Scarsman
Sponsor
- Messages
- 1,561
- Location
- Monroe, WA
Well, after the last attempt and suffering a breakdown, and H3slate not making it due to truck issues, we were both very saddened, as we both have been wanting to make this trip for a very long time now. So, somehow, we made a spur of the moment decision to make a last ditch attempt to get it done this year. We both happened to have days off that lined up, and we went for it. We headed out last Thursday, the 3rd. We started off the highway at around 3:00pm. We wanted to run as much of the trail as possible, so we went to the furthest west point. On the way up to the trail head we hit the snow line, and there was about 2-3 inches at the trail. This first stretch from the west is rated as "most difficult" by local jeepers. We made it a couple hundred feet up a steep hill and found a huge stump on the right with a rock on the left. It was very narrow, and I could not get past it. I will try it again sometime when it is dry, but with the snow I would have slid into the stump.
So, we backed out and went to the next spot we could get on, just past the one where I broke the axle last time. We headed up in pure clean virgin snow with no tracks. We were the only ones out there, and it was absolutely beautiful! Temps for the trip ran from 20-29 degrees.
We made it to Government Cabin at Government Meadows, and decided we just had to stay there for the night. It was stocked with firewod and had a huge wood stove, but the wood was green and the stove would not radiate heat. Open the doors and the heat would cook you out the front, but close them and you felt nothing. I have had primary wood heat most of my life, and I have never seen a stove like that! But it was still better than a tent! Plus it was just a cool cabin.
The next morning we woke up H3slate having a flat tire. After changing it we headed out to the east.
Who can resist a big stump?
Once we exited the far east end of the trail and hit the FS road, H3slate radios me asking if his front end looked ok, as he had a shaking going on. I looked in my mirror and his right front wheel was about to come off. It had one lug nut and one stud had broken off, and the wheel was ruined. We aired up the flat and scrounged enough lug nuts to put it on and headed for Yakima where he got new studs put in at Les Schwabs. We headed back to the pass, because we wanted to spend the second night at the cabin. By time we hit the trail head it was after dark. I got to use my KCs for the first time on the trail. They are awesome!
We hit one uphill off camber spot with trees on the off camber side and big roots running across the trail at an angle. Because it was narrow and very close to the trees, and my truck is so big, I could not get carry speed through it or the roots would make me rock into the trees. But, going slow the snow made it too slick and when the wheels spun they slid me over against the trees. It didn't hit, but had maybe an inch. We pulled line at an angle and used the winch to pull me over the roots and away from the trees. Worked great!
Closer to the cabin, at about 9:00pm, I was tred and getting excited to get back t the cabin, and did not see a stump on the right edge of the trail. It caught my front tire and yanked it right, breaking the inner tie rod end. Yes, I broke a Kryptonite tie rod! I'll take pics of the pieces later and show you where it broke. I don't blame the part at all, in fact I am glad it broke. I had a spare stock one, and we had it swapped out in about 15 minutes. The boys were fetching wrenches and rags, and we had a regular pit crew going!
A little after that we hit the last tight spot before the cabin. Another tight off camber against a tree with roots across the trail. I again slid into the tree and used the winch to pull it through and away from the tree. Tree was about 1/4" from the left rear side glass, but did not touch. Partly due to H3slate pushing on the roof rack away from the tree. Very tight!
Made it to the cabin, and we were quite ready for some sleep! Another struggle with the green wood, but we got a fire. Part way through the night I heard a mouse downstairs, (we were sleeping in the loft) and saw it o into a trash bag hanging on the wall. I climbed down the ladder, tied up the bag, and threw it out the door.
Saturday morning we got up to a breathtaking sunny day, and headed west with spectacular views of Mount Rainier.
Wanting to run every bit of the trail we could, we went past where we had gotten on the day before, and went to where I had broken my axle.
A couple pics of the washed out road. We figured we could make it down. The pics don't show how steep it really is.
