rickashay
Explorer
Part I
Colossal
co·los·sal
adjective:
extremely large.
"a colossal amount of mail"
synonyms: huge, massive, enormous, gigantic, giant, mammoth, vast, immense, monumental, prodigious, mountainous, titanic, towering, king-size(d); More
The word(s) above remain as a fraction of the reality of the natural beauty encountered on this early autumn weekend in the heart of British Columbia’s backcountry.
Over the years, I’ve wheeled with a lot of different people, in a lot of different places, in a lot of different vehicles. Adventure can be found with any combination of the above, but the more I venture out the more I realize that good companionship is the true key to all-encompassing enjoyment. The first weekend of October for the past 5 years is a representation of these sentiments. Why this weekend in particular? For myself, it’s the combination of autumn colors, cooler temperatures, damp terrain, and the endless laughter and comradery. For whatever reason, there is always a handful of my fellow explorers itching to escape at this time of year. Maybe it’s the unrecognized last-ride before winter makes its cold grasp or the proven promise of adventure, in some form, that we always seem to encounter.
This year seemed to shape up a no different except my usual go-to adventurers were dropping out due to other commitments. My father had been urging me to take him out exploring again, but there seemed to be other interest as expected for this yearly run. I was feeling the pressure as the departure date (Friday) dawned near and I had yet to make any concrete plans. I had no route, a very small number of confirmed companions, and with my recent promotion at work it was looking like I too, might succumb to the pressures of tight deadlines and responsibility. I tried to keep my attitude positive despite the endless work commitments and the snow looming on the horizon for the weekend's forecast. Tuesday night I finally sat down at my desk and started compiling GPX tracks to create a route, which would take us overland through the Castle area of Alberta, bearing west into B.C. and finally into Fernie. The tracks linked together well and my plan started to evolve. My positivity paid off as the week endured; it was looking like my boss would lend a hand and allow me to escape cell phone reception for the weekend. The weatherman was still calling for snow and cold temperature, but I kept throwing bait out there to see who would want to join in on the adventure. The commitment level was growing and I was up to 4 confirmed rigs by Wednesday night. That evening over my nightly cup of tea, I pulled out my Backroads Mapbook and started thinking how I had recently seen some interesting images in an area west of Banff National Park, which reminded me of my hometown turf of Nelson B.C. A couple clicks later and I was checking the Doppler for the promise of clearer skies in the new proposed direction. I few text messages, PM’s, and phone calls later, and the original plan was scrapped. We were headed for new and unknown territory come Friday afternoon.
IMG_5402.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
Friday arrived along with 7 confirmed rigs. Our group was the perfect size to remain flexible yet large enough for some team spirit and comradery. The work hours on Friday drained away like sand in an hourglass, I thought it would never end. The clock struck 4 and I was on my way to rendezvous with the group. We quickly hit the Trans Canada and began our westward journey towards our staging area for the night. About 30 minutes into the drive, near Canmore AB, a wall of black clouds embraced our convoy and propelled rain and lightning bolts into our path. Considering the time of year, this was quite unusual and my last-minute-switcheroo was beginning to look like a bad call. We continued with positive chatter on the radios but there was no doubt we were all thinking about how wet and brutal this night could become. We rolled into camp near Radium B.C. around 11pm - a forested grove next to a small mountain lake, which provided us with enough level ground and shelter to make it our home for the night. It was raining lightly but nothing near as bad as the drive out would have indicated. A fire was quickly ignited and a combination or fire warmth and Jamaican rum seemed to lift everyone’s spirits. Despite the drizzle of rain, smiles were abundant and good cheer spread around the campfire.
We awoke close to 09:00 hours after tucking in at an unreasonable hour and headed back to Radium to grab coffee and rendezvous with the last member of our group who could not drive out with us the night prior. With a late start, we were back on gravel heading West towards our ultimate destination once again. The ground was damp but the clouds were slowly breaking. The fresh, crisp air filled the cabin as we drove down the gravel road enjoying the fall colours in full brilliance.
IMG_5418.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
We made several stops to take in the scenery but found that around each new corner the view seemed to surpass the one previous. With the coffee now kicking in, the amazing scenery, and the warm sun finally breaking through the clouds, the silence on the radios was replaced with livery and foolish jousts.
IMG_5421.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
IMG_5428.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
After driving for several dozen kilometers someone realized that we had burnt all of our fire wood. A quick pit stop at an old logging operation site had the vehicles stockpiled and prepared with enough lumber for the night to come.
