Pemberton and Beyond

September 4-5, 1999

By Wesley Rempel, with additions from Camilo Aguiar

A few of us decided we needed to get out for the last good camping long weekend of the year, Labour Day Weekend. I decided on the Pemberton area as a starting point and the rest of the group agreed. The group consisted of Ryan and Aleisha in what was once a stock Suzuki Sidekick, Mitch and Laura in a Jeep YJ, Camilo and Mel in a GMC Sonoma Highrider and me in my Jeep YJ. After a couple delays in our get go Saturday, we were under way.

There was traffic on the Sea to Sky Highway, but not too much. And aside from a particular white Ford Taurus that could not do more than 50km/h until there was a passing lane when would do 120km/h, we make OK time. While waiting at the first traffic light going into Squamish, we picked up Dave Pocock on the CB. Dave was a fellow BC4x4.com lister and since we had never met decided to pull into the MacDonald's and meet face to face while some in our group got a bite to eat. In talking to Dave, who was on his way to Molybdenite, he mentioned how nice the Mud Lakes area was. At that moment I looked at my watch and decided that was our destination. We bid farewell to Dave and headed for Pemberton.

I wonder what kind of jack THEY use?

The Shell station in Pemberton was busy as normal, but with a little patience we gassed up and headed for the Hurley Road to Gold Bridge. While on the Hurley Road we came across a logging truck that had a minor mechanical problem. The tires from the rearmost trailer axle were lying on their sides beside the trailer. There was no rear most axle to be found anywhere. It appeared something in the axle broke and had to be taken into town to be fixed. A major Doh!, by any standards.

Camilo adds, "After Wesley got going, the rest of us stared at the size of the brakes, hmmm got to get me some of those."

Ryan zap straps his diff.

The Hurley Road is not paved at all, but at either end of it the roads leading to it are. Go figure. For the other members of our group, who had never been that way, it was a surprise. From there we headed along Carpenter Lake Road looking for the Tyax lodge signs. We only got a short way down the road when Ryan radios that he has stopped because his front diff, has lost a nut, bolt and thus has come apart. After we turn around and eventually stop laughing (this is a paved road after all), we help Ryan look for his lost parts. Aleisha finds the bolt but the nut is lost to us. Ryan describes himself thus "I lost my right nut". He uses a few of my zap straps to hold in place his front diff, and we are off. We shortly there after find the turnoff and head straight up the main to Mud Lakes. Unlike last time I tried to go there, I didn't get the group lost for 4 hours or blow up my transfer case on a 2wd road when I eventually found the correct one.

Camilo comments "Instead, Wesley lost us in his cloud of dust, but with good 4x4 etiquette, he waited for us at each intersection, then the next person did the same."

Camilo encounters a problem with perspective. He thinks he's about to roll his truck.

There are some steep switchbacks going out of Mud Lakes to get to Swartz Lake. We were all doing fine so I went on ahead to check out the camping situation at the lake. There was a large, friendly group occupying most of the camping area, but I did find a nice spot in the trees well away from them. I then radioed back to find out what was taking the rest of the group so long. I was told my (very bad) spotting abilities and (very limited) experience was needed. So I walked back to check out the situation. What I found was Camilo was half way around the last switchback and fearing a rollover. He was no where near rolling but the rear driver's side tire was coming off the ground. I told him to point the tires down the hill and just go it will be fine. And he was, aside from that rear tire coming a couple feet off the ground.

Camilo adds "I am really beginning to trust Wesley's judgement, he now understands the abilities of my truck better than me, thanks for saving our toilet paper."

I later found out that Ryan had picked a bad line just in front of Camilo and had gotten two tires off the ground.

Camilo chuckles "Way off the ground is the best way to put it, looked like a teeter totter, and Ryan's face had the expression to prove it. I had to put my 190lbs+ against his Sidekick, Ryan let Aleisha out and I asked Mitch for help. Then I told Ryan to turn his wheels and let off the clutch, but he slid before letting off the clutch and landed perfectly. Mel closed her eyes...again."

With Camilo now fine, we went down to the site and set up camp. Setting up camp while it was still light out was a refreshing experience. I think the last time I did that was in May.

Well I thought my tent was big, being an 8x8, I thought wrong. The tents Mitch and Ryan had just dwarfed mine. Oh well, whatever works. Camilo went all out and brought a big new inflatable mattress, it worked great right up until Mel punctured it with her shoe. Way to go Mel! Fortunately for Camilo and Mel, I had a second piece of foam that I didn't really need. Camilo got the foam and Mel was sentenced to sleep on the deflated air mattress for her crime.

Camilo says "Thanks for the foam Wes, it saved my back, as for Mel, she used me as a foamy. Guess that is her way of telling me to shed a few pounds."

When morning came, the sky had cleared and the day was looking very good. We packed up and headed for Poison Mountain. On our drive to the end of the valley we came across a few side hills and creek crossings before we began heading up the steep switchbacks that lead out of the valley. I reached the sign at the last corner that gives the distances to Poison Mt. Gold Bridge, Big Bar Ferry, and Lillooet when I hear the call over the CB that the group has stopped because they are not making it up the hill. I park the Jeep and walk back to find Camilo's truck parked off to the side. The torsion bar bolts are toast.

Camilo adds "Every little bump I felt reminded me of a solid axle, along with the annoying crunch of a fender to go with it."

I almost made it to the top of Poison Mtn!

Well this just would not do. It was only 8km to Poison Mountain, they had come all this way and I was not going to have them go away without seeing it. I walked back to my Jeep, turned around and came down. I unloaded enough of my gear to permit seating for 2 more. With Camilo and Mel in my YJ we were off to Poison. We almost made it to the top too. Camilo and Mel got off at the bottom and said they would walk up. Ryan and Mitch were right behind me so I continued up the mountain. The wind and dust were pretty bad going up, the dust kicked up by my tires flew into the vehicle and nearly blinded me. But I was determined to make it. All I could see was the track in front of me and I stuck to it. I make it about two-thirds the way up when I get the call on the CB that Ryan is broke and to come back down. Doh! So close and yet so far. I turn around to see that Ryan and Mitch are parked at the bottom. I drive down to find out what the problem is.

The ol' socket spacer trick.

The zap straps that were used the day before had broken and the rubber spacer between the diff and the skid plate had been lost. The search was on for something that had a hole in the middle to use as a spacer and fit around the mounting bolt. I suggested one of Mitch's new body lift blocks. That idea was thrown out due to the amount of work involved in getting one out. I then came up with the socket Idea. Perfect, use a socket. I had lots of those in my set. Then I am asked where are my wrenches. Doh! I took them out and put them in Camilo's truck so that he would have a place to sit. Fortunately my socket set would do.

While we are waiting for Ryan to finish the repair, there is a call over the CB requesting a response from anyone monitoring Channel 4. It was August Ustare, another fellow BC4x4.com lister. He was in a group of about 9 Toyota 4Runners and pickups and they were on their way to Poison Mountain. They soon arrived and we said hello in person.

It was starting to get later in the day, so we decided to head back to Camilo's truck and head for town. Again Ryan almost rolls his truck, but on a different corner. And again, I am too far away to see or know what is happening.

Camilo adds "Ryan again pulls the stunt of needing Camilo and Mitch's bodies to stop him from going over in a ditch the water carved. Ryan had that pained expression again, looks like he will be getting wider some time soon."

With Ryan and Camilo's trucks not feeling well, they decided it would be best to head for home. I agreed and led them out the way we came in, through Mud Lakes. We nearly made it too, when Ryan got a flat tire. A piece of shale got into a sipe and wore through the tire.

Camilo recalls "At this point I learned to put all my tools in an easy accessible place, including my jack."

He used a flat-fix-in-a-can that enabled him to get to Gold Bridge for a real patch. At only $16 for a repair in Gold Bridge, he got a very good deal. The fellow who did the patch said it gets dead if the road hasn't been graded in a while. Apparently grading the road brings out all the sharp rocks and thus lots of business for him. While we were there a Cherokee came in with a tire that was completely totaled. It appeared that he had driven on it for a while.

After the stop in Gold Bridge, we headed down the Hurley to the Sea to Sky Highway and home. It was an exhausting 2 days, an eye opening experience for some, and definitely fun for all.

- Wes Rempel