wanted: trails vancouver island

[pheonix165]

i have a stock gl sedan with a d/r (still don't actually know what that means???)

 

i live in victoria, bc, canada and i was wondering if there is some near by beginners trails or decently secluded unpaved roads. most of the logging roads that i know of are pretty much locked and more recently paroled (alifent lake).

 

any help would be grate, the closer the better...as i work seven days a week

 

thanks

[bushbasher]

You'll have to go to shawnigan/duncan, or out to sooke/jordan river to find access to the logging roads. The problem is that the roads are mostly flat, but there will be huge washouts that would swallow a stock sube. Often there are old gates with bypasses that are pretty rough too.

 

Your best bet is to get a backroads mapbook (earlier editions are better) and start exploring with some friends. A GPS that can map where you have been is also really handy. I never really wheeled a stock sube so I don't know where the easy trails are. The Powerline trail out in Sooke could be a possibility.

 

The issue here is that places where unlifted vehicles can go get closed off first because thats where people beat on their stolen cars and set them on fire. Places that require bigger rigs stay open.

[pheonix165]

thanks for the responce...ya i know raods that are easy for a stock vehicle get closed first. i'm a farly compatent driver (as far as amitures go) so i think i could probably handle a moderate trail, my bigest problem is that any obsticle bigger then a parking stall devider and i risk getting high sentered.

 

i've never heard of a backroads mapbook, where can i find that?

[bushbasher]

some gas stations, and fishing/outdoors stores will have them.

[Vanislru]

Yeah those yellow gates are a pain in the arse. About 6 or so years ago I had a turbo diesel ford 3/4 ton lifted with big meats on it and one helluva loggers bumper on the front. Massive, welded right to the frame, I soon found that in 4 high 2nd gear I could break the gates padlocks off by just driving through them. So we did this for about a year or so until we got caught, which sucked cause we saw some really cool country and wicked deactivated logging roads too.

 

Now that I'm older and most of my friends are getting up there in the forestry ranks I've found myself in possesion of a few keys to these gates but I still have to "sneak in"

 

If you're into going far the back road between Port Alberni and Cumberland still has awesome access to some wicked steep alpine trails and deactivated road beds along it's route.

 

The backroad handbook is a godsend, so are buddies that can help tow you out.

[pheonix165]

so i bought the book...looks like sook is probably going to be my best bet but i did find something odd on one of the maps (map11/d7.5) one of the roads is actually marked 4wd, i've never seen this before. i used to live on the hat and if its the road i'm thinking of its a logging access road that actually leads to the up-island power wires amongst other things, but its always gated

 

if you could give me a couple of easy access spots that would be great...i think i might bug my buddy with his umm...interesting 400hp ford

[bushbasher]

once I get my justy back together I'd be up for some stocker wheelin'. I will be going up the powerline trail in sooke with the justy to see if its passable, and I'll let you know.

[pheonix165]

totally up for that