Pacific Northwest Backroad Adventures

Unless you never leave the coastal side of the Cascade Mountains, you’ll eventually encounter a rattlesnake while venturing into the outdoors. So far, my only encounters with rattlesnakes have been seeing one slithering away at a mountain bike race in Leavenworth years ago or dead ones along the road.

My great-grandmother (who was born in Bayhorse, Idaho and basically walked most of the way from Idaho to California and back as a child following the mining camps) gave me sound advice about rattlesnakes when I was probably around eight years old on a trip to Idaho. Her advice was always step onto a rock or log and see what was on the other side (like a rattlesnake hiding there) before stepping over and possibility stepping on and/or getting bite by a rattlesnake. Wise words I always remembered for the last 35 years.

In addition to the words of wisdom from my great-grandmother, do you really know how to avoid getting bit? Or what to do if you do get bitten? C. Alexander Leigh posted a very informational article on this subject over on Adventioneering.com on this very subject.

Additional information about rattlesnakes and other snakes native to Washington state can be found on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife site at Living with Wildlife: Snakes.

Summer in Western Washington usually doesn’t start officially (at least weather wise) until July 5 of each year. Today (06.24.07) was no exception. The forecast for the day was for rain and a snow level of 5000 feet.

Since I worked the night before and my wife’s nephew was coming over for dinner, I had to keep the day’s adventure somewhat local from my home. Flipping through the book Washington Byways, I found Tour 49 - High Rock Lookout Loop and it fit perfectly into the day’s time restraints. I loaded up the dog in the Land Cruiser and headed towards the Cascades in hopes of finding some sun above the low hanging clouds.

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Well it looks like another forest service road will soon be off limits for backroad explorations.

Today, the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest was scheduled to close the last 7 of the 25 miles of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road to all motor vehicles. The road will be maintained as a trail for hikers and mountain bikers, resulting in making multiple popular day hikes into overnighters.

The forest service cited “kegger parties”, theft, vandalism and the costs to maintain the road. The closure was also supported by environmental and hiker groups.

Read more at Off Limits: Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road closing this week.

More closures of forest roads are on the horizon. The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is taking public comment on its Recreation Site Facility Master Plan. More than 200 sites are being reviewed in the plan. Public meetings are scheduled. For more information regarding this planning process, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/rsfmp/.

These are photos from various backroad locations throughout the Ohop and Kapowsin areas of Pierce County, Washington.

An article on this adventure will be posted soon.

To view the photos, visit Kapowsin-Ohop Valley Backroads.

Last Sunday (June 24, 2007), I ventured into the High Rock area near Mt. Rainier. The weather was overcast and rain most of the day meaning in no great views of Mt. Rainier. These are the photos I shot on this adventure. Most are taken from the inside of my Toyota Land Cruiser.

High Rock Loop Photos

The complete story of this adventure will be coming soon.

Having recently witnessing first hand what a deer can do to a full size vehicle at highway speeds and considering the locations I travel to and from, I decided it was time to add a little protection to the front of my Toyota FJ80 Land Cruiser.

My needs for protection of the front of Land Cruiser were simple, maximum front end protection from animal strikes and other objects, and a strong point to mount a future winch. Since I’m building my Land Cruiser as an overland expedition type vehicle, there was no need for super high clearance rock crawling bumpers. I wanted a bumper that would increase the chances of reaching my destination if the unthinkable happens.

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After nearly a year of lurking on the Backroad Drivers Northwest group mail list, last Saturday (June 9, 2007), I was finally able to attend one of the organized gatherings of the group.

The planned destination was the Clover Springs and Little Bald Mountain areas off SR 410, near Cliffdell, Washington. I had been to this area before, during the 2005 Pacific Northwest Four Wheel Drive Association (PNW4WDA) annual trail jamboree, but never from the direction we were coming in from. Also, this time of year, there was bound to be snow, which places a whole new twist on the adventure.

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