Memorial Day "Saturday" Run to Blue Lake
May 24th, 2008
Saturday May 24th, 2008 we met up at the Ahtanum Sno-park and aired down. In our group we had these drivers: Ceg, Test Dummy, LayemStr8, Wantawheel, 89 yota and Blackdog. Another group joined us. I can't remember names but they were driving the following: CJ5, YJ, Toy pickup and a quad. Very nice people.
We left the Sno-park around 10:30 and headed up the North Fork Ahtanum Road. On the way up "Wantawheel" had some heater hose problems.
A fast picture out my window of some of the group.
Not far past Snow Cabin Camp Ground we hit snow.
LayemStr8 getting sideways.
The new bridge was a little off camber with the snow on it. A nice drop to the bridge on one side.
Wantawheel and Blackdog just up from the bridge.
Test Dummy, 89 yota and the other groups YJ. I think it was the YJ driver’s first time snow wheelin' a rig.
Waiting for the group to get though an off camber area. That was fun sliding to the bottom. Not!
They dug the snow out so the new wheelers could cross the off camber area. Wantawheel and 89 yota decided that was enough hairy crap for them so they headed back.
LayemStr8 and Blackdog at the next bridge.
The Punisher's Group coming down from the Blue Lake area.
A nice view of the rigs coming up on this switch back.
At the end of the open area there was a big snow drift at the next switch back. I had to take a few runs at it to get on top and on up. The snow was sloppy. The other group's CJ winching and Test Dummy working those MT/Rs.
The first two on top.
LayemStr8 started winching rigs up.
All up on top and ready to go on.
At the Blue Lake turn off the other group decided to go back down. LayemStr8 went with them. Test Dummy, Blackdog and I headed on. At the pond turn off Blackdog said he wanted to go back down.
Blackdog turned around to catch the other group.
We headed on. I got stuck at the bottom of the first hill climb in Punisher group's tracks.
We made it up and over two more hill climbs. We could see 4W615 but could not get to it. The trail was covered by a big drift. My rig kept sliding sideway down into the trees. Maybe I should have aired up two of my tires so I could dig in.
Since it was getting late in the day we decided to turn around. We went across the top of the first hill climb going out. On the other side I found water under the snow. Second time stuck for me.
Test Dummy pulled me out and I turned around. We started going the other way and Test Dummy leads. Driving on his tracks I fall through the snow into water again. Stuck number three. Test Dummy got stuck trying to pull me out. We hooked up my winch and tried to use Test Dummy's stuck XJ as an anchor.
He was on the brakes and I winch him out of his holes. I was still stuck.
Next we tried to winch out hooked to a tree. Even using the snatch block the XJ would not move. I thought the strap around the tree was going to snap.
We dug the ice out from under the Jeep and used the hi-lift to put logs under the rear tire that was in the ice water. We never did see the ground in that deep hole.
That seemed to work a lot better.
On the next little hill I smeared the new driver’s mirror on a tree and got stuck for the forth time after a few runs at the hill.
This was a great day of wheelin' thanks to those who came along.
