Whipsaw 4x4 wknd overnight - wknd of Sept 10-12

[RichD]

I intend to go back to the Whipsaw and explore the last 30 kms more thoroughly this time.

I know that a couple of people have expressed interest. This is the thread.

*UPDATE*

The consensus is falling on the weekend of Sept10-12 rain or shine. Note: wet conditions mean mud and harder trails.


Coordinates and map will be posted, but here's the general plan:

- The first meeting spot will be the EastGate Diner on Friday afternoon. Meet time TBD, probably mid-afternoon. We'll leave a few printed maps here for the stragglers. You should top up your diesel here. They can refill propane, too.

- We've got a couple of known camp sites in mind, will select one closer to the date based on weather conditions (i.e. altitude). This will be the Friday evening meet spot for those who leave later Friday/early Saturday. We'll be at this location from 6PM to 9AM.

- A third meeting point, well up trail, will be our Saturday afternoon lunch spot. This is also where we'll leave the coordinates of our Saturday night camp location for the stragglers.


Suggestions...

Gear up, Fuel up, Buddy up:
It would be good if you can plan to pair up with someone who has recovery equipment, radios, gps, extra diesel - or, if you have that on board, buddy up with someone who doesn't.
The point of having maps and meeting points is that we can split up and explore without losing each other. We will also have a much better chance of seeing wildlife this way. Last weekend a small group in a pickup truck alone saw bear, wolf, and more. With our noisy diesel convoy we saw nothing but cattle.
Dress for cold weather, especially at night. Campfire bans make it unlikely we'll get to sit by a cozy fire - more likely a portable bbq. Expect rain, its almost inevitable - even if it comes and goes in an hour. Bring extra water and food.

Kids: Bring em! There are already at least one or two bringing their school-age boys. Obviously this is a wildlife area and little ones that look like prey need to stay close to the adults in camp.

Wives/Girlfriends: There's no getting around the fact that this kind of weekend is mostly men. If yer lady knows how to roll with the boys, bring her along!

Truck Condition, fuel: remember we are going up in the mountains. Its cooler and the weather changes fast. The truck is literally going to idle higher from the altitude. I'm no expert, but unheated veggie oil might not be the best choice of fuel for this. Its A Good Idea to give your truck a proper looking over and under before the weekend. Last weekend, my fuel filter failed and spilled diesel all over the street, the morning after we got back from Whipsaw. If that had happened in the mountains...
We could tow you out to the highway if we had to... but an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure.


If you are interested in coming, please post on the thread and toss me a message too please: radagenais at gmail dot com. Please include your phone number.

[coaxial]

I definitely want to come along. I haven't been 4x4 exploring in ages, and it looks awesome there. I can't do this weekend, could maybe do next weekend, I'm hoping to go to the music festival in squamish but probably can't afford it. It would be heavy traffic w/ long weekend as well. The following weekend I am free..

[delicat]

Sept. 11 is a better date for me for sure but I still need to work on the kitchen pass... Such an amazing place that it makes it hard not to go!

I'll let you know as the time gets closer...

David

[RichD]

Sept. 11 is a better date for me for sure but I still need to work on the kitchen pass... Such an amazing place that it makes it hard not to go!

Well you have two weeks to butter her up.

[tonydca]

I'm definitely interested! After seeing those photos from the last trip, the clan and I did a quickie overnighter up there ourselves this past couple of days. Since we were on our own, we took things a bit cautious, but it'd be great to go with a group. Beautiful! Found a great camping spot about 1/3 of the way 'round (my $%^#$!! USB ports have died, so I can't upload and pics at the moment)

Were you planning on a Sat-Sun, or Fri-Sun?

Tony.

[RichD]

updated above, more details based on emails

[Super Exceeded]

We'd love to try and make our first Delica campout.
Now to try and get three days off.

[tonydca]

We're in for Friday morning! Me, da wife (probably), two boys, and a 4-legged ground squirrel/raven deterrance system (lab-cross).

Tony.

[Spade J]

I intend to go back to the Whipsaw and explore the last 30 kms more thoroughly this time.

Is it the last 30 km from Wells Lake to Lodestone Lake on way to Coalmont? I like to share it first if you haven't been there. There were few spots that seems impassible for my stock L400 there without taxing its body and frame. I went there with my friend and his Jeep JK group last month. All JKs made it without scratch except one which is only unmodified out of 11 (no lift kit, stock wheels) survived the trail with broken sidestep.

[tonydca]

I intend to go back to the Whipsaw and explore the last 30 kms more thoroughly this time.

Is it the last 30 km from Wells Lake to Lodestone Lake on way to Coalmont? I like to share it first if you haven't been there. There were few spots that seems impassible for my stock L400 there without taxing its body and frame. I went there with my friend and his Jeep JK group last month. All JKs made it without scratch except one which is only unmodified out of 11 (no lift kit, stock wheels) survived the trail with broken sidestep.

Not sure how far the previous group got, I only went a bit past the picture in a previous post of a down-hill turn with a caption implying Sasquatch-ness of Falco with his camera, but this site:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/overlan ... psaw_Trail

Refers to several obstacles (Falcon Hill, "The Shelf" and "The Ditch"). Curious if the previous group got to these points, or if the 3-hour detour took a different route.

[RichD]

Curious if the previous group got to these points, or if the 3-hour detour took a different route.

I believe that we got to the "fun part". I will only go as far as is safe. Honestly I'd be pleased just to explore the area we did a bit more and see whats beyond.

Whipsaw_Map.jpg (138.26 KiB) Viewed 8519 times

The trail is maintained by the Roverlanders of BC. I dropped them a line to let them know we would be going in and ask for any tips/advice. I'm also going to suggest that we make a token donation.

[RichD]

Here's some video of the really hard parts way past where we got to last week.

The hill climbs look fine but around the 2min mark is where I think the Delicas give up.

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[FalcoColumbarius]

Pilot error & long wheel base issues. I think I would be more inclined to take the road than go through the puddle. Those guys we were talking to that we ran into? Eric and Josh? Eric told me that there were always other options at the tricky bits. That puddle that the Suburbans were bogging down in... wasn't that the one that Delicat jumped into but approached from a different angle?

Falco.

[RichD]

I think I would be more inclined to take the road than go through the puddle.

Yeah good point; I should mention: many of the videos online are of deliberately optional hard bits. We can watch Delicat try them.

That puddle that the Suburbans were bogging down in... wasn't that the one that Delicat jumped into but approached from a different angle?

way past where we got to last week.

[FalcoColumbarius]

I don't know, man ~ looks pretty familiar to me. If it's where I think it is then the road is to the left, they are travelling to the east and Delicat was going left to right.