Wheeling Lives On!.... Peace Country Style (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Threads
79
Messages
4,002
Location
Fort St John, BC
Hi all,
Seeing as no one seems to be posting any runs, or trip reports, I will start, as two CC members attended a run held by the Peace Country 4x4 Club up near the Fort St. John area a few weeks ago (I just got the pics developed). A bit LONG, I know, but hell, sometimes at work I got time to kill, and if you don’t like it, don’t read it and skip to the pictures! (Here’s the short version: blah, blah, wheeling, blah, blah, mud!)

I ran into a Peace club member (LDCSR guy) on Wednesday, went to a meeting that night, and before I knew it, was on a camping/wheeling trip for the weekend. Now, for those that have never been to the Peace Country, wheeling here can be summed up as: “If you want MUD, we GOT it!”( I know you’ll get this Jim aka AC/DC rules). I’ve never been on a trail that starts on the side of a highway and continues through the forest all the way to the river camping spot going only through mud. Just picture Stave Lake mudflats, with poplar trees, grass on the sides, more clay type mud (less sand in mud), and a few km’s longer!

Started out meeting Kim, wife, and 2 dogs (older F-150 painted like the general lee, including horn), and Jason and GF (82 toy pickup on 37’s) in FSJ. We drove out to the trail and right into the mud. We got to the first big mud hole, maybe 500m into the trail, and I was stuck! Jason tried to come back and get me, but he got stuck too! So I got the winch out and winched Jason closer so he could get a better run, then I winched myself out (Damn those U-bolts and bald Mud Kings). It went ok for awhile, as I started figuring out to use more of the skinny peddle. About the middle of the trail we ran into the other guys coming back to meet us (a Jeep on 35’s and a jacked up 4runner), and they told me to stay right. Now, I can’t remember if I mixed up left and right, wasn’t listening properly, or just plain didn’t understand the mud chucking redneck language but I got stuck in the deep ruts on the left. Another pull.

All was fine till we emerged from the forest and into a large grass field, and being the tread lightly guys that we were, we stayed in the deep mud tracks instead of taking the easy field route. Even thought the mosquitos were out, it was still warm, especially with the good old non-stop heat from the tranny, and thus the window stayed open. Trying to press as little throttle as possible to keep the mud flying low, I could feel the momentum slowing, so the right foot thumped the floor, and mud flew into my teeth and behind the ears while I frantically tried to close the window and keep moving, but to no avail. I was stuck! A quick pull from Kim, and I was out. We loaded up some firewood, and went the rest of the trail with no problems.

The night went by quick, as I tried hopelessly to keep up with these guys (and gals!) in the beer-drinking department. The morning came too soon, as the dogs woke everyone up, but I had to go meet Charla anyway. I drove 15min down a gravel logging road and waited for Charla, her roommate Ray, and little Prado the “wannabe Land Cruiser” pup. Soon enough we were back at camp and testing our trucks on a rock pile, the only rock pile in the Peace (It was really funny, because they were talking all night about it, yet it was just a little pile, a bit difficult, but still just a pile, but I guess if you have none, a little is all it takes).

We left camp to head out the same trail we came in on, and learning my lesson from the previous day, every time I got to a big hole, I just closed the window and stomped on it. And happily I didn’t get stuck all day! The Jeep got stuck trying the ruts that I got stuck in the day before (even though Kim’s 33” TSL’s just walked through), and made me feel good that I wasn’t the only one to get stuck. Charla was driving behind me, and she seemed to idle through most of the holes with those 35” swampers, until near the end of the trail when all of a sudden I didn’t see her behind me. I walked back around the mud holes and saw that she had tried to go through some of the bigger ruts that everyone else avoided. Sawing a bit on the wheel, I was amazed to see her climb out of the hole, only to get bogged down in an even bigger hole right after. A quick tug by the general lee, a toot of the old horn and a big YEE HAA, and off we went to try a different trail.

This other trail we went on started near the Peace River, and climbed up the steep banks to a lookout overlooking the Peace River and the town of Taylor. The trail was mostly dried up quad ruts, with the occasional stream crossing and mud hole. It was pretty uneventful except for Kim winching out of a deep mud hole we all chose to bypass, and my damn roof rack smacking downed trees, which others didn’t even notice. At the lookout we chilled for a bit, let the dogs run, and played with the puppy. On the way down, the Jeeper, Rob, either trying to impress every one, or too lazy to take a better line, snapped a front hub. Mike the 4runner guy behind, said he saw the hub fly 8 feet in the air and land a few feet from the Jeep. At the bottom of the trail we played in the Pine River, washing a bit of mud from the tires (Heck, no one really cares about 4wheelers and quads going through creeks because the water is already so muddy from the local silty soils). After that we headed back home, only to spend $15 or more washing off the sticky mud!

This report went longer than I wanted it to, so if your still reading, you’re a trooper.

Cheers, or as the locals say: GET ‘ER DONE!
Deny
 
Very cool...now...where's the pics!

gb
 
Holy batman, i mean greg,
settle down, I am working on it.
 
Charla GIVIN'ER on second day through the 1st mud hole I got stuck in the day before.( I made 'er through on the way back though)
 
Waiting for Kim to finish winching ( hey is my truck brown or blue? or hell does everyone just have grey trucks!)
 
:D

gb
 
Kim winching through mud hole that ate his truck!
 
A hard day of wheeling sort of wears you out!
 
Ok,
That's it folks, I really had to make that last one small, because I maxed out my picture space. Hope you all enjoy, and keep on Wheeling!
Cheers,
Deny
PS Look for a new Toyota klub in the part of the woods near you!
 
Send me any additional photos and I'll post them for ya....
:)
 
Ok,
I only have a few more, I am more ticked off that the pictures came out real good at full size, but after trying to get them on here, they look sort of fuzzy.

Anyway, I hope you guys don't mind if I give some of the Peace Country 4X4 Club guys this link, so they can see some of the pictures.

Cheers,
Deny
 
Ya Jeff,
It's funny how you can remember more and more things when the report is sitting on your computer for a few weeks. I have a bad memory when it comes to spewing things out all at once.
Cheers,
Deny
 
Here

Ya go...
Jason Givin er.JPG
jeeper rolling.JPG
Kim followed by fat dog.JPG
 
HEY IT'S DEREK!
Welcome back to mud, buddy, or to the internet anyway.
You would have had a blast on this trail, I found times when I was Givin'er through some of the deep water filled mud holes I was just flying, mud spraying over the roof, and the truck was actually sideways, but moving forwards.
Not quite used to the mud driving yet, but this is definately a mud lovers (like yourself) paradise!
Oh and Kim will be proud of your new avitar.
Cheers,
Deny
PS post your truck on the club thread already!
 
Thanks Charla,
And Yes I do got Swamp Donkey!
Cheers,
Deny
 

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