August 3, 1998

Originally, I wasn't planning to do a write-up for this trip, but after labouriously typing it all in to email to Ray (who had planned to join us, but at the last minute ended up being unable to do so), I figured I'd post it for everyone else's enjoyment as well. Unfortunately, the pics did not turn out (or fortunately, for those that broke things!); not enough light due to overhead foliage, and no flash on the disposable camera (note to self: don't be so cheap; buy the one with the flash!).

Wil and I met up at the Maple Ridge Burger King at 9:45 am, fueled up, bought Subway subs for lunch later, and headed off to meet Wil's friends Dan and Dave, who were heading across from Langley via the Albion Ferry. We met up at the Husky Station at Dewdney Trunk and 240th St, and I checked out their vehicles while they gassed up.

Dan was driving a red '82 Toyota pickup with bobbed box, rear buggy spring setup, rear track bar, rear disc brakes, rear Detroit locker, 5.29 gears, 4" spring/shackle lift, 3" body lift, 33" Super Swampers, front Warn Combo-Kit pushbar, winch, custom rear bumper which was also an air tank, and bed-mounted spare tire.

Dave was driving a yellow '75 Bronco, with a 351M, approx 5" lift, 36" Super Swampers, front ARB locker, rear Detroit locker, winch, front channel-type bumper, and rear channel bumper with spare tire holder in the hitch receiver.

After airing down at the first parking lot, we took the "Suzuki Trail", a short, rough, narrow, primarily dirt track which wound through the trees and eventually popped back onto the "Second Parking Lot Road". No real difficulty, except that the Bronco peeled off a chrome beauty ring on a rock near the end, and I contacted both drivers-side rims on the same rock. Apparently, there used to be a stump at the end of the trail which made it suitable for narrow vehicles only; unfortunately, somebody pulled the stump out and now anyone can drive it.

From there, we headed south on the Second Parking Lot Road to the fork, then took the left fork back up the mountain. Mostly easy rocks, slightly overgrown, a few muddy water puddles, and a dry creek crossing that Dave took a weird line on, and got the Bronco's right rear tire about 3' in the air.

We got to one section which was composed of large, moss-covered rocks, and I had to take a couple tries at it before I found the right line; I kept butting the left front tire against a rock face, and the right rear tire was just slipping on the moss. A slightly different angle solved the problem.

The road got fairly tough a short while later. If you can imagine a steep, rough creek, covered with large rocks and wood debris, with a bit of water run-off thrown in for good measure, that's about what it was. Wil went first, with both lockers engaged. He slowly climbed up until he got stopped by dropping his right rear tire into a hole while his front right tire was butted up against a log, and his front left tire was butted up against a rock. He made several attempts, before he grudgingly allowed us to chuck a couple of football-sized rocks into the hole to allow his right rear tire to climb the rock face out of the hole. We made fun of him for having to have rocks stacked! Wil's tires had removed the stacked rocks, so we didn't have to unstack them for the next person.

The Bronco was next; he got stopped by the hole, but he was able to get out, thanks in part to his V8. My turn; I made it up past the hole, almost to the end of the section, then I banged a front U-bolt into a rock and got stopped. I took a couple of tries, and with some spotting made it past the offending obstacle. Dan's Toyota had no problem on this section.

The next section was a steep, uphill climb; mostly dirt, with some rocks. This was the last obstacle before the end of the trail; Wil thinks it's near the peak of the mountain. Wil took a couple tries at it, and finally found the right line. Dave had a problem with traction here, and only made it up halfway each attempt. On his fourth (I think) attempt, we heard a crackling, snapping, crunching sound. We took a look, and figured it was his right U-joint. Dave carefully backed it down to the bottom of the hill, and checked out the damage. His right U-joint had disintegrated into many little pieces of unrecognizeable metal. We jacked up the front of the Bronco, using two leaning High-Lift jacks in a kind of bipod arrangement for stability (the ground was uneven). Dave pulled off the rim, brakes, hub, and rotor. He had a spare U-joint with him, but close examination of the half-shaft revealed that the flanges were bent and the holes were out-of-round, and putting in a new U-joint would be a waste of time. He ended up stuffing some of Wil's shop rags into the axle tube to stop the fluid from leaking out, and reassembled everything sans half-shaft. He engaged the left hub so he could drive out in 3-wheel drive.

We needed to create space for Dan and I to turn around, so Dave spooled his winch cable up to Wil's truck, and winched the Bronco up the hill. I drove up the hill to the back of the Bronco, and Dan pulled forward to turn around.

As Dan was turning his Toyota around at the bottom of the hill, Dave pointed out that his right front tire was flat. We jacked up Dan's Toyota with my floor jack, and he changed the tire. Finally, we were on the way back. Dan was first, followed by me, then Dave, then Wil. After the really tough section, Dave and Wil dropped back. Dan and I were almost out, when Wil radioed us that Dave had a possible water pump problem, and they'd be checking it out. Dan and I turned around in a wide spot on the trail (which happened to be a large mud puddle), and we headed back up to Dave and Wil.

Dave and Wil's diagnosis was that the water pump was seized, which was stopping all movement. We could remove the belt, but then he'd have no water cooling and no alternator. We decided that I would tow him out via a tow strap, and that Wil would brake him via a second tow strap. Dan and I turned around on the trail again, and I began to appreciate the merits of his bobbed box (hmm...). We attached the tow straps to the Bronco, and I took a picture of my Toyota towing the Ford (Found On Rocks, Disabled!). We proceeded down the trail, over the rocks, through the dry creek, through the mud, and I only really felt the weight on one uphill rocky section. It was actually nice having the Bronco behind me, as I didn't have to use my brakes during the downhill sections. I made the comment on the CB that I should have a Bronco attached to my rear bumper more often! No real difficulties, although Dave only had a split second to pick his lines while I was towing him, and he got a pretty good workout on his arms from his now-manual steering.

We eventually made it to the second parking lot, where I pulled the Bronco to a shady spot. A phone call to Lordco Auto Parts in Haney determined that they had the proper water pump in stock, so Dan headed off down the hill to pick it up. I then asked Dave if the pump came with a gasket... another phone call to Lordco, where we told them to make sure Dan grabbed a gasket as well (they do actually come with one). Dave started removing his rad, and Wil pointed out that we only had a partial container of water (for his dog Leon). Another phone call to Lordco, to tell them to put some antifreeze with the water pump and gasket. Then Dave and Wil pulled the belt from the water pump... only to discover that the water pump was fine, and that the power steering pump was seized! Doh! Another phone call to Lordco, to tell them to tell Dan when he arrived that we didn't need the water pump after all, and to head back... Dave cut the pwr steering belt off, reinstalled the rad, poured Leon's water into it, and fired it up.

Dan was back by then, and after a rest where we discussed trail repairs and the unwritten code of not leaving anyone behind, we headed down the trail to the gate. While we were unlocking our hubs, Dave made a comment about coming out with us again "if (we'd) let him..." I jokingly replied that he was welcome to join us any time, and who's navigator did he wish to be?! :) The Bronco wasn't overheating, so Dave and Dan headed for the Albion Ferry, and Wil and I aired up at the Shell Station, where I discovered a piece of wood jammed in between my right front rim and tire again (this happened during the previous Blue Mtn trip too).

Another great day of 'wheeling in the warm summer sun.

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