Taneum to Skull Springs, 11/10/07

[Jerry]

Taneum to Skull Springs
November 10, 2007

I love it when weather forecasters predict rain and it doesn't. And it didn't. We had an absolutely beautiful fall day and a darned good turnout of backroad drivers when we met at the Cottage Café in Cle Elum, Washington. Our hearty group consisted of:

+ Ed from Clarkston and Bill from Ellensburg in Ed's Dodge pickup

+ Bill & Jolleen from Kirkland in their modified Early Ford Bronco

+ Kelly from Eatonville in his Jeep JK Wrangler

+ Elisha (formerly from Kenya) with friends Sam (formerly from Kenya), Battulga (formerly from Mongolia) and Laura (formerly from Mongolia), all now calling Bellevue home, in Elisha's Nissan Xterra

+ Steve and his son Steven and daughter Korinne from Edgewood in Steve's expedition style Toyota Land Cruiser

+ and me, Jerry from Yakima, in my modified Ford Bronco II


THE MORNING

We were a half-hour late in getting away from the restaurant so we dispensed with the more scenic Peoh Point Road and zoomed up the freeway to the Thorp Prairie Interchange. That's where you may have seen a full-size metal silhouette of an elk standing in someones field. You have to do a double take to decide whether it is real or a silhouette.

At the end of the off ramp we turned on a gravel road that took us to an entrance into the L. T. Murray State Wildlife and Recreation Area. All roads open to public travel within the wildlife area are marked with a green dot on a white post. It's referred to as the "Green Dot System". I had the most current map of the area showing highlighted Green Dot roads, but the Department of Fish and Wildlife can change the status of those roads annually depending upon animal migration and other factors. Long story short, we followed green dot roads, but they did not always conform to the map. It didn't bother us because we were exploring anyway, but it did put a crimp in the tour plans I had made prior to the trip. Before we left Cle Elum I jokingly told everybody I had planned the tour during a gas station stop and as it turns out I think they believed me!

The first road was pretty much in the lowlands surrounded by a sparse pine forest with evidence of recent logging activity. The road was relatively smooth as compared to most unimproved roads under Washington State jurisdiction. The map indicated it was a dead end and we were hoping it would stop on a hill above the Indian John Rest Area where we might pick up a nice view of the valley. But, it ended up going down hill instead and it was not a dead-end as it connected with a power line road that eventually took us to the Peoh Point Road and back to the interchange where we started.

Entering the wildlife area at the same entrance as earlier in the day we veered off on a different fork that led up hill as we drove under a mixed forest canopy of deciduous and conifer trees. We had been making frequent rest stops where we spent time to get acquainted and take some pictures. Most of us had cameras, but Kelly, Steve and Steven were packing professional photographic gear. Steven was the most enthusiastic photographer, taking advantage of rest stops to walk long distances ahead, get just the right shot and get picked up when the group caught up to him. Not that Kelly and Steve wouldn't have done the same (ahem), but they were busy driving. After one of the rest stops we started off again only to be turned around by encroaching brush and a very rough road. Our vehicles were equipped to drive the trail, but they were too nice to be scratched up by protruding branches. So we went back to the last intersection and continued on our journey.

(Continued in THE AFTERNOON segment)

[Jerry]

Taneum to Skull Springs
November 10, 2007


THE AFTERNOON

The road followed some "911" signs that had been tacked to trees along our route. Somebody had painted "911" with a directional arrow on white cardboard. Bill, our local color narrator, suggested the temporary signs probably marked the way to a new 911 Emergency Transmitter Tower on a hill above Cle Elum. And he was probably correct, but we never got to see the tower or whatever view may have been possible from the site. We were driving a narrow, two-track road and unceremoniously came to a locked gate. There was no turnaround provided so everyone had to look for a wide spot and do a 6-point turn before heading back down the hill. As we turned onto another road at the intersection near the bottom of the hill, Bill and Ed notified us via the CB radio that they were breaking off and heading home for some pressing business. I don't know, maybe it was our brand of deodorant, or maybe Ed was getting tired of making multiple point turns in that big Dodge pickup. Hmmm? Anyway, we were happy that they could join us for as long as they did.

The rest of us continued down the remaining fork and soon came upon a residential community. Somehow, someplace we had driven out of the wildlife area and back to civilization. So much for my plans and the map! We were in a private community of 2-plus acre lots with every conceivable type of abode imaginable. We drove a paved road to where it tied in with, wouldn't you know it, the Peoh Point Road. For the second time!

Once again we drove back to and crossed the Thorp Prairie Interchange over Interstate 90 and entered the L. T. Murray once again. This time we took a different entrance, right next to the elk silhouette. This road was bumpy with heavy pit run rock. We drove slow and easy, enjoying the territorial view as we climbed in elevation. During a rest break we heard some shooting in the distance. Was it still hunting season? It sounded more like target practice.

The road took us through Morrison Canyon until it reached the top of South Cle Elum Ridge where we were rewarded with a fantastic view of Taneum Creek Canyon, Taneum Ridge and the mountains beyond. We drove the crest of the ridge for a short distance before turning off on a branch that wound its way down the mountain offering us choices of which sides of deep ruts to follow. It was a neat road, but you had to keep your eyes on it while enjoying the scenery at the same time.

We reached the paved Taneum Canyon Road at the bottom of the hill and drove it for about a mile before turning off on the Shadow Creek Road. Interestingly enough, both Steve's and my GPS receivers indicated the name of the road as the Quartz Mountain Road. It was a dead end road with a locked gate. We could see it continue beyond the gate and it probably connected to a road by the same name near Tamarack Springs, clearly a direct line toward Quartz Mountain. Chances are it was the main road at one time. We stopped again to shoot the breeze and take in the territorial view before heading back to the pavement.

Shadows were getting long and we had only an hour remaining before sunset, but we took time to drive one last road and it was a beaut. It was the Moonlight Canyon Road that started out bumpy and rutted, turned smooth as it climbed the face of a steep drop-off, made some turns into rocky ruts and eventually opened up to a steady steep climb over a shale rock two-track roadway. And we enjoyed a nice view all the way to the top. The road continued rocky and rutted all the way up and over the ridge and back down the other side. It was the only road of the day to test the abilities of our SUV's. Fun road!

It wasn't long before we reached pavement near our now infamous freeway interchange. Here is where we ended the tour and said our goodbyes. It was a good day and I sincerely thank everyone for coming.

Jerry from Yakima

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BACKROAD DRIVERS NORTHWEST

[Steve]

Very nicely written.

I'll have some pictures loaded by Tuesday.

It was a great time for anybody who missed it.

Steve

[Steve]

I now have the pictures I took uploaded and viewable at L.T. Murray Wildlife Area



Well below the number of photos I usually take.

Steve