| Author | Messages | |
pwilhelm
 | | 09/15/2008 8:43 PM |
 Alert | Olympic Peninsula Buckhorn Wilderness exploration trip This turned out to be a very memorable trip. The three trucks certainly made for an interesting mix of vehicles. We enjoyed perfect weather, fantastic scenery and good food. The best part was the great folks I was traveling with. At the top of the list would be my wife Aesun, of course, who has such an enthusiastic attitude. She even got behind the wheel and this was her first offroad outing. I will not soon forget Morris, Tom and Jen who so generously shared expertise, ideas, jump starts, 90W oil, stories and food. Taking Friday off from work we hopped on the 8:40am Edmonds ferry and met up in Quilcene at 10:15. With no gas station in town there was no hope for topping the tank off before heading into the woods. Loggers Landing turns out to be a good place to meet though since there is lots of parking and a general store there. There is also a campground across the street. I suppose if folks came from afar and wanted to get an early launch the next day, staying there overnight would make sense. Map of route from Quilcene to Sequim After heading SW from Quilcene we take a right on Penny Creek Rd. It’s all pavement as we climb into the hills. In fact it’s all pavement past Sink Lake. It does turn to groomed gravel during the middle of the day but there wasn’t even any washboards or potholes. Tom said this is the kind of road you could enjoy with mom’s old 64 Cutlass wagon. There was nothing noteworthy yet beside the lush green mountain views. That would soon change. The groomed roads were pleasant if not boring. The funny sound, that my Range Rover was making once in a while, sure had me wondering though. The whirring grind sounded like a power steering pump when it is nearly out fluid. But this was coming from the coming from the passenger side fire wall. The radio, CB, Ham, AC and inverter were all turned off and yet it still made the sound occasionally. RPM dependent too. With no idiot light, and gauges reading normal, we just drove on, curious to be sure. As we wound our way to Gold creek Road then NF 2909 and Bon Jon Pass we enjoyed fresh air and more views of blue sky, evergreens and mountain ridges. The road splits at NF2489 and we took the path to the right. 2909 and 2489 join later on though. We decided it was getting late enough that heading west to the Dungeness-Forks campground to nab a spot for the night would be a better choice than taking the loop to the East. This ended up being a good choice. There is a long decent down to the confluence of the Gray Wolf and Dungeness rivers where the campground is. I geared down and let the engine do the braking as much as I could. At 4:00 we arrive at the 15 site campground and our little caravan creeps in. There are other campers there with jeeps, a small motorhome and tents. Campfire smoke wafting through trees made for strong rays as the sunlight streamed through the forest canopy. Wait a minute. What’s that stinky smell? It’s like somebody burning plastic trash. “Oh for crying out loud what idiot would do that” I thought. With that annoying grinding sound a little louder now, we all roll to a stop at the parking area by the river. Yikes, that’s smoke emanating from my right front wheel well! I was out the drivers door in a flash, had the back hatch open, grabbed the fire extinguisher and was at the wheel well ready to spray something in mere seconds. Spray what though. Something was hot but I couldn’t tell what. Was it a wheel bearing or hub seizing up? I squirted some bottled water on the wheel hub and it sure sizzled. Oh crud! As we stood there, contemplating the next move, the smoke stopped and the smell of hot asphalt started to dissipate. Tom offered to run me back to Seattle, if need be, to get parts. “Oh well”, I thought, it was a scenic drive at least. Half expecting that wheel to lock up I carefully drove to a campsite that Morris had nabbed, and backed in behind him. After jacking the wheel up, tossing down Morris’ plastic ground tarp and looking around underneath, I started to put 2+2 together. The swivel hub seal had leaked out a bunch of 90W which must have sprayed onto the exhaust. Morris carries 90W and offered some if I needed. The wheel felt fine as I tried to rotate it and didn’t make any strange noises. I surmised the hub was fine but what of the grinding pump noise? Not sure why I did this but I started the engine and fiddled with the fan and A/C. It turns out that after perhaps 10 years of being out of service the A/C pump found a little Freon in it after all. The air blew icy cold! The passenger side kick panel was gathering condensation too. Maybe I’ll just take the A/C belt off. Might as well take a break and