Dirt Toys

DIRT TOYS MAY 2014 41 we could see for what seemed like a hundred miles. To the west were the snow-capped Cascade Mountains, while to the south the Columbia River Ride in the Okanogan was more than OK By Lane Lindstrom TIMING IT JUST RIGHT This was perhaps the most technical and rocky section of trail we experienced all day. This stretch is on the way up to the Buck Mountain Lookout. Even through the trees you can see the Cascade Range in the distance. (opposite page) Looking north and a bit west from the Buck Mountain Lookout you can see the results of the Tripod Complex fire that burned nearly 180,000 acres in 2006. obvious the Commander we were driv- ing could get through the cut openings, but it appeared they might be too nar- row for a large 4-seat side-by-side. After Buzzard Lakes, we rode along Rock Creek through a very scenic canyon (a stone's throw from State Highway 20 for a ways) and then along the West Fork of Rock Creek. In some sections the trees were dense and the canopy thick while in other spots it was more wide open and lots of sunshine streamed through the trees. Our group eventually made it to the Sweat Creek Sportsman Camp where we took a short break before making our way up Buck Mountain. e trail up to Buck Mountain went in and out of the trees, had a fun but not terribly technical rocky section and offered some of the most spectacular views of the entire day. Buck Mountain runs southwest to northeast and the last part of the trail runs along the ridge before you come to a small turn- around near the base of the fire lookout on top. e lookout sits at 6,135 feet so we made quite a climb from the 840-foot elevation of the town of Okanogan. Unobstructed Views e fire lookout offers an unob- structed 360-degree view of northcen- tral Washington. It was a clear day so

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