Bears or Bust 2022 with my Bronco and home/selfbuilt camper

[splytsecond]

awesome trip awesome recap and amazing photos - super jealous

@Boreal now that you've undertaken such a huge trip/adventure what are some things you are glad you prepared for and what are some you may have done differently for the rest of us that may some day tackle a trip half this epic.

Thanks for sharing!

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[Cbiggs]

amazing. You are one talented dude. i Just spent the last two hours glued to this thread.
the website is great also, I hope your admirers here check it out and show the love.
Thank you so much for sharing it all.

 

[Boreal]

I know nothing of the areas you spoke of but desperately want to do some research and mapping, see for my own eyes the areas you spoke of here.


BC and western Canada are definitely on my radar now.

If you need any help picking locations or planning, feel free to give me a shout!

Beautiful photos! You must be a professional photographer...

Ha, Something like that

I feel like I just binge watched 2 seasons of National Geographic. The sites, sounds and smells of that journey must have been awesome. I am sure the scars on your rig are worth the memories and will be potential reminders of that trip for years to come. Thanks for sharing that with us as the majority of folks just dont get out there...even in their own neck of the woods IMHO.

There is so many beautiful places in this country, on this continent… you don’t have to travel half way around the world to find them. Although I believe that the same can be said for everywhere on this rock. People need to get outside a bit more and connect with Nature.

Albert Bierstadt, John Muir, Ansel Adams, and now,...Colby "Boreal" from Canada. John Steinbeck also comes to mind, as you're not a bad scribe either.

I never would have thought to expect to read/hear my name alongside Ansel, or any of those historical artists for that matter. I appreciate the weight behind that… however I respectfully disagree. There is so much more I have to learn to reach those heights, even if I am on my way up. Fortunately there are many years to go!

Holy shit those are some incredible photos! I have been very fortunate to visit most of these places over the past few years, including Tombstone this September. I'm very embarrassed of my photos when compared to yours though

Have you been to Inuvik or Tuktoyaktuk? I think I needed many more jerry cans of fuel to make that distance safely

Love following this. Got an Instagram or anywhere else you share these photos and adventures?

I DO! Colby_Spence

Wow, looks like you had an amazing time. What's your end mileage? I hope Mean Green will see that much adventure one day! until then I'll just be taking the scenic route to work.

It was a blast! 16,220kms. OCI is 16,000. Any longer and I would’ve had to hit up a shop!

I'm gonna be doing a roadtrip in the spring with mine with a similar trailer and very curious what kind of fuel economy you got with that trailer and if you have the 2.7 or 2.3 and 7mt/10spd (saw build thread. 2.3+7mt). I am kind of concerned about range.

Awesome photos... I need to buy a camera before I go too. Sold my A7rIII and never replaced it.

I was getting about 375-400kms/tank while pulling. Only on the tough climbs did I expect her to be thirsty… I carried two Jerrys with me. Drank one at Grasslands. One at Nisga’a($3/Litre is just gouging, it was cheaper to top up in the next city). Two at Tombstone. Other than that I was able to find fuel everywhere en route. Get a camera, get familiar and you won’t regret it.

Great post! One thing is missing though... Pics of Building that camper, and the blueprints!! Please tell me more about this.. looks like a 4x8??

This trip look amazing thank you for blessing us with the photos! I would really like to learn more about the self built camper, do you have any videos or details for how you were able to build it?

Can we get a ton more details on the "Home Built" trailer? It looks amazing.

Hey how much did your trailer built cost?

Same. I'm also interested in a build journal or details for the trailer.

Awesome! Do you have a build log for the trailer?

Ok. You guys win, I will write up a build journal for it sometime next week or so. In short, it started life as a Golf cart hauler; I acquired it in 2018 second hand and converted it into a 5’x8’ bed on wheels. Its insulated, wired, window’d and roof vented. No heating at the moment though.

