Ahtanum State Forest Trail Maintenance and Clean-up
Report and photos by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures
Additional photo by Teia Ireland
On Tuesday July 23rd, 2013 Eastern Washington Adventures members met up at the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Trailhead near Tampico, Washington for the annual Ahtanum State Forest Trails Maintenance and Clean-up. Don from the Timber Wolves saved us a big area to set up the volunteer camp.
Wednesday
On Wednesday July 24th, 2013 we headed out around 10 AM for the first work day. Jeff Jones the Ahtanum State Forest Recreation Manager rode along with me in my JK. We fixed the broken Green Dot markers. picked up trash and logged out blocked roads/trails on the Blue Lake Trail, 4W615, FS1020 and 4W613.
Thursday
Thursday morning July 25th, 2013 we headed out to work on Whites Ridge. We fixed the broken Green Dot markers. picked up trash and logged out blocked roads/trails.
Next we headed up the Mid Fork Ahtanum to repair Green Dot markers on the Darland Loop. We stopped off at Tree Phones for lunch. The campground was in real nice shape.
We headed on up the Mid Fork and stopped at Eagle Nest. The area around Eagle Nest was clean but somethings need repair like the wall at the view point.
Next we headed up across Darland Mountain and made our way back to camp by using the North Fork. We fixed a few of the Green Dot Markers as we went.
As we were headed east on Ahtanum North Fork Road and came around a corner west of Snow Cabin Campground to find a boy trying to push his broke down quad. We asked where his parents were and he said his sister was going to go get them. We helped the boy get his chain back onto the sprocket and told him to be easy with it since the chain was loose. His sister came back without the parents. His sister was younger then the small boy. We told the children to go back to their parents because they were not allowed to ride without adult supervision. The boy took off fast and drove up on the the bank beside the road. The girl refused to turn around to head back to her parents. This was reported to the DNR. I hope that someone ran the ORV tab number and talked to the parents about the safety of the children and the rules of ATV riding.
Friday
Friday morning July 26th, 2013 we headed up A2400 (Red Saddle Road) to work on Sedge Ridge. We fixed the broken Green Dot markers on the the roads and trails across the top of Sedge Ridge. We also picked up the trash on Sedge Ridge 4×4 Trail.
Saturday
On Saturday July 27th, 2013 many volunteers showed up for the Ahtanum Clean-up and spread out across the forest doing different project along with picking up trash. Some of the volunteers were members of groups like; Eastern Washington Adventures, Timber Wolves, Yakima Ridgerunners, Pacific Northwest 4 Wheel Drive Association, Selah Cub Scout Pack 276 and Ski Benders. There may have been more groups that did not say who they were with.
After the clean up we had a potluck. Later that evening some of us drove up to Darland Mountain to watch the sunset.
Sunday
Sunday July 28th, 2013 helped the DNR load the trash we collected over the week. After that we packed up camp and headed home.
Thank you!
We want to thank all the volunteers that came out this year making this event a success.
Here are some pictures of fun at the Ahtanum State Forest:
Wednesday
Base camp.
Blue Lake Trail.
4W615.
Blue Lake.
Blue Slide Lookout.
4W613 at Strobach Springs.
4W613 at Grey Rock Trail.
Taking a break near Dome Peak. Looking down at a big herd of elk.
4W613 at Strobach Mountain Vista.
4W613 at Louie Way View Point.
4W613 at 4W608 Louie Way.
Thursday
Whites Ridge Loop Road.
Coming onto Whites Ridge 4×4 Trail from McLaine Canyon Road.
Whites Ridge Cultus Hole view Point AKA “Norm Check Point”.
Tree Phones Campground in the background.
Whites Ridge Mount Rainier View Point.
Mount Adams in the background.
A mess of trees fell onto the trail.
Tree Phones.
Eagle Nest Vista.
Ahtanum Mid Fork Road near the top of Darland Mountain.
Nice day to see the mountains. From this point you can see Mount Jefferson, Mount Hood, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens. (Not all shown in photo.)
On Top of Darland Mountain at 6981 feet above sea level.
We saw the Darland sign was down and found the parts to put it back up.
We had no ladder with us so we used the JK to stand on.
You can see a fire on Satus Pass.
Heading down the north slop of Darland.
We stopped to look down on 4w615 going up Narrow Neck.
A young boy with a broken down quad on the North Fork Ahtanum. We asked where his parents were and he said his sister was going to go get them.
The sister showed up and she was younger than the boy. We got the boy’s quad going and told he to be easy going back to his parents since the chain was still loose. Of course he took off full throttle and drove off the road to berm it. No tread lightly for this kid or parents to teach him. His little sister refuse to go back to her parents.
Friday
On Sedge Ridge A2430.
The End of Green Dot on Sedge Ridge over Tampico.
The top of the Rocky Climb on Sedge Ridge 4×4 Trail.
Charlie picking up trash at the top of the Dual Climb on Sedge Ridge 4×4 Trail.
Sedge Ridge Cultus Hole View Point.
Turning on the South Fork Ahtanum from Sedge Ridge 4×4 Trail.
Back at base camp at the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Trailhead.
Saturday
Volunteers heading out to clean up the Ahtanum State Forest.
Selah Cub Scout Pack 276.
Ski Benders painting one of the Ahtanum Campground outhouse.
Photo by Teia Ireland
Ski Benders painting the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Trailhead outhouse.
Some of the many volunteers.
Sunset on Darland Mountain.
We want to thank all the volunteers that came out this year making this event a success.
