The Bushman Chronicles!

walking some more, found a huge fern grove

Kept on down the little old road,rounded a bend and noted several MASSIVE cedar trees had been felled across the road at an angle. I figured someone had come up here late at night and was going to illegally cut some cedar shakes (big bucks). No one can hear your chainsaw this far up in the evening.......no one around......saw cuts were professional.

though I found it odd they had not harvested any shakes at all....hmmm.....every shake harvester I know sections the logs and cuts them into blocks on the spot, loading them onto trucks.

little road completely blocked now. Found three big cedar trees had been cut but not sectioned up at all.

while examining the stump of the major tree that had been felled, I spotted a silver SUV up the road......behind the pile of fallen cedars.........hmmmm......windows smashed out from large tree limbs smashing onto it......at first I thought someone had fallen the tree onto the SUV by accident. Perhaps that explains the lack of cedar shake blocks being sectioned out of the trunks......perhaps they abandoned the site and took a buddy to the hospital. Didn't feel right though.........

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I fell back a ways up a little hill and just observed. The fell marks are less than 7 - 9 months old, very minimal checking from drying on the stump, still pungent with cedar smell. Most of the greenery is faded light green, but drying out . Some was rust color (dry). The crushed ferns had aggressively sprung back up under and around the fallen trees.


After observing for half an hour and listening, I walked down to the SUV. Nope, not a falling accident that caused this damage....this was a vehicle dumping and vandalizing.

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ALL windows smashed out with small boulders (found in hatch, seats, floor). Gas cap missing, all the fuses pulled out (?) , all lights smashed, dashboard knobs all smashed, extensive rock damage on the underbody, broken axle shafts, smashed skid plates and engine pan, doors twisted and bent physically, NO license plates or any insurance papers. Door locks , ignition keyway and steering interlock were NOT damaged at all. As well neither of the two airbags had deployed.

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ignition keyway was not damaged at all, neither was the steering interlock

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one of the U-joints from the driveshaft came thru the floor on the passenger side and ended up in the drivers footwell area

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My theory is someone committed insurance fraud by claiming their vehicle stolen, AFTER they had driven it to the Mainland (Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal down the road 40 klicks). My theory is they drove it up the old logging road in 4wd, turned up the spur road and then down this spur road, joy rode the crap out of it then smashed it up and dropped the trees to hide it. Head abck to their town in another vehicle and then report their vehicle stolen a few days or weeks late. Nothing ever found, insurance pays out. etc etc etc

 

unique ID marks, this vehicle is originally from EDITED BY B-MAN

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sifting the debris I found a service decal - they will have service records and how it was payed for

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unique sticker mod - someone will remember seeing that decal (as well it will be on multiple traffic cameras or cameras on the ferries, etc)

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Vehicle recovery decal.........(i sent them all the info, they were impressed with all the details i had found - asked me to contact both Courtenay and local LE offices), but they could not comment on any cases.

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all the important details, VIN etc

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used my Prodigal Knives blade to cut thru the windshield membrane , to get access to the actual VIN plate. First i had to cut the alder and maple branches that had been cut and laid onto the front of the truck. They were dry inside (takes about 6 /8 months to dry with all the bark on and not split.

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I carried on up the little road, noting patterns where they had driven up, turned around, gotten stuck and smashed the undercarriage all over the place (traces of aluminum scrapings on the rocks). Noted a powersteering pressure line had been ripped out during the event,snagged on rocks. Found the air cleaner housing and filter, bits of trim, trailer ball hitch etc.

I would not even take my tracker up here....these guys did a number on the rig. They drove up about another 50 feet, and then turned around,leaving trim and parts allover the forest wherever they smashed into something

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looking back towards the rear of the wreck - what is out of place here? those neatly piled on alders and silver maple branches. Not from the immediate site of the wreck. They are from up the hill about 30 - 40 feet. Someone put enormous effort (falling three big cedars, piling boughs on the front of the SUV, dumping it FAR up a billy goat trail of an old overgrown road)

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the major cedar tree and stump. Guys that run saw a lot develop a pattern to their cuts, you can walk thru a cut block and tell which of your fallers cut which tree, just by the cut.

