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Story & photos by Bryan Irons
Our annual trek to British Columbia’s Apex Mountain Resort has migrated its way from “getaway” to “family tradition” category. As wheelers from all around BC camp under the shadow of Apex Mountain at Nickelplate Lake during a July weekend, a metamorphosis occurs. We transform from a group of screen names on www.BCJeepClub.ca to adventure seekers with a plethora of intentions for the chilly and wet weekend, luckily there is a multitude of options to fulfilling them. Finding a location that offers the trail variety, scenery and comfort like this are few and far between; we are truly lucky to have this place.
With paved road access to the resort, and cabins available for rent, those of us with munchkins in tow can take solace knowing a warm bath can meet you after a hard day on the trail. Those with chest hair you could braid and hands big enough to snap ½-in bolts can choose to stay at the government campsite located just a few kilometres from the village. Being perched between the sunny city of Penticton and the sleepy town of Headley allows access to the site from northern climates and coastal regions alike, and makes unexpected fuel trips an easy fix. The area is also stocked full of history ranging from active homesteads with eons of history from the 1800’s and 1900’s to gold rushes with abandoned mines and archaic equipment that still adorn the area to this day. The famed Whipsaw Trail is also a stones throw away if you wish to pack more punch into your adventure.
With such beautiful surroundings and plethora of trails to choose from, it’s no wonder that this used to be the home to Jeep Canada’s “Camp Jeep” western division and the remains of those activities can still be seen and used. Even though Jeep has not been participating in this endeavour for over a decade now, many come out with the same intensions of yesteryear, to meet with old friends, make new ones, challenge themselves and their machines and possibly learn something new along the way. It’s part of the human spirit that demands camaraderie a computer keyboard simply cannot fulfill.
We had been scrambling the weeks before to attend the meet and with no time left on the clock, we packed up Stinky Jeep and headed to the hills with a new engine under the bonnet, and drivetrain beefed up to handle the new grunt, but all this was untested. With the gentle falling rain at our 1700M base camp/cabin, we met up with the Grizzly group of campers and organized a plan for the weekend ahead. We placed our order for some exploration and brilliant sights for this year, and were pleasantly surprised with our finds.
Aforementioned and still occurring rains mixed with famed trails such as “Plain Hard” and “Black Powder” were left to only a few who dare creep in the muddy lairs of deep goo. The “Rock Gardens” and “Fools Corner” entertained those of us with their large boulders and precarious manoeuvres. “Green Draggin” offered some tight trails and steep climbs to reach an alpine summit of spectacular views overlooking the famed Apex Ski Hill. A trip down wagon roads like “Tommy Gun” will have those with keen senses of balance questioning stability.
An explorative outing to our trips namesake’s peak brought us to an astounding 2,300 m altitude with a panoramic view that made us feel on top of the world. From the Apex summit, lush alpine fields, dense forests, abandoned mines, fire lookout towers and other monstrous peaks could be viewed with the naked eye. A trail of no name circles the peak where we took a step back in history and explored one of the mine sites. It was wonderful having some experienced wheelers and historians in our group able to discern decades of the areas rich history in a vocabulary that even a tech editor could understand (thank-you Finbar and Bruce). After this, we had an impromptu family snowball fight under the shining rays of July’s sun.
Word had gotten out about the get-together and we were honoured with a few sponsors that understand the importance of trips such as these that not only build a sense of community, but ensure that these trails will remain open for generations to come. Toyo Tires, Miller Welding, Warn Industries and Nitto Tires stepped up to the plate and had the team of intrepid wheelers walking away suited up in new garb, some needed recovery gear, and a kick-start to a future welding on their own rigs. We thank you for this, and hope to build it bigger and better for next year.
Every year we attend, the excitement and adventure in the air is palpable, but like the trails we wheel, it’s not an easy road. Having trails closed down and access diminished across North America, the more we stand together, the better chance we stay standing. With the success and strength of Camp Jeep that started all this, we have to ask Jeep/Fiat top brass; “Why was Camp Jeep in western Canada killed off?” It is sad that a corporate entity has not since taken the reins to create a place for experienced veterans to once again congregate and educate new wheelers. We love being part of this small group of wheelers excited to catch a breath of fresh Apex air every summer, but we also dare to dream about what could be shared in the future with some official leadership.
I hope to see you with us.
- Toyo Tires – www.toyotires.ca
- Warn Industries – www.warn.com
- Miller Welding – www.millerwelds.com
- Nitto Tires – www.nittotire.com