Exploring the Washington Okanogan – 07.09.2009
Day Three – Thursday, July 9, 2009
After breakfast, my cousin Frank and I decided a little road trip was in order. So we loaded up the Land Cruiser with our two dogs headed out to do a little exploring in the Okanogan area. Using Tour 12 in the book Washington Byways as guide, we took off for Lone Frank Pass.
From the town of Conconully, Washington we drove up the North Fork Salmon Creek Road (FS-38) to Salmon Meadows and FS-3820. FS-3820 climbs steadily from the valley, through forest, aspen groves and open grassland and clear cuts. On this section of FS-3820, there are great views of dry steppe lands to the East.
Eventually, FS-3820 enters the Loomis State Forest and passes over Lone Frank Pass (elevation +6300 feet). Near Lone Frank Pass, you enter into a vast area that I believe burned in the Tiffany Springs Fire in 2006 (if anybody can confirm this, I will update this post). From Lone Frank Pass, it’s a short descent to FS-39 where we stopped and were eaten alive by mosquitos in a just a few minutes time.
Once we were on FS-39, we followed it North towards Long Swamp. Most of this section of FS-39 is within area burned in the Tiffany Springs fire. Along the way, we passed by a expansive views of the Washington Cascades, Thunder Mountain, and overlook of the Twentymile Meadows below. A little further up FS-39, the road goes right through the middle of Thirtymile Meadows where there is a shelter along the side of the road built and maintained by one of the local snowmobile groups.
After Thirtymile Meadows, FS-39 passes by Corral Butte and descends to Long Swamp. From Long Swamp (which looks like a mosquito haven), FS-39 becomes a paved road descends in an Easterly direction and turns into the Toats Coulee Road as it follows Toats Coulee down into the Sinlahekin Valley just South of Palmer Lake, near Loomis, Washington.
After quick stop for a snack at the store in Loomis, we headed South on the Sinlahekin Road – County Road 4015 (Tour 16 in the book Washington Byways) for the approximately 22 mile trip back to Conconully.
The Sinlahekin Valley is a deep, approximately 17 mile North-South glacial valley that extends from Loomis on the North to Fish Lake on the South. The Sinlahekin Road is a well maintained gravel road that passes through the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area passing farmlands and multiple lakes (including Stadium Lake, Conners lake, Forde Lake and Blue Lake). At Fish Lake, we continued South on Road 4015 as it climbed to Sugarloaf Lake and then to Conconully Lake and the town of Conconully.
After a day on the road, the spaghetti dinner we had sure tasted good. After dinner, it was a time for relaxation and a little fishing. Again, all I caught were small bass, but at least I was catching fish. Small fish on a light action pole is fun any day.
Note: This is the third 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: aspen, bass, blue lake, conconully, conners lake, corral butte, dry steppe, farmlands, fire, fish lake, forde lake, forest, grassland, lakes, land cruiser, landcruiser, lands, lone frank pass, long swamp, loomis, loomis state forest, meadows, mosquitos, okanogan, palmer lake, salmon meadows, shelter, sinlahekin, sinlahekin valley, sinlahekin wildlife area, snowmobile, stadium lake, sugarloaf lake, thirtymile meadows, thunder mountain, tiffany springs, toats coulee, twentymile meadows, washington, washington cascades, wildland fire
Trip Report: All Wheelers Off Road Club Naches Pass Run, Washington – 10.04.2008
Photo courtesy of Ceg
On Saturday, October 4, 2008, the folks from the All Wheelers Off Road Club got together in the Little Naches area just outside Clifdell, Washington for a 4×4 run over Naches Pass.
Ceg posted up his trip report and some great photos at All Wheelers “Wagons East!” Naches Pass Run (Oct 4th, 2008)
Categories: Adventures Tags: 4wd, 4x4, all wheelers off road club, cliffdell, naches, naches pass, naches trail, pacific northwest, washington, washington cascades
Sunrise at Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington – 09.29.07
Last Saturday (September 29, 2007), we decided a make a predawn trip to Sunrise at Mt Rainier National Park in Washington state to take photos of the rising sun on the mountain.
