Graham Family Farm NW

Labor Day Run & Camp Out at the Ahtanum
Hosted by Eastern Washington Off Road
By Clay Graham / CegPics.com

On Friday August 31st, 2007 we when up to Tree Phones in the Ahtanum State Forest to set up camp for the weekend.

Saturday we hit the trail around 10 AM. We ran the same trails in two groups. The quads went one way and the rigs the opposite way. We took the rigs from Nasty Creek on up the Strobach Mountain 4×4 Trail. We stopped for a break by the Hogback and then again at the Strobach Mountain Vista. There was a view of Rimrock and Mount Rainier from Strobach Mountain.

We continued up 4W613. We met up with the quads around Dome Peak.

We dropped on down to the lower meadow and started the climb up Foundation Ridge. This part of the trail climbs pretty good and has a lot of obstacles. On on this run was a small tree down on the trail we had to cross. Scuba got hung up on it and his XJ took on some carnage getting off the log. He only lost the rear side window, a door handle, a mirror and added some good dents.

We moved on up 4W613 to the end on top of Foundation Ridge. We turned on Jackass Road and ran it to Blue Slide Lookout. There were some guys rebuilding the Blue Slide Shelter.

We headed down 4W615 to Blue Lake for a short break. We continued on 4W615 and turn down the Blue Lake 4×4 Trail. Right after the gate keeper, Scuba lost a bead on the same tire as many times before. After his last run he got his On Board Air hooked up in case this happened again. They ended up having to take the wheel off the rig to set the beads. We were back on the trail pretty fast.

At the end of the Blue Lake 4×4 Trail, we turn up the Ahtanum North Fork Road and ran it to the top of Darland Mountain. At the top we ran the Forest Service road north to the end for the view looking back toward Blue Lake. After the view, we headed back to camp for the night with on last stop at Eagle Nest.

On Sunday we had less ORVs with us on the trail. We first headed up Whites Ridge 4×4 Trail. We stopped at the view point over Tree Phones and then on top close to the Grey Rock Trail at the Mount Rainier View Point.

Next we headed back down the Whites Ridge 4×4 Trail, on to McLaine Canyon Road, and up the Mid Fork Ahtanum back at camp for lunch. We ran into Hoss on the way.

After lunch we headed down the Mid Fork Ahtanum Road to the Ahtanum Sno-park and then up A2400 to the Sedge Ridge 4×4 Trail. The rocky climb is always fun for most. Luna had a little trouble getting up it with her quad.

Near the Dual Climb, Hoss’s Bronco died. He had some problem starting his Bronco. Hoss turned around and coasted back down the mountain until the trail started climbing. The Bronco would not start until I hook the strap up to it and was going to pull him with the Tweety Jeep. The Bronco fired up under protesting a Jeep pulling it. Hoss drove on out to Sno-park and I head up the mountain to meet Bobstar and Luna.

We met up with Bobstar and Luna near the Cultus Hole View Point. We took a break there and then headed back to camp.

This was a real fun run thanks to to people that came.

Here are some photos of the 2007 Labor Day Ahtanum Run & Camp Out:

Ahtanum ORV Trails Clean Up
Hosted by Eastern Washington Off Road with cooperation from the Department of Natural Resources.
Report by Clay Graham.
Photos by Clay Graham / CegPics.com & Laura Applegate (DNR Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator).

UPDATE: The part of the Blue Lake Trail we logged out has been closed due to Bull Trout in the area even though that part was not near any creek. You must use the new wide logging road the Ahtanum Irrigation District put in.

On Saturday July 28th we meet up at the Ahtanum Sno-park for the ORV trails clean-up we hosted with cooperation from the DNR.

We had 14 volunteers from Eastern Washington Off Road, mostly from the All Wheelers Off Road Club and 3 DNR employees helping on this clean-up.

After a briefing we split into groups and hit the trails. A few of us cleaned up the logging mess left on the Blue Lake 4×4 Trail in the Ahtanum Irrigation District section. We re-Green Dotted the trail. There were a few trees that had fallen across the first part of the trail that we moved. We had to add more Green Dot Markers because of all the skidder trails everywhere. People were going the wrong way.

Where the Blue Lake Trail merges onto 4W615 we reused two of the broken Green Dot markers and added one new one to show the way down toward the North Fork Road. At time point Fatboy and Laura heading off to clean-up Blue Lake. We headed back down the Ahtanum North Fork Road to go clean the trails on Whites Ridge.
As we came down the mountain we ran into some heavy traffic. Cows blocking the road.

We turned off the North Fork Ahtanum Road onto McLaine Canyon Road. That is where we started our Whites Ridge clean-up. We turned up the Whites Ridge 4×4 Trail and ran it to the top. We stopped at the Mount Rainier View Point for lunch and then headed back down Whites Ridge 4×4 Trail. Near the Make-out Hill Trail, Hercules and Monster replaced a Green Dot Marker. On the way down we reburied a few of the old markers people had broken off.

We meet back at camp around 5 PM. Hoss took a load of trash to the dumpster in he Bronco while 99 cooked burgers for the volunteers. The volunteers that stayed for dinner were happy.

We had a lot of fun cleaning up the trails. The volunteers put in 9 hours each and this helps with funding. Thank you for all that could help.

Here are some photos of Ahtanum ORV Trails Clean Up: