Expedition Adventurers ·

Wes YJ · Leo XJ · Gord TJ · Phil CJ-5 · Brian BJ-40 · Mike & Deb TJ · Bill & Malawnie BII · Graham, Samantha & Jamie EB · Dave & Betty-Ann Land Cruiser · Trevor & Amanda Sidekick · Henning G-Wagon · Derrick Sidekick · Ashek EB · Gregg & Brandon EB

Thursday, 07 September 2006

Our Windy Ridge trip for 2006 actually started back in 2004 after we did the trail for the first time. Back then we had one really long day of a trail ride, driving the whole thing in about 12 hours, main gravel road to main gravel road. It was not without incident though. We spent a lot of time looking at maps and some directions we were given, some breakage (tranny mount, fan into rad, and such). We were fortunate enough to guess correctly on a few of the junctions and find spurs that we needed to take. There were times I thought we were lost. This trail goes a long way in and we did not have enough fuel to be lost for long. What did we learn? Take more time, plan on a camp spot in the middle and full sizes are just too big for the sections we have chosen to run. The trail should be easier the second time, right?

The word went out early in the year that we planned on doing this trail ride, knowing that several wished to join us and needed to arrange time to do so. As the adventurers replied, it became obvious this was going to be a large trail ride with a nice diversity of vehicles: Toyotas, Fords, Suzukis, Jeeps and even a G-Wagon.

Friday finally arrived and most headed up to our meeting spot for the night. The ones that took the Canyon were the lucky ones. Little traffic and lots of daylight. Those of us who went the Squamish Highway were treated to a really long parking lot and later a really dusty and busy Hurley Rd. We were passed often on the dark and very dusty Hurley. Not surprising, we came across a rolled Pathfinder that minutes before zipped passed us. The Aussies seemed alright, though a bit shaken. I think they may have hit their heads a bit harder than thought as they kept stating they would just get a new windshield in Gold Bridge. With the Pathfinder back on the road, the front tires were found to be pointing inward, their response, “we will just get an alignment in Gold Bridge too…”. If you have ever been to Gold Bridge, you would understand just how funny that is.

Saturday morning we awoke to find that we were still short three vehicles. Henning arrived shortly, but we were still waiting on two. Since several of us wanted to top up with gas before hitting the long trail, we split into two groups. One to town for gas, the other up to Tyax for a coffee. Hopefully we would run into Dave & Betty-Ann and Blake by then.

Gold Bridge was a little quiet by the time we arrived. It was before 10AM and nothing opens before 10AM. We hung out until the pumps opened. Turned out that the rumours of $2/L for gas was unfounded. It was merely $1.31 (big city pricing was just over a dollar) and we were all a bit relieved. We waited around for a time and left descriptions and some directions with the gas station owner should the two vehicles we were waiting on arrive.

On our journey to Tyax we encountered Dave & Betty-Ann. They fuelled up in town and met up with us at Tyax. By now it was after 11 and we figured that we could not wait anymore for Blake. Assuming something came up and he could not contact us (no cell coverage), and he could not make it we proceeded on our way. 14 trucks and a whole lot of dust.

Gold Bridge	Group photo	Driving along the Mud Lakes

We stopped at Swartz lake for a bite to eat before starting the trail. Amazing how busy Mud Lakes was all while this lake site was empty. Where else can one go on a long weekend and still find camping? The beavers were again quite active damming up the creek flowing out of Swartz lake. It’s a weird feeling looking out and seeing water above your door.

Entering the trail, it was much like last time. Large open cut blocks that we drive across with some tight sections of trees in between. It becomes obvious pretty quick that this trail does not get used much. The track is faint and the grass is over taking the road. We meander along for a while and then pop out onto a high-grade road. Seems kind of odd to be all that way out there and then come across this road. We proceed across it and back onto the trail. Now the trail is riding a small ridge above the meadows. From this vantage point, we can see the ruts in the soggy meadows from those unable to fit down the trail. Kind of a mess that will be a long time to recover. We go along a bit further and come to a spot where the trail crosses part of the soft meadow before we enter another cut block. We give it a go, but most of us need a tug to get though.

The turn-off to the Windy Ridge trail	Finding the track through parts of the cut block was difficult.	The mud section slowed us down a bit.
	The trail proper crosses a logging road that is not for public use.	We were careful to stick to the original trail and stay out of the meadows. You can see the scars left by previous fourwheelers/ATV'ers do didn't do the same.
	As you can see, the trail is extremely tight in some sections. This section, in particular, is very likely to provide body damage to full-size vehicles.