think about what to do over dinner. What a good dinner too. I watched Morris put his steak on the grill over the open fire, then corn on the cob and some zucchini strips. He also unveiled a homemade blackberry pie to share with us! Now this is roughing it in style! After a good nights sleep we woke up to a crisp NW Saturday morning. The sun warmed thing up quickly though. Morris discovered some nibbled paper towels as evidence of a stowaway critter in his truck. As he searched for the culprit in the Pinzgauer I decided to remove the A/C pump from my list of worries. When I opened the bonnet I noticed the little underhood light was very dim. Dang my battery was nearly dead. What next?!. Tom gave me a jump start and after breakfast we all headed down to Sequim. Map from Sequim to Rialto beach After fueling and restocking we headed back into the hills eagerly looking for some 4WD trails. That proved fruitless as each road we came across was gated or blocked with 20’ high mounds of dirt. Signs read “road closed” or “keep out”. Once again we headed down to 101 and headed East. After a beautiful drive along the shores of Lake crescent, we finally took a left on Cooper Ranch Rd. This turns into FS Rd 2923 and eventually we saw our first potholes of the trip. The dirt road was very twisty with more magnificent views if you could peek through the trees. We finally came across Rd #O60, which I was told was closed due to washout. Tom and Jen decided to head down anyway and check it out for us. Meanwhile I wandered a hundred yards further down #2923 and ran across a perfect wide spot in the road that would fit three trucks nicely. (see point B on the google map)There was a view to the East, fairly level and little fire pit already there too. Tom radioed back saying that the road was indeed washed out but it might be doable but with a high pucker factor. After gathering together we set up and enjoyed a clear, “forest quiet” evening under a nearly a full moon. Great campfire conversation and star gazing rounded out a very nice day. Sunday morning warmed up fast with things getting downright hot. After breakfast we headed down to 101. We wound or way to the South Fork of the Calawah river and came across an excellent spot for maybe 4-5 trucks. Too bad some jerks left a hefty bag full of beer cans for the crows to rip into and fling around. Tom, Jen, Aesun and I explored a twisty side road while Morris ventured on ahead to check out the Klahanie campground and make a sandwich. By the time we got back he could have had several sandwiches. The park was closed too so he had to wait outside the gate for us. After we got on the highway we got right back off as we continued west to the Ocean. Or destination was 40 minutes away at Rialto Beach. After sitting on driftwood, and walking on the beach we ate lunch. Tom and Jen shared some of there tasty burritos with us. Ah that was just what we needed. After packing up, we all said our farewells and headed towards home. Lots of pictures, good memories and new friends. Any roads we went on could have been made in a passenger car though the side trips out and back would probably get rather tough. This was a great summer drive. | |
93 SWB RRC (trail rig)
93 LWB RRC + 81 Series III 109 = (hybrid to be)
74 Series III 88 (test lab, knuckle buster, weekend go fer truck) | |
| pwilhelm
| | 09/15/2008 8:43 PM |
Alert | Olympic Peninsula Buckhorn Wilderness exploration trip This turned out to be a very memorable trip. The three trucks certainly made for an interesting mix of vehicles. We enjoyed perfect weather, fantastic scenery and good food. The best part was the great folks I was traveling with. At the top of the list would be my wife Aesun, of course, who has such an enthusiastic attitude. She even got behind the wheel and this was her first offroad outing. I will not soon forget Morris, Tom and Jen who so generously shared expertise, ideas, jump starts, 90W oil, stories and food. Taking Friday off from work we hopped on the 8:40am Edmonds ferry and met up in Quilcene at 10:15. With no gas station in town there was no hope for topping the tank off before heading into the woods. Loggers Landing turns out to be a good place to meet though since there is lots of parking and a general store there. There is also a campground across the street. I suppose if folks came from afar and wanted to get an early launch the next day, staying there overnight would make sense. Map of route from Quilcene to Sequim After heading SW from Quilcene we take a right on Penny Creek Rd. It’s all pavement as we climb into the hills. In fact it’s all pavement past Sink Lake. It does turn to groomed gravel during the middle of the day but there wasn’t even any washboards or potholes. Tom said this is the kind of road you