Day Two: Section 2 - Packwood to Ellensburg

The night before, we found a secluded place to camp off of FS21. It was just five miles from Packwood right next to Glacier Creek near the Glacier Lake trailhead. What a gorgeous serene place. After a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs and a friiiigid dip in the creek it was time to get on our way. So far I was pleased with how well my 3rd gen was performing with the additional weight in the cargo area and two additional passengers in the rear. I was glad I kept the storage boxes off the roof minimizing my increase in CG.

We arrived in Packwood quite early, fueled up, grabbed some Gatorade and another bag of ice and off we went along paved US12. I’ve taken US12 before but always got off at Morton on my way to Paradise in Mt Rainier. This would be my first time picking it up in Packwood. We were pretty excited about crossing White Pass along Rimrock Lake, but even more excited about getting onto the exposed Bethel Ridge. I've seen videos of this ridge using a fisheye lens and it looked pretty scary. As we climbed I monitored everything like a hawk, especially my radiator and transmission temps. My coolant temps stayed around 186 upwards of 208. I'm running a B&M 70264 transmission cooler in line with my radiator. My transmission temps maintained a solid 179 to around 222...until Umptanum. In the middle of August, ambient temperatures were above 100°. My transmission temps peaked at 271 twice during this section. It was time to give it a break for a while. Photo opportunity of an IJM turned desert tan 4runner. There is an optional bypass for Bethel and a bypass for Umptanum but once again, my OCD self wouldn't have anything to do with a bypass. I had to do the entire route as originally planned. I aired down to 18-20 on all forest roads.

Much to our surprise, along our way we ran into a tree that hadn't been cleared. I thought all of the dead falls would have been cleared by now. This led me to believe that no too many 4x4's did the BDR yet. Thank goodness it wasn't too big as I decided to leave the chainsaw at the house. I did however bring along the Fiskars Axe. It fit nicely under my Hi-Lift that was mounted to my @Whitson Metalworks rack. The boys and I cleared the tree and off we went again. The views of Mt Adams and Mt Rainier are absolutely spectacular high on the ridge above the Tieton River valley.

Coming off the ridge was long with ruts that still remained from the spring rains. We dropped into the town of Nile and turned left onto Hwy 410 only to travel a short distance and jump back up on the FS road again over the Cleman Mountains and back down to Wemas road. I knew my 3rd gen was getting ready to be tested. I watched many videos of of dual sport riders taking some serious spills on this section of the WABDR. The loose rocks and the deep ruts combined with the grade would be a challenge. This was the only time I actually needed 4WD. The runner was solid with the TRD headers, exhaust, and the 4.88 gears from ECGS paid for themselves on this section. It was a treeless landscape, hot and ever so arid. It had a beauty all it's own. I loved the challenge. Our destination for the night was the KOA campground in Ellensburg where we could take a shower and recharge for Section 3 onto Cashmere and Leavenworth.

Section 3 would prove to be a most harrowing experience as a Husqvarna rider laid his bike down in front of me and came close to putting an end to his life.

One of the best kept secrets of Section 1. The nicest camping area ever, tucked nicely away from civilization close to Glacier Creek and the Glacier Lake Trailhead. Ah yes, a waypoint placed on our GPS track.


Fantastic view of Mt Rainier as we continued our ascent towards Bethel Ridge.


Bethel Ridge and it's wonderfully exposed landscape. Pictures don't do this section of the WABDR any justice. Bethel Ridge was everything I expected and more. There were shear cliffs where one mistake and it would be over. This section demand 100% of my focus.


Here's a photo op I just couldn't pass up. Sitting high on the basalt rock, the result of ancient lava flows and erosion during the ice age is my 4runner, my boys, and myself looking off in the distance as far as the eye can see. What an amazing photograph by my lovely wife.


Off to the left you get a glimpse of Rimrock lake on the valley floor and Mt Rainier straight ahead. Paradise is on the southern slope of Mt Rainier and is home to the normal three day summit climb via Camp Muir, Ingraham Glacier & Disappointment Cleaver.


Our only uncleared dead fall of the entire trip was on Bethel Ridge. We each took turns swinging the axe until we were able to clear it. So glad it wasn't any bigger.


Time for a much needed break as we climbed up Umtanum. Not only did WE need a break but the 4runner desparately needed a break as I watched the transmission temps move as high as 271. It had been a long day for the rig. I had no idea that my IJM runner transformed into a desert tan runner. It was here that I gained complete respect for our dual sport riders. I can't imagine going up or down in this on two wheels. I also gained complete respect for my Grappler Trails and Sequoia wheels. Awesome combination. Never spun the tires.


Great view of the Central/Eastern Washington landscape as we began our descent towards the KOA campground in Ellensburg, home to Central Washington University.