Quinton Neufeldt
Even though the trails were often challenging, we were ‘all smiles’ during the day.
Words and Photos by Quinton Neufeldt
Just east of Kinmount, ON, bordering the popular Kawartha Lakes region, are numerous back roads and trails to explore. My wheeling buddies and I frequently go wheeling in this area and after getting the urge to hit this network of routes, I sent out a series of emails to see who was game to hit the dirt.
Most of my friends responded immediately and in the end, we had a group of 10 people and six vehicles. There was Randy and his brother in a Jeep JK Willys Edition, Brian in a Jeep JL Rubicon, and Mike in his Jeep CJ7. Simon was running his Jeep WJ with a full-size axle conversion while Jeremy drove a Jeep TJU with his family. I planned to enjoy the run in my project 99 Super Duty.
Quinton Neufeldt
Simon testing his new snorkel. We’re happy to report it worked great.
Even though rain was expected in the forecast, it didn’t dampen anyone's spirits. When we met at the trails, everyone aired down their tires and we were good to go. However, Randy, who had just bought his new-to-him 2018 JKU and was excited to try it off-road, tried to engage the 4WD but it wouldn’t budge.
Randy is a strong guy and gave the shifter a hard yank. While he thought he fixed the problem, the indicator light still showed 2WD, and now the shifter was loose - uh oh. Following a closer inspection, the shift mechanism was seized on the transfer case and Randy’s day of four-wheeling was over before it began.
Quinton Neufeldt
Jeremy with his family and Jeep TJU.
After Randy and his brother departed, our group of five rigs began to drive along a cottage access road, and then into the thick of things among the brush and forest. Some of these roads are maintained and have some side trails that lead to forestry or mining operations and land-locked lakes.
There are various ATV and snowmobile clubs in the area with markers on numerous routes, which I like to follow at times as I know they will lead somewhere! Since the ATV trails were generally narrow through the deep woods, we followed the more accessible 40 and 47 trail markers.
Quinton Neufeldt
Some of the rigs running the narrow trails.
Our reference for the trails was an ATV map and since it indicated that trail 93 was more challenging, we thought we’d give it a try. To our surprise, conditions became much more difficult and our speed slowed to a crawl. This area quickly became a combination of dense trees with muddy crossings and rock outcroppings.
Meandering down various rock ledges and hills gave everyone a chance to practice their spotting skills and we assisted each other with careful tire placement to avoid any damage. The short wheelbases of the CJ and TJ had a real advantage over the larger rigs, but on some of the larger-sized rocks, the latter performed better.
Quinton Neufeldt
Did we mention the trails were rocky?
The day was going well until we came to a thick swamp. It was clear that this could be a challenging crossing so we assessed the water depth. While we were thinking it might be too deep to cross, a small group of ATVers were on the other side, attempting to come our way. Playing it cautiously, we decided to see how they managed the swamp first.
One brave rider made steady progress along the tree line until it slowly sunk in the swamp and stalled - uh oh. Luckily, he managed to pull his ATV out himself and made it back onto ‘dry land’ with help from his buddies. We then realized it would be best to turn back and find another trail. I stopped to get a selfie in front of the swamp as a memento, and we all had a good laugh.
Quinton Neufeldt
Winching, of course, became common practice.
On our way back to the main trail, some of the hills and ledges we previously went down proved more difficult going back up due to the wet, slick rock surfaces and tight frame of trees. There was one particularly large rock outcropping that stopped us cold in this particular section. Regardless of the wheelbases of the rigs and even the expert lines that were chosen, nothing seemed to be effective to get through this area.
Our swampy mud-coated tires minimized traction and when it seemed the trail couldn’t get any more challenging, it started to rain again. Everyone in our group has experience with winches. So, after a quick setup using a tree saver and swift a quick tug to one of the many trees, we all made it over the large rock outcropping.
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Taking a well-deserved lunch break.
By this time, it was past 1 pm and we decided to stop for lunch. Simon slid out his custom cook-stove setup and grilled some burgers while others had brought their lunch, drinks and snacks. The rain stopped for the time being and as the morning’s challenges made everyone feel a little jumpy, the break gave us a chance to relax.
After lunch, we worked our way back up trails 47, 49, and 40 toward Loom and Crystal lakes. For the most part, we maintained a steady pace of 8 to 10 km/hr (5 to 6 mph) until we arrived at another ATV trail that was marked ‘more difficult.’ We were all up to the challenge.
Although the thick forest and mud-covered rocks slowed our progress down to a crawl, we encountered several long muddy stretches that we drove through without a problem. I estimated that the mud had a depth of approximately 45 to 61 cm ( 18 to 24 in) with a solid bottom. My 99 Ford Super Duty with 40” tires and 5” lift was able to manage most of the deep stuff but one part of this stretch - at the edge of a swamp - proved to be quite deep and the Super Duty experienced some tire spin due to the thicker, wet conditions.
Quinton Neufeldt
The group before the journey home.
Simon was eager to test his new snorkel and as we came across a challenging muddy water crossing, he had his chance. He entered the swampy soup-like water with a good momentum of speed but progress quickly ceased and he got stuck pretty deep. Brian came to the rescue with a tow strap and recovered the WJ. The good news was the snorkel worked great!
We took a short break before carrying on and after driving another 25 minutes we were on an easier trail marked 54. With the rain continuing again, we travelled for another 30 minutes to Crystal Lake Road. By this time, it was 5 pm and we decided to call it a day. Everyone aired up their tires, repacked gear and we made our separate ways home. Everyone in the group had a great time and enjoyed the challenges, scenery and camaraderie.
See you next time!