.....the trip report
Well we just camped out the one day (saturday night) and it seemed lady luck was with us as Saturday was sunny and it didnt rain at nite either. Sunday afternoon it came down cats and dogs tho.
So we packed up the 40, and I was amazed that almost all of what I normally stuff into the back of the 45/tacoma for camping fit into the 40..most of it anyways. We headed out early saturday afternoon (left the little one at home with a babysitter)
and rumbled along to Harrison. As soon as we got on the harrison east FSR, I rememberd what driving a 40 was like...this was no plush taco anymore...bone jarring, rattle and crash along that hard rocky logging road.
The ride up was non eventful, Although I was thoroughly disgusted with the amounts of garbage along the way up (ranted on BC4x4 mailing list about it). We caught up with a friend in a new to him YJ who had never been up there and was tryin' to find his way..so we played trail leader. We eventually caught up with our friends we were meeting there shortly after the turn off from the FSR. They were towing a camper on a trailer with a YJ and had stopped cuz their cooler flew out the back door and busted most of their booze....bummer!
Shortly after catching up with them, another in our party blew a bead on his 4runner and we had to beat it back into place..no spare...boy I'd never do that!
We finally arrive at the hotsprings and well..its busy! There was just enough room for our 4 groups to set up camp....and the tubs were full. There has been a new tub made since we were last up tho. Were the love tub was..a new plank wall has been made about knee deep and its quite hot. The love tub was relocated just above it.
We partied well into the morning and awoke to drizzly grey morning. Brekky was made, packed everything up and on our way back down did a little scouting of what remains of the old road.
The old 'boulder crawl' is blocked at each end now..the far end towards the springs being the easier access...but the other end needs some serious work. My chilliwack redneck friends are planning a work party one of these days to clear the logs and stumps out from the bottom to make it accessible once again.
After that little recon mission..we played in the only old part of the road left thats still accessible. I got to go in first, and after some lo range shifting gremlins headed into the rocks along that road. There is really only 2 hard spots in there, and I was starting to get quite frustrated 'cuz my crapppy Holley carb was doing what a Holley does best on the slightest incline. I even had to have the YJ tug me back to a level spot so I could start the damn thing..curses!
But open headers on a slightley tweaked 350 and lots of RPM so it wouldnt stall is a very satisfying sound and feeling..and I quickly made short work of the rocks and stump I had to get over. I would really have preferred to finesse it thru there, but a sputtering carb and open diffs wouldnt allow it (remember..speed overcomes open differentials
) I then had to watch Jasons YJ go thru there with a little more ease that I did..but hey, hes locked in the back...and i did spit out all the large rocks for him
We then came to the creek crossing, which the last time up was a raging river that was carrying away the rocks we were throwing in to try and fill some voids. This time however..it was bone dry and was'nt even a challenge.
On our way back down we stopped to tighten straps up and everyone wanted to do a little more wheeling...so Sunrise Lake was the plan. But, by the time we got back to the pavement everyone had had enough of logging roads and being tired, dirty and hungry we all headed home.
I did manage to shoot a little video and some pics, I'll see about getting them up somehow in the next few days.
adios for now
