[Thumpmeister]

This time I brough the helmet cam with me, so hopefully we'll get some good footage here....

I went up w/ a buddy of mine to Riders Camp today, and we unloaded and headed off towards Manastash Lake and Lost Lake.

We got to Lost Lake just fine w/ no trees to speak of...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash001.jpg

After which we headed up towards Lost Lake. We ran into a few trees, but the pack saw once again got a bit of a workout; I still haven't perfected the backpack-saw.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash005.jpg

When we got to Lost Lake, there were a couple other guys sitting there. Apperantly one of them had forgetting his pack there the day before, so they had to come back to get it...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash008.jpg

We started heading to the Ridge Road, but got stopped about 50 yards from the Lake; there was a tree about 2 feet in diameter stopping us. I really wished I had the chainsaw at that point...

We went back down the trail, and linked up w/ the 4wd trail that heads up to the ridge, past the tri-corners spot. On our way up there, we ran into some other TT'ers waiting..........
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash009.jpg

What they were waiting for were a series of 5 or so jeeps that were trying to come down the trail we were trying to go up...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash012.jpg

The only problem was, is that one of the jeeps coming down had some technical difficulties. His tire came off the rim in a deep hole. So, the guy tried to drive on the flat out of the hole. Well, the jeep didn't like that, so it busted the steering knuckle, and dropped the passenger side coil out...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash015.jpg

So, the 4wd guys had to get the tire out of the hole somehow. Well, their solution was to lift the jeep up out of the hole. The question was how... Hey, how about if we strap the winch cable up a tree about 15 feet?
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash017.jpg

Well, we all got tired of waiting, so we helped each other around the jeeps, through the snow. I think w/ both the groups there were about 7 guys...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash019.jpg

After everyone was up, we sat at the top and b/s'ed for a few mins longer...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash018.jpg

After that, me and my buddy headed up over the ridge, and dropped down in the Naches side. Now, after we dropped into this side, we found the one of the coolest trails I'd ever ridden on. I have some helmet cam footage, and will add it at some point. We also got a cool view...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash022.jpg

We headed down the trail and found a small lake called Milk Lake, where we studied the map on where to go...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash024.jpg

We continued down the trail and found something I had to get a pic of...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash027.jpg[/IMG

Heres a vid of the trail...
[IMG]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/th_AVI_0007.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/?action=view&current=AVI_0007.flv)

After that, we cruised down the road, and found a little jump we had to get another pic of... Who said pigs can't fly!!!
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash031.jpg

We started to head back towards the ridge on a 4wd trail again. But, this one was significantly worse than the others. My buddy found a mudhole he didn't particularly like...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash032.jpg

We proceded up one of the tougher 4wd trails I've been up in a while. This was pretty steep with some pretty good sized rocks. The pics don't do it justice, cause its a lot nastier than it looks. All I really got was the top part...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash034.jpg

Alright, we got up that, now what?
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash035.jpg

This is where I got pretty worried, actually. After we made it up to the top, we actually were able to intersect the ridge road. The only problem was, is that it was under about 2 feet of snow. Well, we had the option of trying to head to quartz mt which was about 3 miles west, bald mt which was about 7 miles east, or head back the way we came. Well, we chose quartz mt. We rode through about 3 miles of snow drifts...

Oh, but it gets better. About a mile and a half in, it starts to POUR on us. Not only does it pour, but there is thunder and lightening. So, here were are trying to get through snow drifts, working through the rain, and with thunder constantly going in the background. Obviously, I wasn't up for any pics at the moment...

After getting through 3 miles of ridge road snow, we headed down another 4wd trail hoping to intersect Keanan Meadows trail. But, that was another mile and half ride through more snow...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash039.jpg

We were going to take 1207 (Keanan Mdws), but the trail was more covered w/ snow than the road was. So, we took the road. Kind of glad we did, cause we were actually able to get some last cool pics...
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash043.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/Manastash041.jpg

We headed back the site after that. Pretty straight forward...

Overall, there is still a lot of snow up higher, and a lot more trees need to be removed. But, we managed to make a loop. We covered 40 miles, and it took us 6 hours... Pretty rough...

If my vids load, I'll put them up here as soon as I can!

[old-school]

Way cool ride. Thanks for the report:applause: :thumbsup:

[CC rider]

Mad Props Thump, luv see'n that stuff!!! Keep it up..Thanks!!!!

[qshark]

Great video, I was in the group that met you at the snowy jeep stuck hole. Kind of slowed our ride down waiting for them to get out of the way. We got back to our trucks before the big thunder storm. Snows melting fast should be quite a bit better this weekend. We are heading to Little Naches going to Quartz from there. Maybe will see you again.

[trailmeisterjoe]

The cool trail you describe is the milk lake trail that heads up out of the little naches side near kaner flats trail. you also show a picture of the weird area where there was an ancient, massive landslide many years ago. really cool place eh?
Joe

[Thumpmeister]

Great video, I was in the group that met you at the snowy jeep stuck hole. Kind of slowed our ride down waiting for them to get out of the way. We got back to our trucks before the big thunder storm. Snows melting fast should be quite a bit better this weekend. We are heading to Little Naches going to Quartz from there. Maybe will see you again.

Yeah, you guys lucked out; you got out before the t-storm... Me and my buddy got stuck in the middle of it. Not only did we get stuck in it, but we got stuck on the RIDGE in the middle of it, soaking wet from getting poured on, making our way through 3+ miles of large snow drifts. I was a little worried for a bit...

That milk lake trail is an awesome trail! And it hardly gets used it looks like! The only trouble I had was making any kind of loop out of it. The trail is just kind of on the edge of the system, and doesn't really go anywhere at the bottom. Our only real option was to take the 4wd trails back up...

But, it was still a cool ride... :ride: :thumbsup:

[Thumpmeister]

In case anyone is interested, I took other pics, and here is the rest of the photo album...

http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/Riding%20Pics/

And, here is another vid. This one is from the landslide down a little creek crossing...

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/th_AVI_0005.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/Thumpmeister/?action=view&current=AVI_0005.flv)

[old-school]

Cool, I can't wait to ride that area this summer.

[slowbike]

Looks loike you had a good ride.
Over towards Qtz Mountain there are still a fair number of trees in the way.
On Saturday I cleared a few trees off the trail between Lost Lake and manastash Lake, including a huge one that someone else worked on and their saw either died or ran out of gas so they couldn't finish it.

[skookumrdr]

Milk Lake Trail is a system trail no one knew about, and those that did ride it did not talk about it.

[trailmeisterjoe]

Milk Lake Trail is a system trail no one knew about, and those that did ride it did not talk about it.


Yes, agree...i rode it with a "old timer" that had been riding the area since the late 60's and knows every inch of the naches area. he is an awesome rider that i have ridden with off and on for two decades.:thumbsup:
Joe

[slowbike]

It's a very little used trail that i usually hit once a year. Last year I came to a bridge that was pretty well destroyed, but crossable, then later in the season it was totally gone.

http://www.***************/rides/naches/2006/05-29-06/images/IMG_2407.jpg

[Thumpmeister]

Milk Lake Trail is a system trail no one knew about, and those that did ride it did not talk about it.

Oops... I didn't know it was a big secret. We just stumbled upon it that day after coming down that 4wd trail. Boy am I glad we did, though...