"Lola" - WreckDiver1321's 2005 Frontier CC/SB Nismo Build and Adventure Thread

[wreckdiver1321]

Northern Montana and the Canadian Rockies - Part 13

Ahhh, Philipsburg. I did not expect this town to capture me as much as it did. This historic city was one of the main hubs for mining activity in Montana. Surrounded by no less than 24 mining and timber sites, Philipsburg was once one of the state's industrial capitals. Now, it's a hotspot for people looking to get a slice of old world Montana charm. Luckily, Philipsburg has yet to be spoiled by the ravages of tourism like those endless towns in the Black Hills or the plains of South Dakota. For that reason, it's a bit of a treasure.



We took our time and wandered our way down the main drag of this cool old city. We stopped in at a couple of cool little shops, and eventually stopped in at one of the best barbecue places I've had the pleasure of eating at. The UpNSmokin barbecue has been featured in a few barbecue events throughout the country, and it has always done well: http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/hometowns/philipsburg-barbecue-finishes-in-the-top-at-prestigious-las-vegas/article_46274ea4-65dc-11e3-84d0-0019bb2963f4.html

After eating a delicious, but certainly not healthy lunch, we decided to stop by a place my parents had told me I just could not miss. The Philipsburg candy store is built into a beautiful historic building, houses a huge collection of candies from over 50 countries, and is owned and operated by some lovely and friendly locals who kindly offered some free samples as we browsed. I love Montana hospitality. This candy shop is a seriously cool place, so if you're ever driving through Philipsburg, stop in and give it a try.









We browsed for a while and bought some of the chocolatey and sweet delights (of course!!) we left the store to check out more of the town. As we continued down the street, we found something we didn't expect in this small town. From the walls of a gorgeous old bank sprouted a sign proclaiming it was the home of the Philipsburg Brewing Company! Now, us being beer people, we could not resist the temptation to go in and try a pint of the local brew. What we found inside was one of the coolest breweries we have been to yet.









We stayed a while, sampled the beers, and chatted with the very friendly bartender. He told us a lot about Philipsburg and the history of the area, and it was a great delight to get to know him a little. As we sipped our beers, Beret and I talked about our adventure over the last two weeks. We were proud of our recent travels, and we were dismayed at the fact that our trip was coming to a close. But not before one little side adventure.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Northern Montana and the Canadian Rockies - Part 14

Our last off the beaten track drive for this trip was to hit one more ghost town in the Garnet Mountains. Thanks to a Montana 4x4 guide I had found in Whitefish, we discovered that above Philipsburg sat the remains of the old mining town of Granite. We followed the directions of our guide out of town and started climbing. Before long, we found a cool historical site to check out while I aired down.







We followed our excellent turn-by-turn directions up into the hills and to the remains of the town. There wasn't much left, but what little there was was pretty interesting. This building once belonged to the owner of the mine and, by extension, the owner of Granite itself. It was adorned with a plaque that gave some great information. If you want to know what it says, you'll have to go see it for yourself.







From there, we followed the road out towards the lower flat that once held the town. This road crossed over an enormous pile of mine tailings below the actual abandoned Granite mine.





Unlike Garnet, this town was littered with junk, piles of wood, mining equipment, and various other detritus. Time is slowly working over the town of Granite, making it disappear piece by piece. Soon, not much of this bit of history will remain standing.

When we had finished poking around Granite, we decided to follow a 4x4 trail down to an old miner's cabin near a lake, where we could then loop back to the main road and get back to Philipsburg.



The trail narrowed and got rougher and rougher. We followed the trail for the better part of an hour, but unfortunately we ran too low on time and wanted to make it back to Seeley Lake before dinner time. So we reluctantly turned around and pulled back off the trail.



On the way out, we noticed the remains of these two old cars, which were pretty cool to see. Thy had obviously been sitting there for quite a while. One of them was sporting the skeleton of some kind of animal, presumably a deer, across the roof. Spooky.





After lingering on these decaying car bodies, we rolled out of the mountains and back into Philipsburg. We aired back up there and hit the highway, bound for Seeley Lake.

