Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.11.2009
Day Five – Saturday, July 11, 2009
The day we had to depart Conconully, Washington had arrived. It was time to pack up the Toyota Land Cruiser and be checked out by Noon.
After saying our goodbyes, we headed into Okanogan for fuel and started heading South on US-97. We then made unplanned route change and decided to go home over the more scenic North Cascades Highway (SR-20).
From Okanogan, SR-20 climbs over Loup Loup Summit and then descends into the Methow Valley at Twisp where we stopped for lunch. After leaving, we drove through WInthrop and got coffee at a local stand. While waiting for coffee, I spoke to a reader of this site (who is also an 80-series land Cruiser owner) who was attending a Subaru club run. As usual for a sunny summer Saturday, Winthrop was very busy. Without stopping we continued on Westbound, following the Methow River with all rafters and tubers floating the river.
From Mazama, SR-20 steadily climbs into the North Cascades with beautiful views of the Alp-like mountains and Ross Lake on the West side. We stopped at one of the Ross lake viewpoints and realized how hot the temperature really was. It was warmer there than during any of our time in the past week in Eastern Washington.
Near Rockport, we drove past the Cascadian Farms where there was sign for “homemade ice cream” so we had to make a stop. I had organic strawberry ice cream which I had to say was probably the best I’ve ever had. It was very hot in Rockport as well, just add the humidity. I’ll take the dry heat over the humid heat any day. From Rockport we, followed SR-20 to Burlington and then South on I-5 to our home in Edgewood.
We only had a few days to spend in Conconully and I could have easily spent weeks exploring the area. There is so much history in the area that I only sampled a few sites. It’s nice to visit an area that most of the roads are open to vehicle travel with very few restrictions. In fact, many of the forest service roads (and the town of Conconully) are open to quads, making to it an ATV paradise. I only wish some other government agencies and private land owners in Washington state would open up access to some of the other available lands.
The town of Conconully probably has a higher mule deer population within the town limits than permanent residents. I saw more three three point or better mule deer bucks on this trip than in my entire life combined. I’m sure these prized bucks know when to disappear in the Fall.
The whole family made the decision that we’re all going back next year for sure. Just got to budget for a little longer stay next time around.
Note: This is the fifth and final installment of a five part series on our family trip to Conconully, Washington in July 2009.
Part 1: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.07.2009
Part 2: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.08.2009
Part 3: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.09.2009
Part 4: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.10.2009
Part 5: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.11.2009
Categories: Adventures Tags: Access, atv, burlington, cascadian farms, conconully, eastern washington, edgewood, forest service, land cruiser, loup loup summit, mazama, methow river, methow valley, mountains, mule deer, north cascades, north cascades highway, okanogan, quads, roads, rockport, ross lake, toyota, twisp, washington, washington state, winthrop
Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.08.2009
Day Two – Wednesday, July 8, 2009
After a relaxing and leisurely morning in Conconully, Washington, we followed my cousin Frank and his wife Diane on their quad up to the Buck Mountain Lookout.
From the Shady Pines Resort, the Buck Mountain Lookout (48° 26′11N 119° 49′15W) is approximately a 15 mile drive (give or take a few miles) on mostly well maintained gravel road. From the West Fork Salmon Creek Road (County Rd. 2017), the road becomes NF-42 (Okanogan National Forest).
Somewhere in the vicinity of 48° 26′33N 119° 50′17W ( give or take a mile or so – I did not record the location with my GPS) there is a road to the left that leads to a gravel pit (I can’t remember if it’s marked or not – it’s not on the forest service map or my GPS). This road winds through the forest, passes a seasonal pond, then begins to climb and eventually meets up with Buck Mountain Road (that leads to the 6135 foot elevation summit and lookout tower. The last section of the road requires a high clearance vehicle (preferably four wheel drive to prevent causing damage to the loose road surface).
From the summit of Buck Mountain, you have a 360 degree view of the the surrounding countryside. From the forested mountains to the drier lands to the East and South. The lookout tower at the summit (maintained by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources) is a 20 foot tall wooded structure that is used for emergency use only. From the information I could find, the existing tower was built in 1961 and is listed on National Register of Historic places. Unfortunately (but probably a good thing), access to tower is restricted to DNR personnel.
Note: You can also drive to the Buck Mountain Lookout from SR-20. Its about 15 miles West of Okanogan, Washington just before Loup Loup Summit. The Buck Mountain Lookout trip is listed as Tour 30 in the book Washington Byways: Backcountry Drives For The Whole Family available HERE.
On the way back to Conconully, my wife experienced here first ride on a quad (as a passenger). from the smile on her face, I think she had a great time.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing. We did a little fishing where my daughter caught here first trout – one of the few caught from shore. Since the trout fishing was slow, I played around with an old Mepps spinner I had and caught quite a few small bass.
Note: This is the second installment of a five part series on our family trip to Conconully, Washington in July 2009.
Part 1: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.07.2009
Part 2: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.08.2009
Part 3: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.09.2009
Part 4: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.10.2009
Part 5: Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.11.2009
Categories: Adventures Tags: 4wd, 4x4, backcountry, bass, buck mountain, buck mountain lookout, conconully, dnr, fishing, forest, forest service, four wheel drive, gps, lookout, lookout tower, loup loup summit, map, mepps spinner, mountains, national forest, national register of historic places, okanogan, okanogan lookout, okanogan national forest, quad, seasonal pond, shady pines resort, summit, trout, washington, washington lookout
Little Tahoma (Mt Rainier, Washington)
Little Tahoma as viewed from Sunrise, Mt, Rainier National Park, Washington
Categories: Photos Tags: cascades, little tahoma, mountains, mt rainier, washington
Goat Island Mountain
Goat Island Mountain (Mt. Rainier) as viewed from Sunrise, Mt, Rainier National Park, Washington.
You can read about this trip at Sunrise at Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.
Categories: Photos Tags: cascades, goat island mountain, mountains, mt rainier, washington
Mt. Rainier Fall Sunrise
Mt. Rainier captured during an early fall sunrise just after the first snow near Sunrise.
You can read about this trip at Sunrise at Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.
Categories: Photos Tags: cascades, mountains, mt rainier, sunrise, washington
Categories: Off Track Tags: alpine, cascade mountains, cascades, mountains, mt rainier, national park, northwest, pacific northwest, paradise, park, sunrise, washington cascades, winter
Deception Pass to Cape Flattery, Washington – Sept 8-9, 2007
Trip report and photos of a recent family road trip from Deception Pass on Whidbey Island to Port Townsend, Lake Crescent and Cape Flattery, Washington from September 8-9, 2007.
Categories: Adventures Tags: alpine, beach, burlington, cape flattery, clallam bay, deception pass, discovery bay, ferry, fidalgo bay, fj80, forest, indian reservation, keystone, kloshe nanitch, lake, lake crescent, land cruiser, landcruiser, lighthouse, lookout, makah, mountains, national forest, national park, neah bay, north beach, oak harbor, ocean, olympic mountains, olympic national forest, olympic national park, olympic peninsula, padilla bay, park, photo, port angeles, port townsend, rain forest, river, seattle, sekiu, sequim, shoreline, sol duc river, state park, tatoosh island, toyota, trail, trailhead, us 101, vancouver island, washington, waterfront, whidbey island
