Crossing the Windy Ridge Wagon Trail Article Extra Photos

[Wheelingnoob]

First is me letting the big bronco go ahead to try to break trail as the depth of snow was getting big and I didn't have the turbo back then, so I didn't have the power to hammer through. Later we found that powering usually got us too burried in the deep wet snow. Adam has a few of his getting burried so will get to those later, but then the next two are us starting on the mud lakes snow drifts the next day after we gave up the poison mt route, then the last is us at the first mud lake when we still thought we were invincible.

I have been up by Poison and down through mud lakes. No issues there, I do remember seeing the pictures of the bronco in the trees. I should be ok with some careful driving and spotting. The LX gets around the Starbucks parking lot with out damage so thats a start ;p

The picture on the off camber and the creek below is memorable. That had gotten quite a bit worse since then, its much narrower and more off camber now. We went through in July long last year and there was still snow blocking Poison Mt.

Look forward to take a week or so up there next year to explore.

 

[Deny]

Here things get a little more serious as we keep climbing into more and more deep snow, then adam blows a bead, so tire swap time.

 

[Deny]

Adam changing his flat and all the tools scatter into the snow, good fun! Martin hammer down throught the drifts, he sure managed to keep good pace behind us following our big swamper tracks and we didn't really have to give him a tug that I can remember, course I've had quite a bit of beer since then.

 

[Deny]

Here we kept getting stuck, so I figure instead of Adam winching forward and getting more burried then shovelling like we were doing, how bout a quick tug back and try again, as it was fairly easy to follow the tracks that he was leaving behind as he broke trail. So then he comes up to my window and I can't quite remember the wording, but he says "do you think we are good enough to just keep em hooked up and work together?" I remember laughing the way he said it, but figured it was worth a shot. Ended up working great, except for the one or two times where I ran over the strap, or we just didn't time it in time and he started going forward while I hadn't clued in yet and he just dug down and got burried.

Then the next pictures of a particularly nasty hill we had to do quite a bit of runs at.

 

[Deny]

We were getting little worried as the snow kept falling and the trail just didn't seem to end. Then at the last mud lake, Adam was looking bad in the fuel situation, so I started pushing tracks.

 

[Deny]

I got stuck a few times when I let the tires chew too long, but generally I figured out that if I just kept on top of the wet snow enough to make tracks, then when forward momentum was slowing, stop and back up and get another run. Worked good but we were running out of day light and we were still deep in the snow. That is when we finally got out of the trail onto open logging roads, only that the sled traffic over the winter had packed the snow and wasn't melting fast on the road, so out came the chains to see if I could speed it up, because it wasn't too deep, worked good, but we soon ran out of snow and hit our last campsite. Then next day back through lilloet, said goodbye to Martin and up pavilion then logging roads all the way back over the bridge to our tow rigs. Where we seen Matt still, and the sign from bill saying they let the RCMP know we may be stuck in the backcountry. As soon as we got to cell service we had messages on our phones from the RCMP, so we called them right away, and they said they already started the search, but they would call the helicopter back. Also had Bruce from Calgary calling me, as well as Rob Millison, as seems the cruiser community is pretty tight and we were definately glad people were looking out for our general well being and makes you proud to call yourself a cruiser head. That is the end of my tale of pictures, will get on Adams pics next, but still waiting on Martin to give permision to post his.
Cheers,
Deny

 

[BC40]

Come awn, they're our trip photos, post em all you want.
Trails finally came in

 

[BC40]

I'd post them myself, but resizing to the max file size they get a bit small.

Deny 'building' trail.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

I just got my issue, great article it relally gives you the sence of how much work it was. The first of the last set of pictures you posted really shows how off camber that is.....I sure would pucker on that.

 

[Deny]

Just wait till I start posting some of Adams pics where there's nothing but shovel pictures for a long time! I actually broke a sweat many times during this "wee"ling trip. Now that I think about it though, everytime I go wheeling with Adam, seems to turn into some kind of trail building/clearing trip!

 

[AJAEbj42]

Finally got my trails too. Great story writing there, Martin! It's kind of funny, but with the exception of a couple of photos, that entire issue is international contribution. Save for my buddy Tony bailing out the US content with a couple of tech articles (he's a great cruiser head by the way; he'd love that Windy Ridge Trip).

Looking forward to more pics!

 

[Enigma]

and the sign from bill saying they let the RCMP know we may be stuck in the backcountry. As soon as we got to cell service we had messages on our phones from the RCMP, so we called them right away, and they said they already started the search, but they would call the helicopter back.
Cheers,
Deny

Deny 'building' trail.

You should invest in a SPOT or similar gps messenger device. The OKAY message will keep everyone worry free, until of course you hit the 'oh s***!' button.

And awesome smoke shot

 

[Deny]

Yeah Adam has one now, since we regularly head into the mountains for sledding and used it for wheeling all last year, and I have had a sat phone for quite a few years now. And thing smoked like crazy because when I bought the truck from Dan he put in a motor that had a turbo, but it was off, fuel was still cranked. It doesn't smoke now that I have a turbo on it.

Here are a start of Adams pics, note Amanda took a lot of them and started off even before we got out there. And although Adam has a few diesel work trucks, he doesn't have a diesel in his wheeling trucks until he finishes his old school bronco project with 4BT, unless you count his big dog Diesel which has been wheeling with us for the past few years.

 

[Deny]

Base camp view from high up, the bridge, and my tow rig/truck/and trailer crossing the bridge.

 

[Deny]

The ranch you pass early on the trail, Blackdome mine up above, and starting to wind down to the big creek washouts.

 

[Deny]

Winding down the trail and switchbacking. That's it for now, gotta get out of the house and do something, like shovel my driveway.

 

[Deny]

Here are a few more before I crash tonight. Us dropping into the first big wash out.

 

[Deny]

Adam dropping in, then me dropping into the second big wash out, then me doing some ace ventura driving

 

[Deny]

Me driving out, and Adam driving through.

 

[Deny]

The two muts getting along, then after the big sluff dig out, and the creek we could have rolled into if we didn't do the cutting into the bank.