Scouting The Whiskey Dick Road Management Area - 05.16.2008

[Steve]

Jerry, Since you posted tonight, I'm guessing you're roughing it in a hotel tonight.

Steve

[Jerry]

Sorry, that is privileged information until the trip report comes out!

[backwoods3]

My wife and I lived in Kittitas for two years while she was attending C W U, and we went up in this very area quite often! Its fun to watch the video and remember! Hope to do it all again soon. Would be fun to get together with a bunch from here and go do it next spring or summer.

[Jerry]

My wife and I lived in Kittitas for two years while she was attending C W U, and we went up in this very area quite often! Its fun to watch the video and remember! Hope to do it all again soon. Would be fun to get together with a bunch from here and go do it next spring or summer.

Let's set a date and make it happen!

[ejgdmk]

could this area be accessed in the winter time?

[backwoods3]

When we lived over there, we rarely got enough snow to prevent you from going through most of the roads in that area. Never know though, might have quite a bit there on some years. I'd say go for it! Just check the local sow fall for Kittitas county and judge by that.

[hutchman]

We tried to run from there to Wenatchee in the spring a couple of years ago and could not get through. My guess is you could now, as there has not been much snow, but later it would be tough.

[Jerry]

could this area be accessed in the winter time?

Originally Posted by backwoods3
When we lived over there, we rarely got enough snow to prevent you from going through most of the roads in that area. Never know though, might have quite a bit there on some years. I'd say go for it! Just check the local sow fall for Kittitas county and judge by that.

Like backwoods3 says, check the local weather first. There can be several feet of snow in the canyons and high drifts in other places. The wind pretty much blows the snow off the higher ridges.

I don't know for sure when backwoods3 ran those roads, but construction of the new Wildhorse Wind Farm caused the closure of 14 sections of land (8,960 acres) including all of Whiskey Dick Mountain. Plus, there has been another change in the past couple of years. Starting last year the entire Whiskey Dick Road Management Area (RMA), from the old Vantage Highway on the south to Quilomene Ridge on the north and from the wind farm at Whiskey Dick Mountain on the west to the Columbia River on the east, closes from February 1 to April 30. It is a 2-year regulation that may or may not continue beyond 2009. Personally I would expect the winter closure to continue as there has been serious talk of closing the Whiskey Dick RMA permanently.

The Quilomene and Colockum RMA's are open year-around and as Hutch mentioned they get snowed-in at higher elevations as is typical of the Colockum Road between the Kittitas Valley and the Malaga area near Wenatchee.

My advice is get in there before the snow flies and make sure to bring another vehicle with you. When it gets wet those dirt roads turn to gumbo and getting stuck is all a part of the experience. Otherwise hold off until it dries out in mid to late May. Also, the Whiskey Dick, Quilomene and Colockum RMA's are green dot areas. All roads are assumed closed unless marked with a white route marker affixed with a round green reflector.

If you want a free map showing the Green Dot roads call the Department of Natural Resources in Ellensburg at 509-925-8510.

[backwoods3]

I'ts been about three years since we have been up in there. So it has obviously changed! I for one get real sick and tired of hearing about more road closures every time we turn aroundGRRRRRRRRRRR Makes one wonder where our tax dollars are being spent (other than on government BAILOUTS!) Just another way to control us and take away our freedoms one by one. nuf said.

[Jerry]

I'ts been about three years since we have been up in there. So it has obviously changed! I for one get real sick and tired of hearing about more road closures every time we turn aroundGRRRRRRRRRRR Makes one wonder where our tax dollars are being spent (other than on government BAILOUTS!) Just another way to control us and take away our freedoms one by one. nuf said.

DITTO!