Hey Mark,
I heard from Stuart Longair that he will be at the Prince George camp that they stopped at in 2009. So he asked me to pass on that they are welcome to stop by on their way down if they need anything or just a place to rest. Maybe you can let them know when you speak to them next.
Canol 2011
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defender
So I talked to Kris again last night and they have Glen's truck fixed. His roof-rack still needs to be re-attached and the rest of his equipment needs to be put back in his truck. Pete is working on his calliper as it is leaking.
He figures they will be heading home later in the afternoon today after they get that stuff wrapped up. Kris figures they should be home in about 5 days or so.
He also mentioned last night that they are at an elevation of 6200 ft. at a mountain peak. They took a look at the mine shaft yesterday and found out that the mine shaft is frozen so they weren't able to get a closer look.
The weather yesterday durning the day was nice and Kris was able to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt but later in the day it had started snowing. By the time I talked to him last night at 10pm the temperature was 1 degree.
I asked him how much wildlife they have seen and he said nothing except caribou.
That's it for last night. I will be talking with him again tonight and I will report again.
He figures they will be heading home later in the afternoon today after they get that stuff wrapped up. Kris figures they should be home in about 5 days or so.
He also mentioned last night that they are at an elevation of 6200 ft. at a mountain peak. They took a look at the mine shaft yesterday and found out that the mine shaft is frozen so they weren't able to get a closer look.
The weather yesterday durning the day was nice and Kris was able to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt but later in the day it had started snowing. By the time I talked to him last night at 10pm the temperature was 1 degree.
I asked him how much wildlife they have seen and he said nothing except caribou.
That's it for last night. I will be talking with him again tonight and I will report again.
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defender
Marks not getting the credit for this one!
Mark talked to Kris again last night and they were 100kms from Ross River, and 370 kms from Watson Lake. Apparently it is a really crappy road to get there.
Kris figures it will be 3-4 days to 100 mile. He is without brakes until Prince George. A rear brake pad is metal to metal so he is using his gears until then. Mark shipped some new pads to Prince George to meet him when he gets there.
Glen's truck is also still having some issues and is without 3 or 5th gear for now. They are thinking that it is just from an oil leak, but that was getting check today.
That's all for now
Leanna
Mark talked to Kris again last night and they were 100kms from Ross River, and 370 kms from Watson Lake. Apparently it is a really crappy road to get there.
Kris figures it will be 3-4 days to 100 mile. He is without brakes until Prince George. A rear brake pad is metal to metal so he is using his gears until then. Mark shipped some new pads to Prince George to meet him when he gets there.
Glen's truck is also still having some issues and is without 3 or 5th gear for now. They are thinking that it is just from an oil leak, but that was getting check today.
That's all for now
Leanna
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defender
so I got off the radio with Kris A few minutes ago. Oil didn't fix Glen's transmission he still doesn't have 3rd or 5th gear. It grinds really bad when he tries , they figure must be the syncros. Their top speed will be 80 Km .
They just left a motel restaurant at Watson lake when I got a hold of him . Kris said that they have to drive 70km till they rest tonight.
I guess thats all for now from MARK!!
With No help of the Wife :)
They just left a motel restaurant at Watson lake when I got a hold of him . Kris said that they have to drive 70km till they rest tonight.
I guess thats all for now from MARK!!
With No help of the Wife :)
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defender
Glens seems to have fixed his transmission, he now has 5th gear. It seems like it was the spring ball on top of the shifter that engages the fork, so their average speed is about 95km.
The figure they will be hitting Prince George this evening, they were still driving last night at 10 after a late dinner. Kris' brake pads should be arriving in PG today just in time to meet them.
Kris figures by tonight they should have cell reception, and will most likely be home on Sunday.
The figure they will be hitting Prince George this evening, they were still driving last night at 10 after a late dinner. Kris' brake pads should be arriving in PG today just in time to meet them.
Kris figures by tonight they should have cell reception, and will most likely be home on Sunday.
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DaveB
- Defender of the World
- Posts: 1749
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 7:45 pm
- Location: Vernon, BC
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sdo
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ANDYD
- Defender of the World
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- Location: Sunny Steveston BC
Canol 2011
While we patiently wait for the photos :roll:
This news is interesting....
Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake - NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA
2011 September 25th 07:02:57
63.454°N, 126.330°W
Depth
2.9 km (1.8 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA
Distances
205 km (127 miles) South of Norman Wells, NW Territories, Canada
Maybe a few more land slides accross the road now!
This news is interesting....
Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake - NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA
2011 September 25th 07:02:57
63.454°N, 126.330°W
Depth
2.9 km (1.8 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA
Distances
205 km (127 miles) South of Norman Wells, NW Territories, Canada
Maybe a few more land slides accross the road now!
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HeadDamage
- Horn Blower
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 3:21 pm
- Location: Calgary
Two guys tried it on Quads this summer, some good video here:
http://www.fieldandstream.com/adventure ... -mountains
They got to the main river and tried to cross but couldn't make it all the way.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/adventure ... -mountains
They got to the main river and tried to cross but couldn't make it all the way.
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HeadDamage
- Horn Blower
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 3:21 pm
- Location: Calgary
Re: Canol 2011
Just found this article:
http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/2 ... 11can.html
Who owns the rights to Mother Nature?
Land Rovers on the Canol Trail spark questions on future use of Mackenzie Mountain land
Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Northern News Services
Published Saturday, September 3, 2011
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The Canol Trail is slowly being destroyed by Land Rover enthusiasts intent on conquering the 320-km heritage route, according to Garth Wallbridge, a Norman Wells resident who has been hiking the trail since 2006.
NNSL photo/graphic
Tire treads from Land Rovers seen on the Canol Heritage Trail were seen from the sky. Mark Patrick, manager of tourism and parks for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, took a photo near the Yukon border about two weeks ago. - photo courtesy of Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment
"They've made a heck of a mess," he said.
The trail, which stretches through the Mackenzie Mountains from Norman Wells to the Yukon border, is touted by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment as one of the most challenging hikes in Canada.
It was constructed during the Second World War by United States Armed Forces, but later abandoned when the terrain proved too hard to maintain.
Now it attracts people on foot, bike, horseback, ATV and in four-wheel drive vehicles who want to see the canyons, mountains and valleys left behind by the soldiers.
"The harm is this: it is a very fragile environment and a very harsh environment," Wallbridge said.
The Rover-Landers of British Columbia, which he said caught his attention in 2009 when they first tried to conquer the trail, is a non-profit society for Land Rover owners and enthusiasts, according to the group's website.
In 2009 members of the group managed to complete one-third of the trail before running out of fuel, and this past August they reached just farther than that before poor driving conditions forced them to turn around.
Wallbridge said the trips, although adventurous, pose an extreme risk to the environment, especially during river crossings.
"It's kind of like being in a big washing machine, because these rivers are so fast and the water is so hard and fast and furious. They're getting the underside of their vehicles cleaned, and that stuff is getting left in the river," he said.
"Nobody is fully aware just how bad things are out there."
He called the disregard for Canol wildlife "disturbing in its ignorance."
"What happens is these folks see pretty pictures of the Canol Trail and they go, 'Well, we'll just ride down the trail in our bicycles, or our four-wheelers, or our vehicles,'" he said.
Wallbridge said regulations have to be put in place to ensure the trail is kept in good conditions, but the trick isn't deciding who gets to use it, but who gets to rule it.
"Who manages it? Nobody. That's the bottom line," he said.
Although the Canol Heritage Trail is technically Crown land, and its clean-up falls to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Wallbridge said it could very well become a part of a land claim agreement and eventually fall in the hands of the territorial government.
"It's those Aboriginal governments, working with the feds and with the GNWT, that have a legal and moral responsibility to sort this out before it becomes impossible to correct. And I think it's heading that way," he said.
"The damage will be so extensive. If the woodland caribou are chased out of there by these people then what is anyone from the three levels of government going to say? 'Woops, we should have acted earlier'?"
http://www.nnsl.com/frames/newspapers/2 ... 11can.html
Who owns the rights to Mother Nature?
