PacNW seems very wild and relatively pristine. Hope I get to see it someday. Reminds me a little of Maine, but more sand..

 

Lots of area's are very much largely unspoiled and most of it very wild, you just have get far enough in or on a bad enough road that the usual party crowd can not be bothered. This trip in 3.5 days I saw 4 people who were not involved in logging, but it is very early in the season.

A few years back I went 4 days , without seeing another person until I headed in to get gas, it is both peaceful and kinda of eerie at the same time.

 

This was a pretty uneventful stretch, I spent a couple of hours trying to find the old roads from Holberg to Coal Harbour, no joy they have all long since been reclaimed by nature. So a quick trip up to Port Hardy for gas and then down the hi-way to Coal Harbour.

The 1st thing that caught my eye on the way in, a memorial at the edge of the native land.




And once in I parked to stretch my legs where I saw this beauty, de Havilland Beaver. I have a soft spot for old float planes.







There was a little plaque that commemorated the whaling and military history, where I discovered my old reserve regt supplied the guard force in WW II. Still learning new stuff.





Looking out past the dock




From here I headed for Port Alice, the 1st route I tried was cool as it was an old paved road being reclaimed by the forest. This one ended in gate but there was an excellent alternate that worked well. No pictures as both the rain and logging truck traffic were heavy.

More to come.

 

Cool stuff, thank you again for sharing.

Brian.

 

From Port Alice I traveled inland to a place called the Link River Camp ground. This is a big, 18 spot very well kept out campground with several covered area's. Normally it is pay to stay but I was early in the season and only was only there overnight, so the camp host did not charge me.

It was raining off and on, more on that off honestly so up went my tarp.








Dinner getting started





After dinner I took a walk around the campsite, something I do most evenings. As the rain was getting heavier I opted to spend the rest evening curled up in the disco. I carry a laptop as my backup map system, rave manual and various other documents, but I also carry a few movies etc to watch if the weather is really bad.

So I brewed some hot chocolate and watched a couple episodes of the old black and white Avengers TV show, Steed and Peel not Stark and Cap.

The morning dawned overcast but no rain, so I broke camp and headed out. As I traveled along the FSR, I noticed a "clanging sound" like exhaust hitting the frame or body, but only on rough stretches of road. I stopped and did a quick check the exhaust seemed fine and nothing else seemed amiss. The road was wet and muddy so I continued looking for a grass spot to pull over.

At Maynard Lake I found what I was looking for, I started by checking all my wheels for stuck rocks, which is when I discovered I was missing both caliper bolts from the left rear caliper.

I pulled my canvas tarp out, pulled the left rear tire and took a look. The caliper was going no where as long as the tire was mounted, so I resolved to head in to Port McNeill , very slowly as to reduce banging and brake usage. It took a little over 3 hours to cover 40 Km, I as going very slow.

But Maynard lake was very pretty.




Disturbed a local Family











At Port McNeill, i went to the one local mechanic but he was out on a service call, so I pulled a bolt for the right rear and the hunt was on. The caliper bolts are a 8mm fine thread, and not commonly stocked. Port McNeill, being a small town I walked to each place recommended by the last.

After trying 3 shops all failures, very helpful staff but no bolts. I saw A-Step Ahead Engine & Machine, and decided to try them. Success was had the bolts were too long but 5 thin washers solved that problem, $3.50 and I was a happy camper.

I pulled the tire and caliper re-seated everything and tightened the bolts up. Jumped in the Disco, went to startup and nothing no lights nada. Pop the hood the the postive battery terminal was just sitting on the post. it had looked alright in during my morning vehicle check but I guess not. But easy fix.

I did a quick brake test around town every thing seem good so off to Zeballos. On the way west a deer attempted to take out the Disco, a hard brake and 3 amigos. The Rover gods have a wicked sense of humor, as I was pretty close to my stop for the night, and did not have a Land rover ABS capable code reader I continued on.

There is a campsite in Zeballos at around 10.00 a night but I opted for a forestry site further along the road. This site has 4 spots, 3 with tables one without. It is very quiet.

I pulled my left rear tire to check everything, and noticed the sensor plug was partly pulled apart, I re-seated it but the Amigos were destined to stay for the rest of the trip.












The town of Zeballos across the inlet







Dock for sport fisherman - no boat launch here.




View form the boat dock looking west

As the night before it rained, but it started late around 9:00 PM a very heavy rain bouncing off the ground, curled up with my book and was happy and dry, but no tarp.

Morning was more the same very heavy rain, with the 3 amigos and the forecast for heavy rain all day, I decided to head home a day early. I had nearly 500 + Km to travel and I wanted to take it easy.

As noted previously after fueling up in Campbell River and hitting the island hiway, My Disco's M+S lights started flashing, having seen this before and read up on it, I continued on to Courtney and a Canadian Tire - sort of sporting goods,hardware and automotive chain in Canada.

Popped my hood to check the battery, figuring to start with easy possibility and the intake hose had come right off the throttle body. The clamp had failed. Nice easy fix bought 4 clamps so I had spares, another 4 dollars.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, and I got home at around 6:00 pm.

Waiting for the ferry



In the end the Amigos were as a result of the sensor plug. I went through and checked the braking system thoroughly and bleed it to clear old junky fluid. But my left rear brakes need servicing when I get a few minutes.

Rover gods and rain included it was an excellent trip and my Disco got me home. I have few more things to check on my daily checklist and few things to add to my spares kit, but all in all it was fun trip, problems included.

 

All's well that ends well. Besides a couple minor issues, sounds and looks like a fantastic trip. Granted, that turning of the key...to hear nothing in reply...can be a bit of a heart stopper...lol.

Sure envious of the scenery out there. Absolutely beauitful. Thank you, again, for sharing the trip with us.

Brian.

 

I am glad to share, not every trip is epic, mine almost never are. But it nice to see other places and Disco's out in the wild where they belong.

The key would have been very scary except for there were no dash lights pure nothing, that is almost always a battery issue. And being - thankfully in town and parked beside an auto shop some what less so. I do carry a jump start pack with me - so I can get going just in case.

 

 

Well I am a pretty basic guy,

Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs and Farmers sausage with oatmeal as backup /change of pace.

Lunch: Canned chili, Cervelat Salami & buns, Hearty beef soups canned

Dinner : Pork Chops , T- bone steak, potatoes, Cucumber and tomato's

And I always have a few banana's, oranges and beef jerky.

I carry an emergency box with a full days worth of freeze dried meals and oatmeal. As well as enough extra canned food for 3 days, soup, vegetables chili, crackers.

Lots of water based drinks the kind you fill a bottle with water and add the mix, coffee, green tea and a couple of cans of coke just because.

It all fits in a small cooler and smallish plastic tub.

I top up the ice when I fuel up - but before I leave home I fill used drink bottles with water and freeze them. They last a couple of days and I have extra water.