Liberty State Overland Club Blue Mountains Overland Trip By Clay & Doc Graham / CegPics.com

On Monday, August 17th 2020, Liberty State Overland Club members met up at Viking Village in Selah for the Blue Mountains Overland Trip. We convoyed to Dayton. In Dayton, we stopped for fuel. Foxracer stopped at Chief Spring’s Brew Pub and filled up a growler with IPA. Don went to the part store and the rest of us waited across from the Columbia County Courthouse. After everyone was ready, we headed up Kendall Skyline Road toward the Blue Mountains in the Umatilla National Forest. We took a short break along the road once we found shade.

After the break we headed on up. We found a big area to pull off and stop there for lunch. Shelby was happy to be able to get out of the Jeep after the long ride.

After lunch we continued on Kendall Skyline Road. We stopped for a break at the Kendall Skyline Road Monument.

We then head toward Table Rock Lookout. The gate was close with a sign saying the lookout area was close due to Covid-19. We moved on and stopped at Bone Springs Warming Shelter. We set up camp and had dinner around the propane campfire.

Here are some photos of LSOC Blue Mountains Overland Trip Day 1: https://www.easternwashingtontourism.com/recreation/photos-lsoc-blue-mountains-overland-trip-day-1/

On Tuesday August 18th, 2020, Liberty State Overland Club members woke up early in the hot tents in the Umatilla National Forest at Bone Springs Warming Shelter in Oregon. We had breakfast and hit the road.

We drove by Timothy Springs Campground to see it and then onto Lookout Mountain for for the view.

The next stop was at Troy, Oregon. Most everyone went for a swim in the Grande Ronde River.  Shelby our Black Lab was pulling at the leash trying to get in the water. She had a lot of fun swimming with everyone. After the swim we had lunch and headed up the mountain toward Pomeroy, Washington.

We drove back into Washington into the Umatilla National Forest. We stopped at view point to look back toward Troy.

On up the road we decided to turn off and go up to Saddle Butte to see the view from there. The road up was smaller with some mint smelling weeds in the middle of it. It was a nice smelling road. Once on top, we took a break to see the view off both sides and then head back down to continue toward Pomeroy.

We stopped at Kelvinator Spring to fill up our water bottles and then headed on to the Mt. Misery Warming Cabin.  The shelter had some work done to it since we were last there. They did an great job. The door is still real short and yes, I hit my head coming out since I was talking and wasn’t paying attention.

Next we drove over to Misery Campground and set up camp. We had dinner and watched the sun set. Later we sat around the propane campfire visiting. It was at warm night. There was thunder and lightening around us. It started to sprinkle as we were going to be. Not long after I went into the tent, it started raining. Sometime during the night I woke up to a downpour. It was pretty wild and kept getting harder and harder. The 60 Second Coleman Tent did a great job keeping Doc and I dry.

Here are some photos of LSOC Blue Mountains Overland Trip Day 2: https://www.easternwashingtontourism.com/recreation/photos-lsoc-blue-mountains-overland-trip-day-2/

On Wednesday August 19th, 2020, Liberty State Overland Club members woke up to nice weather after the stormy night at Misery Campground in the Umatilla National Forest.

After breakfast we head out toward Pomeroy, Washington. We stop at Spuce Spring to fill up water bottles. We then took a break to check out Clearwater Lookout and Clearwater Guard Station.

We moved on down toward Pomeroy. At the pavement we aired up at Boundary Campground.

In Pomeroy we stopped for fuel. It took 10.79 gallons of gas to do the loop from Dayton to Pomeroy in the YJ. Foxracer headed out early due to the long drive back to Mount Vernon. The rest of us convoyed to Dayton. Don and Matt stopped off to pick up a burger. Charlie and I kept going to the meet up point which was Lewis and Clark Trail State Park. We stopped to see the “Giant on the Hill” along the way.

At Lewis and Clark Trail State Park we ate lunch. Charlie and I swapped vehicle batteries since his alternator was not working right. When everyone was finish with lunch, we headed back home to the Yakima Valley.

This was a great trip thanks to all who came. We will be back to the Blue Mountains again someday.

Here are some photos of LSOC Blue Mountains Overland Trip Day 3: https://www.easternwashingtontourism.com/recreation/photos-lsoc-blue-mountains-overland-trip-day-3/