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The elusive flaming geyser
Last weekend, Julia and I decided to take the girls on a little roadtrip. We live in Western Washington, which is an incredible area of beautiful mountains, forests, rivers, and ocean shores, but we haven’t explored much of it at all. We’d like to get out more, so last weekend we decided to do just that. We set the bar low: no 10-mile hikes, rock climbing, hang-gliding, or survival hikes. Just a nice stroll in a park we’d never been to.
Julia found the Flaming Geyser State Park out on highway 169 which looked perfect. Not far from our house, and real flaming geyers! Sounds cool enough. From the state website, “The park’s most unique feature is its “geysers” (methane seeps)” fed from underground coal seams. There are over four miles of hiking trails, and you can explore the edge of the Green River, which runs through the park. It sounded absolutely perfect for us. We embarked on our journey.
We never made it.
Apparently, highway 169 was washed out right at the park. The road was closed, with a detour routing us around the park and back onto the highway three miles beyond it. I never got to see huge vents of orange flames shooting three hundred feet into the air, with occasional methane fireballs scorching nearby mountain-tops, or feel the blast-furnace heat blister the paint on my car in the parking lot. I was Disappointed. But my beautiful wife saved the outing by finding a smaller park with access to the river, where we spent some time exploring.
The girls with Jo Jo.
Panda about to throw a rock into the river
Panda, puppy and me
Posted: March 6th, 2009 under family, fun.
Tags: family outing, flaming geyers
Comments
Comment from stoneskin
Time March 6, 2009 at 10:18 am
I’ll bet you had some fun luzzing stones in the river too.
Comment from Sarah
Time March 6, 2009 at 10:26 am
I will be in Seattle at the end of April, maybe the road will be fixed by then and I can go and see the flaming geyser and report back : )
Comment from churchpunkmom
Time March 6, 2009 at 10:54 am
awe, that is a bummer!
maybe next time you could make up for it by lighting farts by the river? no?
what???
Comment from The Stiletto Mom
Time March 6, 2009 at 1:34 pm
That wife of yours does a lot of saving. 
Cute pics!
Comment from The one who made it
Time March 6, 2009 at 2:24 pm
You know, I have been there with exactly the plan you had. And believe me, the geyser itself is a big disappointment. Just a teeny tiny flame which is hardly worth mentioning. What is cool about that park is that river just winds around within the park. So, there were many folks who would sit in rubber tubes, wade around the river and get off as soon as they came back to where they started! THAT was cool. The geysers were a dud.
So, don’t sweat - you did not miss much 
Comment from Michele
Time March 6, 2009 at 3:21 pm
FYI, the flaming geysers of Flaming Geyser Park? Not so flaming anymore. When I was a kid growing up around there they were pretty cool and the bridge going over the river was great to jump off. We would grab some inner tubes, park a car at Green River Park in Auburn, put in at Flaming Geyser and float our way down.
Have you done Salt Water State Park yet? It is a great beach combing place.
Comment from Robert
Time March 6, 2009 at 3:41 pm
It looks like you had a good time anyway. It’s good to get back to nature and spend quality family time. The venue is of secondary importance.
Comment from HeatherPride
Time March 6, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Dude, you missed out on GEYSERS of FLAMES??? That beats the hell out of anything we have here in Missouri. I mean, as close as we get to that is the Japanese steakhouse down the road.
Comment from Captain Dumbass
Time March 6, 2009 at 5:44 pm
That sucks that your car didn’t get torched. That would have made a great blog.
Comment from Cyndi
Time March 6, 2009 at 6:55 pm
And that is how you make your own adventures….can’t wait to hear about the next trip to FGSP! Happy weekend
Comment from Smart Mouth Broad
Time March 7, 2009 at 7:46 am
Sounds like a great outing. Thanks for taking us along.
Comment from Pseudo
Time March 7, 2009 at 10:22 am
I have a friend who moved back to Port Orchard last year. She sends me pics and it looks stunning
Comment from Petra a.k.a. The Wise (Young) Mommy
Time March 7, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Hey, you still looked like you had a nice time. Sometimes the unexpected adventures are the best ones!
Comment from Georgette
Time March 7, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Aww, I’m glad you got to do that. Looks like ya’ll had fun!