IMG_5446.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
IMG_5443.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
Eventually we branched off the main road and started to gain altitude. The road was wet and curvy but in surprisingly good shape. I was in the lead and decided this would be a good time to test out the new Fox suspension at a higher velocity. “Doug”, my 04’ Toyota Tundra, howled to life as the V8 revved to it’s redline through the TRD longtube headers. The trees began to blur as we approached speeds in excess of 100 km/hr. My good friend Craig usually takes shotgun when my wife cannot make the trips and this time was no exception. We giggled like little boys as we rallied through the woods rounding corner after corner at speed. A quickly approaching chicane seemed to upset the rear end while I progressed still in 2WD, and the rear end broke free. With a large puddle up ahead spanning the width of the road, I had little time to alter my course. I straightened the truck just in time to embrace the puddle head on, safely hydroplaning over the liquid barrier. With no drama other than a temporary loss of sight as water cascaded over the windshield, we were through and carrying our speed onward. Shortly after my nerves caught up with me and we slowed down to cruising speed and pulled over to wait for the rest of the group to catch up. Nathan, in his meticulously built 14’ TRD Offroad Tacoma, arrived moments later with a grin ear to ear; he too was indulging in the fun. A crackle on the radio and Nathan says, "Addison, where did your license plate go?". Apparently, the hydroplane had been too much for the fastener bolts and license plate had succumb to onslaught of water pressure evacuating through the hole in my bumper. We backtracked to find my plate several feet in the ditch, covered in muddy water. A few minutes and a couple zip-ties later, and we were back on the road.
IMG_5453.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
At the next bend further up the road the scenery turned from excellent to stunning. In front of us lie some of the most majestic glacial covered peaks we had ever witnessed. Truly, a sight belonging to a National Geographic article, the cameras and poser shots came out in full.
IMG_5481.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
IMG_5475.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
As we progressed, the road started to get rougher in combination with an increase in inclination. I dropped the truck into 4-Lo and began climbing the steep goat trail rising ahead of me. Up ahead was the first real obstacle of the trip – an off-camber washout with a daunting cliff drop off to the driver’s side.
IMG_5495.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
Colossal
co·los·sal
adjective:
extremely large.
"a colossal amount of mail"
synonyms: huge, massive, enormous, gigantic, giant, mammoth, vast, immense, monumental, prodigious, mountainous, titanic, towering, king-size(d); More
The word(s) above remain as a fraction of the reality of the natural beauty encountered on this early autumn weekend in the heart of British Columbia’s backcountry.
Over the years, I’ve wheeled with a lot of different people, in a lot of different places, in a lot of different vehicles. Adventure can be found with any combination of the above, but the more I venture out the more I realize that good companionship is the true key to all-encompassing enjoyment. The first weekend of October for the past 5 years is a representation of these sentiments. Why this weekend in particular? For myself, it’s the combination of autumn colors, cooler temperatures, damp terrain, and the endless laughter and comradery. For whatever reason, there is always a handful of my fellow explorers itching to escape at this time of year. Maybe it’s the unrecognized last-ride before winter makes its cold grasp or the proven promise of adventure, in some form, that we always seem to encounter.
This year seemed to shape up a no different except my usual go-to adventurers were dropping out due to other commitments. My father had been urging me to take him out exploring again, but there seemed to be other interest as expected for this yearly run. I was feeling the pressure as the departure date (Friday) dawned near and I had yet to make any concrete plans. I had no route, a very small number of confirmed companions, and with my recent promotion at work it was looking like I too, might succumb to the pressures of tight deadlines and responsibility. I tried to keep my attitude positive despite the endless work commitments and the snow looming on the horizon for the weekend's forecast. Tuesday night I finally sat down at my desk and started compiling GPX tracks to create a route, which would take us overland through the Castle area of Alberta, bearing west into B.C. and finally into Fernie. The tracks linked together well and my plan started to evolve. My positivity paid off as the week endured; it was looking like my boss would lend a hand and allow me to escape cell phone reception for the weekend. The weatherman was still calling for snow and cold temperature, but I kept throwing bait out there to see who would want to join in on the adventure. The commitment level was growing and I was up to 4 confirmed rigs by Wednesday night. That evening over my nightly cup of tea, I pulled out my Backroads Mapbook and started thinking how I had recently seen some interesting images in an area west of Banff National Park, which reminded me of my hometown turf of Nelson B.C. A couple clicks later and I was checking the Doppler for the promise of clearer skies in the new proposed direction. I few text messages, PM’s, and phone calls later, and the original plan was scrapped. We were headed for new and unknown territory come Friday afternoon.
