH NO! OH NO! OH NO!” I couldn’t believe that Mac kept driving forward. It was just a few months ago that we played chicken with logging trucks over the shoulder of a road that was almost like this one. That time we passed so darn close to each other that I could have touched the truck with my fingertips out the window. (And no, I’m not making that up.) Well … I had no idea how today’s little adventure was going to work out, but the lead vehicle pulled way over and we slowly, ever so slowly, drove past. Of course we were on one of those slopes – the only one that sloped Mac’s direction; but that wasn’t the least bit comforting when your vehicle is barely hanging onto the side of a cliff! It was at this point that I considered letting loose with the “mother of all swear words”. I almost kicked myself for the thought, but I didn’t want to rock the car. Do you really think I’d make this up?

By now, my right hand was grasping the panic strap so tightly I was cutting off the circulation to my arm. When we came even with the pick-em-up truck, Mac stopped and rolled down his window. He asked the rather surprised county guy if we were ever going to find Drift Creek. “Oh sure. When you get to the bridge.” (Bridge? No one had mentioned a bridge! I don’t like these little bridges that we find out in the boonies. My breathing is becoming a bit ragged here.)

Mac thanked the guy, rolled up his window and onward we went – into heaven only knows what. A short time later we find the most fascinating site … a waterfall in the side of the cliff – and it’s on my side and not on a sloped spot in the road. I grabbed my camera, praying that we didn’t see any more vehicles, and rolled down the window. I managed to get a decent shot, without getting out of the car, and without drowning my camera. The sleeve of my jacket and the inside of the car door got soaked. Still, the picture was worth it.

Here’s a teaser shot … click it and you’ll see a better picture. Now you know that I’m not making this up.

Another 10 minutes and another mile or so and we finally come to the end of the road. Or so I thought. While I’m happily singing, “I see the end of the road and don’t see a bridge”, we drive up and discover the darn bridge. Well drats. Now this bridge is barely wide enough for a vehicle. Barely. It has concrete sides, but the bottom was wood. Oh joy! I didn’t take a picture. First, I was too scared. Second, there wasn’t room to get out and take a picture. Third, it was raining too hard to get out even if there had been room. So you’ll have to take my word for this – the bridge was wooden with concrete beams for the side and through the concrete we got to see Drift Creek. Flowing fast and furious and DEEP. Definitely something to be aware of! And I’m not making this up either.

Now the weight limit on this bridge is 5 tons. My brain freezes and I think 5 tons = 500 lbs … the car weighs more than that … we’re gonna fall in! Surely Mac will stop the car, turn around and we’ll go home – out of here! Nooooooooo … Mac slowly drove forward and over the bridge we went. At this point the muscles in my legs are cramping and I’m breathing in panic mode and Mac jokingly asks, “You did take your blood pressure pill last night, right?” Ha. Ha. Ha. Very. Funny.

We got over the bridge and were faced with 3 options:

• Back up over the bridge.
• Go forward on the road that appeared to be even narrower and was darker due to the trees and brush and the dark sky.
• Turn around in the MUD pit and drive back over the bridge.

I sat there gently shaking my head and softly muttering, "No. No. No." as Mac gently backed the car up into the MUD pit. When he put it into drive – we didn’t move. I heard the tires, but we stayed put. I know I panicked and said something brilliant like, “WE’RE STUCK!!!!!!!!!!” Mac just smiled at me, put the car into a lower gear (God bless those German engineers who build VW’s to handle this stuff!) and we drove right out of the mud pit and back up toward civilization. I think I took my next breath when we reached the turn off back onto the main road. Seriously.

All in all, it was fun. Honest. :-D We discovered the secret fishing hole. We know the car will make it there and back. We know it’ll be a better drive when the rain backs off a bit. And I know that Mac will go fishing with his pals – cuz I’m not going back there! But I can tell folks that I’ve seen Drift Creek – something a lot of folks in this town have never done. :D