May 17th 2008
May Long Weekend was the first of many club rides
this year, with 24 participants riding the trails from the Gagne Rd area
(Fort ST John) to the Pine River, then over to Stewart Lake on May 17th.
With temperatures being in the mid twenties, and lots of dust on the
trails, a few quads had minor problems with overheating. In both these
cases, a little ingenuity, and a bit of help from others, both the
riders were able to complete the day.
Having gathered at the Taylor Esso for 9:30Am, the convoy of
quads was soon sighted traveling south to the top of the South Taylor
Hill. Making a right on the Gagne Rd (230 Rd) we parked our rigs at the
trailhead to Stewart Lake. Unloading commenced, with a few stragglers
arriving as the group was about to leave. Several members stayed behind
to wait for these newcomers while the other group proceeded down the
trail. Once the second group was ready, they roared off in a cloud of
dust and soon met several quads parked beside the trail. It seemed one
of the bikes was overheating, and a few riders had pulled over to help
out. One of the club members had the same problem on the same brand of
bike, and offered a suggestion that soon had the problem solved. (Note
to everyone, flush radiators out before riding each trip) It
seemed some mud had jammed the fan from turning, so no fan, no cooling.
A quick removal of 4 small bolts, a squirt with a water bottle, replace
the bolts and all was good. A few more kilometres down the trail and
another rider was having problems with a new side by side. The machine
was not running at full power, so the driver wished us luck and headed
back to the trucks. We continued down the trail to the pipeline, and
soon joined the first group. It was at this time when a second bike had
overheating problems due to a faulty sending device, but with a patch
created out of "borrowed" tools/wire/tape from a nearby camping group,
away we went again. A few riders decided to go a different way when we
came to a long steep hill, and once again we were in two groups. With a
few stops along the way, we soon made it to the Pine River, where a
small fire was built in a sandy area along the shores (water source to
put the fire completely out at the end of lunch) and some hotdogs and
smokies were roasted by those who wanted to. It was at this time the
second group arrived and joined us. After the fire was doused, everyone
traveled back up the pipeline to the turnoff to head to the Stewart Lake
rd. Arriving at Stewart Lake, a gathering commenced, and a decision was
made that smaller groups would head back in few minute intervals to help
keep the dust down. An uneventful (meaning no problems) trip back to the
trucks where goodbyes were said, and the day came to a close.
Information/Maps on this trip can be found
HERE.