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Salmon Le Sac / Cle Elum run 5-7-05

dreamr

Explorer Addict
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City, State
Lynnwood WA
Year, Model & Trim Level
99 XL / 4x4 / 4.0 ohv
I've been waiting for Albino 94LTD to start this thread, but he's slacking' and I'm bored so here's the story ;)

In researching for a potential summer Explorer run, Albino discovered a bunch of trails around the Fortune Creek drainage, as well as the Manastash area. Sadly none of us know anything about this area, so..................... We had to go check it out. Albino sent me a PM a few nights ago asking if I was interested in heading up to the Fortune Creek/Table Mountain area this weekend for a bit of wheelin', and how could I refuse :D

We met up at his home a bit before 9 this morning and headed over the cascades to explore. We had decided on sticking to the "easier" trails as we knew little of the area, and I figure they were likely rated as such by them itty bitty Jeep Wranglers favored around here. Being in a bulky Explorer tends to alter those ratings a bit :p

Upon arriving at the Salmon Le Sac campground we took a few moments to eat brunch, and remove those pesky sway bars along with a few pounds of air from our tires. We then headed in for the days explorations.

We started out on the Fortune Creek Trail #4W301. The trail started out relatively easy.

201221-Albino_going_up_301_fortune_creek_.jpg


The ground up here is quite a bit rockier than our muddy western side of the Cascades, and kept it interesting. As we wound up the mountain on the trail the side quickly fell away leaving us with a nice long drop on one side and the brush/rocks on the other. It was very narrow too :eek: . We persevered over the many rock gardens though and found ourselves once again in the forests. Travel was comfortable in the woods and through the streams. But alas the snow started creeping up over the trail.

201222-301_the_snow_starts.jpg


After a few minor snow areas we came to a long field of snow and pulled off to take a look. As we waded through the deeper snow deciding it wasn't for us, a built Jeep on 33's or 35's pulls up. He takes a look and let's us know that he'll drive on through and pack it down for us. I grinned and laughed a little inside :p He proceeded to drive in about 10-15 feet before he was stuck and unlimbering the winch cable to drag himself the rest of the way through.

201223-Stuck_Timber_Tamer.jpg


Finally he has winched himself free, and left a nice path for us. Though I still wasn't too interested in trying, so I sent Albino :cool: He made it about as far as the Jeep before burying his axle and getting stuck as well. The Jeeper offered to winch us through, but we opted for a tow strap backwards and headed down to find a different trail.

201225-Phil_trying_the_snow_on_301.jpg

201226-Stuck_on_301.jpg

201227-Here_s_why_he_got_stuck.jpg


You can see from the pic that Albino's diff was creating a good furrow there :D
Now you ask yourself where was Dreamers little mountain goat during all of this? Why She was sitting on the dry patch giggling to herself and waiting for rescue duty ;)

201228-The_rescuer_sitting_on_dry_ground.jpg


After getting turned around we headed back up to the main road and looped back across to access another trail. This time we headed up the Van Epps Mine trail #4W302. The trail once again started out relatively mellow, but soon turned into a narrow rock wash with some pretty good sized boulders hanging out in the way. Phil made it up without a lot of trouble though he did add a bit of rock rash to his running boards and rim, not to mention crushing a center cap. Me? Well I stopped to watch the fun and move the rim gouging rock. I had a bit of trouble getting started again and had to engage the rear locker to avoid heavy use of the skinny pedal. Needless to say we were busy driving on the way in and didn't get any pictures to speak of. Once we cleared the rocks and crossed a couple streams we once again ran into the snow. This time we just turned around for it looked to have only more rock under it all. Not a happy combination that snow and rock :rolleyes:
201229-Turning_on_302_at_snowline2.jpg

2012210-Albino_flexing_the_new_suspension_a_bit.jpg


Coming back down through the rocks was about the same as going up (even down to the crushed center cap on the opposite side :p ) Here are a couple pics from the top of the rock wash. Once I was in it I didn’t take any more.
2012211-Me_flexing_on_the_rock_wash.jpg

2012212-rocky_road_302.jpg


To give you an idea of why we had to turn around on these trails I took a shot out of my window looking into the woods. There still be a bit of snow up there.
2012213-view_through_the_woods_on_302.jpg


All in all it was a fun day and a couple of fun trails. It is too bad that we weren't able to run them to their ends or take the spurs up above, but I think we'll be back in a month or so............. ehhhhhh Albino. This area would also be great to set up a summer weekend run. There are several trails, and I think a stocker would be fine on 301 and maybe 302. There are also a few others we did not try (or have access to) that are rated as More Difficult, so a bit of fun for all is available.

