Glass House Mountains Trip Report - 10-Feb-2012

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Somehow between Stewy and Richo organising this trip, I became the navman. Since I'm selling my car, it was left at our meeting place and I rode shotgun with Stewy. Thanks mate!

We were in explore mode for this journey; the TLD's and SLD's were mostly disabled .

I should also throw some kudos the way of my favourite iPhone app for navigation... MotionX GPS. It's amazingly powerful and feature-rich. It provides street and terrain maps from google, bing, and also OpenStreetMap. The OpenStreetMap data is especially useful and often there are tracks marked that other GPS do not have. Anyway, between the variety of GPS and wide-range of experience, we were fully armed for a great day of exploration

After most people headed home for the day, 3 vehicles (Stewy, Snaga and CraigM) continued exploring and soon found some extra fun, so let me start with that.

Click on the image to watch the video...


Now back to the beginning...

11 cars! Wow.



On the way to GH, we took a drive down a whet-your-appetite track at the end of Old Peachester Rd. We were airing down early.




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[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Views were with us all the way.


This particular track required very careful wheel placement. Somehow I was the goose who wondered why I was being given a handheld... oh, you want me to guide you all down. Well, let the fun begin!

This was the only pic I took. Though we managed to get 10 cars down, unscathed. One vehicle decided this was a bit hairy and headed for home.

Into the deep dark forest we were kept busy with rebuilding tracks and checking potential sites for safe water crossings.



One of the many little streams that criss-cross their way through the Glass House.



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[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

The shadows grew long and that signalled time to find our way out. We were lucky that a group of young-minded utes had gone ahead of us. When they got stuck in mud-holes we chose an alternate route. It was getting too late in the day to be thinking about more recoveries.

After most departed, the remaining three found more tracks that we hadn't explored previously. It was fun and probably of medium-level challenge. Then Stewy found himself dug in at this point...



The ATZ were doing their best. The rear mud-flap looked like it would not survive the encounter, but surprisingly it later popped back into shape, seemingly unscathed. That was amazing in itself.



And of course, MAXTRAX to the rescue.



On a sidenote, it brought a smile to me as I drove into the BP, seeing soooo many MAXTRAX. It was like a MAXTRAX salute.

The day wrapped up with a beer and dinner at Woodford pub. I think I got home at 10:30pm, totally exhausted.

Thanks guys for another great adventure, and to you Stewy for sharing your passenger seat.


LFaR.

[Fabes Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fabes]

Sure looks like fun would have been had by all. Wouldnt mind getting a guernsey next time you boys head out. Still got the grandcraps on the 150 but plenty of recovery gear that needs the palstic removed and used for its intended purpose... Hopefully TJM will have the front lift or lack there of sorted by your next outing.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Hi Fabes.

Yer, these trips don't mean to be exclusive, but we have noticed it's turned into a word-of-mouth event. It seems emails and word-of-mouth is driving them these days. I think this trip started with 3 or 4 vehicles and grew to 12. Still, I understand others would join in the fun, if only they knew about the event.

The concern is that numbers blow out, which is good and bad.

We had 11 cars on this trip, and in convoy it looks great! Though, on the tracks it takes a *long* time to get everyone safely across obstacles etc. As convoy numbers increase, changes in momentum take *much* longer to achieve. With 11, it takes 10+ minutes from the time we say "start your engines" to having everyone in their cars and ready to go. They have to finish their conversations, their drinks, their smokes, whatever. Even then, some drivers are slow to recognise the change in momentum and consequently become left behind. There are convoy procedures that need to be followed to avoid this.

I'm thinking we have become so active in SEQ, we probably need to adopt a slightly different strategy to our outings. Nothing complex, just something like split the group into two or more and hope to meet in the middle to share track notes. Then finish the day with all at a local watering hole or otherwise open area.

Maybe we can try that for next time someone has a [un]planned outing?

LFaR.

[gumboot Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close gumboot]

Buggar..... Would have definately been up for this one to bring out the truck with some of the new addtions.
Ahr well next time.
I'll post up a trip plan in the next three weeks or so to get some people together for a run.
cheers

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I should also throw some kudos the way of my favourite iPhone app for navigation... MotionX GPS. It's amazingly powerful and feature-rich.

