Peak Putters - Ahtanum (Camp Schamp) Run - April 4-5 2009

[SPR]

No posts yet so I will start it off. On a sunny brisk Saturday morning, nine rigs left the Ahtanum snow park to run up to Darland Mt. There were a lot of snowmobiler's in the staging area and their cold stares considerabily dropped the ambient air temperatures.

We drove up the mountain onto groomed trails only to meet up with the gromer heading down the mountain. As we regrouped, countless sleds flew by us like angry hornets -- It was not a good time to stray from the pack. Luckily, one group stopped to take pictures of our cool rigs and informed us that the trail groming was going to continue through April 15. After exchanging hugs and kisses we turned around to find another trail. I am not sure what green dot road we went on next, but the group found good snow to crawled around on for the rest of the afternoon.

After the morning fiasco, we were a little concerned how we would be received by the snowmobilers back at camp. Luckily, two sheriff deputies were waiting for us. It turned out that the gromer season was extended until 4/15. The sheriff’s office did not receive word until 4/1, and State Parks Service (gromer funding source) and DNR are still not aware of it (see below). Upon hearing this bullshit, Iaccocca went into a mad rage. We successfully pleaded with the deputies not to haul him off. We spent the rest of the evening around a perfect campfire joking about our day’s adventure.

The second day… Only four rigs left camp to run Nasty Creek. Just out of the snow park we were greeted by goofy roadblock. Apparently, the local snowmobiler leadership took it upon them to make sure we would stick around for a bit to hear their advice. After a very brief pause for more hugging and kissing, we slowly drove along the ditch to get past the snowmobile tow rigs. Not much to report about running Nasty Creek. It was a beautiful day, we cooked hotdogs, crawled around on the snow, and got stuck multiple times. The trip back to camp was uneventful. We finally did see a couple of signs at the snow park explaining the extended snowmobile season. Please post pictures if the have them


From the State Parks Website

Region: Greenwater/Yakima Area
Sno-Park: Ahtanum Guard Station
Trails: 1.) A-2000 / Middle Fork Ahtanum 2.) A-3300 / McLaine Canyon 3.) A-2000 / Tree Phones 4.) A-2600 / Whites Ridge 5.) A-2400 / Red Saddle
Naches Ranger District
(509) 653-1400

Emergency Contact Info:
Yakima County Sheriff's Office
(509) 574-2500


Directions: 31 miles west of Yakima. I-82 Exit 36. Valley Mall Blvd west to Third Ave south. At Ahtanum Road, go west 25 miles to Tampico Food Store Y-intersection. Take right fork for 9.5 miles
Elevation: 3,240 ft
100 spaces.

Trail 54 miles
Sanitary facilities along trail, shelter

Sno-Park Permit required during the season
Exception: From April 1 to 30, a Sno-Park Permit may or may not be required. Please obey posted signs indicating whether a permit is needed. Contact the local agency listed for each Sno-Park for more information.


PLEASE NOTE:
After periods of extreme weather, work crews may be on trails during the day to clear debris or drifts. Please exercise caution.

Update April 3, 2009

Sno-Park Permits are no longer required.
END OF SEASON ALERT
The Winter Recreation Program provides Sno-Park and trail maintenance services over an approximate 16 week season each year beginning December 1 and ending March 31. After March 31, snow removal services are discontinued, portable toilets are removed, and trail grooming for both motorized and non-motorized activities is no longer funded. In those years when snowfall continues past March 31, many visitors question why Sno-Park services do not continue. The simple answer is funding limitations. The Winter Recreation Program is self-supporting from Sno-Park permit fees, snowmobile registrations, and snowmobile fuel tax rebates, and does not depend on general tax dollars to subsidize operations. Therefore, when the annual budget is expended, services are discontinued to avoid service reductions for next season.

Groomer: Vic Mason Excavating and Landwork

REMEMBER
Grooming reports are updated when trail grooming information is provided. Reports are posted at 9:00 a.m, noon, 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Reports are posted at 8:00am and 10:00am on Saturdays. No updates on Sundays or holidays. Schedule is subject to change.

[White trash]

I REALLY wish I was on that run with you guys... It would have been a lot of fun I promise..

[Grumpy]

I'm going to assume something was seriously amiss, or the usually imperterbable Mr. R would not have expressed himself in such a fashion

[Danny]

I'd like to thank Steve for such a great writeup for the weekend's activites and entertainment. If I had been there on Sunday I would have immediately called the sheriff and told them we were being illligally detained by a mad bunch of hornets.

Okay, now for some pics of Saturday's run. This is a test to see if this works.

and I had to post this one first...."someone come and help, it's going to tip over!!!

[Danny]

Okay, it didn't so now to figure out why.

[Danny]

Okay, I figure it out. It's been a long time since I've had my camera on a run and forgot how to do this. Since no one has indicated who was on this run....here goes.