Thanks for the invite and playing leader all day Phil!!!! Now get the rest of them pics up :D
 



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It was an enjoyable day.

Best of all is, my highway vibration is GONE!

The area we went to is actually North of Lake Cle Elum. The trail is the Furtune Creek trail 4W301. You must have been drinking last night?

Here's the rim eating rock and the carnage it caused :mad:
 

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Hehehee I missed a pic in my tired daze last night.

While we were watching the Jeep play with his winch. Albino's son was playing in the snow. He walked across a section and fell through. When he called for help all we could do was laugh for he was sunk well over his waste and had to drag himself out with elbows lol. Point of the story, that snow was deep in spots ;)
201224-Travis_on_301.jpg
 












Hehehe,

Yeah the Albinoable Snow Boy :thumbsup:
 

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dreamr said:
Why do you say I must have been drinking? Yoi just skipped all the text in my post. :p I labeled it all accurately.

Yeah I want to go back in a couple weeks, with fly rods, waders, float tube and kayak. I want to get to that lake for an over-nighter. :thumbsup:
 






Albino 94LTD said:
Cause Liberty and Table Mountain are about 30 miles (as the crow flies) SE of where we were. :p

Yeah I want to go back in a couple weeks, with fly rods, waders, float tube and kayak. I want to get to that lake for an over-nighter. :thumbsup:

Where does it say Liberty Creek up there? :D
And you did originally ask me to go to Table Mountain. ;)
 






Hmm I forgot to respond to your post above talking about the return. I am off over the labor day weekend and had planned on going camping anyway. How's that sound? Or I believe I have either the 1st or second weekend in June scheduled for a bit of camping as well.
 






dreamr said:
Hmm I forgot to respond to your post above talking about the return. I am off over the labor day weekend and had planned on going camping anyway. How's that sound? Or I believe I have either the 1st or second weekend in June scheduled for a bit of camping as well.
Labor day is a long way off :p , but I'll be willing to go a few days before Memorial Day ;) to beat the I-90 traffic jam :rolleyes:

Anyone else form the NW interested???
 






Albino 94LTD said:
Labor day is a long way off :p , but I'll be willing to go a few days before Memorial Day ;) to beat the I-90 traffic jam :rolleyes:

Anyone else form the NW interested???

Yeah memorial day that's what I meant :D
 






So Here's all the rest of the pictures that Albino e-mailed me.

Pre-trail prep
20122DSCN2543_00.jpg


The stuck Timber Tamer
20122DSCN2545_00.jpg


Albino and I pausing to watch the winching
20122DSCN2546_00.jpg


Coming up the 302
20122DSCN2556_000.jpg


stopped by the snow on 302
20122DSCN2552_00.jpg


Turning around on the 302
20122DSCN2560_00.jpg


Starting back down
20122DSCN2561_00.jpg


A little stream
20122DSCN2563_00.jpg


A shot through the bushes
20122DSCN2566_00.jpg


View from the trail
20122DSCN2565_00.jpg


Ther is more, but that's enough to suffice for now.
Enjoy
 






Cool write up and pics!

Thanks for sharing!
 












Looks like fun.....doubt i'll have the ex-250 running by memorial, but i'll have to take a trip out there this summer
 






Personally I think it would be an awesome area to have a summer NWExplorers run/camping trip. There are a lot of good camping spots in the area as well as a variety of trails. There is also some mighty fine looking sections of stream for fishin' :D

You should deffinately join us.
 






Awesome.. Someday.. someday..

Oh, and post the rest of the pics!
 












Ya know, I had an epiphany Tuesday morning after working till midnight Monday. :confused:

$1200 spent on an E Locker is not necessarily money well spent. :rolleyes:

Both of us having locker's wouldn't have helped much, if one of us were to get stuck up there. Cable come-alongs wouldn't be much much either. :frustrate

I should be looking into a reciever mounted winch and building a hidden reciever for the front :hammer:
 









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love the pictures.. dang its beautiful out there.. sure would like to do some hunting there..
the X.. what mods are on it.. its nice!!
 






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