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got all the photos I figured were important, and headed back out.

found a giant black slug nomming on a leaf.



headed out for the deep forest and onto the main trail spur and headed down to the main trunkline (Deeks trail). Got to the rig in the dirt parking lot just up from the main lot after a while and had a brew up in the new SAS MKettle hard anodized kettle. I FREAKING LOVE THIS THING! now if someone could make an ultralight TITANIUM one please.

can't even tell its going. But that thing is cranking the heat thru and out the chimney. I used methyl hydrate. High heat output, no odor, invisible flame. 2 tablespoons boils a pint of water in 3- 4 minutes. Clean burning, no soot left behind in the kettle chimney (no soot odor to smell or give you away)


nice strong Orange Pekoe tea!



thats it.

 

I hope they find the dumpers,good job sir.

 

I second that desire. I do believe you are right Bushman, that ride was done in by the owner. If it had been a thief/vandal they would have trashed it and left it. Possibly burned to hide physical evidence. The effort taken to hide it is a dead giveaway.

 

I wish we had trees that big here. Just spindley nasty bent trees.

 

Thats a small tree!

 

if this had been a thief , the truck would have been stripped of its wheels, catalytic convertor (or two) , engine, transmission , trans case and and air bags (big theft item up here...they sell for big bucks to autobody shops.......),also 99.99% of thieves DO NOT have keys to the rigs they steal. They grab the steering wheel and rapidly twist it back and forth HARD to break the steering interlock , then jam a scissor into the ignition and twist it hard to break the keyway lock. (this starts the rig, after turning the scissor "key" to on) ...none of these items were missing


yeah, thats an insane amount of effort.....it is NOT easy in the first place to drive up the MAIN old logging road (now a Provincial Trail) , never mind the spur road and then up this spur road............then spend time falling massive cedars and hauling alder and maple branches and piling them on the truck to conceal it. I can only assume they (this was not a solo act) thought that no one would ever go up these roads ever..............and by falling the trees they might of thought that if someone happened to hike up the old road....that they would think the road was a dead end and turn around .

a lot of planning went into this. There was at least two vehicles involved......no one is going to walk out of this trail with a big chainsaw.

 

obligatory knife stuck in a mossy stump pic

 

Aug 19, 2018, muggy, wild fire smoke filled skies, "The Smoke Hike, Cougar Tracking, L.R.R.P.R. Gen 3 Full Shakedown Test, & First Run Of Dads Truck, And Eat double Smoked Cheese/Ham Pita Tour"

BC is burning.....and even far south here in Vancouver.....visibility is crap. Air Quality Index was rated at 19 on Friday. (10 is considered EXTREME). Can't even see the mountains across Burrard Inlet.

Loaded up the new (to me) Dads truck and headed out past Squamish. Todays goal was a full shakedown of the new SORD Webbing Yoke and Patrol Belt. (L.R.R.P.R. Gen 3). I would not be disappointed at all.

Driving by the Squamish Chief - the view. There is supposed to be massive mountains visible. The smoke choked the lungs....i had to give props to all the road cyclists riding form vancouver to Whistler and back......sucking in all that smoke. Oh wait......I would be doing the same soon on my hike

1300 hours........normally super bright and sunny


parked the truck by the highway and loaded up.

The L.R.R.P.R. weight with water and food and gear was 22 lbs. I hardly noticed the weight - the SORD MVP Long yoke really distributes the weight and keeps it snug to your frame. 8 suspension straps, wide yoke design and the SORD Patrol Order webbing belt (thinly padded) hold everything snug and comfortably. I was surprised at how fast I was moving in the Gen 3 setup.......compared to the smaller thinner lighter rig before......

extra can of cougar/bear/2 legged spray on the yoke



FHF Gear Bear Spray Pouch on the webbing shoulder straps. Magnum can of chili seasoning


Heavy duty heat shrink tubing, sealed at one end, held on by the molle webbing and 5COL EPDM RANGER Bands for tension. Holds a HB pencil and a Rite In The Rain pen, Burts Bees lip salve and my fox40


Eberlestock Micro Dry bag - Holds 6 rounds bear bangers and launcher, nice and dry



animal trail heading up the embankment. Cougar tracks and deer tracks a plenty

old road before the main trail


beautiful winding thru the woods trail.

3 story high rock

tree...so many vertical tall trees

found some neat fungi


no idea what this one is. Looked like a bad case of you know

 

The trail steadily climbed and gained elevation. The heavy smoke and high humidity/heat really did a number on my aerobic capacity today. Every hiker i came across, young, old, hardcore fit, were all running at half capacity. Except for the guy trail running at Mach 1 with a N95 mask on. Dude was pushing hard!

