Where Have You Off-Roaded Today? 3rd Gen

wow, incredible

 

Beautiful location, great photos!

We sitting in our comfy trucks get to drive them, but imagine those who had to build the roads. BC is full of these spots. Here are some BC archives photos of the old Slocan to Silverton road under construction in 1928.

People coming from the prairie flatlands hated these roads and were terrified really.

Definitely want to keep your eye on the road around those bends. Texting not a good idea. Maybe more roads like this would cure us of the texting while driving plague.

 

The Silverton my pics are from was in Colorado but I've spent a lot of time driving through BC/Yukon, mostly north from Osoyoos. Those roads in Canada were no joke. And definitely desolate. Thanks for sharing those pictures, those are a good find.

 

near caroline AB. Can.

 

Went to Monanche Meadows with the fellas.

 

Here is a section that is left over from that road. It was decomissioned sometime in the 1970s. Apparently you can still hike part of the road today. This is tunnel at a lower elevation on that old road. Even passenger busses would travel it. Not my photo.

Yeah there are so many crazy old roads and trails in BC. As a kid we camped non stop all over BC with our family, and it was pretty common for us to have to get out of our car or truck so dad could drive around some dangerous narrow hairpin. Mom out front giving him directions as he could not see how close his wheels were to some cliff edge on some old mining or logging road.

Ok, back up 2 feet, ok go for forward a few inches, stop, etc. For us kids it was just one big adventure.

The rest of our family walking those spots so if the vehicle goes over the side we wouldn’t all go over with it.

“Camping” is sure a hell of a lot different these days. I get a laugh out of all the RV parks, everyone packed in like sardines with a few feet between each rig. Yuck…

 

haha, I hear ya

 

So--after getting there do you think that you could you have made it by yourself?

 

@ppat4 Did you ever do the road into Bella Coola? I don't know if it's myth or legend. https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/canada/1732-bella-coola-road.html I think it would be worth the time to explore?

 

Only as far as Nimpo lake which is about 70% of the way from Williams lake. That is fine. My brother and his family live in Williams lake and have been often to Nimpo lake. A friend of theirs has a cabin there.

I no longer look for difficult roads to just drive. For me its all about solitude in nature, the truck gets me there.

By my choice the lakes I fish are remote and require 4x4. I have no interest in testing the limits of the Taco. Most 4x4s are about the same when it comes to the type of terrain they can handle. A lift kit and associated gear mean you can hit some spots a stock one cannot, but I only go now if there is a firm destination at the end like a new lake I have researched. No interest in looking to test it on bad trails, been there done that as they say. Older days with buddies and our trucks.

I do still explore roads on days where the weather is no good for fishing, but I spent 25 years with 3 earlier 4x4s testing their limits. Got it out of my system.

Can’t do that so much when you are solo remote and far away from help. Have to be smart.

With that said, I have been to 2 lakes in the last 2 years I won’t go back to as the trails were just too risky. Hard to enjoy the fishing when you know you might break down on the way back. You know the roads I mean, the one track lanes through thick forest, no turnarounds, and large boulders and mud holes and generally only travelled by ATV guys. One of those took me 1.5 hours to travel a single mile. You don’t know until you try, but I was not happy. The lake and fishing blew me away, but all I could think about was the damn road out.

Zero maintenance by anyone for 20+ years and each year they get worse. Once you are a trail like that you are stuck. You can’t turn around so you plug away. If its raining hard you won’t get out and would have to sit for a day or 2 waiting for a dry spell. Not good.

Two of those lakes were such good fishing but I cannot convince myself to repeat them. Might sometime hike in with a belly boat to one of them.

Monday going to a lake that takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to travel the last 5 miles, but its not dangerous, just a cranky road.

Lakes remain unnamed.

 

Steep switchbacks but a regular drive for people in the area. Probably because it is a a main road in BC for many folks it made the list. it does close for weather issues.

There are many more wilder logging roads in the province.

 

We did Cleghorn at night a few days ago. Local trail in SoCal. Definitely fun but can be dangerous. A jeep roll on this trail a day afterwards.
https://youtu.be/vaJQfz_DwYU

 

Gotcha.... The tranquil and remote fishing sounds awesome. Especially nowadays since it can be hard to find a quiet location. Sounds like you have been to may remote fishing/hunting locations around BC over the years. And now, a great way for you to spend retirement I'm sure!

For us, our younger Family of 4 really enjoy exploring & hiking. The stock Tacoma makes it easy for doing fairly easy trails on logging roads to scenic destinations. Also, we aren't equipped for any challenging trails. We quite enjoy destinations such as The Alaska Highway, the Hurley pass, The Highline Road (Douglas Trail), Harrison Lake area, Squamish/Pemberton area and the Kootenay/Boundary Region to name a few. Thought the trip from Williams lake to Bella Coola would be very scenic and interesting to do one day. We are so lucky to have so much to explore here in our back yards!

Recent Photo from our exploring 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately It was hazy from smoke and cloudy when this photo was taken. Otherwise it would have been even more spectacular at this location.

 

Looks like you are having a great time with your family outdoors, that is the way to do it in BC. Kids especially remember and cherish that stuff for the rest of their lives. Living proof here.

Yeah we are really lucky in BC with so many spots to explore. I never take it for granted, it is pretty special and I would not want to live anywhere else in this world.

Have you done Highway 24 from Little Fort to 100 Mile House? Only 60 miles on the “highway” but countless lakes and great spots to camp. Pick a nice camp spot by a great lake and then get out and explore the other 100 lakes and area. I spent many days up there as a kid with my family at a dozen lakes up there. Still go there today to check out smaller lakes. Watch out for the many moose and deer on the highway, I always go below the posted speed limit on that stretch. Let the locals test their trucks against a 1,000 lb moose.

