Graham Family Farm NorthWest

Eastern Washington Adventures Thursday Night Get Together
Report by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures

Around 6:30 PM Thursday March 21st, 2013 Eastern Washington Adventures members met up at Snipes Mountain Microbrewery & Restaurant in Sunnyside Washington for a Thursday Night Get Together.

Below are a few pictures of the great time we had at Snipes Mountain Microbrewery & Restaurant:

Rangerat & I started off with a sampler each waiting for the others to show.

Guido and TJ40 showed up a few minutes later. We ordered dinner.

We talked about doing a Oregon Sand Dune ORV camp out this summer.

TJ40 telling us this trophy will be his next year.

After dinner we went out to see TJ40’s new electric car.

Eastern Washington Adventures Club House Work Party
Report by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures

Every year we try to improve the EWA Club House Grounds for the events our club holds. It has been a long process due to time and money. We have an annual work weekend in March of each year to get ready the season. We had a tractor we were doing work with until the transmission went out. The last two years we rented a skid-steer from Wenas Feed to move dirt to the Biergarten, the pool area and driveways.

On Friday March 15th, 2013 Eastern Washington Adventures Club members started the annual EWA Club House work party and worked through Sunday. Saturday Night we had a St. Patrick’s Day potluck dinner.

Members took turns working the skid-steer and packing the dirt with Jeeps. Other members worked on the Club House building adding drywall.

We got a lot done thanks to all who came and helped.

Below are pictures of some of the EWA Club House work:

Friday

Test Dummy adding dirt to the future Restroom building site.

Test Dummy taking out the high spot for the future concrete slab.

Test Dummy adding dirt to the driveway loop so water does not gather making a mud bog.

Saturday

Packing the dirt on the side of the biergarten with the JK.

Hercules starts work on pool and biergarten area.

Test Dummy packing the dirt with the CJ5.

AlwayswrenchN and Jeep Wife working on the drywall.

Test Dummy working the skid-steer.

Sunday – St. Patrick’s Day.

Me (Ceg) digging for a pot of gold. 🙂

Test Dummy working on finishing up the pool leveling.

After the weekend work:

There now is enough room to add the fence on top of the hill.

We still need more dirt for the restroom building.

We have some leveling by hand to do.

The sledding hill got taller and steeper. I wonder if the kids will hit the fence next winter.

There is more work to do when we get more time and money. Until then we will have fun with what we have.

White Pass Snow Castle Trip
Report by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures

On Sunday March 10th, 2013 I drove my family up to White Pass so the kids could see the snow castle that was made for the White Pass Winter Carnival.

The White Pass Carnival people did a lot of work building things out of snow. Very cool to see.

The kids really enjoyed the snow castle and did not want to leave.

Here are a few pictures of the adventure:

Looking for the snow castle.

The snow castle is behind the building. Very cool work!

On the backside coming up on top of the snow castle.

Our group, my family. 🙂

It took some talking to get Doc to sit down in the snow for this picture. LOL

The sledding hill off of the top of the snow castle.

On the back side of the snow castle.

Trying to get my kids to leave.

We had a good parking spot up front.

On the way back toward Yakima we stopped to see Clear Creek Falls from a distance.

The boys going over the map of where we were.

Another fun day of adventure!

Snow Wheeling at the Ahtanum State Forest “Round Two”
Report by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures

On Saturday March 9th, 2013 Eastern Washington Adventures Club members met up at Highland Quick Stop in Cowiche Washington for the Ahtanum 4×4 Snow Wheeling Run. This was a second try at the same area we ran two weeks before where we did not make it very far due to the powder snow. We had three rigs on this run, Guido – TJ, Rangerat – YJ, and Ceg – JK. TJ40 rode with Guido. We convoyed to Cowiche Mill Road and aired down.

Once aired down, we headed up Cowiche Mill Road and then up C-1300 onto Hatton road. Less snow on the way up than two weeks before. Up on Hatton the snow was great for traction. We stopped for a break at the area we hit the soft snow and got stuck two weeks before.

We moved on up the ridge finding some soft powder drifts along the way. We all got stuck at one time or another. We turned around at a big hill climb that had snow real deep powder snow.

We back tracked our route in having fun playing in the snow and finding some deep drift to get stuck in.

Back down on Cowiche Mill Road, we turned up C-1000. The road was wet and made a mess out of our rigs.

We turned up and ran Cowiche Ridge Road. The snow was great for traction even in the deep areas. We made it a long way up but turned around since it was getting late in the day at an area that we had trouble with last year.

We back track down to the end of the Cowiche Mill Road and aired up for home.

This was a great day snow wheeling with friends.

Below are the pictures of our Ahtanum Snow Wheeling adventure:

The rigs of the day lined up at Highland Quick Stop in Cowiche Washington.

At the end of the pavement on Cowiche Mill Road airing down.

Heading up Cowiche Mill Road not far past the end of County Road.

Near the Y on C-1300.

Looking south toward the way we came up.

Taking a break on Hatton Road where we were stuck two weeks before.

Coming up to the big drift that got all the rigs the last trip.

Walking right on up that big drift with not problem.

Guido took the lead at the place we turned around the last trip.

Then Guido got stuck.

Rangerat to the rescue.

Rangerat getting ready to pull Guido’s TJ out of the powder snow.

We moved over to try another line. I got stuck and Guido pulled me out.

Rangerat taking another line. The kids building a snowman.

Rangerat did not have much luck and let Guido try to break trail.

Avalanche, Snowman and Monster.

Guido dropping more PSI.

Taking another break.

Great view of the valleys below.

Getting ready to move on. TJ40 and Guido.

Avalanche and Rangerat.

I got stuck again. Monster hooking up the recovery strap.

Guido trying to pull my JK out of the powder snow.

Now both rigs stuck.

Out comes the winch cable.

I was able to winch Guido’s TJ out but my JK would not move.

So we winched off of a tree to get unstuck.

Then I got stuck again in the powder snow.

Rangerat pulled my JK out.

This was the end of our journey due to the deep powder snow drifts. Rangerat proved it.

Guido pulled Rangerat’s YJ out of the deep snow drift.

Heading back down we had some fun playing.

Snacks anyone?

I found more soft snow to get stuck in.

So did Guido.

Rangerat pulled Guido’s TJ out and I winched. I was still stuck at the tree I winched to, so Guido let me winch off of his TJ to get unstuck. Here are my ruts.

Going around to the other side of the Y.

Turning down the Y.

On C-1300 there is a big washout. Monster took some pictures of the rig of the day.

Ceg

Rangerat.

Guido.

Turning on C-1000.

Turn on top of Cowiche Ridge.

Snow fun.

At the top of the 2006 Sledding Hill

We stopped for a break and let the shadow men play.

Moving up the ridge we saw some Elk on the trail.

The above picture was taken (zoomed in) from this point.

This is the point were we had to decide to go on and get home real late or turn around.

We decided to turn around.

More Elk on the ridge we were on earlier.

Down at the end of the pavement of Cowiche Mill Road airing up for home.

Monster helping out her Dad.

“Can you hear me now?”

Fishing for Big Foot.

“It was this big!”

The end of another great adventure.