My son kind of gives some scale to the drop off.
I have some videos, including of of us coming down this washout. I'll get them posted a little later. I am sure H3slate will post his pics up soon. I know he has some of his truck on the wash out that show the steepness of it fairly well.
All in all it was a trip to remember. We had winter wheeling, night wheeling, winching, trail repairs, log cabin camping, and all on a historic route. We ran every bit of the trail except for one short section on the west end. It was awesome!
So, we backed out and went to the next spot we could get on, just past the one where I broke the axle last time. We headed up in pure clean virgin snow with no tracks. We were the only ones out there, and it was absolutely beautiful! Temps for the trip ran from 20-29 degrees.
We made it to Government Cabin at Government Meadows, and decided we just had to stay there for the night. It was stocked with firewod and had a huge wood stove, but the wood was green and the stove would not radiate heat. Open the doors and the heat would cook you out the front, but close them and you felt nothing. I have had primary wood heat most of my life, and I have never seen a stove like that! But it was still better than a tent! Plus it was just a cool cabin.
The next morning we woke up H3slate having a flat tire. After changing it we headed out to the east.
Who can resist a big stump?
Once we exited the far east end of the trail and hit the FS road, H3slate radios me asking if his front end looked ok, as he had a shaking going on. I looked in my mirror and his right front wheel was about to come off. It had one lug nut and one stud had broken off, and the wheel was ruined. We aired up the flat and scrounged enough lug nuts to put it on and headed for Yakima where he got new studs put in at Les Schwabs. We headed back to the pass, because we wanted to spend the second night at the cabin. By time we hit the trail head it was after dark. I got to use my KCs for the first time on the trail. They are awesome!
We hit one uphill off camber spot with trees on the off camber side and big roots running across the trail at an angle. Because it was narrow and very close to the trees, and my truck is so big, I could not get carry speed through it or the roots would make me rock into the trees. But, going slow the snow made it too slick and when the wheels spun they slid me over against the trees. It didn't hit, but had maybe an inch. We pulled line at an angle and used the winch to pull me over the roots and away from the trees. Worked great!
Closer to the cabin, at about 9:00pm, I was tred and getting excited to get back t the cabin, and did not see a stump on the right edge of the trail. It caught my front tire and yanked it right, breaking the inner tie rod end. Yes, I broke a Kryptonite tie rod! I'll take pics of the pieces later and show you where it broke. I don't blame the part at all, in fact I am glad it broke. I had a spare stock one, and we had it swapped out in about 15 minutes. The boys were fetching wrenches and rags, and we had a regular pit crew going!
A little after that we hit the last tight spot before the cabin. Another tight off camber against a tree with roots across the trail. I again slid into the tree and used the winch to pull it through and away from the tree. Tree was about 1/4" from the left rear side glass, but did not touch. Partly due to H3slate pushing on the roof rack away from the tree. Very tight!
Made it to the cabin, and we were quite ready for some sleep! Another struggle with the green wood, but we got a fire. Part way through the night I heard a mouse downstairs, (we were sleeping in the loft) and saw it o into a trash bag hanging on the wall. I climbed down the ladder, tied up the bag, and threw it out the door.
Saturday morning we got up to a breathtaking sunny day, and headed west with spectacular views of Mount Rainier.
Wanting to run every bit of the trail we could, we went past where we had gotten on the day before, and went to where I had broken my axle.
A couple pics of the washed out road. We figured we could make it down. The pics don't show how steep it really is.
My son kind of gives some scale to the drop off.
I have some videos, including of of us coming down this washout. I'll get them posted a little later. I am sure H3slate will post his pics up soon. I know he has some of his truck on the wash out that show the steepness of it fairly well.
All in all it was a trip to remember. We had winter wheeling, night wheeling, winching, trail repairs, log cabin camping, and all on a historic route. We ran every bit of the trail except for one short section on the west end. It was awesome!