Also check out the Iron Horse pub in Lone Butte, I am pretty sure they allow kids in daytime and dinner hours.

 

Try 100 Mile House out past Canim Lake, Hendrix Lake up to Horsefly then Likely, Keithly Creek, Wells/Barkerville. You can then continue on to Prince George via logging roads.

Or Clinton to Gang Ranch and up through Farwell Canyon to Williams Lake.

In the Kooteney Boundary, Grand Forks to Edgewood and continue up the west side of Arrow Lakes to Revelstoke

 

@ppat4 @DuffyBank Thanks for the suggestions. Funny, in 2005 we were looking for Rec property in the Cariboo. Stayed at Sheridan lake resort for 3 nights to look at surrounding properties. (Wife's uncle used to have a very nice log cabin close to Canim Lake, loved his place). Found 5 acres just off of Sulfurous lake. Called the realtor. Property just had the subjects removed after sitting for 2 years without interest. Didn't find anything else there that met our slim budget back then that we liked. I think this was the beginning of the great Rec property gold rush in BC. We did do the 24 to Little Fort and also had lunch in the Iron Horse Pub once. Then on to Wells Grey Park. Be nice to get a Tent trailer and take our kids back to some of these places in the Cariboo one day. Especially since we have this new Taco. Son is 8 and daughter is 15. They both love the exploring too.

Anyhow, Through a series of events we found 1/3 of an acre in the Boundary region across from the kettle river in 2005 that checked all the boxes. Very hot summers but also less snow and fewer bugs! Been going there since 2002. Makes a great jumping off point to the rest of BC. We developed the property in 2009 with a small studio cabin including a washroom. We and the kids have been very spoiled now and mainly "Glamp".

Before we had kids we traveled, explored and hiked a lot. Did the Alaska highway in 2003. On the way up, in early September, we stayed at Barkerville for 2 days. It was AMAZING! Wife and I love the historic towns in BC. Also did Kaslo through to Sandon another time. There are so many more left to explore.

We just did 2 weeks up at the cabin and visited friends below Mt. Baldy camping. Would like to try the road from Oliver to Baldy soon. Also spent 4 days in Kimberly and enjoyed Fort Steele and Kimberly's Underground Mining Railway. Kids loved it!

Did the Rock Candy Mine out of Grand Forks with our daughter a number of years ago but would like to explore the road from Grand Forks to Edgewood one day as @DuffyBank suggests. The wife has family that just moved to Edgewood a few years back.

I know @DuffyBank doesn't like Frank but we called him while in Grand Forks for the day. He says his Museum is temporarily closed but is moving to a new museum in a recently purchased nearby old mine. We are looking forward to checking it out soon.

It's been nice that there hasn't been many wildfires this year other than we passed the the Keremeos Creek wildfire on the way home. We were temporarily trapped by the 2015 Rock Creek wildfire. That was no fun.

Sadly, just got back last Sunday to the LM to be back at work. Can't wait to head out again at the end of August. I dunno, maybe we are lame but we spend all of our time and money here in BC.

Also, used to fish a lot when I was younger. Pit Lake, The Fraser, Bamfield, Campbell River, Merritt lakes and the Vedder. Too many @ssholes down here. In retirement I may get back into it once I can spend more time at the cabin, finding a few remote locations away from others.

Just spent the day washing, (clay barring for the first time) and waxing the truck after 2 weeks on the road. Bug guts everywhere. Ready for the next adventure!

Our beloved 92 Toyota Truck, checking out the 5 acres off of Sulfurous lake in 2005.

 

El Paso Mtn, Ca near Randsburg for some camping and prospecting.

 

Those are all great routes. Love the drive out to Horsefly. Jeez, maybe 45 years ago, spent a couple nights at a forest ranger camp there, and then with one of the rangers in his jeep went up to a small lake where we fished from an inflatable. Good times.

 

Great stuff! Yup I have been to all the spots you mention, so many nice spots.

My dad startimg at age 75, built himself a house on Canim Lake, SW end of the lake. He did all of the work himself, no hired help except for a plumber and an electrician. He mostly finished it at age 80.

His trail down to the lake is a 150 foot straight down incline. He used a plain old shovel and a come along to make a series of switchbacks down cut into the side of the cliff, and laying 80 foot long cedars to brace the sides of the path. Bloody eighth wonder of the world. I have met many young carpenters who could not have done that work at age 25. Him at age 75-80 doing that work alone. Me working in Vancouver I could not get out to help, but the two of us built his home in Coquitlam and also together built a 40 foot commercial salmon troller we fished for years.

Your family sounds like our family growing up, outdoors all over BC for every day off. Can’t beat it.

Hah, I know what you mean about the a-holes up at the Vedder and Chilliwack rivers. Not quite so bad at the fishing rivers up in Squamish area.

If you have not done it yet, get out to Ross lake. I would fish the Skagit river every September after the long weekend when no one is there. Tent at Ross lake, then walk 5-10 miles per day up and down fishing the river. That Skagit river is truly heaven on earth.

Thats it, I have to load up now for a Monday fishing trip. Have not decided yet between 2 small lakes, one at Merritt and one closer by. Both are remote and hard to access but I fished them several times. One or the other.

No you are not lame, we spend all of our time in BC too there is so much to see and do. I have no interest in world travel, I am too much of an outdoors back to nature guy, it’s how I grew up and what I know.

Enjoy that next adventure! Sounds like you just had a good one.

 

Looks like an awesome setup!