could enjoy with mom’s old 64 Cutlass wagon. There was nothing noteworthy yet beside the lush green mountain views. That would soon change. The groomed roads were pleasant if not boring. The funny sound, that my Range Rover was making once in a while, sure had me wondering though. The whirring grind sounded like a power steering pump when it is nearly out fluid. But this was coming from the coming from the passenger side fire wall. The radio, CB, Ham, AC and inverter were all turned off and yet it still made the sound occasionally. RPM dependent too. With no idiot light, and gauges reading normal, we just drove on, curious to be sure. As we wound our way to Gold creek Road then NF 2909 and Bon Jon Pass we enjoyed fresh air and more views of blue sky, evergreens and mountain ridges. The road splits at NF2489 and we took the path to the right. 2909 and 2489 join later on though. We decided it was getting late enough that heading west to the Dungeness-Forks campground to nab a spot for the night would be a better choice than taking the loop to the East. This ended up being a good choice. There is a long decent down to the confluence of the Gray Wolf and Dungeness rivers where the campground is. I geared down and let the engine do the braking as much as I could. At 4:00 we arrive at the 15 site campground and our little caravan creeps in. There are other campers there with jeeps, a small motorhome and tents. Campfire smoke wafting through trees made for strong rays as the sunlight streamed through the forest canopy. Wait a minute. What’s that stinky smell? It’s like somebody burning plastic trash. “Oh for crying out loud what idiot would do that” I thought. With that annoying grinding sound a little louder now, we all roll to a stop at the parking area by the river. Yikes, that’s smoke emanating from my right front wheel well! I was out the drivers door in a flash, had the back hatch open, grabbed the fire extinguisher and was at the wheel well ready to spray something in mere seconds. Spray what though. Something was hot but I couldn’t tell what. Was it a wheel bearing or hub seizing up? I squirted some bottled water on the wheel hub and it sure sizzled. Oh crud! As we stood there, contemplating the next move, the smoke stopped and the smell of hot asphalt started to dissipate. Tom offered to run me back to Seattle, if need be, to get parts. “Oh well”, I thought, it was a scenic drive at least. Half expecting that wheel to lock up I carefully drove to a campsite that Morris had nabbed, and backed in behind him. After jacking the wheel up, tossing down Morris’ plastic ground tarp and looking around underneath, I started to put 2+2 together. The swivel hub seal had leaked out a bunch of 90W which must have sprayed onto the exhaust. Morris carries 90W and offered some if I needed. The wheel felt fine as I tried to rotate it and didn’t make any strange noises. I surmised the hub was fine but what of the grinding pump noise? Not sure why I did this but I started the engine and fiddled with the fan and A/C. It turns out that after perhaps 10 years of being out of service the A/C pump found a little Freon in it after all. The air blew icy cold! The passenger side kick panel was gathering condensation too. Maybe I’ll just take the A/C belt off. Might as well take a break and think about what to do over dinner. What a good dinner too. I watched Morris put his steak on the grill over the open fire, then corn on the cob and some zucchini strips. He also unveiled a homemade blackberry pie to share with us! Now this is roughing it in style! After a good nights sleep we woke up to a crisp NW Saturday morning. The sun warmed thing up quickly though. Morris discovered some nibbled paper towels as evidence of a stowaway critter in his truck. As he searched for the culprit in the Pinzgauer I decided to remove the A/C pump from my list of worries. When I opened the bonnet I noticed the little underhood light was very dim. Dang my battery was nearly dead. What next?!. Tom gave me a jump start and after breakfast we all headed down to Sequim. Map from Sequim to Rialto beach After fueling and restocking we headed back into the hills eagerly looking for some 4WD trails. That proved fruitless as each road we came across was gated or blocked with 20’ high mounds of dirt. Signs read “road closed” or “keep out”. Once again we headed down to 101 and headed East. After a beautiful drive along the shores of Lake crescent, we finally took a left on Cooper Ranch Rd. This turns into FS Rd 2923 and eventually we saw our first potholes of the trip. The dirt road was very twisty with more magnificent views if you could peek through the trees. We finally came across Rd #O60, which I was told was closed due to washout. Tom and Jen decided to head down