SNOWCAMP
Invitation and Brief History
By Rolf-Immo Gabbe
As I write this (late December 2010) it’s nearly 2011, which is
to say the new Rally Season is upon us. The 15th Annual Snowcamp
will take place over the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend, January
14-17, 2011. The location is the Sahara Creek Horse Camp. It is
located about 5 miles from Elbe, WA on SR 706, on the way to Ashford
and Mt. Rainier. There is a SMALL sign located at the entrance,
which is on the left, about 100 feet beyond Milepost 5 (the milepost
is on the right side of the road) on SR 706.
There is no camping fee, and some food is provided (See brief
history below for details).
 What
follows is a brief history of the event. It’s the brainchild of Joe
Rodgers and me. Joe was one of the owners of Tacoma BMW; I was a
customer. I’d recently returned from several years in Germany
courtesy of the US Army. While in Europe I was never able to attend
the Elefantentreffen, the legendary German winter motorcycle campout
(at left), because it was always held at the same time as my unit’s
winter field training exercise. And, while I was out in the snow,
camping, sort of, I didn’t have a motorcycle with me and it wasn’t
nearly as much fun.
One day in 1996 we were at the shop solving all the world’s
problems when I happened to mention that I’d been thinking about
doing a winter motorcycle campout but didn’t know a good location.
Joe said he’d wanted to do that also and that he knew a place. So
naturally we egged each other on and decided to do it and see who
would show up. We settled on the 2nd weekend in January 1997 at
Sunshine Point Campground in Mt. Rainier National Park. For the
inaugural event we settled on an overnighter – arrive Saturday,
depart Sunday. There would be a chili feed Saturday courtesy of Joe
and Tacoma BMW and a pancake breakfast courtesy of me and the BMW
Riders Association.
 We
made it a point to advertise this as an all-brand event and “a
chance to be cold and miserable with like-minded fools”. We knew
that at least 6 or 7 of us would be there but we had no idea what
kind of turnout we’d get. When the weekend rolled around we headed
for Sunshine Point and found Ty and Michelle Randall already there.
They’d come out the day before with their RV and Ty’s GS. They
helped us set up camp, and we started the official campfire and
waited for people to show up. In the afternoon it was time for a
ride up to Paradise. As we climbed higher and the road got icier,
discretion became the better part of valor for those on heavier
street bikes, and they turned back. In the end three of us made it
to the parking lot at the top.
The author woks on whatever special meal is
being whipped up at that moment. Please pass the chicken fried
bologna!
When we returned from the ride we started heating the chili.
Steph Brown produced a Dutch oven and prepared fresh cornbread.
Campfire cooking at its best! All manner of food appeared to
supplement the chili – everyone had brought something. It was also
Ty’s birthday and Michelle had brought a cake and ice cream birthday
cake with 2 toy motorcycles as decoration. The cake has become an
annual tradition.
All told, we had 23 attendees and it was clear we had a viable
event. The consensus was that it was a little too short. To have a
little more time and an easily remembered date we decided to move
the campout to the Martin Luther King holiday weekend and make it a
3 day event, Saturday through Monday.
 The
second Snowcamp increased attendance by 10. We again attempted an
ascent to Paradise but were thwarted by the authorities. The final
portion of the drive required chains and there was a Park Ranger
there to enforce the rule. We tried to tell him dirt bikes with
knobbies don’t need chains but he wasn’t buying it and we were
turned back. All but Rick Wetzel and his brother Mark. Rick had
brought chains and Mark wrapped rope around his tires and the Ranger
let them go on. They made it up and back down. The second Snowcamp
also started a Snowcamp tradition. On Monday morning, while doing
pancakes for breakfast we came upon a leftover package of bologna,
so we dipped individual slices in pancake batter and threw them on
the grill. We called it “Chicken fried bologna”, and a Snowcamp
tradition was born – to mixed reviews. Some said “pretty good”,
others “better than expected”. Not as good as ice cream, but we
already had that covered.
The third year I came out on Friday to set up for the “Saturday
through Monday” event to find out that the party had already
started. It’s been a Friday through Monday event since. Now it’s not
unusual for some people to arrive on Thursday, but the official
start is still Friday.
The 3rd Snowcamp was the “Dutch Oven” Snowcamp. Steph Brown had
brought hers to all of them, but this year there were others. James
Peterson baked an apple crisp in his, much to everyone’s amazement
and delight. On Sunday someone “just happened” to have brought 2
turkey hindquarters. Someone else produced a large envelope of
minestrone soup mix. Those, some onions, carrots, a few other
ingredients, and Steph’s Dutch oven combined to make a great turkey
stew. Our ride to Paradise was again thwarted by a “chains required”
policy. This was to be the last year that would stop us.
 For the 4th Snowcamp Jay Giese made motorcycle chains from old
car chains. We put them on between the knobbies and fastened them
with heavy-duty zip ties and we’re now legal. This was also the year
that Wayne Elston started bringing his “Roadkill BBQ” to the
campout, and the food tradition continues to this day. Over the
years the Snowcamp has become something of a gourmet potluck. Oh, we
still do the Friday chili feed and the pancake breakfast (upstaged
when Hans Wolf makes SOS for breakfast for everyone) and the chicken
fried bologna, but everyone brings something, and it’s usually
pretty fancy.
Hold on... None one goes walking in their bare feet at
Snowcamp, so just what exactly did David Hough run into in 2007 when
he went down this dirt road??
So what, exactly, is the Snowcamp? Aside from being a chance to
be cold and miserable with like-minded fools (although no one’s died
of hypothermia or even suffered frostbite yet), it’s a motorcycle
rally in the middle of winter, a chance to get together with friends
who are just as crazy as you are. Some people actually come by bike,
but that’s not a requirement, anymore than you have to camp,
although that’s encouraged. But come by car or RV, camp or motel it,
or just come out for the day, but come! It’s always a great time. If
you come by car or truck and can bring some firewood, that’s always
appreciated; we always have a BIG fire. Come and experience Snowcamp
for yourself!
If you still need more info, you can email me at
rolfgabbe@yahoo.com.
Rolf-Immo Gabbe/Winter 2011
Snow Camps in the Northwest have actually been in progress
since the early teens. For a look at the one put on by the Queen
City Motorcycle club in the 30s and 40s, please
visit
this link at the Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling. Rope
tows were never the same. |
