4W613 Abandoned Truck Removal
Report & photos by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures
Ahtanum State Forest - Photo by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures
Someone left their truck on 4 wheel drive trail 613 south of Strobach Mountain in the fall of 2011. The Department of Natural Resources had to go through the legal stuff to be able to move it off of the land they manage. This was a long process and by the time we were given the go ahead to move the truck, it had been vandalized by many. The first time we saw the truck in June 2012, the battery was missing. A month later someone had shot the truck up with small caliber bullets.
On August 26th, 2012 a few clubs of the Pacific Northwest 4 Wheel Drive Association
Region 4 got together to remove the abandoned truck off 4W613. These clubs were
Yakima/Kittitas Forest Watch (a division of
Eastern Washington Adventures), Jeeping Nomads and Yakima Ridgerunners.
We met up at Nasty Creek Corrals around 9 AM to air down and sign the DNR volunteer form. The DNR gave us a battery and some gas to see if we could get the truck started. Josh Wesselius (Yakima Ridgerunners) and Steve Haverfield AKA "Havo" (Yakima/Kittitas Forest Watch) bought up four tires on 8 hole Ford wheels just in case the wheels on the truck were missing. Steve Haverfield (Yakima/Kittitas Forest Watch) hauled the tires on his Toyota truck. James Ewing (Eastern Washington Adventures) brought up his K5 to tow the abandoned truck.
We had a drivers meeting and then convoyed up to the abandoned truck. Mike Nelson from the DNR rode with Ron Rutherford (Jeeping Nomads).
A long the way we regrouped at the Strobach Mountain 4x4 Trailhead and then again on Strobach Mountain. Once at the abandoned truck we found some more damage to the truck. Some bigger bullet holes were added, the carburetor was missing and someone took the tires along with the lug nuts.
A lot of volunteers went to work getting the truck ready to be hauled off the trail. The truck was sitting on the ground so it had to be jacked up which was not that easy since it was on the side of a hill. Volunteers dug holes for the tires so the truck would not have to be jacked real high. They put on the tires that Josh and Havo brought up. Josh also had some lug nuts. They used Havo's on board air and impact gun to bolt on the rims.
As the guys worked on getting the tires on, Darin (Eastern Washington Adventures) and Kris Eims (Yakima Ridgerunners) worked on breaking the steering free. Ron Rutherford (Jeeping Nomads) got the guys with the winches lined up to pull the truck onto the trail.
Once everything was ready they winched the abandoned truck onto the trail with Josh Wesselius (Yakima Ridgerunners) and
Unknown (Jeeping Nomads) TJs. Darin Clack (Eastern Washington Adventures) steered the abandoned truck.
Next Josh Wesselius (Yakima Ridgerunners) used his TJ the hold back and push the abandoned truck steered by Darin Clack (Eastern Washington Adventures) down 4W613 then out the Strobach Mountain 4x4 Trail.
At the end of the Strobach Mountain 4x4 Trail the volunteers pulled off the 4 loaner wheels and left the truck on the ground for the towing company to pick up.
I would like to thank all the volunteers that gave up their Sunday to help with the abandoned truck removal.
See full report with 99 photos and 2 videos at: 4W613 Abandoned Truck Removal - Aug 26 2012
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