[GeoHiker]

After posting a query in the Trail Talk section I was curious as to what's going on in the Sultan Basin. There's some incredible country to hike and explore in there and it's all but ignored by the vast majority on here with the exception of a few. Get out and discover this area soon or we stand a good chance of losing this area for good. Eric, reported in this post that the road would be closed till June-July. I found that hard to believe seeing that this road has always been very well maintained and was the primary access road to the dam on Spada Lk. Road Closed sign was up at mp 10.2 near the end of the pavement. One other car was parked in the large pull out. I grabbed my gear and headed on up the road. Short distance up the gravel I came to this mess.

Spada Lk Rd closed

Asshat debris

Rocky helping with clean up

Shooting?

I go just ballistic when I see this kind of mess. Some asshats shot 8-10 boxes of shotgun shells and left a mess on the side of the road. 3-4 alder trees were shot up and left for dead. Much of this road used to be a war zone from inconsiderate asshats, but has been cleaned up the past 5-6 years. I'm not thrilled that every single pullout and camping spot along Olney Creek was blockaded by cement barriers. People did camp out along here and NOT make a mess. Thank you asshats. Hiking on up the steep road I was expecting a washout or some kind of damage. Other than some incidental side rutting I didn't see much to get excited over. Several culverts were replaced with new gravel down, so maybe the road was washed out in Jan. and then repaired? There is a slide near the upper Olney Creek bridge, but other than some downed trees chocking the creek I didn't see any reason to have the road closed.

Slide at Olney Creek.

Start of the deeper snow.

I continued on up the road several miles and then hit snow! Quite a bit of old wet sloppy snow. I was very surprised to see so much snow so suddenly. At about mp 12 it was a good 2-3 ft deep. 8-12 inches on the road. The last of the 4x4's had turned around and I hit mostly undisturbed snow. Rocky was excited!

Spada Lake Rd

No Plowing! Rocky is not happy.

Rocky is not jumping for joy.

Arrrrrr, Sultan Basin!

Near Olney Pass

I wasn't really geared up for wet sloppy snow, so I turned around just short of Olney Pass. I could see that there's been limited plowing this winter and tracks from a Snocat make me believe that this road won't be plowed or maintained up to the standards it's had over the past 25 years. This was one area you could reach mid winter and plan on access. My daughters spent many a day sledding here when they were younger. Rant mode on!..... This area is in limbo with Sno County PUD taking over maintenance and DNR basically wiping their hands of the area. From what I saw today it tells me Sno PUD will access the dam via the gated 5000 road. Makes sense anyway as it's closer to the Evt. headquarters. Road Closed signs will go up in the Fall and remain there till late spring. One more area of hiking, sledding, fishing, access limited or shut down. Yeah, I know freaking get out and walk. I'm tired of walking 5-6 miles up a perfectly good road to get to where I want to go. How easy it will be to put up a gate some time in the near future when we've all written this area off. It's happening every where I turn. I'm sick and tired of it!.....

[Schroder]

[Scrooge]

Makes you wonder what the DNR-PUD, Sultan Basin circus was all about. Sultan Guy was deeply involved. Hulksmash and Dogpatch both attended one of the big public meetings. All sorts of plans were made for new access to the Sultan River below the dam, and for maintenance of some of the Recreation Areas on Spada Lake. Now, it's like none of it ever happened.

Olney Pass in 2003, where I went to test my Subaru when it was new.

Sultan River, last fall

You're right, GH. Some of us care.

[puzzlr]

I've been meaning to get in there to Greider and Boulder lakes for the last few years. Looks like I might have missed my chance. Thank goodness I did Stickey last year -- even access to that "trailhead/roadhead" might be going away soon.

[GeoHiker]

Scrooge, you are very right. I won't jump to conclusions just yet, but the apparent lack of interest in the road makes me think that will carry over to other access. I hope I'm wrong, so time will tell. June-July reopening? What has happened to WDFW? Spada Lake is and was a popular fishing destination opening weekend of fishing season in late April. It's like this area has slipped off the view of everyone's radar. Closing of the rec sites is just a crime when millions were spent on building them. At least leave them open and intact. DNR hasn't cared, so leave them be. Open them up to camping at least. They would make a great hike in spot on the way to Boulder or Greider Lakes. You can't tell me that 100 people camping in there a summer is worse than the previous 20-30 years of logging pollution that's rained down on the resevoir. All right I'm off my high chair.

