1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Surprise Lake Trail

Discussion in 'North West' started by Benson X, Sep 6, 2012.

  1. Sep 6, 2012 at 10:23 AM
    #1
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    I went camping @ Surprise Lake on Sunday with my brother. I hadn't been up there before, but have read some good reports about the area, and I was eager to check it out.

    It's near Evan's Creek outside of Carbonado, WA. Directions HERE.

    [​IMG]

    TRAIL REPORT
    :

    This trail is rated "More Difficult", but I would give it a Black Diamond rating. 75% of the trail is slightly rocky logging-road conditions, while the other 25% is extremely rocky with basketball-sized boulders to drive around. Throw some logs and few large stumps in there, and you've got some fun obstacles to crawl over/around. Some tight corners and narrow overgrown trails. Pin-striping is guaranteed!!!

    RECOMMENDED RIG SETUP:

    Lift: 2-3" Highly recommended
    Sliders: Highly recommended
    Skids: Highly recommended (not required, I didn't have them)
    Tires: Decent tread and lugs (MTs) w/ 3-ply sidewall (some of the rocks are extremely sharp/jagged and may puncture a 2-ply sidewall, like on Duratracs)
    Misc: Diff. Breather relocate is recommended if you want to cross the lake.


    I ran into a couple guys on their way out, and the last guy coming down was really cool. He gave me some "tips" about the roughest spot on the trail, we named it "Das Stump", but I should've picked my own line because it was a PITA and took me 3-4 attempts to do it his way. At least I know the best approach for next time.

    He also gave me a heads up about the best camping spot at the lake, which was amazing!!! I had to drive through the lake, around the shoreline to reach it.

    It's a nice sand bar on the other side of the lake. There was about 1/2 cord of firewood chopped up, carved log benches, and a decent fire-pit. A downed tree with the exposed root-system provided natural shelter for the wood, and a great place to hang some supplies. Nice packed sand was a great area to pitch our tents, and the lake was shallow near the shore, clear, and pristine.

    NOTE: If anyone goes up there, please respect the area, tread lightly and if you pack it in, PACK IT OUT! I want to be able to return here, and keep the area good condition. The few people I spoke with up there were happy to see a new person out there, as they've been returning for 20+ years, but they want to keep it un-gated and maintained. :thumbsup:

    Here's some pics me and my bro took. Videos will be added once I finish editing them down.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    (hardcore!!! :p)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    Fun with long exposure @ night (the moon was awesome)
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    ...and some nice panorama shots
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Sep 6, 2012 at 11:37 AM
    #2
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    This is (almost) the entire trail when we were headed out. We ran out of recording space about 10 seconds before the end.
    http://youtu.be/dVSqqBwJHic

    Here's the lake crossing. Looked like a damn Toyota commercial to me, so I added the "Toyota Trucks" ad at the end...I so silly :p
    http://youtu.be/DAn27oHrFkY

     
  3. Sep 6, 2012 at 4:56 PM
    #3
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    Pics updated
     
  4. Sep 6, 2012 at 5:52 PM
    #4
    IDtrucks

    IDtrucks Unhinged and Fluid

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2010
    Member:
    #38254
    Messages:
    23,503
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mark "Buck"
    Jackson Wyoming
    Vehicle:
    96' X-Cab 4x4 TRD Off Road Clusterfuck
    JVC Deck, 10" sub mountd in rear seat cubby, 2 LED off road lights mounted in grille, amber raptor style grille lights, LED rock lights, square led bed light, custom made fuse block tray, 12 blade Blue Sea fuse block, 100a marine circuit breaker, black plasti dipped full grille, tinted tail lights + third, Uniden 520 with 4' firestik, Bilstein 5100s with 620lb Eibach coils, Diff drop, Chevy 63 leaf swap, TG creeper joints, 14" triangulated biletein 5125s, 8" extended steel braided brake line, TG Rock Sliders, CBI Moab 1.0 front bumper, custom fabbed bed rack, full TRD E-Locker axle swap and matching re-gear with custom stand alone wiring circuit, 29 spline pinion flange from an 06 wishbone runner, tubbed for 35x12.5" general grabbers on Ultra type 181 wheels, crush sleeve eliminator, Mini ARB compressor, front ARB locker, garage fab aluminum front skid plate, custom built high clearence rear bumper, removable mothafuckin doors
    wow :drool: looks awesome! great trail you found there
     
  5. Sep 6, 2012 at 9:21 PM
    #5
    Chickenmunga

    Chickenmunga Nuggety

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2008
    Member:
    #5877
    Messages:
    7,574
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Keizer, Oregon
    Vehicle:
    08 TRD Offroad DC 4x4 with stuff
    All the normal TW BS
    Did you really run the amp off the truck bed or did you have something else? I think the amp would trip things in a hurry.

    going to have to do this one soon :)
     
  6. Sep 6, 2012 at 9:45 PM
    #6
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    It was pretty badass. Definitely want to go again before it gets too cold.

