With the new lift I have been doing some more forest road exploration with a weyerhaeuser permit I purchased. The permit gives me a key to the gates on their land. My goal is driving to the top of Elk Mountain in Cowlitz County. You can see the peak from my house, and I have been planning to drive there since I got the truck.
The logging roads on the weyerhaeuser land are quite well maintained, which isn't great for an off roading adventures, but it's still fun to explore. This was the worst section I found.
I haven't made it to the peak yet, I found the main road had been blocked with tank traps. I think that I found an alternate route that I hope to check out soon. I did find a cooler stocker with free beer though, so I have that going for me which is nice.
The free beer cooler is pretty nice. Can't do that here, it's too warm. Well, we have one stashed on a certain MTB trail, but you have to load it right before you ride or the beer is shot. Not much fun.
Truck is looking good! Being able to buy a permit and get a key is pretty damn nifty. I bet there's some great things to see out there even if it's not terribly challenging. That's the kind of stuff I usually end up running too.
Friday was a beautiful fall day, so I left work early and tried another attempt at Elk Mountain. 
The destination from my house. Elk Mountain is the taller of the two peaks in the background
Closer...
Closer....
Almost there....
Made it!
Unfortunately I didn't make it to the top. The roads that looked drivable to the summit in aerial photos weren't drivable and I ran out of time to hoof it. Even if it wasn't quite the top there were still some great views.
I also came across some wreckage from a crashed airplane. 
I think it's the rear fuselage and vertical stabilizer. I didn't see any other debris, so I think someone dragged this part close to the trail.
I was pleased to find that as you get off of the main and secondary forest roads they are less maintained and slightly more challenging. Still nothing super technical, but at least I felt like I couldn't have made it if I didn't have 4 wheel drive.
As I stopped to snap the last picture I could hear a helicopter. I saw it across the way on another peak picking up something and carrying it to the bottom. I made a slight detour in that direction and found bundle of tree branches along the roadway.
I could hear the helicopter, but not see it. As I got back in the truck it appeared over the road behind me.
After taking that picture I started driving away because it was heading my direction. As I looked in my rearview mirror and could see the bright orange hook at the end of the cable below it following me down the road. Very surreal, I felt like I was in a Bond movie. I'm not sure what exactly they were doing, but it was cool to see.
I also did a bit of mushroom hunting. I thought these were oyster mushrooms, but after getting them home I found they were angle wing mushrooms.
They are supposed edible, but have been linked to fatal brain degradation in people with kidney issues so I decided to pass.
It's supposed to be nice all week, so I'm hoping I will have a chance to make another attempt.
That’s a good height now. You didn’t go overboard on the lift and that’s a good thing.
