# Portland SnowCat Get Together?!



## Nikson

While it seems that the Colorado side will be having a blast, I figured I would throw this out there anyone local to Oregon's PNW side and wants to join!

Testing waters for the weekend of the March 8-10th...

I have a perfect spot to try your cats out locally, not too far from Estacada, OR, meeting would take place at Ripplebrook Ranger Station and from there its 20 miles of trailering (most likely) to the drop off point, from which we would have another 15 miles to a spot by a Olallie Lake, or stop and stay at the Olallie Meadows Cabin (possible overnight for those interested).

So, as they say - just testing waters, let me know if there is any interest.

Nikson


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## Nikson

Some of you might recognize the cat and the driver...  

p.s. this is the Olallie Meadows cabin, with a propane heater becomes quiet comfy with sleeping for 10 on cots if needed (tightly)


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## Pontoon Princess

the mafia is interested


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## RRose

Interested


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## JimVT

I been looking for my cat.


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## Pontoon Princess

just do it!!!


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## JimVT

Pontoon Princess said:


> just do it!!!



we planned our own local snow trac ride on the 9th .4 or 5 snow trac so you may not get any from my immediate area.

jim


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## skippyh2o

Nikson said:


> Some of you might recognize the cat and the driver...
> 
> p.s. this is the Olallie Meadows cabin, with a propane heater becomes quiet comfy with sleeping for 10 on cots if needed (tightly)



I can verify that it stays warm with a 3 burner heater ??
Thanks Nikson, trip was fun. No issues and yes... that snow was DEEP!

Skip
www.LLUMEN8.com


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## Pontoon Princess

Nikson said:


> While it seems that the Colorado side will be having a blast, I figured I would throw this out there anyone local to Oregon's PNW side and wants to join!
> 
> Testing waters for the weekend of the March 8-10th...
> 
> I have a perfect spot to try your cats out locally, not too far from Estacada, OR, meeting would take place at Ripplebrook Ranger Station and from there its 20 miles of trailering (most likely) to the drop off point, from which we would have another 15 miles to a spot by a Olallie Lake, or stop and stay at the Olallie Meadows Cabin (possible overnight for those interested).
> 
> So, as they say - just testing waters, let me know if there is any interest.
> 
> Nikson



so, Nikson, how the test go?


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## Nikson

Pontoon Princess said:


> so, Nikson, how the test go?




Test went well, lets talk about an overnighter to that cabin with the mafia  

I can bring couple of photographers to make this more memorable with drone footage and some good panorama shots


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## Pontoon Princess

just set a time and place to meet...


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## Nikson

Pontoon Princess said:


> just set a time and place to meet...






How about 17th?  What distance/time do we care to spend cruising around?

I have 2 possible locations for this event, either a 7 mile one way, or 14 miles one way... both scenic locations.


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## sno-drifter

Can't make it the 17th but can the 16th if that works for you and others.


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## Nikson

sno-drifter said:


> Can't make it the 17th but can the 16th if that works for you and others.



23-24th weekend?!


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## Snowy Rivers

Nikson said:


> Some of you might recognize the cat and the driver...
> 
> p.s. this is the Olallie Meadows cabin, with a propane heater becomes quiet comfy with sleeping for 10 on cots if needed (tightly)



Back in the 70's I belonged to the Mt Hood Snowmobile club.

We resurrected that cabin from a near scrap pile.
I was  part of several work parties that rebuilt the roof and replaced a lot of stuff that was rotted out or had been vandalized.

There used to be a really cool wood stove in the center of the floor.

One weekend we headed up and found that the place had been vandalized and the stove was missing.

I gathered up the needed steel and built a new stove from memory that was a close approximation of the old old.

WE anchored it through the floor with a big ass chain and hardened padlock.

The last time I was there in the early 80's the big wood stove was still in there and worked great.

Wood cutting parties were always a big deal in the fall.

We would cut and stack the wood in the area under the front porch.

Always had great water from the creek across the meadow.

Spent many a fun weekend riding up there.

Had lots of great drag races with the sleds on the meadow.

Somewhere I have pix taken at the cabin....circa 1977/79

Great little place to kick back and enjoy a weekend.

Many winters we would have to park at Ripplebrook (Heavy snow) and run up from there.

Looking out from the front door of the cabin towards the meadow...off to the left back in the trees WELL  concealed was our "Gas station in the sky"

In the fall just before snow had gotten heavy enough to preclude getting in with a 4x4 we would bring up a 55 gallon barrel of gasoline and sit it up on an X stand.

We would use either My Ford 4x4 with the sled hoist to get the barrel in place or Bill Wagner's Rig with the hoist.