    Yeah, I used the inverter. I was surprised it worked so well. We had my 2x12 combo, a 12" practice amp, some pedals and (2) drop-lights running off it. I did let the engine run while we were jamming though (only about 2 hours).

    No problems at all :thumbsup:

    Might be going back in 2-3 weekends :notsure:
     
  7. Sep 6, 2012 at 9:49 PM
    #7
    Chickenmunga

    Chickenmunga Nuggety

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2008
    Member:
    #5877
    Messages:
    7,574
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Keizer, Oregon
    Vehicle:
    08 TRD Offroad DC 4x4 with stuff
    All the normal TW BS
    I get tires early next week, my ball joints are on the coffee table.

    I just need to schedule some service before I'm ready - end of the month would be possibly ideal.
     
  8. Sep 6, 2012 at 10:23 PM
    #8
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    Let's do it!

    Cripes, video editing is sooo tedious. It literally took 3 hours for a 25 minute video to render down...now another 90 minutes to upload.
     
  9. Sep 6, 2012 at 10:28 PM
    #9
    Mitch

    Mitch Somebody call for a Wambulance?

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2011
    Member:
    #58964
    Messages:
    5,629
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mitch
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Access Cab SR5 4x4
    Lights, Siren, Drugs, Needles, Electricity
    Looks good. When you say "cross the lake" how deep and wide was this lake/crossing?
     
  10. Sep 6, 2012 at 10:37 PM
    #10
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    I had to hug the shoreline, and it got pretty deep in a couple spots as you'll see in the video(s). Not deep enough to worry about hydro-locking the engine, or burning out the alternator, but I definitely tried to keep in the shallowest spots.

    If you venture too far out, it turns pretty mucky, and you can easily get stuck if not careful or accelerating enough. But again...it was totally worth it :headbang:
     
  11. Sep 7, 2012 at 7:14 AM
    #11
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    BUMP, added a couple videos. Still have a couple more to edit.
     
  12. Sep 14, 2012 at 10:00 AM
    #12
    Digiratus

    Digiratus Adventurer

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2010
    Member:
    #34006
    Messages:
    22,948
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Roaming the PNW
    Vehicle:
    The RedHead
    2002 XtraCab TRD 4x4 SCv6 AutoTrans With Lots of Mods ADS COs w/Compression Adjusters Camburg Uniball UCAs Whiteline Lower Control Arm Bushings Kartek 7" Limit Straps Plastics Guy Front Bumpstops Custom Alcan Springs +800 lbs +3" ADS 10" Stroke Triple Bypass w/Resi Rear Shocks Custom Rear Shock Relocate All-Pro U-bolt Flip w/Timbren Bumpstops 4.88 Nitro Gears ARB Front Locker ARB Twin Compressor Black 17x8 Konig Countersteer Type X 285/70r17 Falken A/T3w Gunmetal 16x8 SCS Ray10s 255/85r16 Maxxis Bighorns Limited Edition (Relentless) Elite Front Bumper Smittybilt X2O 10K Winch Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport Selective Yellow Fog Lights in the Bumper Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro 4,000 Kelvin SAE Driving Lights with Clear Lenses on the Bumper Morimoto D2S Projectors XB35 Ballasts + 4300K Bulbs Badland Sliders FrankenFab Tire Carrier Swingout bumper w/kitchen BudBuilt Front & Bellypan Skids BAMF Rear Diff Skid Dometic CFX 55im Fridge/Freezer Alpha II Hardshell RTT Badland Custom Bed Rack Denso 210-0461 105 amp alternator Dual Northstar 24F AGM batteries BlueSea 7622 ML-ACR Battery controller Peak DBI Dual Battery Voltage Monitor Magnuson MP62 Supercharger w/2.37" Pulley Haltech Elite 2000 Standalone ECU Denso 650cc Fuel Injectors Doug Thorley Headers Aeromotive Stealth 340 Fuel Pump TransGo A340F Reprogramming Shift Kit Magnaflow Hi-Flow CAT, Magnaflow 18" Muffler w/Vibrant Resonator 13WL Brake Calipers Braided Steel Brake Lines ScanGauge II OBDII Scanner Kenwood TM-71A Dual Band Ham Radio Larson 70CM/2M Antenna Uniden 520xl CB radio 3' Firestik Adjustable tip antenna Pioneer DEH-P9400BH HU Alpine Amps & Type R components (F) and coaxials (R) Wet Okole Seat Covers Weathertech Digital Liners Deck Plate Mod 1" Diff Drop Carrier Bearing Drop
    This looks like fun. I'd like to do this. Have explored that area a bit a few years ago after they rebuilt that bridge that crosses the Carbon River, did not know about this trail.
     
