Late Spring Trail Running

Ontario’s Muskoka Region sets the stage for some challenging crawling and steep ascents.

by

Words and Photos by Quinton Neufeldt

About a year ago, my buddy Brian broke a transfer case on his TJ Wrangler on a rocky trail northeast of Gravenhurst, ON. After getting it repaired over the following months, he sold it and recently bought a Rubicon JL. He was then ready to take on the very same area to see what would await him (and his rig) this time around.

A few other buddies and I decided to join him as the region is exciting to run with its number of challenges. We have been here several times over the years but being late spring, it would be interesting to see the conditions of the trail.

I am always surprised how vegetation and logging operations can alter the terrain season after season and regardless of how familiar we are with a certain area, every corner, tree, rock and mud-hole starts to look the same. Aside from the occasional access markers, we’re pretty much on our own. To combat this, I always have a trail network loaded on my GPS for some guidance.

We departed for this on a Saturday morning and Brian was psyched in his JL. Mike and I were also tuned and ready in our CJ7s, and Simon ran his trusty WJ, which was recently modified with a full-width axle conversion.

Taking Black Springs Rd. north from Hwy 118, we turned northeast on Resource Rd, which led to ATV trail marker 24 that meandered south. At this point, the terrain was mostly dirt and aside from two muddy stretches to cross, there weren’t many challenges - yet. Numerous side trails lead deeper into the bush or to lakes, which the area is known for.

Once we arrived at ATV trail marker 50, we turned west and drove into thicker forest. After running a few hundred metres, the trail levelled out and after making a hard right turn, we were faced with a steep hill that was flanked by trees. It had a length of approximately 450 m (500 yds) at an elevation of about 50 m (165 ft). This is where the challenges began.

Although we knew what was coming, we scouted out the hill on foot just to be on the safe side. It consisted of some rock ledges and trees that were interspersed at various intervals so determining the right line, using the proper momentum and running in the right gear would be the difference between driving up successfully or winching for 20 minutes.

On the first part of the hill, I took it slow and steady in low-range gear and crawled along until I came to a large rock ledge. After backing up, I drove slightly to the left before my front wheel slipped into a crack, which, ironically, I had been stuck in before. This time around, however, I easily got free.

After numerous attempts of trying to get over the ledge to the left and right, I reversed down the hill again, shifted into 2nd gear to gain a little more momentum, and made a run for it. Once I bounced my way over (with my skid plates taking some pretty good hits), I kept my foot steady on the pedal and slipped the clutch occasionally to keep the engine revs high. Once I was past the ledge and on level terrain (and breathed a sigh of relief), I stepped out to watch Brian and Simon take a run at it.

Brian took a less rocky but more muddy line on the hill but needed to make a tight turn around a tree. Although his 2-door WJ has a shorter wheelbase, he needed to back up and go forward several times to get around it. Just when he thought he would be successful, he got stuck in the muddy conditions but eventually used enough momentum to make it out and over the ledge.

Simon was up next and decided to try the line I took. After numerous attempts, he managed to get over the rock ledge and pulled up near Brian and I. It was then Mike’s turn. He followed the same line Brian took but successfully made it around the tree and over the ledge before we all regrouped. We then tackled the next stretch of this hill.

Divided with vegetation and rocks in the middle, this section was equally challenging. Brian was on the left spinning his tires in thick mud while Simon was slowly easing up the hill until his left tire hit a rock, forcing him to stop. This was also the same area where Brian broke his transfer case last year.

Determined to reach the end, they both decided to winch the rest of the way and about 20 minutes later, they were once again on level terrain. Mike also winched up and we were on our way once again.

While we were happy that no one damaged their rigs, we decided to press on. However, I forgot about a rock that was in front of my tire and after driving over it, I heard a loud bang, which was the sound of my front leaf spring mount breaking.

Since lunch was in order following all of the excitement throughout the morning,  Simon fired up his grill and we took a well-deserved break. I also looked under my CJ to assess the damage. It wasn’t too bad and with careful driving, it would be fine to continue.

Following lunch, we hit the trail again. Although we encountered some heavy mud and some rocky terrain, it was nothing compared to what we experienced earlier and enjoyed running through the region.

Around 4 pm, we decided to get back to the Resource Rd. before stopping at a scenic lake and checking out a few camping spots. In all, it was another great day on the trail and before parting ways, we were already discussing our next trip.

See you next time!