We stayed that night, talking with my parents and enjoying the mountain life. The next day, we lingered as long as we could before packing up and making the drive back home. Our overland excursion to the north had been a success. We had been awed by the grandeur of the landscape in our own back yard, explored the best of Canada's national parks, soaked in a natural hot spring, visited some of the most fascinating little towns, overlanded the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, four-wheeled deep in Alberta's backcountry, drove the most scenic roads of our lives, been denied entry into our own country, had our plans changed by fires, and ultimately found our release along the backroads of some of the most beautiful and richly cultured places in North America. We learned so much about the world, about each other, and about Lola.

The places we went were made even more special by the people we encountered. Everywhere we went, people were friendly and helpful, wishing us good fortune on our journey to explore. It was a humbling experience, and it taught us just how big this world really is. Most of all, we discovered it added fuel to the flames of our wanderlust. I have been on many trips to many places throughout the world, and what I have found is that I never want to stop exploring. Even after ten days of braving smoke, oppressive heat, bitter cold, constant rain, money problems, communication issues, and various other forms of calamity, we weren't anywhere near ready to stop. We wanted to keep pushing onwards and experience even more.

During this trip, we feel that we earned the right to call ourselves overlanders, which is something we take pride in. And it is something that we will continue to earn for the rest of our years.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

After we returned from our adventures up north, I noticed that my brakes and were grinding pretty much constantly. I pulled the pads and found the driver's side front pads had worn down to the metal and were doing a nice job at chewing up my rotors. So I pulled the rotors off, had them turned, and bought the best brake pads I could afford. Smooth and quiet now

About a week later, my serpentine belt started going ballistic every time I drove it. After some research, I found out this was a fairly common thing on the VQ40. The tensioners aren't designed very well, and the springs that hold tension in them wear out over time. So I went out and bought a new belt, idler, and tensioner. All in all a pretty easy replacement job that only took about an hour. I knew this would be a job I would do again, so I bought a cheap 14mm socket and ground it down so it would fit between the fan and the bolt on the tensioner. That made the job even easier. Quiet once more

 

[WMDunkin]

Love your trip reports.

 

[Jack Stilts]

Wow. I finally caught up on all of this. Oozing with jealousy just like everyone else.

Glad you guys made it to Banff and Lake Louise! I was there in the winter and it was incredible. I'd love to see it in the summer.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to continue living vicariously through you and that awesome photography.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Love your trip reports.

Thanks man! I'm constantly working on making more

Wow. I finally caught up on all of this. Oozing with jealousy just like everyone else.

Glad you guys made it to Banff and Lake Louise! I was there in the winter and it was incredible. I'd love to see it in the summer.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to continue living vicariously through you and that awesome photography.

Haha thanks Brian. It was a great trip that I will never forget.

I'd be fascinated to see it during the winter, under a thick blanket of snow. I'm sure it's a whole different place during that time. During the summer it really is just unbelievable.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

So, shortly after our return home, wanderlust kicked in again and we decided it was time to cross something important off our "must-do" list.

Montana has a lot of hidden gems to hike to if you're inclined to use your legs a little. Just a short drive down the road from me, the Beartooths beckon with hundreds upon hundreds of miles of hiking trails. One of the local favorites takes advantage of a cool bit of history to access a truly beautiful place. That place is Mystic Lake.

Mystic Lake is a fairly sizable lake just a few miles down the road from the town of Fishtail. It is the deepest lake in the Beartooth Mountains, and it's not 100% natural. See, back in the 1900s, the Montana Power Company needed a way to supply power to the growing city of Billings, as well as the outlying cities of Columbus, Park City, Nye, Fishtail, Absarokee, and Roscoe. Power plants were producing much of it, but they weren't the most efficient manner of getting power to the smaller outlying communities. So as a solution, some bright mind at the company realized that Mystic Lake, situated in a high-altitude valley, drained into a fast-flowing river that dropped about 2,000 feet in elevation over the course of a mile or so. He figured the company could harvest this unique location and use it to power a hydroelectric plant. If the lake could be dammed up to increase the volume of water, they could use the extra supply to generate power with almost no impact on the surrounding wilderness. So, how did they harness this power once they built the dam?