  13. Sep 14, 2012 at 11:24 AM
    #13
    penguins_cc

    penguins_cc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2010
    Member:
    #41874
    Messages:
    2,362
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Will
    Bellevue, WA
    Vehicle:
    Timberland Mica Limo!
    Perkins Performance Sliders, Warn 9000, Brute Force Fab front & rear bumper, OME/Dakar lift, full ATO skids and hi-lift mount, satoshi, Wet Okoles, illuminated 4x4 switch, Diff Breather.
    Veeery tempting. I think after the summer of wheeling we all have had, brush scratches are not a concern. Getting there looks as fun as the end result, from your pics.
     
  14. Sep 14, 2012 at 2:30 PM
    #14
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    It is kinda short, but I loved it! Probably going back in a couple weekends.

    Yeah, I have put off trying to buff out my pin-stripes for WEEKS now. I think I will just wait until I know I'm not doing any more trips this year. Some people like detailing their vehicles....I loathe it.


    Still got some video I need to edit, maybe I'll do that this weekend :notsure:
     
  15. Sep 14, 2012 at 10:34 PM
    #15
    Chickenmunga

    Chickenmunga Nuggety

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2008
    Member:
    #5877
    Messages:
    7,574
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Keizer, Oregon
    Vehicle:
    08 TRD Offroad DC 4x4 with stuff
    All the normal TW BS
    Oh come on Ben, we could make a totally kickass video

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFlBDUyncvI&feature=player_embedded#!
     
  16. Sep 16, 2012 at 12:14 AM
    #16
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
  17. Sep 16, 2012 at 1:06 AM
    #17
    tinker_troy

    tinker_troy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2007
    Member:
    #2718
    Messages:
    14,687
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    T R O Y
    WY/SD
    Vehicle:
    #3, 2015 SR AC 4x4 V6 6 speed
    shackle brace, rear sway bar, 3 gen seats, Coupe Shifter, 3rd gen OR front springs + shocks, 17" TuRD PRO replica wheels
    added to the list of places I must go
    also digging the tune in the second vid, thanks
     
  18. Sep 16, 2012 at 12:22 PM
    #18
    Forster46

    Forster46 Very nice how much?

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2010
    Member:
    #40487
    Messages:
    3,366
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Nick
    Mount Vernon, WA
    Vehicle:
    The doritos locos taco
    6000k HID's, AUX Reverse Lights, 3" Rough Country Suspension Lift, Pioneer AVH-P4200 Double Din, Underglow and footwell Lights, Camo Seat Covers, Duralast Tool Box, Blacked Out Badges, Grill, Front Emblem, Midland CB Radio, Amber Strobes, POWER REAR WINDOW, cup holder LED's, Firestik 3' in bed, console divider, Ultragauge.
    That looks like an awesome place. I feel like I wouldn't be able to make it up though with my duratracs and spacer lift lol
     
  19. Sep 16, 2012 at 12:23 PM
    #19
    Benson X

    Benson X [OP] My build thread sucks...

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2010
    Member:
    #46123
    Messages:
    5,669
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Olympia, WA
    Vehicle:
    '11 MGM DC/LB
    If you don't draw blood, you're doing it wrong!
    Thanks Troy, you should check it out.

    The artist in the second vid is RJD2, awesome producer, but I prefer his earliest stuff (2001-2006).
     
  20. Sep 16, 2012 at 1:09 PM
    #20
    tinker_troy

    tinker_troy Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2007
    Member:
    #2718
    Messages:
    14,687
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    T R O Y
    WY/SD
    Vehicle:
    #3, 2015 SR AC 4x4 V6 6 speed
    shackle brace, rear sway bar, 3 gen seats, Coupe Shifter, 3rd gen OR front springs + shocks, 17" TuRD PRO replica wheels
    Yeah I have been listening to his stuff for a couple hours now. I'm diggin it.
     

Products Discussed in

To Top