It was a nice to have that insurance policy during the deep winter in case we ran low on fuel in the sleds.

We kept the tank locked up...never had any vandal issues though.

I will see if I can find those pix...

Brings back some great memories.....


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## Snowy Rivers

OK
Found the pictures.

The Red machine is  Rupp Freeair (mid 70's)
Bill Wagner heading off to get a cup of coffee and stoke the fire
The Polaris is a 1976 TX440 that was converted to a  "Water Burner" 

I had an inside track to the factory racing goodies (Through Bill ) and I got hold of the Water cooled upper cylinder kit.

Complete kit included the cylinder
Water pump
Heat exchangers
Dash gauge for coolant temp.
Set of HUGE ASS 44 millimeter mic carbs
Tuned pipes
Complete specs to port the block for max performance

I had this machine burning down the Mt when the new batch of 3 cylinder bad boys showed up for the 79 model year.

That TX would smoke all of them and then some.

The Arctic cats
Kawasaki's 
Polaris 500 and then the 600's that came a bit later

Nothing could touch that TX IN A DRAG RACE...

Definitely vintage stuff.

Been a long time ago.

Over 40 years ago.

Another tid bit

This cabin and the one close to the junction with the road that headed back up to hwy26 we both scheduled to be Burned in the late 60's early 70's


We call this cabin "Cabin 2"  The one closer to 26 was called  "cabin 1"

The club had contacted the Forest service and requested use of the two cabins if the club refurbished them and so it was.

They were left open in the winter so anyone passing through could spend a night if need be.

CROSS COUNTRY SKIERS or anyone passing through.

We simply asked for those using the supplies to put a few $$$ in the "Kitty" that was kept in the cupboard....sign the guest book and tell us if they enjoyed their stay.

There used to be dates and other writing in the door jams left from surveyors from waaaaaaaaay long ago.

A lot of good memories are there.

Sadly all my old sledding buddies have since passed away.

I would venture a guess that many of the new generation of users were not even born when we were there having fun.

IIRC even the road numbers have changed.....

We used to come up from the Clackamas River on either 752 or 806

752 would catch more sun in the late spring and many times ya had to ride in on dusty roads until you passed the 806 juction

Only a few patches of deep snow would force you to unload the sleds.

I dug through a huge mountain of pictures to retrieve these.

I hope Y'all enjoy a trip down through the history of the cabin.....


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## Snowy Rivers

More pix
Sorry for doubling up on the same pics

Actually these pix should have been with the first bunch

First pic....Bill climbing a hill somewhere up around the Oly area.
Second pic....Bill heading back into the cabin
Third pic... Looking at the Mt across the meadow


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## 1boringguy

SR, 

Cool story/pics from back in the day ....

Cool too when government agency and citizens work together to the benefit of everyone.

Reminds me of Brownlee Reservoir near here. It's 58 miles long in mostly a deep canyon and from much of it, its a long way to where you can get out. Because of the danger to people getting caught in severe weather conditions in that middle stretches,  the Bureau of Reclamation allowed individuals to build dock houses and anchor them in the reservoir. The deal is if you built it and put it there, who every is in it when you arrive has to let you have use of it. Otherwise first come first serve. Some are very nice, great place to camp the weekend,  and adds considerably to overall safety.


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## Snowy Rivers

Yes
Many things do come to a good end.

Had the Snowmobile club folks not petitioned the Forest service that cabin would be a distant memory.

The club had exclusive use except in winter we had to keep it open for any weary travelers that needed a safe harbor in bad weather.

We went in one weekend and found a family hole up there.

It was the first major snow of the season and their car got stuck close by..

They discovered the cabin and made themselves to home.

We dug the car out and used two sleds to help drag it back down to HWY 224

The lower elevations were still skimpy on snow so it was possible to get them out.

Another few days and the car would have been there all winter.

Fools with a passenger car, no chains, no survival gear, no food...not even snacks with them and worse yet....light town clothes.

Mom, dad and two young children.

This was a case of  "Damned lucky"

Some sledders had been in to the cabin earlier that day to haul in supplies for the winter and the folks spotted the sled tracks and followed them to the cabin  (A block or so)

They were planning a nice little drive to Olallie lake.....
Turned into a 4 day event that could have ended in grief....

The were savvy enough to know how to build a fire.

Someone had left a plastic jug full of water in the cabin the read POTABLE WATER

A fire, canned food and water....they were fine

Worst part....they never even said thank you or offered to refill the supplies.

When we got there....they were actually rather indignant...
That's gratitude for ya...


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## Thefatsquatch

Any weekend but that I am absolutely in!  That happens to be the girlfriend's birthday weekend though.


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