How to get up Mt Benson

[BigMac]

there seems to be a very high proportion on jerk quadders to non-jerk quadders in nanaimo.
the amount of damage a quad can do to a singletrack trail is amazing, and if they can't fit, well next time they'll pack in a chainsaw and buck down a few trees. Garbage gets strewn further into the bush, along with beer cans, lunch wrappers, ect. Now i know all trail users litter, but you can carry so much more on a quad then you can on a bike, or on foot or on a dirtbike. It seems like a lazy mans' adventure sport....sit down and throttle it ..
at least with a dirtbike you have to have a certain level of fitness and balance to keep it upright..........

I agree with you & the next post also. A dirtbike leaves a waay smaller trail than a quad. We need some smart quad riders out there, so we don't destroy everything. Learn to balance on 2 wheels guys!!!

[trenh]

dirtbikes or quads, they all can make a mess, no matter if they have two or four wheels... Any riders need to have more respect for the land I agree... But just because quad riders can carry more stuff doesn't mean they are the only ones leaving it all behind... Walkers leave their fair share of junk, mountain bike riders too..

A wrapper here or there, or even a pop can in the bush is not going to bring down the ecosystem.. They are always going to be left back there... My suggestion rather than continually complaining and pointing blame, is to maybe post a sign along these trails you find most of a problem, and pick up what you see, which i am sure you all do..... anyway, that is my two cents

[mrraulduke]

i would agree that everyone litters...that is a fact.
but if i';m hiking or biking, i can only carry so much litter to be strewn about ( i packout what i brought in!...i wish everyone did! )
you can easily strap a cooler to a quad.......but for some weird reason beer cans can't be packed out in that same cooler?
as for signage, the people that litter, widen singletrack to a rutted out quad trail ect....
they know they shouldn't do it, but it's more fun and 'badass' to do stuff like that, so a sign wouldn't stop them. Most likely they'd shoot it up, run it over or burn it!

[stanley strazza]

you got that right Kyle....I make a small fortune on the burnt metal off furniture in those fire pits and beer cans a plenty keep my small pick-up truck in fuel.....still though, people have to be cool with their food wrappers and such.....you gotta know the cougars and other varmints are interested in this stuff eh!.......stan the man

[kisty]

Does anyone remember the route from Nanaimo lakes road? We would walk through a locked yellow gate and then eventually end up on a trail and finally near the summit, the old logging road. Does this route still exist?

[MDavis]

Does anyone remember the route from Nanaimo lakes road? We would walk through a locked yellow gate and then eventually end up on a trail and finally near the summit, the old logging road. Does this route still exist?

Yes, that route still exists. Before the gates got put up, one could drive to the summit in a 4x4 vehicle.

[kisty]

The route I am talking about, you could not drive up. It was an old logging road off of Nan. lakes rd. I went this way with the thursday hikers a couple of times (about 20 yrs ago!). We went along this road for forever, then turned left onto a trail and this trail joined with the logging road that people used to drive up, near to the top. In my memory, it is a gentler way up than from Witchcraft lake (which we went up a week ago). It was before the road that went to Benson lookout.

[MDavis]

The route I am talking about, you could not drive up. It was an old logging road off of Nan. lakes rd. I went this way with the thursday hikers a couple of times (about 20 yrs ago!). We went along this road for forever, then turned left onto a trail and this trail joined with the logging road that people used to drive up, near to the top. In my memory, it is a gentler way up than from Witchcraft lake (which we went up a week ago). It was before the road that went to Benson lookout.

Ok, now I am lost. I was thinking of the main road, Nanaimo Lakes road, that branches off into South Forks road. At one point, you could drive the entire road to the top of mt Benson. Or go even further and end up at the Northwest Bay exit, just before Parksville. But I suppose there are dozens of ways to get to the top. Many may have now been wiped out by the recent logging in that area.

Don't be surprised if one day we see nothing but homes up that way!

[stanley strazza]

we have a saying in aircraft wreck-hunting/chasing hobby while hiking....leave nothin' but footprints....works for me!.....Stan the man