Every year, hundreds of families head over the river and through the woods to Tonga Ridge in pursuit of the perfect Christmas tree.
Picking out a tree in the forest and cutting it down by hand is certainly a lot more work than picking up a noble fir at the local Christmas tree lot, but it’s a time-honored tradition and a cherished winter outing for many people.
Climbing up to the best trees at 4,000 feet on the Tonga Ridge Road is no cakewalk in winter, though. At nearly the same elevation as Stevens Pass, the snow piles up quickly on the roads and, unlike U.S. 2, there are no snowplows, no chain-up areas and no passing lanes.
In the weekends following Thanksgiving, it’s common for dozens of cars and trucks get stuck in the snow or slide off the road.
Every year since 1981, however, the Dirty 13 Jeep club has been there to pull them out. The Snohomish club volunteers roam the roads around Tonga Ridge, just south of U.S. 2 near Skykomish, Beckler River Road and Martin Creek Road — the main tree cutting areas in the Skykomish Ranger District.
"With the lack of people we have out patrolling this time of year, they’re a godsend to have on board," said Pam Young, who works for the Forest Service at the Skykomish Ranger Station.
The district has about 900 Christmas tree permits available this year, and most people cut the trees in the two weeks after Thanksgiving.
"I think a lot of them really expect to come up here and see the trees all in a row," said Mick Clapp, a longtime member of the club. "Quite honestly, if you want a nice Christmas tree, you’re better off going to Safeway, but people like that experience."
Often, people come prepared with cross country skis or snowshoes to wade off road in search of a tree, but their vehicles aren’t always as well prepared.
"Most of them aren’t real familiar with driving in the snow," Clapp said. "Generally speaking, it’s just a short pull to get them going."
Some cars do get seriously stuck. Once, a father and son parked and went searching for a tree. The heat of their exhaust system melted the snow and left their truck high-centered on a stump. The two men spent a cold night in the vehicle until the Jeep club rescued them the next morning.
Another time, a family slid off the road in the father’s truck and the Jeep club spent quite a while getting the truck out. The next year, the son-in-law slid off and got stuck in the very same place.
The club heads out, usually with about a half-dozen Jeep CJs, about 8 a.m. and stays out until dark. Many years, the drive off the mountain is the longest part of the day.
"If there’s a lot of snow, as you go down there’ll be people stuck and you’ll have to pull them out as you go," said club member Jay Larson.
Last year, the big snow didn’t arrive until mid-December, when most people had already cut their trees. That meant that the club didn’t have much to do except set up a bonfire at a wide spot in the road and answer questions from Christmas tree cutters.
"Usually this intersection is as far as people can go," said club member Carl Niebuhr last year, sipping a cup of hot chocolate at the corner of Tonga Ridge Road and the 310 spur.
The best trees, club members agree, are all the way at the end of the Tonga Ridge Road, 10 miles past the intersection, where more recent logging has made room for smaller trees to spring up. Getting that far back, however, is often more trouble than it’s worth.
"I don’t even cut them up there," Clapp said, "because you have to wade chest-deep in snow most of the time to get them out."
If you’re tempted to sneak into the forest and cut a tree illegally, you may want to think again: If you’re caught, it’s a $100 fine. And you don’t get to keep the tree.
Reporter Andrew Wineke:
425-339-3465 or
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