Eastern Washington Adventures
4W613 Trail Work Party & Camp Out
Report and photos by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures.
On the Friday June 27th, 2014 we met up at the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Trailhead for the Annual Eastern Washington Adventures 4W613 Trail Opening Work Party & Camp Out. We set up camp and had a good time around the campfire.
Saturday morning the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) brought by some tools and supplies to repair the Green Dot Markers.
We headed out around 10 AM with four Jeeps. Guido – JK, TJ40 – TJ, Shawn – CJ5 and me – JKU. We took Nasty Creek Road to Louie Way Gap. We took a quick break at the intersection of 4W608 & 4W613.
We head up 4W613 which runs along the top of Divide Ridge over Rimrock. We found a tree down right from the get go. We moved the tree off the trail and blocked the by-pass. On up at the Louie Way View Point we stopped to regroup. Shawn’s Jeep CJ5 was too high geared to make the steep climb. Shawn turned around and headed to meet up with us later at Strobach Mountain.
We moved on up the trail. The next section was off camber and wet. It was challenging in a few tight areas to not hit the trees on the low side.
On up at Strobach Mountain Vista we stopped for lunch. The resident Marmot came up and watched up pull in. Shawn pulled up shorty after to visit with us.
After lunch Shawn headed back to camp and we headed on up 4W613. We worked our way up the trail clearing down trees, diverting water from trail and fixing Green Dot Markers. We hit snow near Strobach Springs. A little fun snow wheeling.
At the end of 4W613 we turned onto FS1020 and headed toward Blue Slide Lookout fixing a few Green Dot Markers along the way. There was only a few long patches of snow left on FS1020. I got stuck in the snow on the way.
We took a break at Blue Slide Lookout and then dropped down 4W615. On the down it was raining and real slick. The last section dropping down through the trees north of Blue Lake, my JKU slid over and sideswiped a tree. No it won’t buff out. We stopped at Blue Lake for a few photos in the rain.
We then head out down the North Fork Ahtanum, over Whites Ridge by the way of McLane Canyon, stopped for fire wood, dropped down the Mid Fork Ahtanum and back to camp at the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Area.
On Sunday Guido called a quick run to Darland Mountain. We headed up the Mid Fork Ahtanum and ran into the clouds around Eagle Nest. Up on top of Darland Mountain (6981′) we had no view due to we were in the clouds. We headed back down to camp we a short stop at Eagle Nest.
This we a great weekend thanks to all who came.
Here are some photos of the Eastern Washington Adventures 4W613 Trail Work Party & Camp Out:
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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