Hey this is my kind of exploring! Keep hitting dead ends until you find your way through - best way to discover new trails and sweet spots. The gates do suck but it's pretty much a reality of wheeling on the Island. Luckily there are often creative ways to 'bypass' that issue. Anyway looks like you had a great time - thanks for the pics and trip report, and welcome to the site!
I carry an inreach with me as well - used to have a spot which was a bit cheaper but didn't do two way communication. It's a little pricey I guess but in the grand scheme of wheeling costs it's on the lower side of the spectrum. I've been places on this Island that are a combination of very remote or in the off season when you can easily hang out in an area for a week and not see a single person. Sometimes walking out wouldn't be feasible, especially if you were low on food or injured. Better to have it and not need it imo, like insurance. Plus I've found it helpful in the past for meeting up with buddies off grid where there is no cell service - it's nice to be able to just send your exact coordinates when camping and someone is coming late.
Anyway for those of us who do use them I think some sort of contact list would be a good idea. I've been mulling over a way to have inreach/spot users be able to send messages that could be directly posted to the site in the case that they need help/extraction, not sure of the exact details yet though.
Hey I'd definitely be in to this. There was snow on this route last time I was up there but probably melted by now. Some really nice views along the way and a nice big beach on grand central that you can drive down onto. likely pretty busy on a long weekend so the good spots will go quick but there's tons of bush out there so should be plenty of fall back spots if the lakes are taken!
Here's a few more pics from random exploration around the valley. I like these fenders but they don't really do much for the mud - got a two tone Jeep now, lol.
Hey this is my kind of exploring! Keep hitting dead ends until you find your way through - best way to discover new trails and sweet spots. The gates do suck but it's pretty much a reality of wheeling on the Island. Luckily there are often creative ways to 'bypass' that issue. Anyway looks like you had a great time - thanks for the pics and trip report, and welcome to the site!
I carry an inreach with me as well - used to have a spot which was a bit cheaper but didn't do two way communication. It's a little pricey I guess but in the grand scheme of wheeling costs it's on the lower side of the spectrum. I've been places on this Island that are a combination of very remote or in the off season when you can easily hang out in an area for a week and not see a single person. Sometimes walking out wouldn't be feasible, especially if you were low on food or injured. Better to have it and not need it imo, like insurance. Plus I've found it helpful in the past for meeting up with buddies off grid where there is no cell service - it's nice to be able to just send your exact coordinates when camping and someone is coming late.
Anyway for those of us who do use them I think some sort of contact list would be a good idea. I've been mulling over a way to have inreach/spot users be able to send messages that could be directly posted to the site in the case that they need help/extraction, not sure of the exact details yet though.
A few more pictures, including the winch out situation :)
Hey I'd definitely be in to this. There was snow on this route last time I was up there but probably melted by now. Some really nice views along the way and a nice big beach on grand central that you can drive down onto. likely pretty busy on a long weekend so the good spots will go quick but there's tons of bush out there so should be plenty of fall back spots if the lakes are taken!
Thanks Simon - obnoxious safety colors for sure!
Here's a few more pics from random exploration around the valley. I like these fenders but they don't really do much for the mud - got a two tone Jeep now, lol.