Date:         Tue, 31 Aug 2004 13:09:40 -0700
Reply-To:     Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Subject:      trip report
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

  A couple of weeks ago I returned form a 2 week trip in B.C. It was a
repeat of a trip wife and I made 10 years ago after my van had gas
engine installed. here is a summary...

first pre trip Van prep (van was diesel, now has 1800 I4):

replaced all ball joints in front end (while doing a tie rod end myself
I noticed a torn boot on one of the upper ball joints. Not wanting to
press it out myself I took it to russell at Autospiel. They found when
the van was on the lift, that all 4 boots were ripped. I decided to
have them all replaced as the cost of the joints were minor compared to
the labour cost. Final cost for repair was around Can$300. Front end
aligned, was barely out of spec.

Changed oil (Mobil 1), new filter (Mann).

Installed my aux battery (small 30 A/hr gel cell behind rhs tail
light). Used a 70 amp relay from Audi instead of my old "starter-like"
rv relay which I had given to neighbour. It worked just fine. It's
installed so that all of the van's electrics are live when ign off
except for headlights and starter.

Fooled around with cheap adjustable internal volt reg on alternator.
Was not happy with it, need to look at it again. Did not trust it on
trip so stock unit used.

topped up propane ($2)

new spark plugs, Bosch copper core. I find these to work as well as the
platinums.

Made modifications to my aluminum roof rack which didn't work (night
before leaving rush, I just don't learn!) Canoe strapped to van in my
old fashion (can be seen on my website).

New cap for expansion tank on cooling system. This is the old diesel
tank that has a metal cap. Hard to find VW replacement but Russ had a
BMW one that fits. I had been using, for years, one with a cracked seal
which allowed a little bit of burping into the overflow tank. New one
solved that problem.



We left from Vancouver Island on a Wed morning. Ferry from Swartz Bay
to mainland. North through Vancouver and up sea-to-sky hwy through
Whistler to Nairn Falls Prov. campsite for first night. Our hot summer
weather had just broken and it was raining off and on. Spent nice late
afternoon looking at the falls (quite spectacular) and hosting a mouse
in our van.


Next morning off north through Pemberton and up over coast mountains
(very nice pass) and down into Lilloet. Lunched, and on across Fraser
river, then north to Pavillion where we left paved roads and climbed
about 1000 ft up onto the Fraser bench-lands. Through the clouds and
into sun. Dirt road wet rolling terrain, mixed lodgepole fir and
range-land. In some spots very slick red mud. Onto Jesmond (no town,
just a couple of farms) where 10 years ago wife and I turned west and
went down very steep hill (25%) to get closer to Fraser river. This
year we passed as the roads were still wet and I remember the steep
hill showing signs of washout. So we went on to Little Big Bar lake and
camped in forest service site. Nice small lake, lots of bird life. One
other camper there (fisher), we had secluded site. Canoeing and
exploring the next couple of days until weather settled back into hot!


 From there we went north, along Fraser, sagebrush, small cactus, dry
and nicely hot. Crossed Fraser on "smal"l suspension bridge and up
nothtwest through the Gang Ranch, heading in a vector that would take
us to the Williams Lake-Bella Coola hwy (sorry I can't remember hwy
numbers).
Before we reached that hwy we stopped at forest service campsite on
Fletcher lake. not a very nice site in comparison to others, but pretty
lake. Other campers included a group of women in 2 west Eurovans. They
were dubbed the "men with bras". My son cemented his leech attraction
reputation immediately. Funny though, unlike his mum he thinks its neat
to have one :)

Next day on to aforementioned hwy  (intersection at "Lee's Corner", gas
station-cafe-store" and west to Hanceville to have lunch at nice little
restaurant and replenish milk and booze supplies. Gave into son and
allowed him to buy cap gun :)

Now back east to Lee's Corner for gas (Can $0.99/litre) and back down
road south east a ways before turning NW heading to Nemiah
Valley/Chilko lake. Road in very good shape. We got close to Nemiah, Mt
Tatlow appeared, magnificent! 3081 m. We split off and headed to Vedan
lake (bypassing road to Chaunigan lake, another 300 m steep climb where
10 years ago battery in van came adrift and shorted causing a brief
electrical fire and heart-failure. Chuanigan lake is a prime fishing
lake, and a jewel) and heading instead to Vedan lake forest service
site. No one else there, set up camp and stayed there relaxing for 5
days. This a beautiful area, lake is clear, cool but lovely to swim in,
drinkable, not many bugs. Lots of of canoeing, including fooling around
walking the canoe downstream on smallish creek to other lake NE (Elkin)
and walking canoe back on rad using canoe cart.

During our stay another camper appeared in a PT cruiser. Turned out to
be a German researcher who had a long interest in region and was
studying the biological and social history of the wild horses in the
area (part of native land claim process).

We ran out of supplies otherwise we would have spent more time there.
We really did love it. Off then back onto hwy to Williams Lake, hot hot
hot! (39C) - re-supplied and headed south to 100 Mile House then east
to Green lake for a quick overnight stay at Prov campsite. This is a
popular (read busy) place, a real come down in scenery and ambience
from Vedan. Next morning off south, gassing up at Cache Creek then onto
Spences Bridge where we turned east. on lesser road to Merrit. Lovely
winding road through narrow valley (Nicola river), dry, hot, and seems
to be a favourite motorbike ride. In Merrit we played in municipal
swimming pool, lunched, and headed on to Kentucky-Allenye prov park (on
road to Princeton). This is a fav park of my son, but can be busy.
Lovely hot Ponderosa open forest and very pretty lake (Kentucky). We
got a nice spot on the lake, set up and relaxed for 3 nights. Lake
level lowest we've seen in 6 years. Nice people camping around,kids for
son to play with,  and we had late afternoon thunder storms 2 days in a
row.


 From there we beat our way back home via Coquihalla hwy, Hope, then
ferry back to Van Island.


I have quickly posted a few pictures posted here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/McTavishPAC/index.html

Alistair


'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94

http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/