Historic Naches Pass Trail - August 27-29, 2010

[DaveB]

This trip is postponed to August 27-29, 2010. Details now updated below.

This trip is to central Washington to take a tour of the Historic Naches Pass Trail. It is a BFGoodrich Outstanding Trail and well known as a great place to 4x4. The area is basically the east side of Mt. Rainier and in previous trips the trails in the area have been memorable. You can get an idea of the terrain by checking out the 2005 & 2008 Northwest Challenge albums.

Here's my itinerary:

Take Friday, August 27th off work. Drive down part of the way Thursday evening.

Meeting point Friday 10 AM: (arrive earlier for breakfast so we can depart shortly after 10)

Charlie's Cafe
1335 Roosevelt Ave East
Enumclaw, WA

Google Maps says this is 3 hours and 16 minutes, but obviously its subject to border crossings and traffic. So please don't leave home Friday at 6 AM and expect to meet us there! I suggest leaving Thursday night and finding a place to camp or a cheap motel along the way. (we're coming from the interior so our route is quite different and quite a ways longer)

Departure from main road for Saturday: FS 70, Greenwater lat=47.137556, lon=-121.622839

We start with a gravel approach to a 16 km section of the Historic Naches Trail which is drivable, but rated difficult in places. After this section a gravel road leads out to camp via Highway 410. Total travel of roughly 70 KM from morning meeting point.

Camp on Friday & Saturday night: lat=46.926244, lon=-121.101994

Saturday we head back out to Hwy 410 and head southwards. A right turn and following a gravel road for some ways brings us to the Mud Springs section of the Naches Trail. Today's run is a loop that brings us back out at our camp. Approximately 65 km.

Sunday, you have the choice of exiting to highway 410 and driving home, or going north east to a 3rd section of the Naches trail, the Manastash ridge area, which brings you out at Ellensburg. Several interesting features along the way… Ridgetop views of Mt. Rainier, The Funny Rocks, The Moon Rocks. I estimate we will be in Ellensburg by 2 PM if we break camp at a decent time. From there it is roughly 5-6 hours back to Vancouver.

thanks, Dave

[Doc Tari]

Hi Dave,
This sounds like fun, I'm certainly interested. I've never been there so I looked online for a bit of info and found this link:

http://www.aworc.com/orv-area/Naches-Wagon-Trail.html

[DaveB]

Hi Pete,

I edited my post above with a meeting spot, and turnoffs after talking to Craig.

Hope to hear from a few more that are game for a weekend out.

Dave

[DaveB]

Nobody else interested??

We will likely go straight to the camp on Friday evening, and back to Saturday's meeting spot in the morning. Please let me know if you plan on coming along.

thanks, Dave

[rayhyland]

I am protesting this trip because the last time I entered the USA the border guards were rude to me.

Just kidding, my wife won't let me out to play.

Ray

[DaveB]

This trip is postponed to August 27-29, 2010. Details will be updated soon...

[DaveB]

I've just updated the itinerary for the Naches trip. You have 3 weeks now to convince your boss to give you a day off on Friday August 27th. It was suggested to me that making it on a non-traditional long weekend will avoid many of the traffic headaches associated with long weekend travel.

Please let us know here if you plan on attending.

thanks, Dave

[Bern B]

If its not raining that weekend we will go

Bernie & April

[Bill E.]

Yes Dave,
Same goes for me, no rain please and can you make sure that any forest fire smoke is dissipated by the 27th.
Bill

[DaveB]

:thefinger:

Any other special requests I can assist you with?

:wink:

[DaveB]

Forecast is for occasional showers Friday and Saturday, mostly sunny Sunday. Sounds to me like enough to keep the dust down.

Bill, Bernie, Pete, are you in? Anyone else?

Dave

[Bill E.]

Yes Dave I'm in.
Bill

[PaavScan]

Hi

Just back from Montreal early.

Will start packing n o w...

Bill when doe you plan to head down?

I will take several hours to get ready

[DaveB]

Stuart S has arrived down here at the Kings Value Inn.

Dave

[Bill E.]

Just back late Sunday from this really enjoyable run across what's left of the old Naches Wagon Road. Dave and Pamela, Stuart S. and I had a great time with some of the Northwest Overland Society group. We won't hold the fact that they all drove Toyotas against them. Pictures soon.
Bill