 

[Boreal]

awesome trip awesome recap and amazing photos - super jealous

@Boreal now that you've undertaken such a huge trip/adventure what are some things you are glad you prepared for and what are some you may have done differently for the rest of us that may some day tackle a trip half this epic.

Thanks for sharing!

I started with a night in the camper, than a weekend, than a trip to Yellowstone in Winter for a week (that did not go well, I had way to much confidence in the insulation and body heat). Than back to a couple summer weekend outings. Over time I was able to build up a basic amount of knowledge and items for what was required and what can go wrong with my build. Stepping up to a long duration trip wasn't really a concern, lots of developed cities along the way to buy propane, tools and zip ties as needed. Really, I'd say the Prep was the most valuable thing... doing the maintenance on the hubs, rebuilding the suspension, and proving it out by driving it around the city for a week before hand; Cooking a meal, testing all plugs, all the lights. There were things like the dry strips of laundry soap that proved to be better than any liquid, didn't figure that out till laundromat time!

If I was to do it again, apart from the simple essentials that you learn along the way... An Awning for Grasslands/The Desert - Shade is your friend. Perhaps a Trasharoo, or similar. Doing daily garbage runs keeps things tidy, but you run out of bags in a bagless world. I ate a ton of eggs... maybe a Hikers cookbook to meal plan.

amazing. You are one talented dude. i Just spent the last two hours glued to this thread.
the website is great also, I hope your admirers here check it out and show the love.
Thank you so much for sharing it all.

The Site needs a bit of attention, it doesn't have any 2022 work on it yet.. at this rate I might as well completely refresh it mid-late 2023! Im glad to have given ya something to peruse for a while! Thank you!

 

[thehulk]

Have you been to Inuvik or Tuktoyaktuk? I think I needed many more jerry cans of fuel to make that distance safely

I was hoping to make it up to Tuktoyaktuk but I just didn't have enough vacation time to make it there and back to Toronto. I was 633km from Inuvik according to the photo I took of the road sign. It's still something I plan to do at some point along with spending a day or two camping out in Tombstone. The problem was that I didn't really plan anything in my trip. I would just decided where to go a day before and hope for the best. It's awesome to see someone else on here exploring these remote areas on Canada. Hopefully we get to meet up some time during one of these trips!
Some photos from my trip in September: https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...n-and-back-in-the-hulk-badlands-bronco.54542/. What a difference in how Tombstone looks between the end of August and beginning September.

 

[GAN]

Wow.

 

[Felix808]

Simplify the best thread I've seen .
Thank for sharing your AMAZING photos

 

[TD723]

Incredible photos, that trip looks amazing! You win the internet today!

 

[a_Panda]

Great photos in this thread. Looks like an awesome trip. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Trooper19]

Great photos and road trip story. I live in BC and have been all over and still haven't seen as many of the amazing sites you found. Words can't describe the beauty you found. Thank you.

 

[RED06098]

Warning: Photo Heavy

Quick Links: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. My Instagram

Total on the ODO - 16,220kms. Averaged 14.5L/100kms

There is nothing like taking your new rig on a journey to get to know one another. My 22 BL arrived in July and I hit the pavement Late August after an oil change and a last minute camper suspension rebuild. This trip was intended to be the scenic route leaving from Winnipeg, MB and ending up in Alaska, plot twist, I never got there. At least we are nothing but adaptable, but lets get into it. This thread may be photo heavy, I hope you have a good data plan. Join me on the seven week adventure, the full photographic experience can be found under the Bears or Bust tab on my site - HERE. Disclaimer for our southern friends, all locations are in Canada!

I spent the month previous to departure prepping the Bronco and my home/selfbuilt camper. It pulled nicely behind the rig, 7 pin pass through power doesn't appear to be high amperage for charging the camper batteries but its better than nothin. First stop was Regina, SK... checking the hubs at each fuel up. All good.

