Rain, mud and boggings in the Simpson

Looking for brownie points are we???

Ah, no.Its just one of many and yes, Ive seen the pictures and they are great.

If I didn’t like his country I would NOT stay here

Ahhh, what drugs you on!!!!

Some pretty good ones i reckon!!

If you love it so much nomadoz why don'y you join?

Thanks for the invitation Bruce,
Haven’t you though that I could already be a paid up member?

Just because I left out a T out of this in my first reply,
I’m copping heaps from South Australia and Tasmania.

This is a lot more entertaining than BING CROSBY

nomadoz , you really must be blind drunk or on the woppie weed ,, pray tell us all since when ExplorOz is a specialist 4x4 forum ? Its a site for learning about Australia in general , NOT just with a 4x4.

Alloy c/t
Your user name says it all:
I know you want to be a comedian, but with a user name like that!!!!!
You will only make people cry.

To me this site as the best design, the best layout, and the most popular.

THE END OF THE STORY

Thats not bogged......this is what bogged is, for 4 days.

Image Could Not Be Found

Hi Doug
Yes that is one mother of a bog. I am glad it was you and not me LOL

Cheers

Stephen

G’day Stephen,
I carry Maxtrax whenever I head off road. I’ve only used them once for self extraction in soft desert sand and they were beaut. I see you had to do some digging but were they helpful in that situation?
Myles.

why would you go there if its so boggy , your only ripping up the tracks
an giving us a bad name .
mechpete

Hi Myles
Considering how deep the bog was, we were making slow progress backwards with the MaxTrax. The worst part was the mud was so deep, it took quite some time to get them after each pass. In the end another vehicle came out and snatched me out safely. In the event that no other vehicles happened to come along it would have been a long recovery and in the end the MaxTrax would have got us out.

Cheers

Stephen

peter

Maybe you don't understand how the weather can change out there, I remember back in 97 I was on the Rig Road, the days were warm, everything was dry and had been for months, one night it brewed up and had a good rain storm,next morning by 9am it was dry enough to travel, but this year has been exceptional down there.

.

Hi Peter
Before making such a statement, you should read what I have stated above.

Firstly we did not rip the track up, look at the other marks either side of my bog.

The previous other salt lakes prior to Lake Poeppel all looked the same, quite cut up, but with firm bases that were not a problems at all.

A group of 4 vehicles from Bendigo that we met a few dunes prior to reachingLake Poeppel said that it was not going to be a problem and just stick to the very middle track, which we did. When I mentioned the detour that by passes Lake Poeppel and skirts the Lake, they said not to use it.

So if you have read the above and had no problems prior to this, what would have you done????

As for giving us a bad name, the only bad name to me were the group of Victorians from Bendigo who knew what the Lake was like and that we were travelling solo.

The aim of any traveller in such conditions is to offer honest and accurate information, not information that would cause us to be in the position that we were.

Now what do you say??

Cheers

Stephen

Stephen,
Thanks, good to know they could’ve done the job if required. Recovering the MaxTrax can be a job in itself.
I’ve seen them disappearing in soft sand and I thought about tying them to a recovery point on the rear of the car so you could keep going and hopefully they self extracted and just bounced along behind until well clear of the soft stuff….. wouldn’t try it in mud though.
Myles.

Stephen L
just for your info . I was out at peopells corner 2 weeks and the crossing was chewd up then , we used the bypass
mechpete

Stephen

I got bogged three times in the Simpson recently travelling solo. First and third the Maxtrax got me out. The second time (which was caused by a very bad error of judgement and a touch of over confidence) they were not enough and actually added to the problem by puncturing a tyre. So though they are good, they will not get one out of every bog. The tyre was a bit worn, I will admit. The first time I got bogged I decided to change from low range to high range in mud and finished up in two wheel drive. Don't change ranges in the mud.

The third bogging I was doing OK on one of the crossings of the fingers of Lake Thomas then I hit a bit of water that came through the open driver's window and splashed all over my glasses. By the time I had ripped them off to see where I was going I was off line and on the way to being bogged. The Maxtrax worked very well on that one. I took the detours after one more crossing which I only just got across. That very fine line between enough and too little traction.

