Kicking around the idea here to do some exploring up at Greenwater roads 70, 72 in a few weeks.

The colors up there now are turning, and when we tested Jon's '03 rig a few weeks back, it was looking real pretty up there with the fall colors, not to mention the little snow we ran into.

Be a great time to give your digicams and Toyotas a workout up there.
How does November the 9th sound?

There are some nice old logging roads and some trails to explore up near the Naches mouth.
One such trail is this short one we took Jon's rig on.
http://www.pnw4runners.net/03_4runner/6.jpg

http://www.pnw4runners.net/03_4runner/8.jpg

 

I am a "maybe". I am supposed to be running some new trails around Tahuya that day. If that falls through, I am up for it.

 

I meant the 9th of November actually.
I corrected the above post.
That would be two weeks out from now.
Corey

 

Ahhh... Well, November the ninth should work much better for me

 

Let me know Corey an I will join you
Bill

 

Whoa,
The 9th sound much better. I'll be back in town then.
Count me in.
Wow we'll finally be able to meet dude.

 

We're gonna try and make it! let's not go as early in the morning as last time! How about meeting at Safeway about 8:00 A.M.? Does that work for everybody?
Jim

 

Sounds good.
I need to check with the boss first

 

I'll be back in town Nov. 3rd. I am taking off from Denver this coming Sat. am. It should be interesting doing the drive in wintery conditions. The total mileage is 1375 miles and I am coming up through Montana and Spokane via the 90. I have never been in Montana before so I am looking forward to it.

 

Well if its official, 8am on Nov 9th at the Safeway parking lot, then I'm there to. I looked on my day planner and for Nov 9th it says "Dinner with the in-laws at the house". So to me that translates into "4 Wheelin with the fellas up the mountain"

 

I still want to make it out to see you guys and your trails but i'm kinda busy in Arizona that weekend. I'm headed for warmer climates. This is probably the last chance till spring due to the expected snow and cold, looks like it will have to be late spring for me to make it out. Is it muddy then? I'll bring the mudders.

If I were going now I'd take I-80 into Utah, through Boise on I-84 and then through Yakima WA on I-82 to I-90. I guess i'd have to study the weather a couple of days ahead to see if a bitter Canadian cold front is coming down, I hate those. If a wet Pacific front is coming through I might take the northern route. Its 40 miles shorter and you might avoid the bitter cold and snow. Either way would be good though.

 

Matt,
That is the exact route I took to get out to Denver. I just wanted a change of scenery on the way back. I will watch the weather pretty carefully though before choosing my final route.

 

Matt & ts1

Somewhat off topic, but I'm curious about your thinking that a route up through Montana and across I-90 would be preferable in bad weather to I-84. Are you trying to avoid crossing the Rockies in Colorado?

If not, I wouldn't think that I-90 would be any better in winter than I-84 and might be worse, being farther north with passes a couple of thousand feet higher.

I can't really say much about I-90 through N. Idaho into Montana because I've only done that once. I have driven Seattle to Nampa, Idaho (near Boise) and back a number of times over the years around Thanksgiving or Christmas. Obviously sometimes it is just luck to miss storms, but in general the winters the last few years have been mild so I-84 has been pretty good. This year seems to be shaping up to be a low-snow year too if things keep up like they have been.

Alan

 

Unfortunately my plans for that weekend don't translate as well. It's sounding like I'm gonna be stuck at work consolidating 3 racks of server equipment down to 2 so we can fit the new rack worth of stuff in. Might still make it, probably won't know until the day before...

 

There's lots of good ways to go I guess. The crossing of the continental divide is high in CO , 11,000 feet at I-70. In Montana and Wyoming its like 5000-6700, and interstate highway the whole way. You could use less fuel and save time. I'd like to take a road I haven't seen before to. I've done the Colorado roads many times. I want to see something new.

 

Matt,

Yeah, I can understand wanting to do something different.
Been trying to do some of that myself.

After years of driving past this sign on I-84 in Oregon that said "Lookout Mtn" and wondering what it was about, I finally went there last year after getting the 4Runner. Ended up at a BLM lookout after many miles (30 I think) of gravel/dirt road, and found there was a real live person there. Saw only one other vehicle, on the way out, but the lookout said it got to be a real zoo on opening day of Elk season with people scouting things out from the lookout.

Avoiding the high passes makes sense too.

Just wanted to make sure you weren't thinking I-84 was real bad in winter.

Alan

 

8 am meeting at the Safeway parking lot in Enumclaw.
Not sure how the weathers going to be yet.

We may encounter some snow at points up there.
Corey

 

I may have to catch up with you along the way... 8:00AM is a bit early for my blood... I would imagine that I will be out that way around 9:00.

 

Corey, regardless of the weather, count me in! But, you know which trail I want to conquer first

 

Something to keep your eyes open for in the coming weeks. Two weekends ago on the Naches and the weekend before, there were hunters EVERYWHERE!


Argument blamed for arrow wounding=
By LEN WELLS Courier & Press correspondent (618) 842-2159 or
rlwells@midwest.net
October 29, 2002
A Dix, Ill., teen-ager remains in critical condition after being pierced with an arrow allegedly fired by a hunter who was angry that the boy's ATV had scared off a deer, police said.

Authorities said Steven Kemp, 17, has received more than 20 units
of blood as doctors try to save his life. The man who allegedly shot
him, Donald Fautch, 41, of New Athens, Ill., has been jailed on a felony charge of aggravated battery.

Witnesses told police that Kemp, his younger brother and another
teen-ager were riding ATVs in the woods off of Foxville Road near Kell on Saturday afternoon when they encountered Fautch.

Fautch, police said, complained that the boys had scared off a
deer he was watching while hunting in an area off Miller Lake Road just south of the Marion-Jefferson County line.

A spokesman for the Jefferson County sheriff's office stated that
Kemp threatened to beat up Fautch during a verbal altercation. At some point, police stated, Fautch put an arrow in his compound bow and drew it partially back. Foutch then slipped, witnesses stated, with the arrow striking Kemp in the chest.

Kemp was taken first to St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia and was
later transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon, Ill.

Donald Fautch was taken into custody at the scene of the shooting,
and jailed on a charge of aggravated battery.