New to V.I. and looking for easy trails

many introduction threads turn into where are the trails. usually its directed toward sooke and the cowichan valley and more specifically the clay pits and the slag piles. you an find the road that lead there in the gps routes on this forum but the trail going up there isnt on there yet! hahaha well if you take hillcrest rd and follow it all the way thru the park about 8-12 km I think, on the other side will be roads on the right the third one in is the one that will lead you to both the clay pits and if you go past the clay pits up a little creek looking road you will find the slag piles. good times

my stuff is apart getting new gears and rear wheel berrings. if im back together perhaps, but I prefer to explore the less known and well ridden trails. most of which require a winch and a locker, sometimes it just turns into a forestry rd exploration..

New to the area. Would love to meet some people to off road with. I don't do anything crazy. Mostly mudding and simple trails. Still learning. :).

Thanks!

Nicole.

we need another meet soon.

That would be awesome. Whats next weekend looking like for everyone?

I'm fairly new to the island also and would like to get back into doing some wheeling. No idea where to go though.

Hey, I've been all over Sooke and out to Port Renfrew, and up to Lake Cowichan... If anyone is interested in heading out the weekend of the 6th, lemme know!

I will be up for something this weekend, only been out on the island a few times don't know where to go

i think i can make this weekend, if i get the jeep fixed in time. i know a few spots in duncan from the last meet.

I'll be installing my winch and bumper on my Yukon this weekend so I should be ready for a rip. Any idea where you are planning on going?

where beradical said

I might join you as well. Need to do a few things first. Should be ready in time.

I'm busy until about 11 on Saturday.

I know a few trails near Duncan.
It all depends on what everyone wants to do. Easy or something moderate.
Im open to anything.

Hi there i am new to the site been on the island most my life but never been anyplace further than the trails out near horn lake wish i could join you guys in Duncan but i recently had a incident with a median and my trucks back end but should be back up and running in a week or so if anybody near Parksville would love to go play in the mud when my discovery is up and running

Don't look like I can make it out for Saturday. Sunday's good tho.

I'm free all weekend, so any day is alright with me.

Sunday works for me. Where and when does everyone want to meet?

Lets come up with the time and place.
As far as the place goes are we wheeling Duncan area and where?

Anytime any place works for me. I'm still new to the island so I don't know places yet. My new rubber hasn't shown up yet like I was hoping. Ordered too late forgot about the long weekend so I'll be running standard all seasons this trip. Good news is my winch works.

9 am works for everyone?
Meeting place depends on where we going. We can go exploring near Kinsol Trestle. Its a pretty easy drive. About 10 mins from Duncan.
Or we can go explore Mt Sicker and maybe end up on the Prevost side.
Or we could do both.
Like I said I'm open to anything.

9 works for me, and I'm free all day so will go anywhere

9 am works for me too. I'll try anything. If I don't make it up or I break it just means I have no choice but to upgrade.

9 am,
meet at the co-op gas station at intersection of bench rd and highway 1 (duncan)
see ya then
98 pathfinder black

I wont be going out tomorrow but that's right down the road from my place I may have to come see you guys off

Cool see you than, black Silverado

cant make it. family is in for Easter. i did hit some trails with the brother in-law saturday tho. behind the newly converted chevron right before the bridge off hwy 1 on way to chemainus. next weekend mabey?

See you at 9. Maroon Yukon

Hey everone! I just joined up and am new to off-roading as well. Nice to find this site and and see that some of you are getting together. I live near the View Royal/Langford border and have been discouraged finding out that the logging roads in the area (Sooke) are all closed. Someone mentioned Sooke Lake Road, so I checked the street view of Sooke Lake Road off of Shawnigan, but see that there is a gate there warning that authorized personnel are only allowed through the gate. What's up with that?

I would love to meet up with some of you to get out there at a beginner level and would love to have joined you today, but I work weekends on call. My regular days off are Mon/Tues for the next 3 months, so if someone is up into it on those days, give me a shout! I've got a new 2015 Wrangler JK and need to break her in!

What is up with that? wel;l Greg that is there because 90% of the south island is private owned so anytime we venture off our local Regional District owned land were probably on private forestry land and technically breaking laws unless of course you sign in at the gates and follow their rules. you wont find much south of shawnigan, harbour view rd was a frequent place to go but some controversy has sprung up over it and im not sure what is going on with it.

harbourview rd hasn't been a wheeling spot for a decade. There are plenty of ways into the sooke area logging roads, but nobody is gonna say.

Heads up if you're trying to find your way in though.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G94dWXv8p-M

Thanks Ken, and I'm not about to break the law to go off-road. Ideally I'd like to get in to some places with my kayak on my Jeep and fish a lake in isolation. So, maybe I'll go to one of the gates and ask them about it. I will be up in Ladysmith/Nanaimo area for the next couple of days so I'll look there. I think there is open access at Ladysmith, as far as I've heard, anyway.

Theres is spot in Glenora that has a gate and public access during the weekends. There's a lake there called Lois lake. Some good sized fish there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb4oMmcaS20
Thats a cool youtube channel if you're into local fishing.

Thanks Jas!