They blew a hole in the bottom of the lake. This hole feeds a pipeline that carries the water to just about the small worker's community there, then plunges the 2,000 feet to accelerate the water before it reaches the plant. The result was a very clean and efficient means of producing power, which Mystic Lake still does today. We wanted to go because it is one of the most beloved hikes in southern Montana, and one that we had yet to do. So we set off that morning to see Mystic Lake.

The hike starts at the small worker's community at the bottom of the valley. This little place has only five homes, a couple industrial buildings, and a fire warden's office. From there, you hit the trail, which climbs steeply as it works it'smn way up to the lake. It may only be a three mile hike, but it's the 2,000 feet of elevation gain that kills.

Here's the power plant, obviously designed in the 1920s.



As we continued on the hike, we passed over the water pipeline at the point where it started turning towards the plant.



From there, the trail narrows and enters the thick forest country that I have come to love out here.



There were wild raspberries just barely ready to be picked, and they provided a nice snack on the way up. I love fresh wild raspberries.



As it climbs, the trail follows the natural creek carrying the excess water down from Mystic.



Eventually, the trail gets steeper and leaves the treeline. At that point, the terrain turns into ankle-busting scree and crumbling granite boulders. This is where the hike gets properly tough. You have to watch your step here, as the trail is very unforgiving. After what seems like way too long, the trail reunites with a stand of trees and a large rock providing plenty of shade. Beret was very happy to see it. Who needs to be a tree hugger when you can just as easily hug a huge boulder?



The trail leaves the trees once more and enters a final climb to the top. It actually spits you out a good distance above the lake, which more than lived up to our expectations. Montana's wild places at their finest!







We stopped to take in the view, marveled at the sights, and had a quick snack. After a proper amount of admiration time, we turned around and headed back towards the valley floor. We thought the excitement for the day had pretty much ended. Well, turns out we were wrong. A short while after we re-entered the trees, I noticed a strange dark spot in the trees ahead. At first I thought it might be a burnt tree that I hadn't noticed on the way up, but the shape was wrong. It had a gap at the bottom, and was pretty substantial up top. Then I came to the realization I was looking at a very large, fur-covered body. Alarmed, I pulled out my bear spray. Then I took an even better look. The legs were way too spindly to be a bear. And it was way to tall. Then it hit me.



We were standing not 50 yards from a young bull moose, just lazily going about his life. Beret and I kept talking so that this enormous animal knew we were there, and I snapped a photo. I kept my bear spray out though, and we backed off to wait for him to move on to someplace less crowded. He looked at us for several minutes before he noticed the other group of hikers coming the opposite way, and then stared at them for a time. Eventually, he casually moved a little way off the trail. We decided to go wide and bushwhack off the trail to put some distance between us as we passed him. He was pretty relaxed about it and just watched us as we passed. We ran into the other hikers and chatted excitedly about the encounter for about ten minutes before heading on our way. I love meeting other Montanans in the woods!

A short time later, we emerged from the forest and back to the truck. This micro-adventure was a lot of fun, and a great way to cap off our wilderness experience for the summer. On the way home, we stopped by the awesome Grizzly Bar in Roscoe for a delicious dinner, happy with the events of the day.

 

[Blackdawg]

Ugh...I miss home..

 

[Allof75]

Great shots! I love seeing mining history, it's so rugged and captivating. It's very much the essence of The West.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Ugh...I miss home..

Haha I'll bet there's not as much cool scenery in Missouri.

Great shots! I love seeing mining history, it's so rugged and captivating. It's very much the essence of The West.

Thanks Allof75!

I'd have to heartily agree. On the list for next summer is checking out some more local mining history, mines, ghost towns, etc.

 

[stioc]

As always awesome photography and enjoyed reading about the Moose encounter

 

[wreckdiver1321]

As always awesome photography and enjoyed reading about the Moose encounter

Thanks man! I'm pretty happy with the photographic side of things. Just need a wider lens now

Yeah that moose episode was a pretty intense one. It was so cool to see such a wild animal so close up. I was pretty worried though. Fall is moose rutting season, and the bulls get super aggressive. I was ready with my bear spray if he started snorting.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

About two months ago, one of the moderators from the Frontier forum I'm on (ClubFrontier) sent me a PM and said her and her husband would be in Yellowstone in September. She had seen my photos on my thread over there, and noted my open invitation to anyone wanting to come see Montana. She asked if I would be willing to take them on a sightseeing tour around the mountains near to Yellowstone. She briefly debated bringing her truck, but decided not to in the end. I happily agreed and waited for the middle of the month.

