Manson Late Hunt - Road & Weather Conditions?

[RileyH]

Looking to get a heads-up about Manson road and weather conditions if anyone has been up there recently.

We're headed up on Saturday morning for the late hunt, Dad drew a tag. I tried calling the Ranger station but they weren't very helpful with road and camping conditions, said there was 5" of snow during the General Season opener but it's "calmed down" whatever that means. We plan to go all the way back to South Navarre Campground to drop base camp and hike in along Spring Blossom Trail or whatever it's called.

Any info is appreciated.

[boneaddict]

South Navarre is probably snowed in now or at least dicey enough to,come off that hill.  Deer have probably pulled stakes with yesterday's storm.

Are you pulling a trailer, or chaining up all four and tenting it

[RileyH]

@Bone

No trailer, we have an all weather Tipi we plan to set up as our base-camp. We have bivy gear we had initially planned to pack into the wilderness area with for a few days.

We were only able to get over and scout once in the summer and went all the way back in. Didn't do much on the lower end besides drive the loop from Echo Valley out through Grade Creek Road. Our back-up plan had been to have one guy go on the upper road and scout,  while two guys (hunter & spotter) moved up whatever finger we had set our sites on for the day, or vice versa. We also plan to bivy in up some of those cuts as another backup plan.

Sounds like neither of those may be viable with the weather?

[boneaddict]

It will depend where the snow level is with today's moisture, but I can't imagine that grade being very pretty in a rig. 

[RileyH]

@Bone

Thanks, better safe than sorry. We can hike if we have to.

Do you have any recommendation if we should look to set up camp on the upper or lower road? The upper road seemed "rougher" but like you had room to maneuver off either side without going over an edge if you lost control, lots of rigs going real fast around those steep corners on Grade Creek from what we saw...can't imagine that's a good combo with snow.

Edit: Echo Valley route wasn't bad besides the initial grade, that I can recall. We're not familiar with coming in from Methow as it was washed out this summer when we were up top. Not sure if that's a viable route in?

[boneaddict]

I usually push it as high as I can go safely.   It's usually not this much moisture.  Cold as all get out but dry.   Mud usually isn't an issue except on top, but wet heavy snow and a little traffic equals a trip to the lake. 

[RileyH]

@Bone

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

We will need to do some rethinking on our strategy...hopefully if there's that much heavy snow the deer are also going to be down lower.

[emskou]

Are plated quads legal on the Grade Creek Road?

[westside Elkhunter]

Hey RileyH. Up by South Navarre road was dicey opening weekend.  But might be better now.

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[wa_archer]

Just remember a lot of these roads are almost worse with the mud they get from this much rain I find them better once they freeze or snow and you can chain up.  Be careful known a few people to slide off roads in mud.  I rode the ditch all the way down a hill one day on way out and was only mud. 


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[lunchbox]

I was up on SOUTH NAVARRE on Tuesday there is about 14 inches at the top. Road was getting pretty crappy in spots. One more bad storm and road will probably be a no go unless you chain up all fours and hope u dont slide off the road. There is some pretty tight spots in places where you might have to back up a half mile screw that i would just stay low.

[Skyvalhunter]

FYI access via SF of Gold Creek is dicey that it is better to head up McFarlane cr. They have 2 new gates up there and the USFS said they will be working on the road with possible closing.  It's probably going in from Chelan side.

[lunchbox]

They where up there when we went to checking the road out. I would defiantly go up from CHELAN/ MANSON WAY!

[hunter_sean08]

Yeah I wouldn't risk it. We got on a road during the regular season with that nasty clay mud. Doesn't matter how good your tires are, you're going to be sliding once the treads clog up. I'm surprised we didn't beat up our truck keeping it in the inside ditch, but there was no way we were going to risk getting anywhere near the edge. Major pucker factor. If you feel like you have to get up there, don't discount throwing some chains coming down the hill even if there's no snow. Getting to the top is one thing, coming down is a completely different ballgame.

[Craig]

At least you have some snow up there. Two years ago I could drive around the whole road upper loop on the last day of the late special permit hunt and there was maybe 2" of snow on the ground. Hope you find some bucks to look at.

[grade-creek-rd]

Go in from the Chelan side...as it's your whole unit, why waste time going in from the Methow side when you can't hunt until you get to the top...oh, and the bucks are coming down anyway. My nephew shot a 4 pt near Echo last Sunday, his neck was swollen and stunk real bad (per my brother, who got a 3x5 earlier in the week down low as well). Don't forget to check out the east fork of Joe Creek, as well as Joe Creek (and Antilon Creek) as these are some pockets where people overlook and the bucks will harem up their does. Other than that, I'd stick to the lower grade creek road and hit the spur road (ORV road) up Mitchell Creek from the bottom, especially on the west side of Mitchell Creek and the top (the ORV road will take you up there if you have one of those funny souped up go carts or a quad).

Grade

[RileyH]

All,

Thanks a bunch, we will find some place to camp along Grade Creek. We have a long wheelbase Silverado 2500 and it sounds neither safe nor practical to attempt to drive up to the top. If our shooter decides he's really that motivated to get to the top, we'll make it a multi-day bivy adventure up one of the drainage's.

If you're in the area we'll be in two Silverado 2500's, green and tan/silver with two different company logos on them, and a big ol' tan tipi. Feel free to swing in and say hello if you see smoke coming out the top!

[DOUBLELUNG]

Most does will be in 6" or less of snow and not moving much distance unless there is a change in the weather.  I'd definitely go in through Manson.