Over the Hill Mid-Week Tour 09/19/07

[Jerry]

Over the Hill Mid-Week Tour
September 19, 2007

We don't have many mid-week tours, but they are a good idea and we should do more of them. But, this time there was a tad bit short notice. Sid from Renton was the instigator of the Over the Hill Tour and we were working around his schedule.



We met for breakfast at Gold Creek Station near the community of Cliffdell on the Naches River. It was just Sid and I, Jerry from Yakima, on this run and it was a beautiful morning for a road trip.



Our plan was to drive improved Forest Service roads over the mountains from Highway 410 to Interstate 5 and in so doing we would cross Manastash, Taneum and South Cle Elum Ridges. We started on the Lost Creek Road where we became accustomed to the dust that would be with us the rest of the day. At Canteen Flats Sid opened the front flap of the convertible top on his Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. The weather was just too nice!



We turned onto the Bald Mountain Road and followed it to the edge of the National Forest where it became the Barber Springs Road. From there it was downhill, literally. The road was steep and bumpy due to recent construction. We had some nice views on the way down.



At the bottom we turned onto the Manastash Creek Road and enjoyed the scenery as we followed the creek. The road took us past Buck Meadows until it tied in with a couple of other roads that led to Taneum Ridge and eventually to Taneum Creek in the valley beyond.



Next we took a road over South Cle Elum Ridge where the views of the Kittitas Valley were unbeatable. We could see all of the Cle Elum area, forested foothills, Cle Elum Lake and the Stewart Range beyond. Fantastic! We would have spent more time there, but as usual we were running late and we wanted to reach the Old Milwaukee Depot Caf? before it closed. Currently they serve only breakfast and lunch and close at three-o-clock.



The Depot Caf? is located inside the old Milwaukee Railroad Depot in South Cle Elum where it shares space with a small museum. Certainly the historical significance is an attraction, but the main reason we were there was for the good food and reasonable prices. We recommend it.


http://www.thedepotcafe.com/
Owned by the Cascade Rail Foundation
http://www.milwelectric.org/

Our roads were in pretty good shape except for the normal washboard and a few potholes so we were lucky. It was a good trip and good company. Thanks for the suggestion, Sid.

Jerry from Yakima