May 9-10th PG, Van, WA

I had been wanting to do a good road trip for a while and with frustrations of not finding a place to move into after the apartment fire, opportunity presented itself.  I had booked a shift off work to look for housing but wasn't going to settle for something i didn't want.  Unable to get my camping gear from my place, i bought a new tent and sleeping bag the day before leaving.  Got an early start May 9th and pulled over around Quesnel due to some wobble in my front end and discovered my front track bar was in rough shape, bushing very loose and the frame side mount had a crack in the sleeve.  Contemplating turning home, I looked up a shop in Vancouver that carries the brand of track bar I run (BDS).  North Shore Off Road informed me they had exactly what i needed in stock and could ship it.  I told them i'd pick it up in the morning and kept on wobbling towards Vancouver.  Was very minor around 90km, acceptable at 95km and a little scary at 100km.

I believe i got to Abbotsford around 6pm, I pulled off the highway and found a best western.  Ate some chicken wings at a 'Wings' pub, had a hot tub and got some sleep.

First thing in the morning I found some bacon and eggs in a restaurant and a tim hortons and waited for North Shore O.R. to open their doors at 8am.  I bought a trackbar and steering box skid plate that i had wanted for a while now.   I had intended on a quick change out myself in a parking lot somewhere but inquired if there was a shop nearby that might be able to do it asap.  The guy helping me told me if i got it to a shop a few blocks away he could do it right away.  Price was great, trackbar was in, Southward bound!

Out near MacPhee road

May 4th. Bit of a late start to a random jeep club drive. Will edit this later. But here's some gopro footage of a nice big puddle. 

http://youtu.be/SqyJ3yBzFNI

Also a few of the ladies that were there took video and posted it on Facebook. Will have to fix this link. 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1434259816798234

Break down out Takla FSR

I've missed a few little winter drives but there isn't much offroading a guy can do in the winter around here.  I believe i went out a little too early Friday March 21.  After having put my summer tires on the day before i was feeling a little adventurous.  

I went over the snowbank on Takla FSR (End of North Nechacko).  I stayed ontop of the snowmobile tracks to start and drove off the side and i mainly stayed ontop of the snow so i thought i'd go a little further I slipped off the tracks and managed to backup and go forward a few times to get out.

It was getting too deep and was getting too difficutlt to travel a few inches.  Backing up, i kept falling off the snowmobile tracks and wasn't getting anywhere.  Decided to try and turn around, figured i'd need the winch a little bit to do so...and i did.

I was stuck pretty good here, no movement forwards or backwards, I planned on winching forward a bit and be able to reverse on what i just packed down and i did a few times but wasn't getting back far enough and i tried to just pull myself around with the winch.  The snow had a good crust on it and instead of just breaking through it pulling sideways it wanted to flip me over sideways.  I was working the steering wheel back and forth a bit while mainly trying to turn right with some tension on the winch and heard some cracks and breaks.

Axle ujoint and both my axle shaft and stub shaft were all broken.  Then as I continued to try and get out with only 3 tires spinning this happens.

The wire must've all piled up on the one side and took out the retaining bolt for the end of the winch cable.  Eventually it unwound until it would no longer grip on the cylinder and i had to pull it all out and was in the process of trying to fix it when help arrived.
I forgot to mention I was just outside of cell service, i walked about 5 minutes and had a signal where I typed a message to local jeep club to 'please help'.  But my phone died before i could post it!  I went back to charge my phone in my car charger and continued to try and get out a bit longer then walked back and posted my message a while later.
Three vehicles replied to my post and Tom had me on his winch while Jessica, Josh and his friend shoveled snow and helped push.  We had to change the angle of the pull with a snatch block and eventually i was back up on the snowmobile tracks and able to back out down to safety.  Bill showed up shortly after and we all stood around and chatted for a while.
I was hoping to drive home but the axle seemed to grab a little every time it rotated making a horrible metal on metal noise and i could feel it in the steering wheel.  Decided driving to the road and waiting for a tow truck was the best plan.  Snapped a few more pictures while waiting.
Might not have explained this the best way possible but the pictures should tell the story enough ;)

Buckhorn

Went on a scouting run to see if the trail was safe and passable for the Jeep club tomorrow.  We met at Tim Hortons conveniently enough and headed out sometime after 1pm.  Stan and Davy in Stans Cherokee and Chris hopped in with me.
The start of the trail was pretty tight, lots of willows i had to push through and some pine, knocking off so much snow i couldn't see where i was going some times.  Stan and Davy wondered why i stopped a few times but it was due to needing clean off the pile up half way up the windshield causing my wipers to struggle and blocking my air intake.  They didn't have that problem.

Things opened up and the drive was much more enjoyable!  We stopped a few times along the way to chat and decided this trail would do for tomorrow event.

This puddle was interesting.  The ice was an inch or so thick on it and it stopped me at one point but i just backed up a little and i could see it cracking and breaking up ahead so i just charged through.  Got a decent pic out the back window of Stan going through.

The trail isn't too long, seemed like we were back on the Buckhorn road in no time.  Pulled over at the lake because it was looking pretty nice out.  We chatted for a bit, many pictures were taken and we headed back to town.  Was a nice drive, looking forward to doing it again tomorrow.

Haldi Lake

Nov 15
Snow fall warning today, went out for another test run, somewhere where i know there are lots of tree's for winching just in case.  Had an area off Haldi road in mind but with all the snow weighing the trees down the road i had in mind looked about half the width of normal and its tight to start.  Further down Haldi is a lake and no one had been off the road that way either and the trees were still being weighed down but not quite as bad so i went in to the lake.

While taking a picture my phone received a notice that i would have normally ignored but the few words on there said that someone needed a rescue.  Looking into it, a guy i had met earlier this year, was stuck in behind the hart scales.  I was going to attempt a different drive out this way but thought i should go help if i was needed.  I headed out to the hart scales and i guess i was 10 mins late as he was already out and filling up sandbags, as that was his purpose out there.
The roads were more difficult than off the roads.  Other drivers are scary this time of year!  No lights on, tailgating, not using turn signals, and speeding.

First snow drive out N. Nechako/Takla fsr

Nov 13 - Out North Nechako way, wanted to see how the tires preformed in the snow.  Did better than i thought, traction was pretty good.  All the main roads were pretty packed down but I had to venture down a few places no one else had yet.

Usually i can't drive out passed this grassy area but i walked it first and looked safe.  I hung out on this rocky beach for a while.

*edit* Was playing with some apps/camera setting stuff and came up with this:

There was actually a point to parking like this.  My rear drivers side coil spring wasn't seated right and this took the preasure off so i could kick and hammer it back in.  Seems good now.
Recently put new fog and undercarriage lights.

I've now added the last two of the undercarriage lights, they're close to the rear bumper.

Nov 3 along Nechako/Nov 4 Domano

After being sick all week I had to get out of the house. So just went out behind Edgewood elementary and parked and went for a walk along the ridge above the nechako.  Nothing special but nice for pictures.

The next day, i had some time to kill before going to Darren's house so i went on a random trip out to Haldi road and took a trail to Frankel road, then took Dave road to access the domano/blackwater trails.  Ran intoa girl who i had just met a few weeks before at the Jeep Owners of Prince George meet.  While we were chatting another guy who i had met at the start of summer drove by and had a quick chat.  Don't see anyone out much at all off roading these days and see two separate people at the same time.

Got my winch cover in the mail today.