Father’s Day Manastash Trails Base Camp 4×4 Trip
Hosted by Eastern Washington Off Road
for Eastern Washington Adventures
Report & photos by Clay Graham and family / CegPics.com
Around midnight Thursday June 13th, 2013 we pulled into Manastash Campground to camp for the Eastern Washington Adventures Father’s Day Weekend event.
Friday
Friday morning the Forest Service took down my yard signs I had just stuck into the ground to lead our group to camp. Most of the group had only been to Manastash Campground by trail. The Forest Service employees said they didn’t think anyone was up at the Campground and thought the signs were trash left from before. I explained we use these type signs so we can reuse them instead of nailing paper plates to trees causing damage. I got all but one sign back. These yard signs are not that cheap.
Tyler and Grandpa Ron came in right after the Forest Service employees left. We took two rigs up to Quarts Mountain to see where the snow level was. We got stopped by a big off camber snow drift just past Quarts Campground. We headed back down. We got back to camp as the others were pulling into camp. We enjoyed that night around the campfire.
Saturday
Saturday morning we waited for everyone to get to camp before we pullout so we were running a little late. That wasn’t to bad since it was opening day for some of the 4×4 trails and the traffic was kind of light the time we left. We headed up the Tripod Flat 4×4 Trail and caught up with some members of Off-Camber.com. We turned onto Shoestring and they went on up Tripod.
On the Shoestring trail we stopped for a break at Region 4 Meadow. Some rigs from PNWJeep.com past us. Later on up the trail we past the PNWJeep.com guys taking a break. They were nice enough to tell me I miss the turn for the trail and was headed to a dead end. I guess I should have been looking harder for the trail instead of checking out their cool JKs. 🙂 On up the trail we ran into a large group of rigs coming down. They had cleared most of the down fall from the trail. We only had to cut a few from the trail so we didn’t have to use by-passes.
At the last hill climb to the top of the ridge it had a lot of snow on it. I worked my way up but had to stop for a log part way into the trail that was stopping me. I call for a saw up front when a group of dirt bikes past us by going through the forest off the trail until they had no choice but to get back on. I back down to let them pass asking them to Tread lightly. They really didn’t care they made the deep ruts off the trail. They continued spinning their rear tires trying to get back on the trail. I was not happy about that or all the rocks they shot at my rig once they got on the trail and still could not get traction to go. Our group cut the log out of the trail and took a break on top of Manastash Ridge. The PNWJeep.com group past us and that was the last we saw of them.
After our break we back tracked back toward camp since some of the rig were having issues. We ran across a guy on a dirt bike by himself. He told us his friend was hurt down the trail and asked up to help. We picked up the bike rider that was hurt but walking up the trail. Guido gave him a ride back to camp and the other dirt bike rider followed. Once back at camp, Tyler took the dirt bike riders to Ellensburg were one’s wife was going to pick them up and take them back to their tow rig at Saw Mill Flat on SR410 near Cliffdale.
Saturday night we had a potluck dinner and visited around the campfire.
Sunday
Sunday morning we hit the 4W311 and ran it up to the end. We had lunch at the Shoestring Trailhead.
Next we headed on up FS3100 to the Frost Mountain 4×4 Trail. That was the first for all of us and we did not know what to expect. Frost Mountain 4×4 has a lot of steep climbs but the traction was good since it was dry. On top of Frost Mountain the view is great. Frost Mountain is a short but very worth while trail. We took in the view and headed back to camp to head home.
Here are some pictures of the EWA Father’s Day Manastash Trails Base Camp 4×4 Trip:
The end of another great Adventure!