I had been warned not under any circumstances to attempt to cross Lake Poeppel. I used the detour. This was end of July and 1st August. A bit earlier I had spoken to the crew of one of the Mt Dare vehicles who gave me an accurate account of what was ahead. I was told one crossing would "test me". After finding an earlier and easier one a bit on the limit of my ability and my worn tyres I detoured and dogged being "tested".

Very surprised anyone could have advised to cross Lake Poeppel solo when it was wet. It is very wide and commercial recovery is very expensive. I heard that a number of vehicles had to be recovered from it. On any risk assessment it was not worth it when I was there.

Flynnie

Hi Flynnie
I spoke to Dave at Mt Dare before setting out and was told that because there had been 2 weeks without any rain and fine weather drying things up nicely there should be no problems. The major lake crossing prior to Lake Poeppel all looked the same, some water out to the sides, but the main track through them was dry and solid. Why we were told that Lake Poeppel was the same, when in fact it was not had us left for words. One things that I as was dissapointed in was the fact that there were other vehicles that came after us, saw us in the situation that we were in, did not offer any help over the radio and continued around the detour as if we were invisible, so much for helping out your fellow traveller in times of trouble.

At lease we got out in one piece, apart from the mud bath.

Cheers

Stephen

Stephen

What day did you cross Lake Poeppel? Sounds like it was a bit later than my crossing of the Simpson in late July to 3rd August.

I had some discussions with others about what we would do if we saw a vehicle bogged on Lake Poeppel. The unanimous consensus was we would not risk our vehicles by going out on it. We were prepared to walk out and offer what assistance we could. It would have been very disappointing that there were travellers who just ignored you.

At Birdsville I was told (presumably it's true) that the salt lakes only have about a foot (300 mm) of firm material on top of black ooze. This reportedly is true even when they are dry and in summer. I was told if you have a heavy vehicle (big mining) and break through the top crust the vehicle may be unrecoverable and just slowly sink. From what I saw the deep ruts must have been getting close to breaking through to the black ooze. If I had known this before the crossing I would have detoured the lot.

I have big patches of desert mud over my yard. Still getting it out from under the vehicle.

Doing it again I think I would fit Toyo mud terrain tyres, a winch and ground anchor and hi-lift jack and travel in a group. I should have teamed up with others at Dalhousie Springs.

You learn a lot more when things go wrong than when they go right.

Flynnie

Hi Flynnie
We were caught out on Friday 20th August just before 12 noon and finally arrived at Poeppel Corner at 2.30pm. I should have gone with my gut feeling, but I told myself that if the others had gone through on that same course, then it must have been OK. I can well and truly tell you that I was well below 300mm in the ruts and it was still that sticky brown mud/clay.

Like you I am still getting mud from under my vehicle and have booked into the local Crash Repairer to have the paint work buffed, as that salty water has put lots of nasty marks on the paintwork. He buffed a small section on Friday and it will buff out OK, but again another expense that I would rather not have to pay.

Like I said to one person after being snatched out, I would rather be caught out in sand than mud any day.

Cheers

Stephen

We went around your bog hole :-) out to the side. I can tell you it was just as bottomless out there. I knew it may be so hit our crossing at full revs in 3rd low... Just made it too. We crossed Solo 30 July to 1st of Aug - Got stuck twice and got ourselves out thankfully :-)

Took one look at Poppel and did the detour - Interesting about the layer of solid mud - would have change my line for driving as well :-)

The bog above where I am stuck was on the WAA line and after that I thought best to return to the French line at the next opportunity.

When I got badly bogged I went out wide when I should have gone straight up the middle and through the water. I did that before and after with little problem but for some mad reason I went wide on that one. It was easy when I finally did it after being winched back and changing a tyre. Left the bog hole as a warning for others not to go there. Also was a bit worn out after a lot of shovelling.

Flynnie

Yep thats the one from 4wd action. Without doubt the best collection of trip photo's Iv'e seen.
Dean

More Photos - Simpson Desert July 30 & 31st and Aug 1st 2010

Dean - More photos posted -n the link above - Found out when we got out of the desert that it was closed just after we went in :-)

Cheers Tony