I had the company of three Aussie cattle dogs for part of my hike. I was silently walking up the trail and they came behind me.No barks, no snarls....i simply spoke to them and offered my hand to sniff. They followed me for about 1/2 a KM, licking my hands and heeling , never passing me. I finally saw their owners, two FIT mid 50's girls. We exchanged hello's, they seemed unfazed by my L.R.R.P.R. webbing. They were more surprised that their dogs were playing with me. Said the dogs are usually cautious around strangers.

Sun was trying hard to burst thru the heavy smoke.



I crested the top of the bluff and the meandering trail started descending towards Brohmn Lake


third cougar scratch tree I found today - seems they wander on and off the main trail,probably at dusk/night


4th scratching post


micro puffball.




an average ankle snapper trail here in BC - washed out, roots, steep

scratching post #5 - i suspect this one is climbed a lot by the cougar,the claw dents and scratch marks go quite high

dropping down by Brohmn lake. Great fly fishing when its cooler. When its hot its a popular canoing , raft, swimming, lake

the tree is strong........mostly unyielding to the great force of it breaking...



terrain above the trail changing

Sun had success, sort of....

meandering trail, heading up

centipede


the old wooden bridge that crosses the south end of Brohmn lake

 

woodpecker All You Can Eat buffet


10 story tall twin rocks over the trail

panoramic 320 degree photo of the trail, forest

macro of the moss. Complex Tendrils ,much like our brains neural network pathways


salal berry

funky fungi. Needs Googly Eyes....
the old skyline aerial logging cable.ARM THICK. This used to go mountain peak, across the Squamish valley, to the other side mountain peak.


got back to the truck after 5 hours. Time for Smoked Cheddar and Smoked Ham,on pita. Seems a fitting dinner after hiking all afternoon in smoke hell. German Army knife with a @Rook52 custom G10/wood bead on @5col kevlar rope tie

new (tome) truck. Thanks Dad! (and Mom! )

fin.

the L.R.R.P.R. Gen 3 Sord webbing amazed me today. I was able to half run most of the trail , despite the smoke - that loadout i was carrying never bothered me or shifted once.

more on the Gen 3 webbing when i get time. Including a full gear dump./

 

Dude! Pics of the chics! Are you ill?!
Serious now. I've never thought about it, do you think the fox40 would stall off a predator/critter? I have one myself but never considered it for anything beyond location beacon. You live among some biter types..what do you think?

 

I think the piercing whistle could have defensive use.........but I'd rather snap off a bear banger and ready the spray for deployment.....than screech on my whistle and deafen myself.

 

nice looking truck Bushy!

 

2001 B4000 4 liter V6, 5 speed manual. 2WD. Factory 2" lift despite being a 2WD. (factory screwed up , thought it was the 4x4 model- so the lift was free ). LINEX bedliner (2 years old) on the truck box inside, top rails and down the sides 6"

you'd never guess looking at the interior or exterior or engine bay that it has 233,500 KM's on it.

BushTracker (The Moose Is Loose!) is now off the road for an engine service (blown front main seal, new timing belt, valve lash adjustment, EGR / Intake passages clean out, after-market electric fan install, fuel filter change, radiator fluid change and flush, radiator filter install, and after that its off to PEDEN 4X4 for a suspension kit and all new engine, tranny, transfer case bushings/mounts, tie rod ends upgrade). Then its coming back here for a pressure wash, methyl hydrate wipe on the body to remove all oils and then a fresh fogging of military green paint. (after the new roof rack install)

eventually i'll get a new turbo for the Jeep...lol

the red Mazda 2WD BushTruck is going to be parked at the Truck Yard (work) (free storage ) for now. Plan a Weber carb install, complete engine computer, emissions , exhaust delete, then a Header install, new exhaust system, used tranny install.

 

What is a radiator filter? I get the after market fan.

 

You gonna use the Mazda for city driving or up in the hills. I went as far in my dad’s old 2wd ford as I have in my Toyota. Forced me to drive smarter because digging that old steel monster out took a lot of work. Granted it’s a lot flatter here. Lol.

 

dude Brother! my old red Mazda Bush Truck has almost 400,000 KM's now........about 200,000 kms logging roads, FSR's and washed out old roads. 2WD. I cannot count how many times I rigged pulleys and come a longs to get that beast out of stuck.

FOR NOW......the new Mazda is going to be go to work/go to hiking trail heads. The rear diff is geared high (highway gearing) ,unlike my red mazda or tracker, which are geared LOW......

 

https://www.donaldson.com/en-us/engine/filters/products/coolant/filter-assemblies/

thats for a diesel rig, but a gas rig is no different, coolant filter wise