Don't bother trying to get on to Butler Main from the Bear Creek Reservoir dike by crossing over the creek unless you're running serious meat, lifted and locked.
There is an "easier" way a bit further back but it's also not pretty, and even if you go through you are still trapped inside the gated area unless you have a tracked unimog, foldable bridge or know of other trails that can get you in to an open block. There's still lots of activity going on back there on weekdays so just stay out.
Yesterday we ran in to some other wheelers going to Tugwell Lake so I guess that confirms you can still get there if you have the right rig for it or don't mind grinding a couple miles of washed out trail. I definitely wouldn't go it alone without at least one other well equipped vehicle and a winch but in our meanderings we did find a really sweet camping spot right on a creek that is pretty stock friendly so I'll definitely be taking advantage of that some time this summer...
Also want to say thanks again to Zukiman for a great day out on the trails and for showing us some awesome places we hadn't ventured to before.
I believe you also answered a nagging mystery as to the whereabouts of something my uncle told me about over a decade ago but I could never find. ;-)
Looking forward to another run some time...
Yeah sure Sunday works for me. I have no obligations that day so it leaves plenty of time open.
I'll ask my GF if she's busy on Sunday when she gets home from work tonight. I know she will want to go unless she has other plans.
I'll PM you tomorrow morning to confirm for Sunday or you can PM me your mobile number and I'll just send you a txt.
Cheers!
-Rob
Bear Creek and/or Muir Main sounds fun!
I did Bear Creek a few weeks ago and plan to go back to the east branch off the Forebay Rd and trail blaze around the loop if it's even still possible.
I have never been past the blueberry flats myself so exploring Muir Main would even be cool.
The only other place I plan to hit this weekend is the Tugwell block, I want to see if I can get over on to the Otter block just east of it.
Keep me in the loop if you're going to be out that way. Always more fun to go with someone else.
I do plan to be in Sooke doing some work in the morning on Saturday but should be done by about 1-1:30pm and would be down to explore the Tugwell block and/or the Muir block. :-))
I'm finishing this job in my door seals on the Tracker today. Had a couple of those snap clips break and the seals are hanging a bit loose in a couple places so I'm just going to bond them to the door with Marine Goop and run a bead of marine silicone sealant on both sides of it. That should keep it on and water tight...
Grand Vitara huh. Well if you are looking for advice on lifts and other mods for it, I have spent a fair amount of time researching them.
I have a 2003 2nd Gen Tracker ZR2, which is the same vehicle in every way that matters. Soon I will have to put together a members rides article outlining all the tinkering i've been doing to it. My ride is all about keeping the Daily Driver in my Weekend Warrior so nothing too crazy and trying to keep it looking pretty stock. ;-)
I don't know much about the northern parts of the island though, but I'm sure there are others who will be able to put you on the right tracks.
Enjoy Island life, cheers & happy trails!
-Rob
kingg5
Does BCN Pro allow you to download the mapsets to use out of cell range?
I downloaded the free version to see if it was any good but it's hard to really try it out in the bush unless you're on the sunny side of a mountain near civilization.
The maps are definitely a better quality than the free Canada Maps app. Too rudimentary and lo-res and missing so many roads and other useful landmarks.
I really need a good offroad mapset for my Garmin GPS units though since I know them so well and use them to navigate offroad. I used to plot the route out in advance and then load it in and use TOPO just for the terrain contours and so the tracks are easier to make sense of at a glance on the map.
So, just a couple of updates for this thread.
Don't bother trying to get on to Butler Main from the Bear Creek Reservoir dike by crossing over the creek unless you're running serious meat, lifted and locked.
There is an "easier" way a bit further back but it's also not pretty, and even if you go through you are still trapped inside the gated area unless you have a tracked unimog, foldable bridge or know of other trails that can get you in to an open block. There's still lots of activity going on back there on weekdays so just stay out.
Yesterday we ran in to some other wheelers going to Tugwell Lake so I guess that confirms you can still get there if you have the right rig for it or don't mind grinding a couple miles of washed out trail. I definitely wouldn't go it alone without at least one other well equipped vehicle and a winch but in our meanderings we did find a really sweet camping spot right on a creek that is pretty stock friendly so I'll definitely be taking advantage of that some time this summer...
Also want to say thanks again to Zukiman for a great day out on the trails and for showing us some awesome places we hadn't ventured to before.
I believe you also answered a nagging mystery as to the whereabouts of something my uncle told me about over a decade ago but I could never find. ;-)
Looking forward to another run some time...
Yeah sure Sunday works for me. I have no obligations that day so it leaves plenty of time open.
I'll ask my GF if she's busy on Sunday when she gets home from work tonight. I know she will want to go unless she has other plans.
I'll PM you tomorrow morning to confirm for Sunday or you can PM me your mobile number and I'll just send you a txt.
Cheers!
-Rob
Bear Creek and/or Muir Main sounds fun!
I did Bear Creek a few weeks ago and plan to go back to the east branch off the Forebay Rd and trail blaze around the loop if it's even still possible.
I have never been past the blueberry flats myself so exploring Muir Main would even be cool.
The only other place I plan to hit this weekend is the Tugwell block, I want to see if I can get over on to the Otter block just east of it.
Keep me in the loop if you're going to be out that way. Always more fun to go with someone else.
I do plan to be in Sooke doing some work in the morning on Saturday but should be done by about 1-1:30pm and would be down to explore the Tugwell block and/or the Muir block. :-))
I'm finishing this job in my door seals on the Tracker today. Had a couple of those snap clips break and the seals are hanging a bit loose in a couple places so I'm just going to bond them to the door with Marine Goop and run a bead of marine silicone sealant on both sides of it. That should keep it on and water tight...
Grand Vitara huh. Well if you are looking for advice on lifts and other mods for it, I have spent a fair amount of time researching them.
I have a 2003 2nd Gen Tracker ZR2, which is the same vehicle in every way that matters. Soon I will have to put together a members rides article outlining all the tinkering i've been doing to it. My ride is all about keeping the Daily Driver in my Weekend Warrior so nothing too crazy and trying to keep it looking pretty stock. ;-)
I don't know much about the northern parts of the island though, but I'm sure there are others who will be able to put you on the right tracks.
Enjoy Island life, cheers & happy trails!
-Rob
kingg5
Does BCN Pro allow you to download the mapsets to use out of cell range?
I downloaded the free version to see if it was any good but it's hard to really try it out in the bush unless you're on the sunny side of a mountain near civilization.
The maps are definitely a better quality than the free Canada Maps app. Too rudimentary and lo-res and missing so many roads and other useful landmarks.
I really need a good offroad mapset for my Garmin GPS units though since I know them so well and use them to navigate offroad. I used to plot the route out in advance and then load it in and use TOPO just for the terrain contours and so the tracks are easier to make sense of at a glance on the map.