Land Rovers on the Canol Trail spark questions on future use of Mackenzie Mountain land
Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Northern News Services
Published Saturday, September 3, 2011
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The Canol Trail is slowly being destroyed by Land Rover enthusiasts intent on conquering the 320-km heritage route, according to Garth Wallbridge, a Norman Wells resident who has been hiking the trail since 2006.
NNSL photo/graphic
Tire treads from Land Rovers seen on the Canol Heritage Trail were seen from the sky. Mark Patrick, manager of tourism and parks for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, took a photo near the Yukon border about two weeks ago. - photo courtesy of Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment
"They've made a heck of a mess," he said.
The trail, which stretches through the Mackenzie Mountains from Norman Wells to the Yukon border, is touted by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment as one of the most challenging hikes in Canada.
It was constructed during the Second World War by United States Armed Forces, but later abandoned when the terrain proved too hard to maintain.
Now it attracts people on foot, bike, horseback, ATV and in four-wheel drive vehicles who want to see the canyons, mountains and valleys left behind by the soldiers.
"The harm is this: it is a very fragile environment and a very harsh environment," Wallbridge said.
The Rover-Landers of British Columbia, which he said caught his attention in 2009 when they first tried to conquer the trail, is a non-profit society for Land Rover owners and enthusiasts, according to the group's website.
In 2009 members of the group managed to complete one-third of the trail before running out of fuel, and this past August they reached just farther than that before poor driving conditions forced them to turn around.
Wallbridge said the trips, although adventurous, pose an extreme risk to the environment, especially during river crossings.
"It's kind of like being in a big washing machine, because these rivers are so fast and the water is so hard and fast and furious. They're getting the underside of their vehicles cleaned, and that stuff is getting left in the river," he said.
"Nobody is fully aware just how bad things are out there."
He called the disregard for Canol wildlife "disturbing in its ignorance."
"What happens is these folks see pretty pictures of the Canol Trail and they go, 'Well, we'll just ride down the trail in our bicycles, or our four-wheelers, or our vehicles,'" he said.
Wallbridge said regulations have to be put in place to ensure the trail is kept in good conditions, but the trick isn't deciding who gets to use it, but who gets to rule it.
"Who manages it? Nobody. That's the bottom line," he said.
Although the Canol Heritage Trail is technically Crown land, and its clean-up falls to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Wallbridge said it could very well become a part of a land claim agreement and eventually fall in the hands of the territorial government.
"It's those Aboriginal governments, working with the feds and with the GNWT, that have a legal and moral responsibility to sort this out before it becomes impossible to correct. And I think it's heading that way," he said.
"The damage will be so extensive. If the woodland caribou are chased out of there by these people then what is anyone from the three levels of government going to say? 'Woops, we should have acted earlier'?"
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Dave_F
- Washed Up
- Posts: 694
- Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:39 pm
- Location: Deep Cove, N.Van
- Contact:
Re: Canol 2011
Funny that the article doesn't mention the Toyota's that attempted it, or the ATV's that have also been on it.
This is an older article and they did contact us for a response, but we decided not to add fuel to the fire.
Really...it is just a small fringe group that wants to keep it all to themselves.
Still classified as a road and with public access.
In closing they really need to look at the trail and perhaps consider cleaning up the environmental mess left behind before casting stones at us.
This is an older article and they did contact us for a response, but we decided not to add fuel to the fire.
Really...it is just a small fringe group that wants to keep it all to themselves.
Still classified as a road and with public access.
In closing they really need to look at the trail and perhaps consider cleaning up the environmental mess left behind before casting stones at us.
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franko
- Out of Africa
- Posts: 421
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:15 am
- Location: Victoria BC
Re: Canol 2011
My dream would be to one day do this trail,but now I'm not sure that will happen.
Has anyone every successfully finished the trail from start to finish?
Has anyone every successfully finished the trail from start to finish?
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red90
- Defender of the World
- Posts: 1509
- Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2004 7:19 pm
- Location: Calgary
Re: Canol 2011
I believe the consensus is that is is not driveable without some heavy machinery work. The route chosen, which follows river valleys, was not the best choice for a sustainable road and pipeline.franko wrote:Has anyone every successfully finished the trail from start to finish?