We soon arrive at what gives this trail its name, Windy Ridge. Looking down, the trail looks much like it did the last time. I am the first to proceed, crawling down slowly, I make it down the first section and wait for Phil to join me. I guess over time, people have not felt comfortable driving the ridge and have put in a bypass of sorts to the left. No one elects to take the first section of the bypass, but Phil takes the second section. I continue down the outer ridge. This part was definitely narrower than the last time. Sidehill, dirt and then grass. Once into the grass, the bank gives way fast. Looking back, there were good sections where I could not make out my whole tire track. Hmm… pretty narrow. Maybe it would have been wiser to take the bypass on the second section. Oh well, too late now! Looking beside me at Phil on the bypass, it was way steeper a decent, but was a safer way to go as there was no chance of rolling off the road.

Getting close to the "Ridge" part of Windy Ridge

The entrance to the ridge. As you can see, the trail is off-camber. Yes, there is a safer trail to the left, in the trees, but the "proper" route and the one that isn't going to cause erosion is this off-camber one. If you're going to do the Windy Ridge, you'll have to suck it up and do it right.

Steep AND off-camber.

We all made it down to the bottom without any trouble. Remembering seeing a nice spot to camp on our last trip though, I made a quick survey of the area and found a nice large flat meadow just beyond it for us to camp with a babbling brook beside us. By now it was nearly 5PM and we were tired from the day. Perfect timing for finding a camp spot.

Sunday morning came and we were all underway, back on the trail. A new obstacle was created by the beavers since last time. A flooded road and some windfall cut just wide enough for an ATV to fit though. Most of us had no trouble with the tree, we just drove over it and then skirted the edge of the road as it had been eroded away and had a good drop off into the pond, but for some reason the narrowest vehicle needed to have the fallen tree cut more so he could fit. After that we were off to Yodel Camp for a look-see. The cabin was in amazing shape and it was cool inside while outside it was getting hot. Phil mentions something about a bridge out and having to use the bypass, but I go the way I thought I went last time. Hmm… Don’t remember this. Shelf road is too narrow for us and the creek crossing has a 3-ft vertical wall on the other side. Turn around 14 trucks or knock the wall down a bit? That was an easy decision. 10 minutes of work and we had a nice ramp out of the creek. Meanwhile, Trevor is carving out the narrow shelf road to fit his Sidekick on. We think he was trying to show off how narrow he was. As with most times I show off, it got him into trouble, too. Just as he got out on the shelf, he slid sideways and a tire was off the road. Winches and gear were strung up. Bill’s to the rear and Dave’s to the front and Trevor proceeded to be winched sideways back up onto the hill and then was able to back out. At this point I lean in to rib Trevor and notice this nice turtle plush toy by his shifter. I say “Hey, you got one of those too…” And then the light goes on as to why everything fell out of my dash on the last hill climb. He stole it out of my dash! At that point I feel really slow. Maybe it’s the heat or all the branches to the head the last couple of days.

	A new obstacles, thanks to the beavers.
		Yodel Camp
Wall	No wall
Shelf road fun

The turtle only lasted a few hours in my dash before someone stole it again. The first time was almost funny. To who ever stole it the second time: GET AN ORIGINAL IDEA! At the time I write this, I have not seen, nor heard from the turtle nappers. I now need something to hold all the junk in my dash from falling out…

I did not remember it being this far down to the washouts for our exit to the main road. Seems a lot further this time than last. Maybe because I am upfront now, rather than back in the pack. The washouts were a good fun obstacle that only the smallest of us needed some rock stacking or a tug to get though. Though they did definitely seem more difficult this time than last. Driving over big rocks is fun.

Now it was just a fairly easy drive out to the main road. Once again, I needed to consult Phil and Gord as to which way to go. Not exactly instilling confidence in the rest of the group as we were humming and hawing on a couple of turns. This last section of road had not been driven by any vehicles; trucks or quads, this year. A huge tree lay across the road. Cut it or find a pass around it. Fortunately we found a pass around it that required only a little bit of cutting. A few minutes later, I came across another large windfall. I tried to push it with the bumper, but it did not move. I got out and kicked the branch sticking up. SMASH! It was rotten. I got back in, put it in 4lo and drove over it at a better angle. The rest of the group proceeded to wear it down.

Driving along the meadow at the end of the trail was a welcome relief. It had been a long day. For some reason the second half of the trail seemed to be longer than I remember, perhaps because of the size of the group.

Up onto the main road and heading for the Empire Bridge. What a drive, the awesome scenery was only diminished by the dust and the layer of smoke settling down from a distant forest fire. We stopped at the bridge for some pics before saying good by to Henning and then proceeding to Beaver Dam Lake for the night.

The journey to the lake was not without incident. A couple cowboys and their tire biter dog were just off the road in the trees as we came by. I saw a flash out of the trees and I hit the brakes, their dog just missed my rear tire and almost ended up under Brian’s Cruiser. Warnings went back in the pack to watch out for the tire-biting dog. The campsite was nearly empty as we rolled in at dusk.

That was a really long day on the trail, over 10 hours.

Windy Ridge 2006 was a great time with a great group of people. We will have to do it again in a couple of years. I might even get my turtle back by then.