Once again the window for Spring desert riding in E. Washington is beginning to open up. One of my favorites is the Quilomene and Colockum wildlife areas across the river from Ancient Lakes. Not the best destination for riders looking for maintained single track... though there are some sections of routes that have "weathered" down to what you could call "single track"... they're definitely not maintained. Big spring snows (and melt-offs) the last few years have probably affected some routes as well. This is just a really big "outback" area of WA., with miles and miles of old rancher roads, jeep trails and other abandoned routes to explore. Old homestead sites, irrigation ponds and even some small 100 year-ish old orchards.
Anyhow, I recently began to scan some old slides from our earlier adventures out there so I thought I'd start a new "Q" thread and share some (there are a couple other "Q" theads on here but they're way back somewhere)
We (some early mtb friends & I) first stumbled on to the area while water skiing at the dune across from the gorge amphitheater. We were camping at the dune and went for a hike up the creek that feeds the lagoon there and met a guy in a 4x4 who had driven in there. Since we had MTB's (and 4x4's) we naturally got hooked on the idea of exploring this "forgotten" about area. We bought all the USGS 7.5 minute maps of the area and began "ramblin'" around out there.
Our first ride out there was in March of '88... we rode the "Perkins" road down to an access road that took us down into the Quilomene Canyon and eventually to the dune and lagoon at the mouth.
Riding the Perkins Road...
Our first view into the Quilomene Canyon...
We wouldn't return again until '95 when I had a few more partners who were interested in "adventure riding". We started with a re-con trip in Feb. looking for the best routes into the area.
Riding in on the "Beacon Road" (now the Wild Horse Wind Farm) from Whisky Dick Mtn...
We got real wet!
The muddy roads in Feb. didn't allow us allot of miles so we returned in early March and accessed from the Beacon Road again.
The Top of the Quilomene Canyon...
On this trip, we took the "Army Road" down the ridge to the south of the "Q" canyon and into the canyon on another access road about two thirds of the way down.
The trip out... this is the bottom section of the "Army Road"...
We followed up later in March that year with a loop starting at the top of the "Q", riding up the Beacon Road to the Brushy Road, down it to where it drops into the Brushy Creek, down the Brushy Creek to where it meets the Quilomene and back out on the "Q" canyon route.
Where the Brushy Road drops in to the Brushy Creek...
Cactus Flat...
Home sweet home...
Looks like single track to me...
Chiilin' by the "Q" creek before the ride (climb) out...
With interest mounting among the "locals", we took another "down & back" day trip in Nov. '95.
Break time by the "Big Pond"...
The Orchard up Brushy Creek. This is the largest of the remaining orchards we've come across out there... not sure if it's still there...
Cabin #2, also on Brushy Creek...
Got a feeling this one's probably "down" by now...
Dune break...
Anyhow, I recently began to scan some old slides from our earlier adventures out there so I thought I'd start a new "Q" thread and share some (there are a couple other "Q" theads on here but they're way back somewhere)
We (some early mtb friends & I) first stumbled on to the area while water skiing at the dune across from the gorge amphitheater. We were camping at the dune and went for a hike up the creek that feeds the lagoon there and met a guy in a 4x4 who had driven in there. Since we had MTB's (and 4x4's) we naturally got hooked on the idea of exploring this "forgotten" about area. We bought all the USGS 7.5 minute maps of the area and began "ramblin'" around out there.
Our first ride out there was in March of '88... we rode the "Perkins" road down to an access road that took us down into the Quilomene Canyon and eventually to the dune and lagoon at the mouth.
Riding the Perkins Road...
Our first view into the Quilomene Canyon...
We wouldn't return again until '95 when I had a few more partners who were interested in "adventure riding". We started with a re-con trip in Feb. looking for the best routes into the area.
Riding in on the "Beacon Road" (now the Wild Horse Wind Farm) from Whisky Dick Mtn...
We got real wet!
The muddy roads in Feb. didn't allow us allot of miles so we returned in early March and accessed from the Beacon Road again.
The Top of the Quilomene Canyon...
On this trip, we took the "Army Road" down the ridge to the south of the "Q" canyon and into the canyon on another access road about two thirds of the way down.
The trip out... this is the bottom section of the "Army Road"...
We followed up later in March that year with a loop starting at the top of the "Q", riding up the Beacon Road to the Brushy Road, down it to where it drops into the Brushy Creek, down the Brushy Creek to where it meets the Quilomene and back out on the "Q" canyon route.
Where the Brushy Road drops in to the Brushy Creek...
Cactus Flat...
Home sweet home...
Looks like single track to me...
Chiilin' by the "Q" creek before the ride (climb) out...
With interest mounting among the "locals", we took another "down & back" day trip in Nov. '95.
Break time by the "Big Pond"...
The Orchard up Brushy Creek. This is the largest of the remaining orchards we've come across out there... not sure if it's still there...
Cabin #2, also on Brushy Creek...
Got a feeling this one's probably "down" by now...
Dune break...