out with the old in with the new

[westyss]

Just recently got some pics from a trip I did several years back, the trail is called the Whipsaw trail and has some notoriety and is graded here on the Portal: http://expeditionportal.com/overlandroutes/index.php/Whipsaw_Trail


I will post a few pics every once in a while.


Staging. Airing down getting ready to go, I think 9 trucks and 15 people and three dogs.

I mostly took a completely different line than everyone else, truck specific I guess.

I didnt take my camera so had no pics at all and thankfully there were many good photographers along and they took many images of all the vehicles if anyone want to see more of another truck.

Many images of different articulations of varying kinds.

 

[westyss]

The three dogs on the trip.

It was dry and dusty, eventually we called it the "Dust Bowl" trip, this Dodge stirred up the dust with the rad fan,

massive clouds of dust from this truck.

 

[westyss]

 

[westyss]

A little progressive picture taking on these, I think this was just a tight spot to get through on this as I dont remember any obstacle and cant see one here? The whole trail was really tight and pretty much a jeep size trail, bigger vehicles have done the trail but the trees take a beating along with your rig. Pretty neat to see all these pics and remember this trip again, Sept 2012 and pre solar.

 

[westyss]

This spot I think is called the tank traps, all the trucks except two had one or two tires in the air, without lockers and a good line you wont make it through unless some strategic rock stacking is done as you can see others have done.

Like I said it is a tight trail, some spots the cab was in the trees and I couldnt see much. This spot was a drop off(pic doesnt show it) with a bit of a ledge, in the next few pics you can see my underbody tool box close to the rock, well I think this is where I tagged it and bent the aluminum supports a bit.

This one! my supports hang another 1.5" lower.

Note in this pic I am missing my left turn signal module, tagged by the stump poking out there, broke the glass and promptly fell out of the holder, the spotter unplugged it and handed it to me just before this pic.

 

[westyss]

Last group of pics, I believe this was the highest point of the trail with several good viewpoints.

This is supposed to be one of the big bad spots on the trail where most rigs have trouble with, well it was a non event as there was little water in the trench and someone had tapered off the climb out, there used to be a ledge. As you can see the ATV'ers built a bridge to cross when things are bad.
Note the tree debris on the roof of my truck, testament to spending most of my time up in the branches and foliage.

OK this was the tank trap spot, the experienced guys had this spot as a concern for me getting through the trail, the next few images give a perspective on this loc. Only two rigs kept all four tires on the ground here, tight spot in here with a tree in the way at the worst area.
This burb had close to sixteen inches of air under the tire!

Starting to drive in to the tank traps.

I've had my truck leaning over much more than this, it takes some getting used to but it does have a good C of G.

Body flex, for the trip I loosened the bolts on the springs holding the cabin down providing the truck with some extra frame flex, once I got home I tightened them back up but without loosening them up I might have had a tire in the air here, I think at one point I did have a rear tire get some air time.

Stupid tree in the worst spot! You can just make out four people pushing the camper body to keep it off the tree, I did lightly tag that tree but no harm done.

I believe this is where I tagged it, stupid tree! I actually considered getting my chain saw out to drop the tree but that did seem a little extreme.

And gumby getting through the same spot.

And finally out off the trail on logging roads.

Group pic, thought there were nine rigs but only seven, only thing I got right were how many dogs?

Conclusion: Not too difficult a trail, a bit tight in spots for full size rigs.

Damage incurred: Turn signal lens and attach points broken, radio antenna bent to resemble limb risers,(note to self, next time retract prior to entering trees)
Awning trim torn off and given back to me after exiting trail.
Pine needles,tree branches, bugs and a mushrooms found in the cab after trip along with some dust.
I had a helicopter lined up for extraction in case I got stuck somewhere!! (thought of it but didn't really)
First Fuso through the Whipsaw trail and I challenge others to do so.

I did this trail loaded for camping with fire wood, water for several days and my bike on the back, we camped overnight and the temps dropped below freezing, good peeps and a good time!

 

[red EOD veteran]

Looks like you handled the trail very well!

 

[westyss]

Looks like you handled the trail very well!

Oh! Well the truck handled the trail very well but I was a mess, not knowing what the trail was like and having looked at several utube vids made me plenty nervous which I carried through all the way until we got out, now that I know what to expect it would be easier for me to handle, the people I was with were the ones I was relying on for spotting and getting me outa there and they made it easier for sure. The fact that most of them were mechanics or in the vehicle business was definitely a calming factor.

 

[guidolyons]

The Fuso flexes better than the Chevy :sombrero: Yeah, it's nerve wracking the first time you really test the truck you've invested some serious blood, sweat, and tears in...then once you get through a tough spot, you are like, "Woo Hoo! That was awesome!"

 

[chosen]

I thought it was amazing just how much lean you can get and it doesn't tip sideways. Some real adventure had, but still with a taste of luxury in the outdoors! Thanks for sharing.

 

[westyss]

The Fuso flexes better than the Chevy :sombrero: Yeah, it's nerve wracking the first time you really test the truck you've invested some serious blood, sweat, and tears in...then once you get through a tough spot, you are like, "Woo Hoo! That was awesome!"

yeah, I think of it more as a semi controlled test to get a scale of how far you can or need to push it, not something that becomes habitual, I am pretty sure that all my solar panels would be left in the woods if I did that trail again

 

[westyss]

I thought it was amazing just how much lean you can get and it doesn't tip sideways. Some real adventure had, but still with a taste of luxury in the outdoors! Thanks for sharing.

I'll tell you it takes some getting used to leaning over a ways in a cab over, the first few times I was very apprehensive but what helped me to feel better about the lean was to have some one take a picture and have a look through that perspective, then you think"what am I worried about, no where near tipping".

 

[Sixinarow]

Very nice job! I'm in awe!

Getting to work at an outlying station and realizing two of the three locomotives batteries are in need of water delays things for a while. So while I sat for 5.5 hours I read all 56 pages!

 

[westyss]

Very nice job! I'm in awe!

Getting to work at an outlying station and realizing two of the three locomotives batteries are in need of water delays things for a while. So while I sat for 5.5 hours I read all 56 pages!

Hey thanks for that! Read it all in 5 hours, thast pretty good for 56 pages. Maybe you just looked at pictures? There will be a quiz!

 

[westyss]

Here's are some images of our trip we just got back from, mostly the BC Chilcotin area.