Swamp Testing on Brick Lake Trail

After several weeks on the road for King of the Deep events and Mud Nationals, it was time to get back to our local trails and put some machines through a real South Florida swamp ride.

This run was out on Brick Lake Trail.

Calling it a trail is generous.

Brick Lake starts in a tight cypress jungle where you’re cutting through trees, squeezing between roots, dropping into ruts, and working around whatever Florida decided to grow in the way. From there, it opens into what riders know as the Field of Misery.

And that name fits.

The Field of Misery

The Field of Misery is a massive floating grass mat where one wrong move can ruin your day. You can punch through a single lily pad hole and lose an ATV almost instantly.

Riding it takes serious throttle control. You have to creep across the top of the grass mat, stay light on the machine, and pick your way around deep pits filled with all the usual Florida swamp surprises: baby alligators, snakes, and whatever else is hiding under the surface.

It took us about four and a half hours to reach Brick Lake.

That was only a couple miles of riding.

That tells you everything you need to know about the terrain.

You’re constantly getting stuck, climbing over downed trees, ducking under vine tunnels, running over trees to avoid mud holes, and trying to keep forward momentum without breaking anything.

It is a seriously gnarly ride.

First Swamp Run for the 2025 Outlander 850 XMR

We took our 2025 Can-Am Outlander 850 XMR G3 test unit out there for the first time, running 32-inch Aztex XX tires.

It performed amazing.

That machine spent the day pulling people out, crawling through the soft stuff, and proving itself in terrain that does not forgive mistakes. When the grass got really soft, you could stand on the throttle and the Aztex XX tires would help the machine get up on top and skim across the lily pad holes.

That was one of the most impressive parts of the ride.

The tire would grab, lift, and carry the machine instead of immediately digging down into the mat.

XMR 700 on 33-Inch Aztex XLs

We also had an XMR 700 running 33-inch Aztex XL tires with our new Terache G3 gear reduction.

That setup worked really well.

The gear reduction gave the rider complete control over wheel speed, which matters a lot in this kind of terrain. He could creep the tires slowly without fighting bad belt engagement, belt slip, or that burned-belt feeling you get when a machine is geared too tall for the mud.

In a place like Brick Lake, that control is everything.

Rubicon 500 on 30-Inch Aztex XXs

We also brought a 2017 Honda Rubicon 500 running 30-inch Aztex XX tires.

It did well overall, but it definitely needs more gear reduction for this level of mud.

We’ll be installing a 35% Terache gear reduction soon, along with our new high-grip Terache clutch kit. The clutches were starting to slip in some of the thicker mud, so that upgrade should make a big difference on the next swamp run.

Terache HD Axles Held Up

The XMR 850 (really a 1000) was running Terache HD axles all the way around, and they took a beating.

Even with massive 32-inch Aztex XX tires, we made it through the entire ride without damaging a single axle. That includes pulling people out in reverse with the front differential locked, which is exactly the kind of abuse that shows whether parts are actually ready for real-world riding.

We were very impressed with everything we had out there.

The tires worked. The gear reductions worked. The axles held up. And the machines made it there and back without breaking.

A Ride Few People Finish

All in all, it was a great day.

Brick Lake Trail is not a normal trail ride. It’s a swamp run that only a few people even attempt, and even fewer complete. Between the cypress jungle, the floating grass, the hidden holes, the vines, the trees, and the mud, it pushes both the rider and the machine the whole way.

That’s exactly why we wanted to test there.

And the Terache setups came home exactly how we hoped: muddy, abused, and still ready for the next ride.