Learning how to live on the road. I must've repacked the rig and camper every second night along the journey, the weather was varying and so was the clothes/gear required. Stocked up on food and the following day headed down south to the East Block of Grasslands National Park. I setup camp with the other adventurers and got on with figuring this solo tripping out... Now, September in the prairies is traditionally cool and wet. This was not the case when I stepped out into the desert 40º (104F) air. Like the midday heat, the views are breathtaking.

The East block was mostly landscapes, buttes, and hot vibes. Nothing as far as wildlife goes but I would like to head back for Spring. Off to the West Block of Grasslands, 200kms away or so. First on my wildlife list was the Burrowing Owl, these little buggers are the same approximate shape and colour as the Black Tailed Prairie Dog and they borrow the burrows to boot... tough to find but a lifer is worth it. The Burrowing Owl used to be a regular occurrence in MB until industrialized farming/Ag tilled the land and forced them out.

A couple hikes, hawks and hops and I was back onto #1 and off to Calgary, AB to say hi to some friends. The last great storm rolled through, providing a light show like I haven't seen in years. The route from Calgary was up through Banff, thru 1A to Icefields, Up through to Jasper and back out aiming north towards Grand Prairie, AB to meet up with another MB expat. This portion, like all portions contained many hikes and viewpoints. Seeing old friends and making new ones is all in the adventure, talking with locals and regular campers to find hidden gems proved to be quite valuable. Everyone is so nice in the bush, I guess you are surrounded by like minded peeps eh?

Right before I left, I got the rig naked. Driving with no doors and roof is nutty. I love it. however I was not prepared for the euphoria of driving through mountain passes with the panels off. The Bronco was made for mountain roads, and ever single portion of the trip lead me to a better viewpoint as the vehicle allowed me to go to places I never knew were possible.

After hitting up some of the hotspots, cough cough Peyto cough, and skipping others, Cough Moraine. I got up to the Icefields to some new-to-me roads, from here on out, it is all foreign territory. There were a few waterfalls planned for a full day on 93A around Jasper... again, I am nothing but flexible, apparently, because the hike and descending drive at Mount Edith Cavell rewarded me with a Northern Hawk Owl family and a Bull elk with his Harem! How good.

Wow stunning photos

 

[markpilip]

Again, sorry for all the Images. This is only a fraction of the 35,000+ taken over the course of the trip.

HELLO NORTHERN BC. Fall is chasing me down from the Yukon. After hitting up a Timmies, checking in with the fam, restocking, washing, planning and repacking I was ready to move on and really slow down now that there is zero scheduled pressure. Watson Lake has a great truck stop by the Signpost Forest, check that out if you are bombin around! Since we are doing the scenic tour, lets make it a real good one... Stewart has some cool ecology. My family has always raved about Prince Rupert, maybe it was Prince George... I don't know, add them to the list... Have you ever heard of the Nisga'a Region? Neither had I, guess what, its a volcano with a lava field and culturally charged heritage, it seems geographically cool.. what's not to like. Lets go to all of them! Interior BC, here I come.

The Nisga'a locals have a guided hike to the Tseax Volcano Cone, well worth listening to the tribe member discuss the history, the folklore, the tragedies, the future and the politics.

Being able to meet and travel alongside Julia, Walter and Wilma (Pup) from Germany in their home on wheels was a moment I won't forget. As im writing this they have made their way down along the PNW and recently arrived in Baja, Mexico! Best of luck you guys!

Everything is simply stunning, the land, the species, everything we have in our backyard... is it weird to say that travel makes you appreciate things more?

To get into the Tweedsmuir/Bella Coola region you need to descend through Heckmans Pass down The Hill - 17 kms of switch back @ ~20% grade. The Bronco was kept in 2nd gear and the brakes were used as needed... till they faded; The 2000lb trailer pushing down washboard single lane gravel did not help the case. I pulled over at about 14kms and let the smoking pads cool for 15 minutes before continuing the final descent.

Finally, its Bear Time!

After a couple of "unbearable" days, I decided to try a 4x4 trail to "PURGATORY". Let me tell ya, it felt like heaven when we arrived at the viewpoint!