We were experiencing rain showers when we left our home in the early morning. Luckily for us, the higher in elevation we gained, the clearer the weather became.
Once we entered the national park and passed the White River Ranger station, we started to see patches of snow on the road. Once we arrived in the Sunrise parking lot, it was blanketed with several inches of the seasons’ first snow fall. We could clearly see the outline of Mt Rainier through the darkness.
From the main visitors center, we climbed the ridge and followed it toward Mt. Rainier to the Frozen Lake viewpoint, taking photos along the way.
On our way back to the parking lot, the clouds started rolling in and by the time we got back to the visitors center, the mountain was completely obscured by clouds.
All summer long, I had wanted to get up in the early morning hours and make the trip to Sunrise in order to take photos of the sun rising on Mt. Rainier. The wait for this experience was worth it, with excellent lighting, the first snow of the season and clear weather.
You can view the photos taken on this trip at Mt Rainier National Park 09.29.2007.
Categories: Adventures Tags: cascade mountains, cascades, mount rainier, mt rainier, mt rainier national park, national park, outdoors, park, snow, sunrise, washington, washington cascades
Categories: Off Track Tags: alpine, cascade mountains, cascades, mountains, mt rainier, national park, northwest, pacific northwest, paradise, park, sunrise, washington cascades, winter
Trip Report: Washington Cascades Overland Tour 2007 – Day Four (08.13.07)
Todays goal is to drive from Cooper Mountain Lookout (near Chelan, Washington) to Chopaka (border with British Columbia).
Categories: Adventures Tags: baldy pass, bavarian, big twin lake, black pine lake, border, boulder creek, british columbia, buttermilk creek, camp, camping, campsite, cascades, chelan, chewuch river, chopaka, columbia basin, conconully, cooper mountain, cooper ridge, dog creek, elbow coulee, expedition, fish, forest, forest service, gold creek, gold ridge, leavenworth, libby creek, lone frank pass, long swamp, lookout, loomis, meadows, methow, national forest, nighthawk, okanogan, okanogan national forest, oroville, overland, palmer lake, salmon creek, salmon meadows, sawtooth ridge, snowmobile, thirtymile meadows, tour, touring, trip, twenty mile meadows, twisp river, washington, washington cascades, wildlife, wildlife area, winthrop
Photos: Washington Cascade Mountains Overland Tour 2007 – Day Four
These photos were taken between Cooper Mountain Lookout (near Chelan, Washington), through Winthrop, Conconully to Chopaka (the border with British Columbia).
Categories: Photos Tags: adventure, british columbia, cascade mountains, cascades, chelan, chopaka, conconully, cooper mountin, lookout, overland, photographs, photography, Photos, tour, washington, washington cascades, winthrop
Trip Report: Washington Cascades Overland Tour 2007 – Day Two (08.11.07)
Daily Goal: To Drive from Babyshoe Pass (on FS-23 near Mt. Adams) to Cle Elum, Washington (I-90) via Bethel Ridge and Manastash Ridge.
Categories: Adventures Tags: 4wd, 4x4, 80-series, adventure, arb, babyshoe pass, barber springs, bethel ridge, blewett pass, buck meadow, camp, camping, carson, cascade mountains, cascades, cle elum, expedition, fj80, forest, four wheel drive, gifford pinchot, hugo lake, jim sprick, land cruiser, landcruiser, liberty, manastash, mt adams, mt hood, mt rainier, naches, national forest, nile, oak creek, overland, packwood, park, Photos, quartz mountain, rattlesnake creek, rimrock lake, takhlakh lake, taneum creek, teanaway, tillman creek, tour, toyota, trip, washington, washington cascades, wenatchee, white pass, wildlife