Comment from Twenty Four At Heart
Time March 7, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I’m glad you at least got an outing. Sometimes it doesn’t matter WHERE you go … it’s just nice to be out of the house and in a different environment for awhile.
Comment from Midlife Mama
Time March 8, 2009 at 8:14 am
*snort* Flaming geysers. You are such a BOY!!!
That’s about the only time a guy can claim to be excited about something flaming!
Comment from kirst
Time March 8, 2009 at 9:11 am
My sister and I used to love skipping stones on the water. We used to play at an old creek called may beck. Memories! If you ever make it to the flame throwing geysers take lots of pics!
Comment from Midlife Slices
Time March 8, 2009 at 9:42 am
Looks like you didn’t miss anything except the lazy river float and I’m thinking it might still be a little cold to get in a tube and float around any river in your area. Glad you had fun and BW saved you AGAIN. You’d better be really really nice to her, you know.
Comment from vodkamom
Time March 10, 2009 at 11:21 am
that was adorable!! You missed nothing…….
Comment from Sammanthia
Time March 10, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Wait a minute… ten mile hikes? Hang gliding? Is this something you normally do when getting away for a day?
Love the pictures!
Comment from nonna
Time March 12, 2009 at 8:16 pm
flaming geysers? that sounds too cool to believe. make sure you try again, take pics, and blog it
oh. i meant to say please.
who are we kidding. i didn’t mean to say please. i’m demanding like that
Comment from Laura
Time March 13, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Now you have something to do next time. So no GPS system that could warn you of the flooding?
Comment from Tina
Time March 15, 2009 at 9:20 pm
This is SOOO close to my house. I think that the ara around here is SO beautiful. I am wishing that Mother Nature would continue to take her prozac though…
Comment from Tina
Time March 15, 2009 at 9:21 pm
OH and yeah. Hwy 169 is a MESS. Most of it has a “detour” to get through–even to Enumclaw! It is CRAZY!
Comment from Krystal
Time March 17, 2009 at 2:07 pm
awww…well, look at it this way - you were still, well you wife was still able to make an outing of it. Next time you’ll get to see the smelly stinky geysers in all their heat expulsing fury.
Comment from thistle
Time March 23, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Nothing better than throwing rocks in a river when you’re a kid…unless you’re a dog and find dead salmon to roll in…now that’s some real fun! Or so my kids tell me.
Comment from Elaine at Lipstickda
Time April 3, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Isn’t it great to take a detour? Sometimes the kids love it best when it’s simple and quiet and just hanging out together.
Comment from James
Time April 7, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Very beautiful photos! Interesting nature and a very nice girl! Nothing you have missed a flaming greyzerov, but I think you both had a wonderful time!
Comment from Midlife Slices
Time April 8, 2009 at 9:56 am
Where are you? Are you o.k.? You’re way too quiet and it’s worrying me.
Comment from Rhea
Time April 11, 2009 at 6:25 am
I’m glad y’all found a suitable alternative. Cute photos. Your daughters are ADORABLE. You too, of course. :o)
Comment from Julia
Time April 30, 2009 at 7:47 pm
You know, shweety, you should really blog again!
Comment from kingofnewyorkhacks
Time May 6, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Great pics of everyone , and Flaming Geyser has just been put on my must visit list !
Comment from Midlife Mama
Time May 17, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Goodfather! Wherefore art thou, Goodfather??? We, your fans, miss you terribly!! Did you get a job? Are you okay? Post something; please???
Comment from Julia
Time June 7, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Just as a little update, since Jeff is not blogging,
he does not have a new job, no real leads. He is still in school and we are enjoying him being at home a lot!
Comment from Camilla
Time June 17, 2009 at 12:13 am
I think that your family really liked the walk! This is indeed a beautiful place!
Comment from John
Time June 18, 2009 at 4:17 am
A very happy family! I wish you here so often to meet and walk with your baby in nature. Girls are just beautiful! )
I also want a second girl, but probably will be a boy)
Comment from WickedStepMom
Time March 6, 2009 at 10:04 am
I am disappointed for you… That is a bummer that you missed out the on flaming geysers. It does look like you guys had a good time anyway.