[GeoHiker]

PS, I failed to mention the 2 guys that were shooting. For some reason every time I mention asshats they turn out to be....well never mind. They were 2 miles past the Road Closed sign. Evidently they don't read English. Shooting next to the well signed RED barriers in a very obvious no shooting zone that the Sultan PTB decided to plaster up and down the Sultan Basin Rd. Why they don't put up this huge sign saying NO SHOOTING zone at the turn off on to the Sultan Basin Rd. $500 fine if you are caught in there shooting. It's 99% better than it ever was for you gun paranoid people. I have no problem with shooting. I used to shoot up that road for many years, but the asshats wrecked it for the rest of us. Thank you very much. As I walked by I so nicely mentioned that they were subject to a $150 fine for driving past a Road Closed sign, plus another fine for shooting in a non shooting area. They took my advice for about 30 seconds and opened fire on the killer cans once again. Where is the Sheriff when you need them?

[Hulksmash]

Wow. Perhaps i should refrain from comment at this moment.

[GeoHiker]

[Hulksmash]

Ok i lied..I left a comment over at CC.com I'm about to E mail Sultan Guy. It could be some one at the PUD just guessed what was going on, and handed over some bad info. Do i believe that? NO.

[GeoHiker]

I was referring to the guys shooting, what are you talking about? As far as misinformation on the road? That's normal. FS never has a clue what's going on. How would that be any different with Sno Cnty PUD?

[Hulksmash]

Oh...well here goes..i noticed an old rail road grade on the other side of Olney creek. There's remnants of an old log stringer bridge a few feet from Sultan Basin road. I think its about the 9.5 mile mark. I'd like to go exploring it..but it's right in the shooting gallery Don't even get me started on the trash.

[GeoHiker]

Yeah hear yeah there. Way back when there used to be a fine campground just off the first Olney Cr. bridge. I never did know why it was wiped out and decommissioned. That was way back in the 70's. That didn't happen then! I remember something about a couple teen girls being killed there. Or a Hell Angels biker group setting up camp. Maybe Scrooge remembers what happened there. I don't recall a RR in the area, but all through out there was mining and logging. I found an old RR just south of my place near Monroe with old rails from 1910. I hauled out a couple rails and use them for a drag with my tractor.

[Smokey Bear]

I think there is still alot of DNR land up there, is it just the road that is maintained by SnoCo PUD now??? I am very good friends with the DNR Enforcement Officer that patrols Sultan Basin, or at least used to. I will call him and see if I can find any additional information. He is hard to get a hold of, always in the woods. DNR has 7 or 8 Enforcement Officers in the State. His area is basically from SR 2 to Canada, mountains to sound!! I enjoy Sultan Basin a great deal. I especially like Lake Stickney and the Greider Lakes. I'm planning a trip up to Stickney sometime this summer, as well as various other destinations in the Basin.

[Sultan Guy]

Hey everyone, as much as we want to go off on the PUD and the DNR regarding access issues in the Spada basin the fact is that this road has almost always been closed in the winter/spring pending plowing and routine road maintenance. These agencies are responsible for the road and if some dumb ass drives up there and gets in an accident and sues the PUD or DNR for not maintaining the road then our tax/utility rates go up to pay for a lawsuit. Just be patient and they will have that road open soon. We may not agree with this policy but they are the kings and we are just the pawns...

[Jimbo]

From what I was told there going to close this off like the road into the Sunset mine. No $$$$$$$ for up keep, My . They started from the back and are working to the top. The road in, P-5000 is washed out to. River came over and took the bank out. It's a shame that this is how the land owners manage there land. I've gone round and round with that Mr. Sutherland on topic's. He's gone now but I think the plan is the same. Close stuff down then give them selves a raise. Spend Millions to make roads and give people a clean healthy place to play then close it down ?? Thanks G-H'r for cleaning up the mess. I made a run up to the town on Deer Flats yesterday and in the middle of the road I saw the same thing. Was on my bike or I'da picked up there crap.