Trip Report: Snow Wheeling 2016/2017

[Scoobienorth]

Thanks for sharing. Good to see the kids out there! I "almost" put an automatic in my Bronco, had both a C4 and a 4R70W on my garage floor at one point. I just couldn't do it and stuck with the NP435. Too bad they don't put V8's in more mid-sized vehicles. Fingers crossed for the 2020 Bronco.

I've got some jk axles to go in and I'm thinking I may go to a 5 speed manual and dual cases to get some gearing when I swap axles as I'll need driveshafts anyways. The auto stinks especially without deep gearing.but for all that work I almost should build a dedicated winter rig that's lighter as the wj works well as is. But it's fun anyways, and as always lots of options

[christensent]

That looks like a pretty cool road. I like the sign sticking out. Are you usually solo on these trips?

Yes, almost always alone. Usually trying to find partners for skiing, so wheeling takes second priority and plans don't get made until day-of. On occasional I'll make plans and post up looking for others to go with.

I usually find it more fun if I have to get myself out unassisted anyways.

[macelius]

Speaking of Tinkham, had a couple good runs all the way up to the lot since the snow fell, but went up there a couple of days ago to poke around for the second time in as many weeks, and there's still a pile of snow blocking the road, in fact there's a new one at exit 47, someone did go around the right side of the blockade at 42 and rutted out the ditch. Anyone know what gives, do they just not want people getting themselves in to trouble up there?

[christensent]

Speaking of Tinkham, had a couple good runs all the way up to the lot since the snow fell, but went up there a couple of days ago to poke around for the second time in as many weeks, and there's still a pile of snow blocking the road, in fact there's a new one at exit 47, someone did go around the right side of the blockade at 42 and rutted out the ditch. Anyone know what gives, do they just not want people getting themselves in to trouble up there?

I would guess DOT was told to block all roads on I90. Most likely as a result of the Franklin Falls disaster. In December there were hundreds of cars "snow wheeling" up the Denny Creek road, getting stuck, needing tows, getting stuck behind fallen trees, and just in general making a mess where nobody could move or get around. This went on for weeks (I like to call it the Denny Creek off-road proving grounds, where everyone goes to drive their pickup in the snow, I even helped push a Prius off the snowy bridge). Then there was a Seattle Times article on the beautiful frozen Franklin Falls and everybody just had to go, and it was just an absolute disaster and now the road is closed for the season (this is not normal, Denny Creek is typically open to wheeling all winter). I bet DOT just blocked everything.

If you have high break-over angle the exit 47 berm is easy to drive over, or if not it's an easy winch over. The exit 42 one is significantly taller and would take some real work to drive over, and the ditch bypass really isn't appropriate or ethical. Don't quote me on this, but as far as I know it's perfectly legal to drive over a berm onto an official road-way that has no sign indicating its closed, no grooming, and no gate.

[Nobody]

I didn't hear about the Franklin Falls disaster. The berms I see around here aren't to block access, just a result of plowing. Are these obvious intentional barriers?

[christensent]

I didn't hear about the Franklin Falls disaster. The berms I see around here aren't to block access, just a result of plowing. Are these obvious intentional barriers?

At least some of them I believe are to discourage entry (although I don't think it's illegal to drive over... they just don't want to go rescue you).

The upper Denny Creek road at Alpental has a truly spectacular pile of snow just right across the road entry and nowhere else. I really don't even know how they made it, it's got to be a solid 20-25ft tall above the snowpack if not more. You'd need large heavy excavation equipment to even dream of driving over it. I've been wanting to hammer a steel bar into the backside of the berm and winch over.

The Tinkham ones are smaller, but again they're just big piles of snow at road entrances but there are no piles anywhere else. There's a chance it's just a coincidental placement of snow but I really doubt it!

[bobracing]

Little more info with a link to the paper article.

http://www.pnwjeep.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=39248

[christensent]

Anyone want to go wheeling on Sunday? Open to locations as far north as Darrington but I think we'd have better luck Stevens or south. Should be lots of fresh snow

[macelius]

Thanks for the info's. The berms are definitely there purposefully, the one at 47 you could drive over for a while so they put another one in front of it. I figured something happened cause I was going up there all last winter and never remember it closed. One could definitely get over with a bit of winch or even some shoveling.

Im up for Sunday, we could open up tinkham, I probably don't have enough tire for what you guys might be up to elsewhere.. I might go poke around there today even, so if you see a silver dodge Raider wave me down.

[macelius]

Tinkham and Denny Creek are still blocked, but Hyak is not, and covered in fresh snow. I could only get so far in before i started sinking off the sides of the packed tracks under the fresh. It's all fresh up on NF-9070-120.

[christensent]

Tinkham and Denny Creek are still blocked, but Hyak is not, and covered in fresh snow. I could only get so far in before i started sinking off the sides of the packed tracks under the fresh. It's all fresh up on NF-9070-120.

Isn't Hyak a groomed ski trail?

[macelius]

I don't think so, Hyak Drive East connects to Nf-9070-120 but i've never been up there in the snow.

Took the fam sledding off exit 42 today. Checked out tinkham and loaned a strap to some guys pulling a jeep back out of the ditch on the side of the berm. Then a big jeep and yota made a bit of a show going straight over them. We actually checked out 47 on our way up the pass to eat just in time to help a renegade that was stuck on the bridge that leads to tinkham (dunno wtf they were doing there) get moving back towards the overpass, and witness the jeep and yota take the berms on the north side, I was pretty amazed they made it through.

[Nobody]

I don't think so, Hyak Drive East connects to Nf-9070-120 but i've never been up there in the snow.

Took the fam sledding off exit 42 today. Checked out tinkham and loaned a strap to some guys pulling a jeep back out of the ditch on the side of the berm. Then a big jeep and yota made a bit of a show going straight over them. We actually checked out 47 on our way up the pass to eat just in time to help a renegade that was stuck on the bridge that leads to tinkham (dunno wtf they were doing there) get moving back towards the overpass, and witness the jeep and yota take the berms on the north side, I was pretty amazed they made it through.

No pictures? Sounds like a good show. I'd like to see those berms.

[Nobody]

Got a little pre game snow wheeling in on Sunday. The snow was great.

[christensent]

Went up Tinkham to the pit, beyond there ruts were only in for another few hundred feet. It was absolutely impossible to break trail. I had no expectations for the day, snowpack was deep bottomless unconsolidated water-saturated slush with a few inches of fresh snow on top. Always a good day when it's snowing though.

Tinkham is now blocked by 4 berms, one small one at the exit and a series of three at the road entrance. There is a slightly off-camber bypass that's not too bad. I imagine DOT will take care of blocking the bypass after the next storm.

[Nobody]

Finally got around to the pics from the last trip.

Gallery: http://www.snowtrek.org/snow-wheeling-20170205/















Wearing my MSR snowshoes with the flotation tails, I was still stinking almost to my knees.

[winter4x]

trying to get out in the snow every weekend. pictures go back as far as the 3rd week of dec. to last week. Most pictures are in Gifford Pinchot National forest south of Mt st Helens and west of Carson.

[Nobody]

Welcome to the forum. Keep 'em coming!

[winter4x]

here is a few from last Sunday .

[Nobody]

Do you have any video of tackling those sidehills?