The Tri-Cities Clubhouse

[PNW EXPLR]

Where you at in the southern blues? Milton-freewater..... Athena??

I'm in the tri cities also. We used to wheel all around Walla walla back in my younger days.

Sounds like a good plan. I know we are so done being cooped up. We went to play in the mud at hover today to get out a little! Ended up rescuing some kids in a tahoe that managed to get high centered in the mud.

The were amazed my little montero could drag their big old Tahoe from the deep mud....lol.
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Joseph, I am so glad you found The Club House!!! We are all wanting an escape thats for sure. Those Montero"s are a super worthy 4x4. Hope to meet you when things open up!

 

[PNW EXPLR]

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Still have some buttoning up to do, but there's a first look. The winch sits in there really tight and it goes back together like a jigsaw puzzle. You can see I got a little carried away trimming the grill for the clutch release good thing I have another grill at home, I can give a version 2.0. I'll run it like this until I figure out what i want to do for filler plates and lights

Dustin, This looks freaking amazing!!!

 

[PNW EXPLR]

Hey Guys, just a quick update. Still in Wyoming. Super focused on trying to complete my cabin, but, did find a little time to explore...

 

[4Wheelexplorer]

Hey Guys, just a quick update. Still in Wyoming. Super focused on trying to complete my cabin, but, did find a little time to explore...
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Nice area, truck too. Yours is aspiration for my poor little 1500 when she grows up :) Get that cabin done!

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

Hey Guys, just a quick update. Still in Wyoming. Super focused on trying to complete my cabin, but, did find a little time to explore...
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Looks nice out there! I had to bail on the blues this weekend for work, but hopefully I can get out Saturday and maybe head Naches direction for a night or 2

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

Dustin, This looks freaking amazing!!!

Thanks! I think painting the sheet metal that you can see through the tubes really helped to clean up the look. While I was at it I also paint the inside of the wheel wells black, that really helped also after having trimmed them as far as I did. On that topic, just screwing around today I drove up our loading ramp to flex the suspension and see what I had for clearance. About the time I spun out the rear tire was stuffed and rubbing hard but the front had all sorts of room.

 

[4Wheelexplorer]

Looks nice out there! I had to bail on the blues this weekend for work, but hopefully I can get out Saturday and maybe head Naches direction for a night or 2

You are not alone on the Blues this weekend, would love to go help, but wife had knee surgery on Tuesday, think I am stuck to armchair exploring for a while, can't leave her stranded at home. Naches should be getting better, lots of snow out there three weeks ago, but it is getting warmer everyday.

 

[PNW EXPLR]

Thanks! I think painting the sheet metal that you can see through the tubes really helped to clean up the look. While I was at it I also paint the inside of the wheel wells black, that really helped also after having trimmed them as far as I did. On that topic, just screwing around today I drove up our loading ramp to flex the suspension and see what I had for clearance. About the time I spun out the rear tire was stuffed and rubbing hard but the front had all sorts of room.

Was the front sway bar limiting articulation up front?

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

Was the front sway bar limiting articulation up front?

Yes it was, I don't have a disconnect set up yet. But I ran some trails this weekend and it did pretty well for being connected.

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

You are not alone on the Blues this weekend, would love to go help, but wife had knee surgery on Tuesday, think I am stuck to armchair exploring for a while, can't leave her stranded at home. Naches should be getting better, lots of snow out there three weeks ago, but it is getting warmer everyday.

I was out Naches direction 2 weeks ago and just got home from there, big difference on the trails I went up for only 2 weeks. I was able to get all the way across Bethel ridge, still snow in places and a lot of mud probably wouldn't have tried it if I hadn't got the winch on. I'll post up some pics, the track and a run down on it later

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

Since we couldn't make the trip in the Blues we headed over Naches direction, ended up camping up past Bumping Lake at the horse camp on FS 1800. Tried to make it up 1809 to Granite lake and miners ridge but still too much snow, also ran un Deep creek rd but it was snowed in about 1/2 mile from Copper city. Here's some pics of the area.

Sunday we head back east on hwy 410 to Nile to head to Bethel ridge. It was all FS roads up to the trail head and clear for the most part, there was one section maybe 100 yards long blocked with about 10 down trees but there was a bypass up the hill into a clear cut. Bypass was doable if you had some ground clearance but probably not for a stock rig. Once you leave the ridge and start getting into the trees there was a 3-4 mile section that still had a good amount of snow in places and a lot of mud, I probably would have turned around if I hadn't got the winch on. Got into one spot where I slide off into a big hole and ended up sideways in the trail, no winching but I tore off a valve stem on a hidden long getting out. Once out of that section it clears up back to rocky FS roads. While I was changing my tire a couple rigs from a local 4x club came by, bs'd with them for a bit, they say when its dry in the summer it's a 2wd trail.... but it was far from dry. Anyone wanting to run the full thing in a stock rig should wait a month or so. Anyway, less reading more pics!

Here is the track for the route I took, there is a couple of side roads I took off of the loop. One was closed a ways in by a rock slide but worth the run in for the view. The other two were block with snow but also some great views.

GaiaGPS - Bethel Ridge loop

In and out at Nile off of hwy 410

www.gaiagps.com

 

[JL Lou]

Did you do the whole loop? Looks like a great time. I did the bethel ridge half last year or the year before...

Your Bumper turned out fantastic!

Thanks for all the pictures. Looks like a fun trip.

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

Thanks about the bumper! Its growing on me and after last weekend I know it holds up to "tapping" a tree!

Ya i did the whole loop I posted. There was a couple of the off shoot roads I wanted to go down but they were snowed in. Other than that it was only a short section on the ridge that had snow and lots of mud. It's a pretty awesome drive, I'm planning on doing the same or similar trip later this summer so I can get to the places blocked by snow. Was thinking get a group together and do it as a meet up/OB trip if there is enough interest.

