July 4th Jeep trip in the Quilomene Wildlife Recreation Area

[Adondo]

At least the 2nd half of my days off, I was busy over the weekend.

Mike and I packed the Jeep and left Monday morning. We'd never really been in this area, and had NO IDEA of what it is. http://www.bentler.us/eastern-washin...dife-area.aspx

We're talking a LOT of square miles of NOTHING out there. We spent a total of 9.5 hours of off-roading before coming back out in a wind generator farm, and never saw a single human. We've got to get a Jeep trip together with XK forum people in this area, so we can hit it again SOON.

We went in a few miles past the Ghinko Petrified Forest state park interpretive center. You'll see a photo taken from above looking down on the visitor's center later. The trip total is a little over 200 miles, with a good 50% of that off road.

GPS marker # 10 was our Monday's night campsite. It was up on a high spot. We tossed the bags out and stared into a starry sky 'til the wee hours. I was startled by a huge owl that flew right over my head. (Within arm's reach) The sky blacked out for a second, and I heard the air in his wings. We figured it wasn't by chance, the owl was probably checking out the strange ''lump" on the ground where humans are seldom seen.

Where we went:


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[Adondo]

This is typical of the route. There are some serious places to get past in the deep canyons. You go from a ridge-top to V-notch, to ridge-top to get anywhere out there.



Sometimes it looks like Arizona.


Strange formations in the basalt.


Looking down on the Ghinko visitor's center. (These photos are in no particular order of the trip)


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[Adondo]

A panorama shot of a canyon bottom


Looking into Frenchman Coulee from the west. That's an interesting place in itself.




A green belt in the dry zone. No actual water, but just a band of green.




Fording a stream in yet another canyon.


We dropped all the way down to the Columbia River!


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[Adondo]

A dead motorcycle. This place is at least 20 miles from the nearest pavement.


Cactus. These were everywhere.




A ''hat'' formation.


The same ''hat'' from the other side of a HARD climb out of the usual V-notch canyon between.


What felt like a year later, (the next day) we started into a transition zone. And Mt. Rainier and the Cascades are in front of us.






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[Adondo]

We did what the sign says.


The Wild Horse wind farm area. (Coming out from the back side of it, thru cattle gates)


The Foxwing in action at a lunch stop. It was high noon, and no shade but what we made. (Parked at a visitor's center for the wind farm)



A super-flowing Priest Rapids dam.


Panned back a bit. We assume everyone was after Salmon or Steelhead.


Very high water at the Vernita area. The road leads to a boat launch. Maybe not right at the moment.

[Adondo]

A sage brush tunnel. The stuff was as tall as the Jeep!


Sage brush intrusion! Screech on the paint!!


The sinking sun. It was time to find a high spot and campsite so we could look at the stars.


Not much to block out the sky from here.


This place makes ''The Slab" and Hover park look pathetic. We had no idea of the miles of nothingness out there. Most of Washington state around our town is becoming endless agricultural with equally endless KEEP OUT signs on endless fences. It's nice to know there's still a whole lot of nothing to go Jeeping in. It's about 2.5 hours away from the Tri-Cities, but that's okay.

[pjmjr508]

I'm down for this trip, it looks like a blast. Keep me updated on when you guys want to plan this.

[Sal-XK]

very nice awesome scenery bro!