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Doc Tari
Re: Canol 2011
Dave, this is from the 2011 trip, not 2009 that you were on. No one tried to contact Glenn, Kris, or me about this.
They said the picture that was used in the article was taken near the Yukon-NWT border and they claim the tracks were from us. The road is still in good shape for dozens of kilometers past the border so we had no reason not to use it. Why would we subject our vehicles to the abuse of leaving the road, not to mention that we were on tight schedule with no time to veer off the well established road. The tracks in the picture are not ours.
They go on to say the damage from our tracks will last for years but no mention is made of the oil soaked ground and asbestos filled buildings that will need to be dealt with. What are the dozers and trucks going to do to the ground if they ever find the funds to clean up the toxic dump areas? The government up there used to publish a hiker's guide for the Canol but stopped doing so because of their concern over the liability of the areas that need remediation. But it's our tracks that are killing the Canol...
No mention is made of the tracks left by hunter's trucks and ATVs, that go in and out over and over. We're chasing out the wildlife? By passing through twice a year (once in, once out)? I don't recall killing anything as the hunters do. I have no doubt that if we paid for the mining rights, they would be happy to allow us to pave a road right through...
But we're the ignorant ones... Whatever. Better to be ignorant than a hipocrite.
Thanks for dragging that load of BS back out Andrew, much appreciated. You better sell your evil Rover along with that raft of yours.
I would recommend the Canol to anyone that has the time (it's a very long way). Just pack out what you packed in and be prepared for the kind of BS published above that is sure to follow.
Rant finished.
They said the picture that was used in the article was taken near the Yukon-NWT border and they claim the tracks were from us. The road is still in good shape for dozens of kilometers past the border so we had no reason not to use it. Why would we subject our vehicles to the abuse of leaving the road, not to mention that we were on tight schedule with no time to veer off the well established road. The tracks in the picture are not ours.
They go on to say the damage from our tracks will last for years but no mention is made of the oil soaked ground and asbestos filled buildings that will need to be dealt with. What are the dozers and trucks going to do to the ground if they ever find the funds to clean up the toxic dump areas? The government up there used to publish a hiker's guide for the Canol but stopped doing so because of their concern over the liability of the areas that need remediation. But it's our tracks that are killing the Canol...
No mention is made of the tracks left by hunter's trucks and ATVs, that go in and out over and over. We're chasing out the wildlife? By passing through twice a year (once in, once out)? I don't recall killing anything as the hunters do. I have no doubt that if we paid for the mining rights, they would be happy to allow us to pave a road right through...
But we're the ignorant ones... Whatever. Better to be ignorant than a hipocrite.
Thanks for dragging that load of BS back out Andrew, much appreciated. You better sell your evil Rover along with that raft of yours.
I would recommend the Canol to anyone that has the time (it's a very long way). Just pack out what you packed in and be prepared for the kind of BS published above that is sure to follow.
Rant finished.
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HeadDamage
- Horn Blower
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 3:21 pm
- Location: Calgary
Re: Canol 2011
I just thought that you would like to see the article so that you know that it is out there. I posted it because it came up on another rover forum. No offense intended.
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kRiS
Re: Canol 2011
Despite all this BS that has followed each one of these trips it has been by far the
best adventure I have been on and would not hesitate to go there again,
after all it is within anyone's legal right to be there !
In fact, if anyone ever thinks of organizing another trip to the Canol count me in!!
best adventure I have been on and would not hesitate to go there again,
after all it is within anyone's legal right to be there !
In fact, if anyone ever thinks of organizing another trip to the Canol count me in!!
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Dave_F
- Washed Up
- Posts: 694
- Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:39 pm
- Location: Deep Cove, N.Van
- Contact:
Re: Canol 2011
:thumbright: :thumbright: :thumbright:kRiS wrote:Despite all this BS that has followed each one of these trips it has been by far the
best adventure I have been on and would not hesitate to go there again,
after all it is within anyone's legal right to be there !
In fact, if anyone ever thinks of organizing another trip to the Canol count me in!!
Have to agree with Kris on that!
Pete...i knew that, in fact i think i showed you the pics when i first came across them online.