Thank you again Guy for putting this trip together and leading it. You and Josh busting trail made it easy enough that I could get the big red pig through (with a little help in places :-) )
Pretty good turn out, 10 rigs all told. Was almost a Jeep convention, but a few of us did break the mold (Toyota, Chevy, Ford).
Every time I go through Swakane, I enjoy it more, such a beautiful area
Swakane itself was pretty dry and mild, ice filled pot holes and a few small patches patches of snow at the top.
Brain trust discussing the finer points of things that don't matter...(no brain cells were injured in the making of this photo)
When we got to the top and our first decision point, go on down Nahahum to Cashmere, or continue on, I don't think there was any question. Guy had scouted to this point before, so beyond was unknown.
In spite of not a lot of snow in the area, there was a decent amount up there. With Josh and Guy breaking trail, and a whole bunch of rigs in front of me, it was packed down enough to get me past where I had gotten stuck last winter
While everybody else was in nice light vehicles, my pig could only go so far without some help.
Skip had originally been concerned that his friend Simon, first time in these conditions, in a new to him beater Cherokee, would be the one having problems. Turned out it was me behind him having the problems. A couple of tugs and I realized I wasn't going very far without chains.
Someday I'll get smart enough to put on the snow pants before laying in the snow, but that's probably still a ways away.
Even with chains on, it was "sporty", a very interactive driving experience :-)
While I was enjoying the leisurely drive
Judy had a different perspective as a passenger
While the drop offs can be a little unnerving, the views are spectacular
We continued down through Derby Canyon and everyone aired up just outside P-Town
After a few of us had lunch and a beer at Milepost 111, we headed back up to Clark Canyon. Getting in through Leavenworth wasn't quite as bad as I expected, only took an hour or so. Got another 6-8" of snow Saturday night. Figured I do some clearing before we headed out on Sunday AM, busted a couple of shear pins on the snow blower, lost the hinge pins on the plow. Figured that was a sign that I should just deal with it later.
The passes were a mess, as you would expect, but not that bad. Summer time delays have been worse.
All of these pictures were courtesy of Judy. I can't be trusted with remembering to bring things like my camera (or our food for the house). I also can't be trusted to make sure my dash cam is pointing in the right direction. Sometime before the trip the lens got bumped up so all I got was tree tops (you're safe Josh, although Judy was in the cab :-) )
Everybody add pictures and commentary. Being way in the back i didn't get to see all the fun that was going on up there at the front.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a Festivus for the rest of us.
JR
Want to express special thanks to Guy for scheduling and coordinating a fun and successful outing. Guy and Josh were the trail blazers. It is always fun getting out with friends in our vehicles. Thanks again Guy & Josh!
JR, thanks for the trip report! It was another good Christmas run! :)
Im impressed with the full size rig making it around up there
Only vehicle to need chains. Not exactly svelte and nimble but it did get around. Getting close to the limit of being able to get through. No way I could have done it of Guy and everyone else wasn't breaking trail.