What with holidays and medical appointments, I've had to put off any shooting for a few weeks. My bags have been packed. I looked out the window when I got up, saw wet on the rhododendrons. But I looked in the newspaper at the weather, said 10% chance of rain and I thought maybe we've already had that this morning. I looked at the 10 day weather forecast online for Darrington, today was forecast for clear, but starting tomorrow it's supposed to rain for days. So I decided to go out anyway.
The gravel pit west of Darrington is on a hillside, sometimes is in the clouds anyway this time of year. Actually, it's difficult to tell where ground fog begins and cloud ends. I got some sprinkles going through Arlington but at the pit it was dry but completely overcast the entire time I was there.
The pit there has two sections, an upper and a lower. When I arrived, I saw some guys in the upper, so I went a little further and there were some guys in the lower as well so I just decided to drop anchor there. Turns out, the upper area was the "adults" and the lower was, well, let's just say "young adults." They were all nice folk; I went around to see if anyone was NWFA but no. I know there is at least one guy in Arlington who goes out there who is NWFA. Or was, anyway.
The young guys were real blasters. I didn't like they way they were shooting into a berm that is perpendicular to the upper area. Meaning, even though there was a big bank in the way, basically they were shooting toward where other shooters were apt to be. One time, from my vantage point I could see a couple of the guys on the upper area walking by to set their targets. During which time the young guys down on the lower side were still shooting in that direction (but into the bank) so I had to point this fact out. Oh, and I had to move my car and change position. One of the three young guys got out a steel plate disc mounted to a 4x4 on a stand. He was shooting at it from about 10 feet away. I heard a couple of zings go off somewhere, I've heard those before and don't like them.
The young guys weren't reloaders, they gave me all their 5.56mm and 9mm brass.
I fired one of my M1A's to the tune of 100 rounds, also an AR in about the same amount. I fired my .40 cal. Glock a bit, and Ruger SR1911 in 10mm a little. For rifle, I had one of those simulated targets. You set it at 25 meters, and it has target sizes printed on it that simulate ranges of 100, 150, 250, and 300 meters. It was interesting. After about 10 rounds from each rifle, my marksmanship improved. That's why we practice. I will never be called to the field of battle again, I'm too old but I like to be able to still use the skills I was trained in.
When I go to this place, I take the back entrance which is what DNR wants people to do. There used to be a kind of front entrance, but that crossed private land before the DNR property starts. They gated it off, locals complained. I've looked online at the Snohomish Co. tax parcels in this area. I won't cross private land knowingly. There is some way to get around the gate in a 4x4 but I don't have one and wouldn't do it anyway. One time when I was out there, a state ranger came by. We talked for a while. He has a big territory to cover but they do get around. You're supposed to have a state parks Discovery Pass to use this property. If the ranger finds you there without the pass, I believe the fine is $100.
The gravel pit west of Darrington is on a hillside, sometimes is in the clouds anyway this time of year. Actually, it's difficult to tell where ground fog begins and cloud ends. I got some sprinkles going through Arlington but at the pit it was dry but completely overcast the entire time I was there.
The pit there has two sections, an upper and a lower. When I arrived, I saw some guys in the upper, so I went a little further and there were some guys in the lower as well so I just decided to drop anchor there. Turns out, the upper area was the "adults" and the lower was, well, let's just say "young adults." They were all nice folk; I went around to see if anyone was NWFA but no. I know there is at least one guy in Arlington who goes out there who is NWFA. Or was, anyway.
The young guys were real blasters. I didn't like they way they were shooting into a berm that is perpendicular to the upper area. Meaning, even though there was a big bank in the way, basically they were shooting toward where other shooters were apt to be. One time, from my vantage point I could see a couple of the guys on the upper area walking by to set their targets. During which time the young guys down on the lower side were still shooting in that direction (but into the bank) so I had to point this fact out. Oh, and I had to move my car and change position. One of the three young guys got out a steel plate disc mounted to a 4x4 on a stand. He was shooting at it from about 10 feet away. I heard a couple of zings go off somewhere, I've heard those before and don't like them.
The young guys weren't reloaders, they gave me all their 5.56mm and 9mm brass.
I fired one of my M1A's to the tune of 100 rounds, also an AR in about the same amount. I fired my .40 cal. Glock a bit, and Ruger SR1911 in 10mm a little. For rifle, I had one of those simulated targets. You set it at 25 meters, and it has target sizes printed on it that simulate ranges of 100, 150, 250, and 300 meters. It was interesting. After about 10 rounds from each rifle, my marksmanship improved. That's why we practice. I will never be called to the field of battle again, I'm too old but I like to be able to still use the skills I was trained in.
When I go to this place, I take the back entrance which is what DNR wants people to do. There used to be a kind of front entrance, but that crossed private land before the DNR property starts. They gated it off, locals complained. I've looked online at the Snohomish Co. tax parcels in this area. I won't cross private land knowingly. There is some way to get around the gate in a 4x4 but I don't have one and wouldn't do it anyway. One time when I was out there, a state ranger came by. We talked for a while. He has a big territory to cover but they do get around. You're supposed to have a state parks Discovery Pass to use this property. If the ranger finds you there without the pass, I believe the fine is $100.