| Ranger's Logbook |
Wednesday, May 29, 2008
Well, another Memorial Day weekend has come and gone and the summer
routine is swinging into full force.
For the most part, the big weekend went really well, thanks mostly to our great
V-Team members (regular volunteers). Various Clubs from the Pacific
Northwest 4x4 Association took care of the Liberty/Swuak area for all of us.
They managed to clear, brush, and work on every snow free 4x4 trail in that
region. They also patrol the trails and talk to the public, spreading the TREAD
Lightly message to our off-road community. A special thanks for all their hard
work!
A note in the Swauk: The Red Top road, about 1.5 miles in (snowline), has a
huge slough / washout. Because conditions are constantly changing, access
the situation before driving past.
Over in the Taneum, we had our moto work crew, along with several
volunteers, clearing the single track trails to the snowline. The crew camped
out all weekend and helped keep the peace around-the-clock.
Ron Dunn took care of the Manastash area for us. We ran the 4W311. It is
log free. The 4W307 (Shoestring) still has a lot of snow, as do all the single
track trails in the Manastash. We should start clearing some of them this next
weekend, snow melt permitting.
We had a V-Team crew up the Cle Elum Valley. One of the groups even rode
snowmobiles up to scout Fortune Creek for us. The Jeep crew actually made
it to Fish Lake (so did the sledheads, but they hydroplaned most the way).
The Fish Lake road is slowly melting out, but don’t expect to get past Boulder
Creek without 4-wheel drive. Fortune Creek road is a no-go. We are planning
to head up there this weekend to see if we can get to the slide (avalanche,
Feb. 2008) area and access the damage, but if I had to place a bet, I would
say we are two weeks out from making it there. Expect the 4W301 to be
closed below the Forest Service road for most of the season. The avalanche
deposition is sitting right on top of the trail. Fortunately, the F.S. road easily
bypasses the damage. Don’t expect to get to Gallagher for a long time,
though. We had a big snow year!
On a sad note, we had two deaths in the county, one on the District (drowning)
and one near Easton (ATV).
Please remember that the rivers and creeks are running really high and fast
right now! They are very dangerous. I saw three small kids playing in the
Taneum Creek this last weekend and nearly blew a gasket. The adults were
at the camp across the street, paying little to no attention to the kids. Please,
please, watch your kids and pets closely. Debris and log jams make the
water ways extremely dangerous, even for experienced adults.
I hope everyone has a great summer! See you on the trail (I hope!!! I keep
working to get my busted leg back in shape so I can enjoy the summer with
you!).
Cheers from the Field, Mikki D
routine is swinging into full force.
For the most part, the big weekend went really well, thanks mostly to our great
V-Team members (regular volunteers). Various Clubs from the Pacific
Northwest 4x4 Association took care of the Liberty/Swuak area for all of us.
They managed to clear, brush, and work on every snow free 4x4 trail in that
region. They also patrol the trails and talk to the public, spreading the TREAD
Lightly message to our off-road community. A special thanks for all their hard
work!
A note in the Swauk: The Red Top road, about 1.5 miles in (snowline), has a
huge slough / washout. Because conditions are constantly changing, access
the situation before driving past.
Over in the Taneum, we had our moto work crew, along with several
volunteers, clearing the single track trails to the snowline. The crew camped
out all weekend and helped keep the peace around-the-clock.
Ron Dunn took care of the Manastash area for us. We ran the 4W311. It is
log free. The 4W307 (Shoestring) still has a lot of snow, as do all the single
track trails in the Manastash. We should start clearing some of them this next
weekend, snow melt permitting.
We had a V-Team crew up the Cle Elum Valley. One of the groups even rode
snowmobiles up to scout Fortune Creek for us. The Jeep crew actually made
it to Fish Lake (so did the sledheads, but they hydroplaned most the way).
The Fish Lake road is slowly melting out, but don’t expect to get past Boulder
Creek without 4-wheel drive. Fortune Creek road is a no-go. We are planning
to head up there this weekend to see if we can get to the slide (avalanche,
Feb. 2008) area and access the damage, but if I had to place a bet, I would
say we are two weeks out from making it there. Expect the 4W301 to be
closed below the Forest Service road for most of the season. The avalanche
deposition is sitting right on top of the trail. Fortunately, the F.S. road easily
bypasses the damage. Don’t expect to get to Gallagher for a long time,
though. We had a big snow year!
On a sad note, we had two deaths in the county, one on the District (drowning)
and one near Easton (ATV).
Please remember that the rivers and creeks are running really high and fast
right now! They are very dangerous. I saw three small kids playing in the
Taneum Creek this last weekend and nearly blew a gasket. The adults were
at the camp across the street, paying little to no attention to the kids. Please,
please, watch your kids and pets closely. Debris and log jams make the
water ways extremely dangerous, even for experienced adults.
I hope everyone has a great summer! See you on the trail (I hope!!! I keep
working to get my busted leg back in shape so I can enjoy the summer with
you!).
Cheers from the Field, Mikki D
