Subaru Trails in WA?

[kirtydandra]

I recently have made my outback more offroad ready and have ventured to elbe in the foothills of Mt Rainier in search of testing things out. I found most the fun stuff to be more for vehicles with 31"s or bigger with lots of stumps and things in the road.

Was wondering if anyone in the western WA area (would travel to eastern WA too) knew of anymore "Subaru" approved trails. I do like pushing the limits of what our amazing cars can do!

Cheers

[Novablue]

Places to offroad in Oregon?

I found this thread interesting. Being north of you I've always been able to have some fun off Hwy2 near Sultan but the Peninsula and areas off 410 are really great. I'm sure some of the users from down South will chime in for ya.

Go to the the national forest website and download a map from there. You will need to topo too so you don't take on too much but at least you'll have all the FS roads.

I'll repost what user John E Davies posted:
US Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Region

I used Metsker's maps before I knew about that site.

[Seabass]

And here's a list of maps with forest roads. I think the ranger stations will have copies of them.

USDA Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people.

[cmill1154]

Check out ultimatesubaru.org for a lot more info on offroading. Seems the majority of active members are located in Washington and Oregon.

[John E Davies]

Originally Posted by kirtydandra

Was wondering if anyone in the western WA area (would travel to eastern WA too) knew of anymore "Subaru" approved trails. I do like pushing the limits of what our amazing cars can do!

I suggest that you plan on exploring the dryer side of the mountains. The Wet Side is so crowded that it's a lot harder to find places to go that aren't very busy, or are off limits because of watershed, or Park, or wilderness, and the ... uhm ... abundant moisture can sometimes make it much more challenging.

The National Forest roads around Index and Stevens Pass (both sides of the crest) are lots of fun on a summer day. You can make a big loop trip between Index and Skykomish (Beckler River), if the roads are intact, with lots of small (rougher) side roads to poke your nose into. Drive on east and explore the Lake Wenatchee area over a long weekend (or mid-week if you want to lessen the traffic and improve the chance of finding a good campsite). Take a look at the following link for pics:



http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...24#post4797824

You don't start to get away from the hoards of recreational traffic until you get toward the Columbia River (Vantage area). There are both easy and very nasty NFS and DNR roads near there, but it's risky as heck for a single vehicle with no winch since a sudden rainfall will turn the dirt roads into three inches of frictionless gelatin, until the sun comes out and bakes it dry. The clay dirt can get so slick you literally cannot stand on it.

If you compare a forest service map to a topo map or a Benchmark Atlas, which shows terrain ...



... you can easily tell which roads will be easier for your Outback. The secondary ones that turn off from the main routes and head up onto the ridges are often High Clearance Only at some places, and those are the roads where you find blow downs, wash outs and other obstacles that may make progress impossible. Or at least very hard. It's a shame, because those roads lead to the wonderful views on top of the mountains. Early in the season (May and June) you will likely run across downed trees completely blocking a side track. Later on they will mostly have been cut or dragged to the side.

If you drive enough of these forest roads, you will finally get frustrated and will start to want either a small ATV or a light dual sport motorcycle, to better get around the inevitable obstructions, and to cover ground much faster than a full sized car or Jeep can do it.

John Davies
Spokane WA
The Dry Side

[kirtydandra]

Thanks for all the info! I plan to go on lots of adventures this spring and summer and looks like I better get started on my research! I am quite excited about it all!

[John E Davies]

Originally Posted by kirtydandra

Thanks for all the info! I plan to go on lots of adventures this spring and summer and looks like I better get started on my research! I am quite excited about it all!

Have fun and remember you need to:

Tell someone where you are going and when you will return.

Carry survival gear, clothing, food and water for a night out in the woods.

Consider a locator beacon or a SPOT, since cell phone coverage is very spotty at best (pun intended).

Carry recovery gear, a shovel at the very least.

Carry extra spares and fluids for the Outback, including tools, air pump and tire plug kit.

Use A/T tires and carry a full sized spare.

Bring a camera and post the pics!

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

[kirtydandra]

Im definitely not new to wheeling. Just new to low clearance wheeling

I was a boyscout and am a survivalist at heart and a mechanic by trade.

Did I mention a photographer by hobby?

LOTS of pics to be posted as I take them. Very excited for it all!
Thanks again!
Cheers,

Dan

[Scooby]

I found a kewl spot up at Rainier a few years ago...


There are so many nice backroads up there..
Blowdown never stops me I carry a large bow saw and a tow strap . Cut it out and pull it out of the way....

A nice place to go is the "the slab" in Zillah, wa perfect for testing your sube!! terrain of all levels!

[Trip Report] EWA Slab ORV Meet & Greet - Feb 4th 2012

IF you need to carry a" spot "while backroad driving you need not to be doing it at all...
Be self reliant...

[John E Davies]

Originally Posted by Scooby

IF you need to carry a" spot "while backroad driving you need not to be doing it at all...
Be self reliant...

What the heck is that supposed to mean? If you get seriously ill or injured in the woods, are you supposed to just hike out? You might get away with that attitude around Mt Rainier NP, but it won't work at all in the lonely back country away from the tourist crowds.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA