I was wanting to wait for my film to be developed before I posted my adventure, but I’m not sure when I’ll get them.
Dad took Friday off and we went on a great adventure. We started it off like we always do; making sure that we had a cooler full of drinks. Explorers can’t go thirsty! Then, foolishly, I assumed that the Jeep was all ready, so we were off to the library to get a map of Okanagan back roads. What I had forgotten was that a few days earlier I had taken out the shovel and axe that I always keep in the Jeep. Why did I? To make room for two bikes that dad and I took mountain biking earlier in the week. I didn’t want other stuff getting in the way. Anyway, dad and I got two map books and we were off to explore.
We decided to explore The Greystokes, out past Black Mountain and 8 Mile Ranch. The surprisingly smooth dirt road took us to Three Forks. A place where two creeks meet up with the larger Mission Creek. We had a choice of two ways. One, down Bug Main Forestry Road, and the second down Greystokes Forestry Road. So we went right, to the Greystokes. After some winding around and pretty scenery we started passing some other, lesser and seemingly forgotten roads. We took none of them. Dad wanted to get to the top of the ridge that the main road was slowly leading us to.
Once we got to the top we had a wonderful view of the mountains behind Rutland and Ellison. The thin valley seemed to go on forever so we figured we’d try to find a way down. After a short break for some pictures, of course. It seemed the road we were on would lead us into the valley. At the moment we were facing east and still were once we had reached the bottom of the ridge. We had planned to go north, through the valley, but at the bottom we came to a split in the road. We had the current road leading us north, but there was a very over grown and exciting road leading south. So we went south.
I love going down roads that are tricky and this one was no disappointment. The trees, those small half-bush half-trees, were constantly rubbing against the side of the Jeep. That gives you an idea of how rugged this road was, well, now more a trail than anything. The road surface was unpredictable too, but that’s some of the best fun. After a few hundred metres we arrived at what I thought to be the point where we would have to turn around. A log, the size of a normal tree, had fallen across the road and I had just remembered that I forgot the axe. Then dad gets out and stands by the log and tells me to go. So I did, figuring it was his idea so if I broke anything he’d have to pay for it. The Jeep, with completely stock suspension, made it over the log with no problem. I was very impressed. So we soldiered on soon to be stranded.
About a hundred metres passed the log was a group of branches on the ground. I naturally just kept going without slowing down. Then, about thirty metres past the branches, the Jeep stopped. I was quite sure what was wrong; it felt like no fuel was getting to the engine. We got out and dad went down under the Jeep to take a look while I went around back to make sure the log hadn’t damaged the exhaust. It was fine. I got back in and started thinking about the 15km walk back to the highway that dad and I might have to take when he said, “Try it now!” It started perfectly. Dad found that one of those branches has somehow jammed it’s way up under the Jeep’s lower armor and had kinked the fuel line. He just straightened it out and we were fine. We went a bit further then had to turn back because the road ended.
Now, back in the long valley, we headed north. We found many cool spots, and even a clearing the size of a football field or larger, the ground mostly small weeds and sand. It was odd. We had linked up with Bug Main by then and drove around the hills more, ran into a bunch of cows, then headed back. We decided to take Bug Main out this time to see where it went. On the way back we found a cool spot on Mission Creek that we sat at for a while and took some pictures. Then we headed home.
There is so much to tell, I have only mentioned the main bits, but I have typed too much already, concentrating on what we did and not the quality of my writing. I’ll put some pictures up soon.
