A quick ride in Capitol Forest

So we took the B line in Capitol Forest just to get out and see the woods on a nice clear cool day. We took a side trail out to a logging landing and this was the view, we could see one of the cooling towers from the abandoned Satop power plant in the far distance.  We also saw six black tail deer one of which was a fawn still with its spots for camouflage one grouse and a couple of red tailed hawks! A real fun day.

Capitol forest

A view of Satsop in the distance

From The Green River Country store to Bethal Ridge

This was a long planned trip starting in Tumwater WA and going through Enumclaw WA to the Green river area. From there we took forest service roads to the 410 HWY near Nile WA and then on up to Bethel Ridge. From Bethel Ridge we went to White Pass via HWY 12 and on home. The four photos below are provided by Steve.

Mount Rainier with out the usual clouds.

FS 7080 to FS 1900On the way to Bethel Ridge
On Bethel Ridge at almost 6,000 foot elevation looking down to HWY 12.

This is a earthen dam creating Rimrock lake of which we were detoured around to get home.

Exploring Again and Recording a route over Stampede Pass WA

So Steve and I took most of the day starting with breakfast at Chick Fil A in Puyallup WA then on to Greenwater and turned off at NF 70 to come out at Easton and Hwy ! 90. It was pavement for a while and then gravel roads and more gravel roads up to 5,000 feet elevation and back down to around 2,000 feet elevation. It was a lot of fun and Steve has a true GPX of the main road now so he will explore spur roads and other points of interest on his motor cycle. For another time we lost some railroad tracks on the I 90 side of the trip but we will figure out where they are hiding!!

This was the best scenic area for taking pictures on the whole trip and the fog burned off just at the right time for Mount Rainier to be visible with some low clouds hanging on.

Appears from the clouds

Steve caught me getting out of the Jeep.

Three action shots in the same area just for fun.

And a copy of our route for the day almost 49 miles of gravel roads.

A Short One Day Trip to RockCandy Mountain

So I took a friend and went first to Porter Creek campground so he could see if his car would make it and if it was a place he could camp with family then we went on to Rock Candy Mountain as I had never been all the way to the top. We came across this rock quarry on the way and took a short break and took a few pictures. The trip to the top was interesting but all views were blocked by tree tops!!!

Amazing exposure of the different cracks in the black rock.

Trip to Mount Rushmore and the Tetons!

So we traveled 3123 miles from home going to mount Rushmore via Walla Walla WA then through Lolo Pass and the Clear Water river to Montana. Our goal was to see mount Rushmore and the badlands and we also went to Deadwood and Bear Country USA.

Before reaching Walla Walla WA we came upon this view point where the Walla Walla River joined the Columbia river.

Leaving Walla Wall WA we entered Idaho and Lolo Pass where we had the Clear Water river along side of the road for most of the trip.

Here is the first stop in South Dakota the Iconic Mount Rushmore exhibit.

Next stop was the Badlands Still in South Dakota.

And last but not least one of the Tetons Peaks leaving Wyoming on the way home