The Gates of Mason County

thank you to all that came to the first run i put together. also thanks to every one for remaining positive with each gate encountered. i had a great time out there, though i did get a little frustrated , seeing that people were still having fun i got over it. we started out going west from potlatch state park, caught a few glimpses of sun after climbing above the fog. got a few miles in and and made the realization that you cant trust google maps, it wanted us to drive off a cliff and drive down the river. so we continued on to what we thought would be a bridge. when we came to the river, the map showed the road continuing through to the other side. all we could see was swift moving deep water. late summer i intend to return to see if the river is cross able when the water is lower. this was the first of many turn arounds. we attempted to find another crossing, a look at the map showed two options. we could go north around lake cushman or south past the fish hatchery the way benny came in. we opted for the southern route and headed out. past the hatchery we got our share of water crossings, there was quite a bit of water flowing across the road on the way to FS 23. seemed like it was pretty normal though so we pushed on.we made it to the steel bridge and stopped for pictures and food. the bridge is quite impressive and would be worth a trip in its self. we turned around and headed south since we were back on the intended route.things wet well or a bit til we came to a road block. strangely i cant remember what was blocking the way but i think that it was an earthen barrier. we got turned around and found a suitable detour.ended up just about perfect until we came to the gate. another look at the map and an we were off again....to another gate, then another then a road that disappeared.our saving grace was an abandoned rail line. luckily it wasnt gated and we could finally get out. we were making good time, got to the road on the other side of the first gate and were making good time up a FS road. i ended up making a few wrong turns that ended up getting us some amazing views.we went down FS 2255 a ways when we ran into a couple kids coming down who said the road was washed out a few miles ahead so we turned around and made our way back to the proper road and our way out. by this time it was starting to get dark. we made it back to the hard ball and met up at the hatchery to say our good byes. i would say that most of the roads would be good for snow runs except Fs 2341 due to the millions of gates, FS 2255 since it is blocked and a few narrow parts, parts of 2199 get a little narrow due to a couple washouts but i think would be doable if conditions arnt too bad. other than that they were well maintained roads. not difficult but a fun adventure none the less. and we got extremely lucky with the weather. a few tips for people new to leading a group. first and foremost keep a positive attitude. no map has all the gates or washouts on it. find an alternate route and go for it. have at least two maps covering the same area, each may have info the other doesnt. have a hard copy of the map, it is a lot easier to plan a route on a paper map than on a gps. always remember the adventure isnt the destination but the time spent getting there