March, 2011 West Coast Trip: (24 Photos)

 

24.   Keeping the tradition alive for another year, some of the Shed-Headz crew headed out to the west coast for a week of frolicking in the snow. Friday morning under sunny skies, French, Bill, and Mike Pollard loaded the sleds and hit the highway, destination Hampden Junction. The lodging of choice for the Shed-Headz Crew is Big Falls Tourist Lodge on route 422, which is owned by Sterling and Irene Pittman (who also own White Hills Tourist Lodge on Route 430).

 

23.   Parking at the Western Petroleum Station at Hampden Junction, the guys unloaded the sleds and followed Sterling as he towed their gear into the lodge. Later that evening the guys had a small run on the sleds travelling as far as B&R Cabins, then stopping into a friends cabin on Taylor's Brook Road before heading back to the lodge. 

 

22.   This was Bill's first real ride on his 2010 Nytro X-TX, and he was breaking it in properly as per the factory recommendations. French was riding his 2009 Nytro X-TX, and Pollard was also riding a 2009 Nytro X-TX which he purchased last year.

 

21.   Saturday morning brought snow and blowing snow so the guys had a late morning start and spent most of the day running trails and playing in the hills in the general vicinity of Big Falls.

 

20.

 

19.

 

18.

 

17.   Sunday the guys left the lodge and headed towards the Gregory's, but the further they travelled into the country the deeper the fresh snow became. They were breaking trail in 3-4' of fresh drifted powder.

 

16.   Since French carried extra gas in his Tour Buddy tank, he did a lot of the trail breaking as this burns much more gas. Needless to say, they didn't make it to the Gregory's, when the gas gauges started to drop below 1/2 tank they headed back towards the lodge enjoying an awesome day of fresh powder riding.

Monday the guys left the lodge and headed towards Taylor's Brook Road, turning onto Silver Mountain Trail, a new trail for the crew. Once again, this trail was covered in fresh untracked powder and the guys broke trail running fresh drifts all the way in, Pollard got stuck but was quickly freed.

 

15.   They crossed the Barrens over to White River Road stopping at the Warm Up Shack for a break and a chance for Bill to dry his boots. Leaving the warm up shack they headed across Coyley's Trail and ran as far as Wittondale on route 430 where they gassed up at Coyley's Gas Bar, and then continued on to the Jackladder for a coffee. They ended their day running a woods road, across country and back to the lodge.

14.

 

13.   Tuesday morning the guys left the lodge and took the groomed trail to Deer Lake and then on to Steady Brook where they stopped for gas.

 

12.   At Pasadena they met up with 2 guys who offered to take them on a scenic backcountry route with an awesome view of Grand Lake. Glover Island, in Grand Lake is large enough to hold a pond which also has an island with a pond in it, which is apparently quite a rare occurrence in Canada.

 

11.   Returning to the groomed trail and parting company with their guides, the guys headed towards Corner Brook passing Marble Mountain. Looping back across country to Hughes Brook, then to Tower Road, onto the groomed trail to White River Road, and returning to the lodge.

 

10.

 

 

9.   Wednesday the guys made another distance run from the lodge to Pollard's Point and back.

 

8.   Their last day of riding was Thursday morning. They left the lodge under snowy skies heading across Taylor's Brook Road, across country to Eagle Mountain Lodge braking trail most of the way.

 

7.   They continued on to Main River Safari where they stopped in and were served tea, coffee, and awesome sweets. Looping back towards Big Falls, the guys stopped at B&R Cabins to top up their gas tanks.

 

6.

 

5.

 

4.

 

3.

 

2.   So that's another West Coast Trip on the books. Personally I haven't made a trip out there since my 2005 trip to Roddickton, who knows, maybe next year I'll make it out!

 

1.   All in all it was an awesome time, the guys logged over 1300km on the machines, Bill broke his machine in, and no one broke anything up. This story has been written as was relayed to me by Mark French, so I put any mistakes or lack of clarity in describing the rides squarely on him! LoL

 

Cheers, MIKE

Return to Rips and Trips

Copyright © 2011 Michael Smith