We arranged to meet in Cooke City, Montana, just a few minutes from the NE entrance to Yellowstone. From there, I would take them to explore the Beartooth Mountains. We did some light 4x4 routes, some highway stuff, some side roads. All in all it was a cool trip, and I really enjoyed getting the chance to play tour guide and do some exploring with someone new.

Waterfall outside Cooke City:





Fire tower above the plateau:





Beartooth Lake:









The pass during some clearer weather:



Hellroaring Road:





The Beartooth Plateau:





Twin Lakes:







Summit of the Beartooth Highway (highest driveable main road in Montana and Wyoming):









I eventually dropped them off and made my way leisurely back over the pass. As usual, I stopped at my favorite viewpoint on the whole drive.



Then continued on over the summit. The clearer weather was fantastic.



Since I was on my way home, I decided to stop and get some glamour shots of Lola in this fantastic setting and great light.







Damn I love this truck.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Now that I'm all caught up on my trip reports and recent escapades, time for some mod updates!

I called up Nisstec to order the rear bumper, but I discovered that it's on national backorder. Apparently, there's not enough interest to stock them in the US, so they are a special order item, and would take up to six months to get. Right. Scratch that idea. Then I thought about how often I found myself needing a heavier duty rear bumper. I haven't yet. So I said to hell with the bumper unless I get more nuts with the trails I do later on. I now have $900 free in my budget.

First up was something that I had been pondering for a long time. With a cap on my truck, I'm getting a lot of dust sucked in the back. I've been trying to minimize that, but the tailgate gaps on a 2nd gen Frontier are ridiculously huge, so the "fit-em-all" tailgate seal kits you can find don't really work. Or so I thought!

I started to think about the problem from different angles. The other day I was just staring at the problem when it hit me. What if I put the seal on the tailgate, not on the bed? There is a very thin strip of metal the tailgate comes close to when it is closed, but it is coated in bedliner and it's a weird shape, so it won't accept the seal's adhesive backing well. But, if you put the seal on the tailgate, it seals right up!

I first took my tailgate off and cleaned up the dirt.



I pulled off the hinges...





And loosened (but didn't remove!) the latch assemblies.



Then I ran the seal along the tailgate, keeping it level with the inside of the tailgate, reinstalled the hinges, and tightened the latches again.



Viola! A (mostly) sealed tailgate. It's not perfect, but it's much better than it used to be. I still need to seal a few gaps that the seal didn't catch, but this is a pretty good start.

So, I'm going to admit now, this next mod is purely, 100% cosmetic. Since I wasn't getting a new rear bumper to make the rear end look more "offroady", I decided to drop 10% of the cost of a bumper on something to make the back end look more in line with the rest of my truck.



Yep, tail light guards. In all reality, they serve no practical function whatsoever. They are vastly overpriced, completely unnecessary, and utterly pointless. But damn they sure look cool

The mounting of these things is pretty simple. There's a bracket you bolt to a factory hole behind the light housing, and two tabs with holes that line up with the factory tail light bolt holes. You use factory hardware for this part, and the whole job took about 20 minutes.





But I'm really happy with how they look, and it just about makes up for the lack of cool rear bumper.





I will be doing one more little thing to the rear, but that's for later.

And now, the biggest (and heaviest) recent mod I got installed.....

The other day, I found myself in a custom spring shop with a friend of mine. I had no intention of buying anything, but they had some brand new Warn VR winches on the shelves. A winch was one of the things that was coming up on the buying list. So....





The VR series is supposed to be for the occasional winch user. To be honest, all my winching needs involve moving trees and very, very occasionally rescuing a stuck vehicle. So occasional winch use sounds right to me. We'll see if it stands up to my usual slush, snow, and water crossings. But for now, I think it's a good investment in peace of mind. Seems to work pretty well, and with the inclusion of a good winch kit, I'm sure it will do just fine.

 

[skibum315]

Good stuff! Keeping things practical, as usual ... I like it.

That pass road sure looks like it was begging for a drop top and some horsepower/corner carving, though ...