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Kristina Wheeler photos
Whipsaw Gathering
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Whipsaw Gathering
Airing down.
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Whipsaw Gathering
The Alpine line.
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Whipsaw Gathering
Little trucks all in a row.
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Whipsaw Gathering
Trading tips.
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Whipsaw Gathering
The Hardline.
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Whipsaw Gathering
A few squeals.
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Whipsaw Gathering
The dreaded Ledge.
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Whipsaw Gathering
A little mud on the tire.
Story & photos by Kristina Wheeler
4WDABC Fall Convention
To British Columbia off-roaders, Whipsaw is an iconic name. For the southern half of the province, Whipsaw is where day-trippers cut their teeth on a multi-day overland expedition. The trails popularity grew in 2007 when it was one of Canada’s two trails named to BF Goodrich’s Outstanding Trails.
Every year, the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC (4WDABC) holds its fall convention in Coalmont on the 2nd weekend in September. The goal is simple, run Whipsaw during the day and converse on matters impacting the wheeling world in the evening. Along the Tulameen River, there is serene meadow next to the Granite Creek campsite that we use annually. The property is owned by Ernie Rice, one of the originating families in this area. When you pay the camping fees, see if he’ll give you permission to visit his place; it’s literally a time capsule of vehicles that have worked the land throughout the century.
This year the meadow would provide the staging area for close to 54 trucks. Throughout Friday, different groups congregated together. Wes, from the 4x4 club Herd of Turtles, had his infamous “Lemonade Stand,” and there was one communal campfire. Ernie brought firewood when he stopped by and grew the ring of chairs. Stories were exchanged between old friends, faces finally put to names and new trail mates developed.
Plans were formulated for the next day’s adventure, groups selecting departure times, and whether to enter through the Crowsnest or Coalmont. We opted to take the traditional route from Crowsnest; now interestingly if you park at the entrance you can hike north to the Whipsaw Ecological reserve, or attempt to make your way south to the old ghost town of Blackfoot.
Our group slowly grew as everyone arrived; and then we were off on our very dusty eight-hour tour. We traversed the main FSR, my Honda Civic can make it about 18 km, but after that a good 4WD with clearance is required to safely make it through. Although I’ve ran Whipsaw many times, the beauty of the location never ceases to amaze me.
Along the way you’ll pass by Huff’s Mine, and by its remaining core samples, then there is a hidden left turn that will bring you to an abandoned mine. Gazing into the adjacent stream, you may be able to see little flakes of gold. At about 22 km, you’ll come across an old horse barn and an emergency shelter on skids before ascending through the switchbacks.
Once in the high country you will come upon Dick’s cabin, housed in the first of many beautiful meadows, a few rock enclaves offer you the opportunity to take some poser shots, or for the more adventurous, a 20+ km hiking trail will lead you to Manning Park. Further along, the grounds are blanketed with alpine flowers that lead to an oasis of mountain views.
Mud bogging, or going off the official route is severely discouraged and carries heavy fines, however there are a few established places where you are allowed to play. One of the legal mud play areas can be found in front of the old trapper’s cabin. It's a good spot to allow stragglers to catch up, explore the remains, take a few pictures and have a mid-morning snack.
As you near the infamous Janzen Rock, you’ll find a rock outcropping that newer drivers may need spotting through. Then it’s time for a few squeals as first timers attempt the fun 45-degree sheer rock climb, its difficulty depending on the weather, skill and tire tread.
After several hours through some beautiful terrain, you’ll descend into the valley that is home to Wells Lake. If you get a picture just right, it appears the trucks are driving on water as they cross the shallow roadway. After you leave, you’ll wind your way towards Falcon Hill. Not as challenging now as it once was, a plaque on a tree tells the legend, of a few guys who traversed the entire trail in 1979 in a Ford Falcon, with only 33-in studded snow tires.
For me wheeling is more about the overland expedition rather than obstacles, so I usually don’t opt to take the hard line. However, I always take on the ledge after Falcon Hill, I curse it every time, as I still need at least two runs.
The difficulty of the trail changes with the weather conditions; I’ve wheeled it in dry, wet, snowy and very muddy conditions. The “Mud Pit” is a drainage depression just before a steep muddy climb. Depending on the weather and traffic, it can be a small water splash or a thick momentum killing mud bog. In its worst condition, I’ve seen people spend hours trying to winch, shovel, or find other creative ways to pull themselves up to the crest of the hill.
We continued on and neared Lodestone Lake, unfortunately the meadows here have taken a lot of abuse from those who don’t follow the Tread Lightly creed. This is unfortunate, not only because it can give off-roaders a bad name, but it mars the pristine beauty of the landscape. The ecosystem is extremely fragile in these areas and it can take the meadow years to recover from one run through it.
Beyond the lake the road forks, to the right is an old cabin, etched with more than 80 years of memories. Past that, the trail will lead you to the top of Lodestone Peak, an amazing 360-degree view of mountain peaks as far as the eye can see.
Descending, you’ll find the active coal mine, along with many other hidden sights along the road that are part of Blakeburn, sight of BC’s fifth worst mining disaster. We finished the descent to basecamp, passing by what little remains of Granite City, once one of BC’s largest cities during the gold rush. At its peak it housed over 200 buildings on two main streets.
Back at camp it was time to visit Wes’s Lemonade stand, and spend the evening catching up. The Cruiser crew was still MIA, well past their return time. Word finally got back that Kim (president of the 4WDABC) had snapped pieces of his suspension, and they were limping their way back with a few support vehicles. Apparently you can wheel Whipsaw with 12 straps holding a truck together, but not without some good-natured harassment at the end. With that, we put another annual Whipsaw trip in the books, one of BC’s top adventures.