 

[JL Lou]

well, for me it will depend on the weekend, but sounds like a fun trip. I have done Bethel ridge to Nile before. That is part of the WABDR. Actuall both sections that you did are, Bethel ridge is the hard part, and the other way is the bypass.

 

[MrWilsonWJ]

well, for me it will depend on the weekend, but sounds like a fun trip. I have done Bethel ridge to Nile before. That is part of the WABDR. Actuall both sections that you did are, Bethel ridge is the hard part, and the other way is the bypass.

There is a couple other areas I really want to get into up there the more I talk to people that know the area. There is one spot near where I camped that multiple people have told me has amazing views and a camp ground on a lake pretty close to it. That and the abundance of trails has me wanting to go back, that area might just turn into my go to exploration spot for this summer.

What is your schedule looking like for the next couple months, every weekend? every other? Sounds like the blues/Skyline is starting to open up, might be able to run it here in a couple weeks. I talked with a lady that has a place near Tollgate and she said they almost made it to the warming shed above Lake Jubilee last weekend. There was still drifts in the shaded spots that ended up blocking the road but most the rest of it was clear. Might be fun to run it with just a little snow left to make things interesting and give us a few challenges. Let me know if you have a free weekend mid June and want to make a trip up there.

Last time you ran Bethel ridge did you get up there coming from Hwy 12? If so did you take the FS road or the trail? I know there is a few ways to get there off of 12 but never gone that way, kind of curious what the road is like.

 

[PNW EXPLR]

Since we couldn't make the trip in the Blues we headed over Naches direction, ended up camping up past Bumping Lake at the horse camp on FS 1800. Tried to make it up 1809 to Granite lake and miners ridge but still too much snow, also ran un Deep creek rd but it was snowed in about 1/2 mile from Copper city. Here's some pics of the area.
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Sunday we head back east on hwy 410 to Nile to head to Bethel ridge. It was all FS roads up to the trail head and clear for the most part, there was one section maybe 100 yards long blocked with about 10 down trees but there was a bypass up the hill into a clear cut. Bypass was doable if you had some ground clearance but probably not for a stock rig. Once you leave the ridge and start getting into the trees there was a 3-4 mile section that still had a good amount of snow in places and a lot of mud, I probably would have turned around if I hadn't got the winch on. Got into one spot where I slide off into a big hole and ended up sideways in the trail, no winching but I tore off a valve stem on a hidden long getting out. Once out of that section it clears up back to rocky FS roads. While I was changing my tire a couple rigs from a local 4x club came by, bs'd with them for a bit, they say when its dry in the summer it's a 2wd trail.... but it was far from dry. Anyone wanting to run the full thing in a stock rig should wait a month or so. Anyway, less reading more pics!
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Here is the track for the route I took, there is a couple of side roads I took off of the loop. One was closed a ways in by a rock slide but worth the run in for the view. The other two were block with snow but also some great views.

GaiaGPS - Bethel Ridge loop

In and out at Nile off of hwy 410

www.gaiagps.com

Thank for sharing your trip and the track! The views are amazin.

 

[JL Lou]

well, for me it will depend on the weekend, but sounds like a fun trip. I have done Bethel ridge to Nile before. That is part of the WABDR. Actuall both sections that you did are, Bethel ridge is the hard part, and the other way is the bypass.

There is a couple other areas I really want to get into up there the more I talk to people that know the area. There is one spot near where I camped that multiple people have told me has amazing views and a camp ground on a lake pretty close to it. That and the abundance of trails has me wanting to go back, that area might just turn into my go to exploration spot for this summer.

What is your schedule looking like for the next couple months, every weekend? every other? Sounds like the blues/Skyline is starting to open up, might be able to run it here in a couple weeks. I talked with a lady that has a place near Tollgate and she said they almost made it to the warming shed above Lake Jubilee last weekend. There was still drifts in the shaded spots that ended up blocking the road but most the rest of it was clear. Might be fun to run it with just a little snow left to make things interesting and give us a few challenges. Let me know if you have a free weekend mid June and want to make a trip up there.

Last time you ran Bethel ridge did you get up there coming from Hwy 12? If so did you take the FS road or the trail? I know there is a few ways to get there off of 12 but never gone that way, kind of curious what the road is like.

I came off of rt 12. Bethel ridge road. It’s right after the ranger maintenance station if your heading west

 

[PNW EXPLR]

Nice area, truck too. Yours is aspiration for my poor little 1500 when she grows up :) Get that cabin done!

Hey thanks Bret. It’s been a long road, the truck and the cabin.

 

[PNW EXPLR]

Quick little update,

It’s been pretty hot the last several days. Between hand digging a trench for a footing for a retaining wall to help support my road, and the cabin, I was needing an escape, mostly just the AC in the truck. Here’s a couple pic’s from today. I choose these pics because of the contrast of terrain that Wyoming has. These 2 spots are only about 20 miles apart.


The 4 hour run was not a complete holiday, needed to collect a bunch of large rocks for the wall.
I hope you all are doing well. Hope to be back soon, at least that’s what I am telling my other half!

 

[M Rose]

Quick little update,

It’s been pretty hot the last several days. Between hand digging a trench for a footing for a retaining wall to help support my road, and the cabin, I was needing an escape, mostly just the AC in the truck. Here’s a couple pic’s from today. I choose these pics because of the contrast of terrain that Wyoming has. These 2 spots are only about 20 miles apart.
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The 4 hour run was not a complete holiday, needed to collect a bunch of large rocks for the wall.
I hope you all are doing well. Hope to be back soon, at least that’s what I am telling my other half!

I think you got a spec of dust on your truck