Annual Season Opening 4W613 Work Party
Report and photo by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures
On the morning of Saturday June 29th, 2013 Eastern Washington Adventures members met up at the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Area for the EWA Annual 4W613 Season Opening Work Party.
This year we were invited to help the Jeeping Nomads and the Department of Natural Resources clean up the Nasty Flats area so we started the day off there. See that report at: Jeeping Nomads Nasty Flats Clean Up – June 29 2013
We left the Jeeping Nomads work party and headed down Doe Pocket toward Nasty Creek Corrals. We stopped for a lunch break in the sun along the way.
Once down on Nasty Creek Road, we headed up toward Louie Way Gap. It started raining very hard as we climbed. We stopped at the Strobach 4×4 Trailhead to regroup. We took a short break since it stopped raining. We continued to Louie Way Gap and turned up 4W613 at 4W608.
We ran 4W613 up to the Louie Way View Point and stopped for the view of the Rimrock Area. We headed on up 4W613 removing blow down trees along the way. The drive up to the Strobach 4×4 Trail was nice other than Mudslinder ripped off his driver’s mirror on a tree and then Don’s CJ5 was having some fuel issues being off camber.
At the Strobach 4×4 Trail we regrouped and tightened up some bolts on the trail signs. It was getting late so we headed down the Strobach 4×4 Trail cutting down fall as we went. Lucky for us the trail did not have many trees down across the trail because the rain started up again. As we headed down the mountain toward Nasty Creek Corrals, the rain came down harder than ever filling up my JK floors. We pulled the plugs twice before getting to the bottom.
Down at Nasty Creek Corrals the rain had stopped. We headed up the Ahtanum North Fork back to our camp at the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Trailhead for dinner around the campfire. This was a great fun day event with the rain.
On Sunday most packed up for home. Mudslinger and I took the kids for a drive up to Blue Slide Lookout doing a little trail maintenance and clean up along the way. We were back at camp by 5 PM to pack up for home. Another fun day at the Ahtanum State Forest.
NOTE: If you would like to volunteer with us, please visit the Eastern Washington Adventures web site under: Public Lands Volunteer Opportunities
Here are some pictures of fun at the Ahtanum State Forest:
The Eastern Washington Adventures volunteers along with Don from the Timber Wolves taking a lunch break at Doe Pocket.
The rain flowing down Nasty Creek Road.
Regrouping at the Strobach 4×4 Trailhead.
Turning on 4W613 at 4W608, Louie Way Gap.
Climbing through the trees up the rocks.
Louie Way View Point.
Moving up the trail. Stump wrestling.
Just a little off camber.
Many flowers along the way.
It was passable along this down tree but the limbs were not nice on your rigs tires.
This area of the trail behind Guido was real fun with the off camber, mud and roots.
MudSlinger found out!
It got his rig.
4W613 at Strobach 4×4 Trail.
Strobach Mountain Vista in the background.
The rain is back!
Test Dummy and MudSlinger removed this tree from the trail in a downpour.
Good times around the campfire.
Sunday
A3400 Dead Horse Flats at the Grey Rock Trail crossing.
Blue Lake 4×4 Trail/4W615
4W615 over Blue Lake.
Blue Slide Lookout
Blue Lake
A deer in Snow Cabin Campground.
What a great weekend at the Ahtanum State Forest!!
