Originally posted by Doug:
Me and my buddy have been building up our Toys for about a year now. We have done a few camping trips in that time and had our share of spills. I hydroed my engine in Harrison lake and he ripped his entire exahust system off from the crossover.
Speaking for myself, I don't get the warm and fuzzies when someone tells me they hydro'd their motor when they were driving in a lake. Crossing through a salmon-bearing stream was why the Clear Creek trail was closed. I'm sure Fisheries would be equally peeved if they saw fourwheelers driving their trucks in lakes.
We are sick of the airport, sick of triangle beach and the surrey pit. What I don't understand about a lot of the people on this board is why they proceed to flame people for wheeling on private land etc... and then tell you to piss off when you ask for directions to places like Eagle, or stave etc.
People have told you to "piss off" when you asked for directions to Eagle Ridge or Stave? I find that a bit difficult to believe. Just this weekend there was a trail clean-up on Eagle Ridge and the meeting place was posted on this board AND the mailing list. To get to Eagle Ridge, all you have to do is drive to the very, very end of Johnson Rd in Coquitlam.
For Stave, just head east on Dewdney Trunk and make a left just before the dam that is at the south end of Stave Lake.
As for directions to the more extreme trails, there is a pretty obvious reason why people are unlikely to make that information public. Extreme trails are for experienced fourwheelers who have properly equipped their vehicles and know how to responsibly tackle those trails. They have to have the correct mind-set to attempt these trails because the last thing we need are people who's first response is to whip out the chainsaw whenever their truck is in danger of taking serious damage. Going on these trails comes with an implicit acceptance of the risks of fourwheeling and the grit to suffer the damage rather than take the easy way out and modify the trail.
It also requires the experience to know when your "balls to the wall" approach may get you through a section but in doing so, will ruin it for future use. Hard core fourwheeling is equally about past experience and the time you've spent building your truck wisely as well as the skill you display on the trail. Until you've put in the time and money, the odds are that you (not YOU in particular but the generic "you") are going to screw things up for the rest of us. In short, if you've been at it long enough and earn the respect of other 'wheelers, you WILL be shown the trails. But to expect people to send this information to perfect strangers is beyond realistic expectations.
I know there are going to be some of you who are going to accuse me of being an elitist. It's an easy out but I'd be more impressed if you can come up with a better solution to keeping the morons off the trails.
...lars
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[This message has been edited by lars (edited October 14, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by lars (edited October 14, 2001).]
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