We met at the Chilliwack Airport Coffee shop for a delicious Farmer Sausage Scrambled egg breakfast and thanked our lucky stars that the overcast skies were brightening with patches of blue in the distance. Off to the Vedder bridge pullout and rendevous gathering point. Brad R was there with his low-geared BJ42 and friend Greg H, accompanied by Kricket the Red Healer, and Zowie the Blue Healer. Barry P arrived with his washed, pristine red BJ42. Rob S and Jeremy A showed up in Rob's multi-coloured 42, sporting a cool new canvas soft top – very nice unit. Marcel (Max), a new man to our ranks, came in his 40 series, along with his GoPro camera and remote controlled, camera-equipped drone. Daryl H was in good spirits and ready for action with his tricked-up BJ40. So there we had 5 BJ40 series vehicles in this convoy. When the weather gets iffy, the 40's come out to play. Gary T with Bill rode the BJ74, and Jason H caught up with us in his HDJ 81, along with partner Amy, and the two kids, Julia & Owen.
We followed the well-travelled route up the Selasse Park Road and the Bench Road along the river, and on up to the Mount Thursten trail with its slippery rock faces and occasional eroded road bed. En route we enjoyed the red and golden falling leafs, spiralling in our following wind vortexes. Up the narrow south face hillside through the logged-off and replanted areas to finally reach the peak. Sunshine! View! Gary cooked Polish wieners on his BBQ (where is the Polish crew today?) and we enjoyed his hot dogs in our shirtsleeves at the summit.
Time for fun on the Widow-maker hillside. The hill was dry and in pretty good condition and Max got some good GoPro shots while setting up the GoPro on the road so that the vehicle would pass over it as they came down the hill. Then off over the top to the north viewpoints facing the Chilliwack Valley and Harrison Lake, but, dammit, the fog rolled in and blocked our view north. Then down the Chipmonk Trail to fun in the gravel pits and test flying Max's hovering drone. Finally, one by one our tired Cruiser crew headed for home and good memories of a great day in the mountains. Yaaahooo! You shudda bin der...snooze; ya lose!
~Bill
