Memorial Day Snow Run at the Ahtanum State Forest
Report and photos by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures
Ahtanum State Forest - Photo by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures
Around 10 AM on Monday May 28th, 2012
Eastern Washington Adventures members meet up at the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Trailhead and aired down for the snow wheeling run. It was a nice warm day.
We waited around until 10:30 for others and then headed up the Mid Fork with Joker as the lead. We turned onto Whites Ridge Loop and then up the Whites Ridge 4x4 Trail. Not far past the McLaine Canyon Road we found some trees across the trail. Guido cut the down trees and we helped get them off the trail. We moved on to hit off camber snow not to far past where the trail merges with the closed road. BlindPilot took the lead about the point where I smashed up my XJ on the 2011 Memorial Day run. We pushed on up the off camber snow covered trail cutting more down trees out of the way as we went. We pulled off to the side to let some FJ40s go past us. They did not go to far before turning around. We pressed on until we lost the trail in the area the logged out.
We decided to go back down once the group was back together and Joker lead the way. We turned off the Whites Ridge 4x4 Trail and run McLaine Canyon Road down to the Mid Fork. Next we headed up the Mid Fork and stopped at Tree Phone to use the outhouse. Once business was done we head on up the Mid Fork. Not far from Eagle Nest we found two quad riders turning around. The flatter part of the snow drift above the road was getting narrow. We all decided to head back down.
On the way back down the Mid Fork "JK Lance" found a soft spot in the snow over the ditch and fell in. With a little winching he was out and we headed back down to the Ahtanum Winter Recreation Trailhead to air up for home.
This was a great run thanks to all who came. I special thanks to Joker for driving me around all day in his TJ.
See full report with 80 photos at: Memorial Day Snow Run at the Ahtanum State Forest - May 28 2012
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