EWA Snow Wheeling at the Ahtanum State Forest

Snow Wheeling at the Ahtanum State Forest
Report by Clay Graham / Eastern Washington Adventures

On Sunday February 24th, 2013 Eastern Washington Adventures Club members met up at Highland Quick Stop in Cowiche Washington for the Ahtanum 4×4 Snow Wheeling Run. We had five rigs on this run, TJ40 – TJ, Craigen – TJ, Rangerat – YJ, The Middle Kid – Dakota and Ceg – JK. Guido rode with TJ40 and MudSlinger93 rode with me. We convoyed to Cowiche Mill Road and aired down.

Once aired down, we headed up Cowiche Mill Road and then up C-1300 onto Hatton road. Not much snow on the way up. Up on Hatton the snow drifts were deep and soft. Craigen and I both got stuck right off the bat. TJ40 also got stuck trying to go around to pull me out of my second stuck. The Middle Kid parked his rig after getting stuck a few times in the same area too. He rode shotgun with Rangerat most of the rest of the day.

We moved on up the ridge trying to stay on top of the harder snow. Of coarse we fell through a lot since the crust wasn’t very thick. We turned around once the snow got to soft to move forward. The last part I got stuck many times. On the way back through that last area, I used momentum to fly over the soft spots. That worked well. The next area I tried to blow through a snow drift where no one had drove and got stuck good. TJ40 got stuck next to me. Craigen got stuck trying to pull me through. Rangerat was trying to pull us back and that did not work well since we were stuck good. With some winching and pulling we made it through that area.

The last drift where we had went around on the way up earlier, was the area we got all the Jeeps stuck at once. A little more winching and we were back on our way.

Just down from there we picked up The Middle Kid’s truck and head on out. We aired back up once at the pavement of Cowiche Mill Road.

Most of the group went to the Pastime in Selah for dinner. They were closing by the time everyone met back up so we finish off a pitcher of Widmer Hefeweizen and moved over to the T&T for dinner.

Below are the pictures of our Ahtanum Snow Wheeling adventure:

The rigs of the day lined up at Highland Quick Stop in Cowiche Washington.
Highland Quick Stop

Highland Quick Stop

At the end of the pavement on Cowiche Mill Road airing down.
Cowiche Mill Road

There was a lot of ice on Cowiche Mill Road after the C-1000 turn-off.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

At the Y on C-1300 near Hatton Road.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Up on Hatton Road there was a lot of soft snow drifts and the stuckfest began.
Craigen stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ceg stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Rangerat coming to safe us.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ceg stuck number two.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Tj40 trying to go around to pull me through.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Maybe not! TJ40 stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Craigen pulling TJ40 out.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 pulling me out and out again.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 took the lead.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 looking for away around the powder snow drift blocking the trail.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

We make it around the powder snow drift to find soft snow in the trees.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Three of us trying to push through.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Two made it. Ceg Stuck again.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Rangerat pulled me out and then I got stuck again within 50 feet from the last place.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Rangerat made his why around me with his new KM2s.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Craigen hooking up to pull me through the powder snow area.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

The snow was not working for us so we turned around. I used momentum to fly over the soft spots and we all regrouped back here.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

The kids having fun.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Craigen walking his Jeep softly across the soft snow.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ceg stuck!
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Craigen stuck trying to pull my Jeep through the soft snow drift.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Looking for ideas to get going again.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Rangerat tried to pull TJ40 out.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 was stuck good. He decided to winch Craigen’s Jeep loose from my Jeep.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Charlie trying to dig our Jeep out.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 stuck and getting ready to winch off my Jeep to help both of us. Guido pulling cable.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Rangerat’s turn to get pulled through.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ceg stuck again.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Craigen giving me a pull.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

The tree that saved us.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Craigen again walking his Jeep softly across the soft snow.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

The snow drift that we drive around earlier in the day got Craigen. Craigen stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Rangerat stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

All four Jeeps stuck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

TJ40 winching with Guido’s help.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Rangerat winch through and sent the cable to my rig. Craigen was nice enough to bring it.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Rangerat winching my Jeep out of the soft deep snow drift.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

On the way out we picked up The Middle Kids Truck.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Of course I found another deep power snow drift to stick my Jeep.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

The top of the hill the snow was harder as you can see in this picture.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

The kids went sledding as we work to get my Jeep up to the top of the snow covered hill.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Guido brings down TJ40’s winch cable to my Jeep.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

The kids having fun.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

The pull up the hill.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

At the top and on the hard snow crust.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Heading back down toward Cowiche Mill Road.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Elk on the next hill over.
Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Ahtanum Snow Wheeling

Airing up near the pavement of Cowiche Mill Road.
Cowiche Mill Road

Charlie airing up our rig’s tires.
Cowiche

The Middle Kids and Rangerat.
Cowiche

Odo.
Cowiche

TJ40.
Cowiche

Craigen.
Cowiche

Cowiche

MudSlinger93.
Cowiche

After the run meeting back up at the Pastime.
Pastime in Selah

At the T&T Lounge for dinner.
T&T Lounge in Selah

Go Play

About Ceg

Photojournalist at CegPics.com
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