There was RoyBoy, Commando14, Screamingtoylet, Odball, Tobicon, iaccoca with his brother and sister-in-law, erslll, Danny, Dale, his dad and Ryan riding shoty and Rich. I think that was it.

So here are my pics. There were more taken so post up you guys.

This trail just looks toooooo smooth.


Right Rich?




Those hornets should be able to pass us on the left


Rich with high hopes.....NOT!


After our visit with our new found friends we headed back down for some peaceful wheelin


We finally find a spot to lunch and wheel


Ed and his new 40" Super Swampers...and they worked great!!!


Tobicon trying to out do Ed,


Looks like Dale's going to outdo them both.


Ed on the C R A W L ! ! !


....and the strap comes out for one of several pulls for the Tobster on Saturday but it was fun....


....and guess who else got stuck....and he blamed it on those little trees

On top running a ridge to nowhere


End of the trail on the ridge to nowhere


Getting of the ridge was a little...well ok...a lot harry very slick and off camber. Everyone got through except Steve and he got stuck...one of many....even he lost count.



And finally I couldn't end this photo report without this picture of our little buddy Gavin. He was a real trooper all day; but I do have to say one thing....he doesn't like off camber stuff. Dad's going to have to work on that.

[Grumpy]

Very cool

[iaccocca]

Sorry, I was not much of a photog on this run, but my brother and his girlfirend got some good shots; I'll get those from them and post them up. Steve, you gotta' post up pics of the cardboard sign informing us that grooming was going to continue until APR 15.
You guys think you saved me from the Deputies, but I just spent the whole morning in court and one of the Deputies called me at home this morning. (Oh I was in court because I have jury duty and the Dep. was calling to give me the WAC number concerning groomed trails.) I already found that WAC last night via Google and I'll share my opinion in the members' area.

[Danny]

I see that I missed a very important pic so am going to post it now....it speaks volumes. Enjoy!

"Can someone come over here and hold this so I doesn't tip over?"

[Peanut]

Sounds like you guys had fun!!




I think it would have been great fun to have left their "towrig road block" parked in a little different position from where they left it. With a little extra snow pack to help them stay cool.

[SPR]

"Speaks Volumes" Good one Thanks Dan for holding the rope...it tells me that you really do care.

[Danny]

And I'm the only one who would hold the rope. All the rest stood around and watched.

Where are the rest of the pics everyone?

[oddball]

If you turn your head until the anchor at the end of the tow rope is perpendicular, the truck almost looks ugly stuck.

[benw]

Were the snow park signs still up? Was the berm still in place?

[commando14]

Here are the pics of the official cardboard signs the snowmobilers put up on Sunday morning. Obviously a spelling bee champion wrote it.

[oddball]

No signs on Saturday and I'm working on posting pics of the signs that were nailed to trees on Sunday morning. What was left of the berm is typically what we see every year when the trail is first opened to wheeled vehicles on April 1st. The sun is responsible for removing the berm each year.

[commando14]

Maybe this was the meeting on Apr 1st that the sheriff talked about where they decided to extend the season. Not much info other than a date and time:

http://www.wssa.us/Calendar2.html

[Dale]

This was a really good trip except for the little sheriff buddy down in the parking lot that talked at me for a half hour. I have some pics to post up, I sent them to commando14 because I cant ever get pics to post up. I even have some of the really nice friends we meet up on the hill!

[SPR]

I believe that "Groming" in a technical term unique to the Ahtanum Snow Park...It was spelled the same way on each sign

[OldGreen]

Groming is illegal in 32 states.

[Danny]

Lee, that sign was posted on Saturday. It was on a tree just before you turned down into the snowpark, right? If that's the one then it was there Saturday. I tried to read it twice but it was so poorly written that I couldn't read it.

[Danny]

This was a really good trip except for the little sheriff buddy down in the parking lot that talked at me for a half hour. I have some pics to post up, I sent them to commando14 because I cant ever get pics to post up. I even have some of the really nice friends we meet up on the hill!

Dale, if your computer is anything like mine it takes a loooonnnng time for each one to load.

[Beep Beep]

That sucks that happened. It sounds like a bunch of BS to me. I did not hear anything about the extended grooming and I work with the DNR and the ORV deputies for ORV recreation at the Ahtanum State Forest. It would have been nice if they could have sent out an e-mail to I could put it out on the forums. I would have been right there with you and POed. They should have had some official signs up.

[iaccocca]

Here are my my bros and bro-girlfriends pics...

Oh... we were supposed to bring our big tires...








Check out this crazy mad flex shot turning around to get off of the hornets' trail...


Do we need more of these signs?





I thought I lifted this thing...






Here is an interesting mod (and the carnage for the run.)



And then Saturday night we circled our wagons and enjoyed the safety of a big fire...





Check out the tire pressure I had to run just to get out of the snow park...



Sorry no Sunday pics and I've not seen any pics of an Unlimted LJ stuck in front of Mt. Adams, stuck in front of a big tree, stuck etc., so it must not have happened.