What's with all the private land? Details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_of_Vancouver_Island#The_La...

Effectively 10% of Vancouver Island was granted to the E&N Railway in exchange for building the railway. The railway was also one of the conditions on British Columbia joining Canada, and was originally proposed as the terminal leg of the trans-continental railway (passing through Williams Lake, across the Chilcoltin, and down Bute Inlet).

It's a huge impact to those of us who are sensitive to the legalities of being caught 4x4ing on other people's land - I for one can't afford to get tied up in any charges, it would effect my employment. I miss the good ol' days of wheeling on the mainland, where you could go almost anywhere.

Some pics from this Sundays run.

Thanks jas for showing us some trails

Got up to the Ladysmith area yesterday and my daughter showed me to the backroads entrance. My Wrangler has been broken in and I now know a great spot to go and explore!

Wish i could but don't have fuel money for 4x4ing this weekend

Heading out this Sunday.
Anyone is welcomed to join.

Mount Sicker

Meeting with steinerss @ 9 am
I live in langford and I see you're in vic.
If you'd like we can meet up somewhere at 8 and travel to Duncan together.

see everyone at the chevron gas station at 9 am?

Farmyard sounds good.

Johnnyrotten
Meet you at the shell on Spencer by that new overpass at 8-8:10

Pm if you need a cell number

Hey, I have to call in to work to see if there is any work tomorrow at 8am, but I'd like to tag along if I can! I can call from the Shell station and head up with you guys if there's no work...if that's ok? I live in View Royal.

Just got called for a shift tomorrow...maybe next time!

Can I tag along? Would love to see some new trails. Let me know where and when.

sure, the cheveron on mt sicker and trans canada at 9 am

Should be a good turn out.
Cant wait

GregH
there's always the next time.

hey everyone, lookin for some trails south island for tomorrow, but i saw this for sicker tomorrow morning, i know all of prevost and only a couple trails on sicker, would def like to explore sicker some more, have 2 other trucks with me as well

sounds good, see you in the morning.

just seein if i can get everyone together this late, if we make it ill be in a black silverado, possibly see ya then!!

Oops

Oh yea just a couple war wounds on the big ol'girl

Good times guys, still amazed at how you shoehorned that Yukon down those trails! I'll be in for the next one for sure.

was a great day. yukon was showing the tight trails who's boss.

She was a tight fit for sure.I'm in for some more also.

Dam looks like a missed some good trails, was that the same trail we tried to get through the week before?

Yup
Same trail. We made it to the end no problem.
It was an awesome day.

Anyone going out this weekend?

my birthday tomorrow, might be in shawnigan from 9-11:30 for a pre party wheel.

im up for some bush play.

I'll be up Port Alberni way tomorrow thinking of checking out Arrowsmith

Damn!! I have missed out on so much! Those pictures are awesome. Also, how the hell did that Yukon get through some of that? Legit.

I'm pretty new to all of this so maybe someone can enlighten me.
If I took my jeep through that giant puddle that the Yukon is in, would I make it without a snorkel and if I did would water flow in through the doors? Lol seems like such a dumb question. But I'm a girl so no big deal right? :D

Little bit of grease on the fenders and it just slides through. Yes you would have water coming in the doors. I did. Snorkel wise should be ok without all depends on how high your air intake is and how deep you sink.

Haha nice!

Good to know. Was there an alternate route? Or would I have had to turn around, drive back alone and cry myself asleep that night? ;).

Going through the mudhole wasn't mandatory I just wanted to give it a shot

Well played.

WARNING your stock jk has a low air intake I cannot express this more extreamly if you are uncertain as to where your air pick up for the intake is then do not try any water crossings till you are certain that its above where the water will splash,
I have heard of several people taking a brand new jk threw 6" of water and there engine sucked in water and grenade the engine

WARNING your stock jk has a low air intake I cannot express this more extreamly if you are uncertain as to where your air pick up for the intake is then do not try any water crossings till you are certain that its above where the water will splash,
I have heard of several people taking a brand new jk threw 6" of water and there engine sucked in water and grenade the engine

WARNING your stock jk has a low air intake I cannot express this more extreamly if you are uncertain as to where your air pick up for the intake is then do not try any water crossings till you are certain that its above where the water will splash,
I have heard of several people taking a brand new jk threw 6" of water and there engine sucked in water and grenade the engine

I've hear about this issue. Thanks for the advice! Sticking to easy trails until I get a snorkel.

I will add though that I have gone through over 6 inches of water and I did not suck in water. I just don't want to risk going as deep as the door line. Lol.

Short notice but I'll be heading out in the Shawnigan area today if anybody wants to tag along. Trails range from easy to pretty full on depending on who shows up

I'd love to tag along but the pathfinder isn't ready. I've run it too low on gas too many times. Now it runs like shit. Need to replace a fuel filter.

I'm going out tomorrow tho.

im working on the jeep today as well or i would be in.

Who is interested in going out tomorrow?

little busy tomorrow, but very free on monday

Anyone heading out this weekend?

I am free on the weekend, if you are plan on some easy trail, i would love to go

I'm in for this weekend and could lead a moderate (?) run in the shawnigan area.