For $1.99 we just put it on the Ipad, will be interesting to see how it goes. I must say that I think the days of dedicated GPS units are just about a thing of the past, with tablets and smart phones you have so many more options available!

One vehicle decided this was a bit hairy and headed for home..

Richo Hey

I think you guys were holding out on us at the GTG, those tracks look like fun!

Cheers Andrew

[Rogerthatv2 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Rogerthatv2]

Looks like a good day out guys and great weather for it.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

I just downloaded the motion x, we might to have a tech so you can teach me how to we it Matt.


Hutch- 2007 V6 GXL.
2012 V6 GXL on order.

[stewy Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close stewy]

Great Write up Matt, (you're an excellent co-pilot and navigator)

Glasshouse never dissapoints, there are so many tracks to drive, we've only scratched the surface.
The trails in there range from Easy to Extreme. Saturdays trip with the group was Easy to Moderate 4wdriving.

I only have limited pics seeing I was busy behind the wheel, but I will share the few I have.

It was an awesome day out as we entered Glasshouse via the Northern end for something different.
This proved exciting for us, the day started when we came to the sign at the Cnr of Stirling and Old Peachester Rd that mentioned the Road ahead was Unformed. From this point onwards we were into it.

There was nice downhill, then eventually we made it onto the Power Line Trails.
Here's a pic of the group going through.




The Pradopoint Fairy was active during the trip as I noticed later in the day that a sticker had been mysteriously added to my back window...MMmmnnnn....how did that Bogan Sticker get there I wonder ?


After a bit of track building to cross a creek we stopped for some lunch.
I took this snap as it was just an interesting photo.


As mentioned in LFaR's report, a small group of 3 ventured off late afternoon for some more fun of unexplored trails.

I managed to get the 120 into a bit of a jam. As I still had traction the concern was all about clearances, in particular to my side step and rear bumper that had taken a knock and popped off

After a bit of digging to carve away the bank and use of the MaxTrax as a ramp to fill a void, the car looked to be unscathed and I was moving again.

Thanks to all that came, as it was an awesome day out.
Hope to see more posts and pics on this particular trip report.

cheers

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

The day wrapped up with a beer and dinner at Woodford pub. I think I got home at 10:30pm, totally exhausted.

LFaR.

Nice report guys...
I'll get some pics up in the next few days, mind you I think you've covered most of the shots I took.

oh, and I had NOTHING to do with you getting home at 10:30pm... I think they must have moved the BP's location after we left in the morning

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

For $1.99 we just put it on the Ipad, will be interesting to see how it goes. I must say that I think the days of dedicated GPS units are just about a thing of the past, with tablets and smart phones you have so many more options available!



Richo Hey

I think you guys were holding out on us at the GTG, those tracks look like fun!

Cheers Andrew

Hi Andrew

Mate anytime you or any other PP'ers are up here we're happy to show some Qld hospitality and take you to anywhere from mild to wild, there was one side track that I and Trev and I took for fun that showed that traction control works as well as locked diffs that now means I need new rock sliders Trev's car is a 150 VX with a standard OME lift only and he did it easy.

See ya on the tracks, Richo.


Sent from Richos iPhone using Tapatalk

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Hi Folks

I'll post some pics later but an interesting point is that what started out as Stewy and I going to Glasshouse Mtns ended up with 11 cars, via word of mouth.

In hindsight we did discuss breaking the group up into two groups and going 20 minutes apart which probably would have been quicker.

Next outing we will take this approach so that we can speed up the day and involve the same number of people. Keep an eye out for weekends at 4WD parks in SEQ this year.

See ya on the tracks, Richo.


Sent from Richos iPhone using Tapatalk

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

and Richo...

I offered the winch to Stewy but he said I'm not stuck. I've just momentarily lost the ability to move forwards or backwards.
Apparently, by using his own Maxtrax he wasn't 'recovered'.

[QLD4505 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close QLD4505]

Bugger......... I would of been keen to tag along for the day. Looks like you had a great day. I ended up going for a drive to check out Booloumba Creek camping area at kenilworth and a quick run up Double Island.