While I was out of service camping, my mother, who was upset for me that Katmai got cancelled, lined up a session at "Bear Camp". Unbeknownst to me, when I arrived back in connectivity she said head to the Chilco. So I did what any good son does, follow their parents advice, especially for some good Bears. Little did I know at the time what roads laid ahead, if you thought Yukon or Nisga'a roads were bad.. The Chilcotin and Tweedsmuir areas wanna toss their names in the ring.

Like all good things, this too must come to an End. There isn't a ton of fitness required to photo bears eating and luckily for me, the final segment of this trip had many Km's lined up.

Thanks for this man. These photos are stunning!

 

[stm378]

These are some of the best photos that I’ve ever seen. There’s a nature photographer named Peter Lik, who has a few galleries in Las Vegas that I’ve always wanted to get something from, but was never able to pull the trigger because some are in the tens of thousands of dollars. Some of these photos easily rival the ones that cost as much as the Bronco itself at those galleries.

 

[Felix808]

When I saw your name quote on your photo link I immediately thought of this guy
Amazing photos
(No doubt this is not you. He is quite a painter.)

 

[ScorpydJim]

Coming out of the Interior took some time, wether it was the soul holding on or me being gentle on the rig after the battle thus far, I couldn't tell ya. While the end is near, there is lots to go. Old friends in Kelowna, and Revelstoke; New friends in Kananaskis await. BC has no shortage of trail heads, waterfalls or good vibes. Next up on the way to K-Town is Wells Gray, the waterfall park! Lets hope I don't end up on how to make a murderer.

Didn't die, I mighta felt a cold shiver on my neck at some point though. I hope buddies cat tax will suffice for those who prefer these little crackheads over dogs... my god. Some genius thought it would be smart to go and cycle the Kettle Valley Railway on his rest day, it didn't disappoint to be fair! After driving the 4x4 trail to purgatory, some logging trails to waterfalls I opted to explore the trails up in the hills behind the KVR. The Badlands used its skids for the first time! To some, off-roading is a way of life... to me, its a brand new way of exploring.

After a proper rest day (only because I was driving) I found myself partying in Revelstoke at night and up among the Glaciers during the day! Glacier Nat'l (Canadian Version) left me with some mixed feelings... Sore, Hungry and heartbroken come to mind. Ive gone 15 years and I finally dropped a lens... oops. She just got rebuilt by Nikon, so not a complete loss; its only money after all. Otherwise, another round of stunning views.

At this point in the Fall the #1 was shut down at Golden, BC and everyone was being routed south through Radium. Why not detour the detour? Down to Lussier Hotsprings I Go! Eventually I found my way up and out to Canmore, AB where I metup with some new found friends during the Icefields portion weeks back. Yanick, Meghan and Josie! He has an older 4R on Elkas and 33's, a complementary build to the Badlands. The dude took me proper wheeling, what a rush that gives you! I can see why you guys love to hang out in Utah.

The trip is coming to a close, what a journey its been. The OLM is nearing 0%. Tires were rotated half way through in bear country with a scissor jack. The fuel tank was filled approx. 935 times (kidding of course)... Battle scars were earned, photos were taken. Food was eaten and memories were made. I couldn't have asked for a trip of this duration to go much smoother than it did. The Bronco performed and exceeded all expectations, allowed me to explore and drive to newer heights than ever before. As the final day nears I check in with the initial Calgary friends one more time, walk a few parks and shoot the Flames vs Jets.

Life is what you make it, and its safe to say we are making the best of it. If you see me out on the road, come say Hi!

Keep on moving you guys, never stop. Thanks for letting me share my photo heavy tour of western/northern Canada. 16,220kms added to the ODO and I wouldn't skip a single one. 50ºC swing from 40ºC in shorts to Merino base layers and sleeping in a tent in bear country at -10ºC. All of these sights and sounds and not a single tire puncture - Perfect. Till Next time.

Cheers, Colby

Utterly magnificent!

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