Ahtanum State Forest Green Dot Work Party Part 1 of 2
Report and photos by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures
On Saturday May 30th, 2009 some of the All Wheelers Off Road Club members came up to the Sno-park to do some more work on the Green Dot roads and trails.
We first headed up the Mid Fork and then up the Whites Ridge Loop Trail.
At the top of the ridge as the trail turns west we found a broke Green Dot Marker.
As we went along we added some new Green Dots to the markers that had the tops of them broken.
As the trail turned toward the south we found some down fall in the trail.
The members had the trail cleared in no time.
We turned up the Whites Ridge Crest Trail.
At the top of the second climb we had a big tree to remove from the trail.
People had a by-pass around both side of it.
Test Dummy cut the tree.
Fatboy pulled the tree out of the trail with his TJ.
Volunteers moved the debris.
Fatboy pulled the tree onto the most used by-pass.
Volunteers put what they could find at the top of the by-pass.
At the next intersection we replaced a broken Green Dot Marker.
Havo showing us how to stick Green Dots. lol
Just up the trail we started hitting patches of snow on the trail.
Monster jumped out of the Jeep to move some branches from the trail.
Here we placed two new markers since there was a new logging road pushed in.
On up the trail the loggers had a big mess.
I drove up what I think is the trail until I couldn’t stay on top of the snow.
I wanted to be sure this was the trail before we placed a Green Dot Marker. I walked from here.
I found the trail again where the snow is on the left.
We went back down to put the marker in at the start of the logging.
Heading back down.
I was driving the Tweety Jeep.
Here are the other member rigs:
99 wheelin’ the Sami and Test Dummy in his XJ.
Left to right: Fatboy, Guedo, Jeepscum & Havo.
Jeepscum found trash the loggers left us to pick up.
Marking the trail down from the “Make-out Hill” intersection.
We stopped for lunch at “Norm’s Check Point”.
After lunch we ran down to the Whites Ridge Cross-over trail and headed toward the North Fork Ahtanum Creek Road.
Dropping down the ridge we found one marker missing and another so far in the brush you couldn’t see it.
The volunteers removed the hidden marker and added two new Green Dot markers at this intersection.
Jeepscum in the bush.
Havo-Jr’s turn to add the Green Dots.
Test Dummy working hard pounding through the rocks.
These two are finish for now until we get a saw to cut off the top broken part on the old marker.
The Green Dot marker was broken and down at the McLaine Canyon road and the North Fork Ahtanum Creek Road.
We gave it a new Green Dot Marker.
At this point a few members had to leave.
We headed up the North Fork Ahtanum Creek Road to see if we could get the markers done on our adopted Blue Lake Trail.
The open switch back was a challenge to get up.
I made it up and ran on up to see how the trail was as the others worked their way through the snow.
I turned around at the Blue Lake Trail Head.
Havo had made it up but 99 was still at the bottom not doing well with the open diff Sami.
I took the Tweety Jeep down and towed the Sami up.
The next switch back there was a tall snow drift. The Sami had some problems getting up it.
We tried to get it to the top a few different ways with the tow strap.
The last try was me backing it way up and running those mice hard. I leaped it up on top just to get stuck.
I gave 99 her rig back and Havo pulled her on through.
We ran in snow from there to the Blue Lake Trail.
99 moving well now.
At the Blue Lake Trail Head we left the Sami. 99 and the kids jumped in the Tweety Jeep with me.
Here is the area where we had to do some marker repair.
A new Green Dot marker here to show the way out.
These two markers will have to be fixed after the snow melts. lol
We could not make it up to the top to check on the other marker so we headed back down.
Havo working it.
99 and Bubz getting back in the Sami at the Blue Lake Trail Head.
We headed back down to the Sno-park where some aired up for home and we got the camp fire going for the night.
It was a very warm night.
