Durr Wagon Trail/Umtanum Ridge Adventure - April 26 2011

[Ceg]

Durr Wagon Trail/Umtanum Ridge Adventure
Report by Clay Graham (http://easternwashingtonadventures.com/)
Photos by Clay Graham (http://easternwashingtonadventures.com/) & Cody Davis

On Tuesday April 26th, 2011 we met up at McDonald's in Ellensburg Washington for the Eastern Washington Adventures (http://easternwashingtonadventures.com) Durr Road run. Durr road was built in the 1880s as a short cut for wagons to travel between Ellensburg to Selah faster since the Wenas pass was much longer. It took us four hours to complete the run to the end at Sheep Company Road North of Selah. We stopped a few times for views and ran the East end of the Umtanum Ridge and back to over look the Yakima River Canyon.

Here are some pictures of our day:

Odo was my Co-pilot. Here we are waiting for the others at McDonald's in Ellensburg.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_01.jpg

Airing down at the North end of Durr Road.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_02.jpg

Heading across the pass.
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Durr road crosses Umtanum Ridge near the towers. We have aways to go.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_05.jpg

http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_06.jpg

Some wild flowers are starting to come out.
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Coming up on the Umtanum Canyon.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_11.jpg

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We stopped for a break at Umtanum Creek.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_15.jpg

Heading on.
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Looking back across for where we came from.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_19.jpg

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At the top of Umtanum Ridge.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_22.jpg

Heading East on Umtanum Ridge Road.
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A stop to look toward Selah.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_27.jpg

You can see into Yakima from up there.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_28.jpg

Looking back at the Towers.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_29.jpg

Around the corner looking at the Kittitas Area.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_30.jpg

http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_31.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8tqnsqAsBE&feature=player_profilepage

Looking at Baldy and the Yakima River Canyon.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_32.jpg

More flowers.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_33.jpg

Tourist. LOL
Cody & Foxracer.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_34.jpg

Foxracer & Ceg.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_35.jpg
Photo Cody Davis


http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_36.jpg

Looking toward the Selah end of the Yakima River Canyon.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_37.jpg

Back up the road going toward Durr Road and the towers.
Looking toward the Ellensburg end of the Yakima River Canyon.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_38.jpg

You can see I-82.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_39.jpg

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Getting closer to Durr Road.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_43.jpg

We crossed Durr Road and went up to the towers for the view.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_44.jpg

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Looking at Kittitas County.
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It was getting late so we drove back to Durr Road and took it down to Sheep Company Road where we aired up.
http://easternwashingtonoffroad.com/reports/2011/04/Durr_Rd_50.jpg

This was a fun trip thanks to who came.

[ricky8587]

Nothing like the late day sun for photographs! Awesome stuff! The area sure has dried out fast in the last month! Clay, your XJ looks like it took some steroids over the winter months?

[Ceg]

Nothing like the late day sun for photographs! Awesome stuff! The area sure has dried out fast in the last month! Clay, your XJ looks like it took some steroids over the winter months?Thanks. It was very hard to see the the shaded parts of Umtanum Ridge Road as you came up on them on the way back to Durr. The sun was blinding.

I think my XJ has sat this way for a year or so. :dontknow: It felt taller to me driving it to Ellensburg since I was aired up. Sits taller at 25 lbs than the 5 lbs I normally run. She has been a trailer queen a long time. Kind of wild driving it on the hi-way with the wind blowing hard since I don't have a front sway bar.

[Foxracer]

Great Pics! That was a fun afterwork trip! Trip home wasn't bad running canyon with the heat blasting.

[Ceg]

Great Pics! That was a fun afterwork trip! Trip home wasn't bad running canyon with the heat blasting.It was a great time. Good luck with your group run.

[jims00wj]

Those pictures came out great! Makes me want to take a trip out there soon. Nice looking jeeps btw.

[Ceg]

Those pictures came out great! Makes me want to take a trip out there soon. Nice looking jeeps btw.Thanks.
We do a lot of these type of backroads runs at the snow melts. Dust wheelin".

[jims00wj]

ill have to join in on one or more of those runs. i want to do some work to the jeep first though.

[Ceg]

ill have to join in on one or more of those runs. i want to do some work to the jeep first though. I hope you do come on some.

If it is listed at a "backroads" run then most 4x4 stock rigs should have no problem. Some low rigs make have to drive around big rocks or cross some areas at an angle not to bottom out. Most of the time you will not need 4WD but have it in case. There was one area on this run (not shown on the report) where I had to put it into 4WD so I would not spin my tires and cause damage to the road.

[CSR]

:salute:Thanks for the pics!

Had to stay home and take care of the sick wife, plan to make it the next time you go that run.:headbang:

[jims00wj]

I hope you do come on some.

If it is listed at a "backroads" run then most 4x4 stock rigs should have no problem. Some low rigs make have to drive around big rocks or cross some areas at an angle not to bottom out. Most of the time you will not need 4WD but have it in case. There was one area on this run (not shown on the report) where I had to put it into 4WD so I would not spin my tires and cause damage to the road.

well if one of these runs come up again before the major work goes down on my wj then ill have to make the trip.