Whipsaw - July 14-17 2011

[Sugarphreak]

This is the offical CHC Alberta Whipsaw trip planning thread, with all of the input I received from everybody I have put together the following itinerary.



Thursday, July 14th

Meet in Cochrane @ Tims around 8:30am

Breakfast & Gas, then roll out at 9:00am

-Take highway 40 out of Cochrane, turn onto Trans-Canada just past Ghost lake

Arrive in Banff at 10:30am for bathroom breaks, gas and coffee

-Depart at 11:00am

-Take Highway 1, turn right just before Field to Takakakaw Falls

Arrive at Takakakaw Falls at ~12:30pm

Stop for lunch at picnic table site at base of falls

-Depart at 2:00pm

-Take Highway 1 to Revelstoke (30 min. Gas/Bathroom stop in Golden at Husky)

Arrive at Revelstoke at 5:00pm

Eat Dinner, Check out Railway Museum

-Depart Revelstoke at 8:00pm

-Take highway 23 to Shelter Bay

-Take ferry from Shelter bay to Galena Bay

-Arrive Nakusp at 10:30pm – 11:00pm

Check into hotel (thinking about booking the Leland, it is kind of a rough looking biker bar at first glance, but a long time popular hot spot for long distance bikers and very sociable place, patio is literally on the lake and the food is great; rooms are small because the hotel was built many decades years ago... stayed there with the wife last year, was dirt cheap and I thought it was a blast)



Friday July 15th

Meet up at 6:30am for breakfast

-Depart at 7:30am

-Drive to Fauquier (pronounced Folk-Queer)

-Take ferry to Needles (not really a town)

-Take Vernon/Slocan highway 6

-Arrive Vernon at 11:00am

Break for gas

-Take highway 97 to Kelowna

-pass through Kelowna, no stop

-Turn off at highway 97c (just before Peachland)

-Drive to Princeton

-Arrive at Princeton at 2:00pm

Gas up, Lunch break

Depart Princeton at 2:30pm

-Take highway 3 down to Wipsaw

-Arrive at Wipsaw trailhead at 3:00pm

Forge ahead for 3 hours, we should arrive at the lake site around 6:00pm… perfect place for camping I am told



Saturday July 16th

Get up whenever & do the rest of Wipsaw!! Woot!

Approximately 5 hours if at a slow place of trails to complete the loop once past the lake (or so I am told).

Once out, we can check into a hotel in Princeton to get cleaned up and rested and do dinner. Copper mountain is also nearby if we get our early enough for lunch.



Sunday July 17th

Depending on how the group is feeling we can do a straight burn back on highway 1, or we can take the border route, or return on the same route we came out on



Your Rig:

-In good/safe running condition

-Front & Rear tow points

-Minimum 33" tires

-Full size spare tire

-FRS Radio **Channel 2**

-CB Radio (suggested) **Channel 19**

-VHF Scanner (suggested) **to monitor logging road traffic**

-Off-road lights (suggested)



Stuff you should bring along if you have it:

-Gas cans (30L for H3's, 40L for H2's, .....60L for Gary <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... oflmao.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rotflmao:' /> ) **If you don't have an external roof rack for them, somebody else will), while extra gas is really just precautionary, it is highly reccomended... not to mention it will allow you to buy cheap fuel here in Calgary and save yourself a few bucks**

-Shovels

-Recovery straps & shackles

-Jack or Highlifts

-Some Tools & random misc fix it stuff (eg. shoe laces, twist ties, zap straps, random bolts, hose clamps, expoxy)

-Some Spare fluids (water, oil, washer, ect)

-Hold down Straps

-Enough food & water for all passengers for up to 48hrs

-First Aid Kid

-Jumper cables

-Battery Pack

-Compressor & tire guages

-Tire repair kit



Bring your camping gear as well!

-Tent

-LOTS of Bug Spray

-Chairs

-Flashlight

-Lantern

....ect





Final Notes:

-If there are not at least 4 trucks comfirmed to be departing from Calgary/Cochrane by June 15th, this trip will sadly not be going ahead.

[Sugarphreak]

One other note: If you are really interested in going and these dates just don't work for you... we could look at rescheduling it in August.



BUT... The only way that is going to happen is if you post up what weekends you can go.

[karlairey]

Sugarphreak...Thank you so much for all this fantastic planning!!!! This is exactly what is needed to get more people committed. I AM IN!!



However...



I am now Hummerless so will be hauling then driving the Komodo instead. This means I may need a little help with storage. I will have a large tool box on the back for some, but doubt it will be enough and don't want to purchase a trailer yet. I'm really excited and just trying to work out who else I can bring <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... /smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

[Sugarphreak]

Sweet!



I've got a lot more exterior storage now on my rig with that new rack, I can take a ton of stuff as long as it is weatherproof! <img src='http://www.canadianhummerclub.com/forum ... ght_on.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':right_on:' />

[Khamul]

I'm in!!!

[paulg]

I am in!!!!



I wouldnt be to concerned about lugging to much extra fuel, there is a gas station not far from the turn off into Whipsaw, so as long as everybody fills up there they should be good.

But it never hurts to have a bit extra just incase...

[Sugarphreak]

[quote name='paulg' timestamp='1306252315' post='27825']

I am in!!!!



I wouldnt be to concerned about lugging to much extra fuel, there is a gas station not far from the turn off into Whipsaw, so as long as everybody fills up there they should be good.

But it never hurts to have a bit extra just incase...

[/quote]



It will be good to have somebody along that knows the trail, thanks Paul!

[Sugarphreak]

UPDATE!



Bad News: Latest report is that there is way more snow than usual there this time of year.



Good News: Somebody on another fourm I have come into contact with will be doing a trail report on the first week of July, we should find out how much snow is left and if the route is fully passible.

[Khamul]

[quote name='Sugarphreak' timestamp='1306522743' post='27911']

UPDATE!



Bad News: Latest report is that there is way more snow than usual there this time of year.



Good News: Somebody on another fourm I have come into contact with will be doing a trail report on the first week of July, we should find out how much snow is left and if the route is fully passible.

[/quote]



You would think it would be fine by Mid July???

[Sugarphreak]

[quote name='Khamul' timestamp='1306602343' post='27928']

You would think it would be fine by Mid July???

[/quote]



I think it should be, but getting a heads up on trail conditions on the 1st is going to be invaluable for us