anyway and check it out for us. Meanwhile I wandered a hundred yards further down #2923 and ran across a perfect wide spot in the road that would fit three trucks nicely. (see point B on the google map)There was a view to the East, fairly level and little fire pit already there too. Tom radioed back saying that the road was indeed washed out but it might be doable but with a high pucker factor. After gathering together we set up and enjoyed a clear, “forest quiet” evening under a nearly a full moon. Great campfire conversation and star gazing rounded out a very nice day. Sunday morning warmed up fast with things getting downright hot. After breakfast we headed down to 101. We wound or way to the South Fork of the Calawah river and came across an excellent spot for maybe 4-5 trucks. Too bad some jerks left a hefty bag full of beer cans for the crows to rip into and fling around. Tom, Jen, Aesun and I explored a twisty side road while Morris ventured on ahead to check out the Klahanie campground and make a sandwich. By the time we got back he could have had several sandwiches. The park was closed too so he had to wait outside the gate for us. After we got on the highway we got right back off as we continued west to the Ocean. Or destination was 40 minutes away at Rialto Beach. After sitting on driftwood, and walking on the beach we ate lunch. Tom and Jen shared some of there tasty burritos with us. Ah that was just what we needed. After packing up, we all said our farewells and headed towards home. Lots of pictures, good memories and new friends. Any roads we went on could have been made in a passenger car though the side trips out and back would probably get rather tough. This was a great summer drive. | | | |
| Craig Miller
Title Sponsor
| | 09/15/2008 9:21 PM |
Alert | Fantastic write up Paul! Sounds like you guys had a really enjoyable camping trip.
I'm glad you made it home safe. Did you figure out what was making the grinding noise? Did the battery wind up dying? | |
My Overland Adventure Blog | |
| pwilhelm
| | 09/15/2008 10:03 PM |
Alert | It really was a nice time. Definitely going back next summer. Yeah the grinding noise was the air conditioning pump. I just cut the belt. I have a spare one already if I choose to get it all working again. And now I know to just disconnect the battery when I get to camp. A door left ajar all night was probably the cause for the battery drain. The swivel hub is going to need the seal replaced before long though. It looks like a pain to do. | |
93 SWB RRC (trail rig)
93 LWB RRC + 81 Series III 109 = (hybrid to be)
74 Series III 88 (test lab, knuckle buster, weekend go fer truck) | |
| pwilhelm
| | 09/15/2008 10:03 PM |
Alert | It really was a nice time. Definitely going back next summer. Yeah the grinding noise was the air conditioning pump. I just cut the belt. I have a spare one already if I choose to get it all working again. And now I know to just disconnect the battery when I get to camp. A door left ajar all night was probably the cause for the battery drain. The swivel hub is going to need the seal replaced before long though. It looks like a pain to do. | | | |
| Craig Miller
Title Sponsor
| | 09/15/2008 11:19 PM |
Alert | Well, I'm glad you made it home safe and sound anyway.
If you can live without it you could put a York Air Compressor there. A guy on dweb is selling the brackets.
Craig
| |
My Overland Adventure Blog | |
| Tom Lowell
| | 09/17/2008 8:43 PM |
Alert | Jen and I want to thank Paul, Aesun, and Morris for such a terrific time. Thanks again Paul, for doing all the leg work for the trip. Its funny; we were enjoying ourselves most every moment while we were there, but now that I look at the pictures I realize, "WOW, we really had a great time!" We saw great scenery, had good drives, excellent campfire conversation ( even coverred the 2 forbiden topics successfully) and learned a bit about the area. Highlights: The views, of course. Getting to know Morris, Aesun, and Paul. Seeing all Morris' cool mods and inventions. Driving all weekend with a Pinzgauer (they look much bigger on TV! ). Campsite on a vista. Sleeping in our new pop top, again. Regrets: Not wheeling down to the river bank where other's had gone before us, and doing lunch there. (It would have been tricky but I saw a good line there.) Thanks again Paul. Looking forward to the next one. | | | |
| Morris Yarnell
| | 09/17/2008 9:37 PM |
Alert | Yes, I agree, it wa a very good time. Thank you all for a very calm and enjoyable two days. Tom, I was really surprised that that roof rack stayed on. I thought the brush would make a twisted mess of it. Good quality stuff you have there. Thanks for the tips on working those paddles. Morris | | | |
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