IMG_5402.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
Friday arrived along with 7 confirmed rigs. Our group was the perfect size to remain flexible yet large enough for some team spirit and comradery. The work hours on Friday drained away like sand in an hourglass, I thought it would never end. The clock struck 4 and I was on my way to rendezvous with the group. We quickly hit the Trans Canada and began our westward journey towards our staging area for the night. About 30 minutes into the drive, near Canmore AB, a wall of black clouds embraced our convoy and propelled rain and lightning bolts into our path. Considering the time of year, this was quite unusual and my last-minute-switcheroo was beginning to look like a bad call. We continued with positive chatter on the radios but there was no doubt we were all thinking about how wet and brutal this night could become. We rolled into camp near Radium B.C. around 11pm - a forested grove next to a small mountain lake, which provided us with enough level ground and shelter to make it our home for the night. It was raining lightly but nothing near as bad as the drive out would have indicated. A fire was quickly ignited and a combination or fire warmth and Jamaican rum seemed to lift everyone’s spirits. Despite the drizzle of rain, smiles were abundant and good cheer spread around the campfire.
We awoke close to 09:00 hours after tucking in at an unreasonable hour and headed back to Radium to grab coffee and rendezvous with the last member of our group who could not drive out with us the night prior. With a late start, we were back on gravel heading West towards our ultimate destination once again. The ground was damp but the clouds were slowly breaking. The fresh, crisp air filled the cabin as we drove down the gravel road enjoying the fall colours in full brilliance.
IMG_5418.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
We made several stops to take in the scenery but found that around each new corner the view seemed to surpass the one previous. With the coffee now kicking in, the amazing scenery, and the warm sun finally breaking through the clouds, the silence on the radios was replaced with livery and foolish jousts.
IMG_5421.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
IMG_5428.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
After driving for several dozen kilometers someone realized that we had burnt all of our fire wood. A quick pit stop at an old logging operation site had the vehicles stockpiled and prepared with enough lumber for the night to come.
IMG_5446.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
IMG_5443.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
Eventually we branched off the main road and started to gain altitude. The road was wet and curvy but in surprisingly good shape. I was in the lead and decided this would be a good time to test out the new Fox suspension at a higher velocity. “Doug”, my 04’ Toyota Tundra, howled to life as the V8 revved to it’s redline through the TRD longtube headers. The trees began to blur as we approached speeds in excess of 100 km/hr. My good friend Craig usually takes shotgun when my wife cannot make the trips and this time was no exception. We giggled like little boys as we rallied through the woods rounding corner after corner at speed. A quickly approaching chicane seemed to upset the rear end while I progressed still in 2WD, and the rear end broke free. With a large puddle up ahead spanning the width of the road, I had little time to alter my course. I straightened the truck just in time to embrace the puddle head on, safely hydroplaning over the liquid barrier. With no drama other than a temporary loss of sight as water cascaded over the windshield, we were through and carrying our speed onward. Shortly after my nerves caught up with me and we slowed down to cruising speed and pulled over to wait for the rest of the group to catch up. Nathan, in his meticulously built 14’ TRD Offroad Tacoma, arrived moments later with a grin ear to ear; he too was indulging in the fun. A crackle on the radio and Nathan says, "Addison, where did your license plate go?". Apparently, the hydroplane had been too much for the fastener bolts and license plate had succumb to onslaught of water pressure evacuating through the hole in my bumper. We backtracked to find my plate several feet in the ditch, covered in muddy water. A few minutes and a couple zip-ties later, and we were back on the road.
IMG_5453.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
At the next bend further up the road the scenery turned from excellent to stunning. In front of us lie some of the most majestic glacial covered peaks we had ever witnessed. Truly, a sight belonging to a National Geographic article, the cameras and poser shots came out in full.
IMG_5481.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
IMG_5475.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr
As we progressed, the road started to get rougher in combination with an increase in inclination. I dropped the truck into 4-Lo and began climbing the steep goat trail rising ahead of me. Up ahead was the first real obstacle of the trip – an off-camber washout with a daunting cliff drop off to the driver’s side.
IMG_5495.jpg by Addison Rickaby, on Flickr