Capturing the Art of Nature
Anderson River FSR & the Alexandra Bridge
I had planned to explore the ridge line on the east side of the Fraser canyon but it was still too early in the season and snow kept us far from the action.
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2011
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It had been over a month since my last trip to the hills and I was getting a bit anxious to get back out there. Today, Geoff joined me and we set out for the area around Spuzzum. We had hoped to get up to the ridge line looking down on the Fraser as the last time we were up there we only had a short amount of time and so could only travel along a few roads. Looking up at the ridge from the highway enticed me enough to want to try and reach the spots that looked like they would have some great views. So that is where we set off for this morning.
The drive up to Spuzzum went quickly and soon we were crossing the Alexandra Bridge and starting up the logging road. We decided to try a spur that led up the slope not too far in. The road was not too rough but definitely more overgrown than the mainline. After we gained some elevation we spotted a downed tree that was blocking the road. Geoff quickly got out his chain saw and started cutting away at the narrow end of the tree. He was quite pleased to have a good excuse to use his saw and so he worked on the incision with serious attention. While he was busy with the tree I took the opportunity to hike up to a small rocky outcrop hoping I would have a view of the valley but it was too treed to see anything. Returning to Geoff I watched him cut deeper into the tree and then his bar got stuck! Fortunately my chainsaw was also in the truck, so he got it out and finished the task with it. Once the tree was down his bar dropped out with no effort. Now that it was down we dragged it off the road and then zipped past the stump.
The road didn’t go all that much further as it led to a hydro tower. But there was a reasonable view from the base of the tower so we took a few minutes to enjoy the setting. Then it was back to the main line and on to the main event. The road was clear until we got in to the narrow valley connecting the canyon to the open range beyond. The snow wasn’t all that deep but it was heavy and we knew we wouldn’t get far before bottoming out. So we turned back and tried a second side road that lead up to the ridge just north of the main line. We gained some good elevation thanks to the south west orientation but as we got higher we slipped around to the north side of a rise and the snow was deep on the steep road. Soon we were stuck and sliding to the edge. Rather than take a chance with the situation, we hooked on the winch and pulled us up the short icy section and away from the edge. Once past the ice we were able to turn the truck around and carefully drove back down that snowy section.
We were back on the main line with most of the day still before us. So we had to find some more things to explore. As we drove out Geoff spotted a nice view point of the Alexandra Bridge so we stopped to gather a few shots. While crossing over thick moss covered rock we noticed some interesting lichens. So it was back to the truck for my macro lens for the next while I gathered macro photos of the various lichens and grasses growing on the side of the rock face. Once done, we returned to the highway and continued north to Hells Gate and Boston Bar. We stopped at a couple of points to take in a few viewpoints of the valley, unfortunately most were encumbered by power lines or overgrown trees! It can be quite the challenge to find a decent view of the river.
Just before Boston Bar we turned in to the second Anderson River FSR and hoped that with it being on the southern slope of a mountain, we would have better luck getting into the back regions. Unfortunately it wasn’t long before we were stopped by snow once again. Turning around we drove an alternate route down to the highway where we enjoyed a view of the town. It isn’t much to look at with a population of under 900. As it was now after 3 and we still hadn’t eaten lunch we decided to head home. A short distance back we stopped at Hell’s gate to eat lunch; the attraction was still closed for the season so we could only look across at the river below. After lunch we continued on down the canyon stopping once again just before crossing the Alexandra Bridge.
Just north of the bridge there is a pull off that is partially hidden by trees, as we hadn’t looked it over ( assuming there was nothing there), we decided to do a quick look just in case. Well we did discover a road heading south along the river – between the main logging road and the river. We followed it until it was blocked just before entering a native land area. As we came back another spur took us to the foot of the Alexandra Bridge. Now we had a very different view of the bridge. So we decided to get out and walk around the footings, capturing some views of the bridge from various angles. It really showed off the height and size of the bridge – very impressive. One thing that didn’t impress was a large rusty bolt lying on the ground next to a key footing. I sure hope it wasn’t missing from the bridge! The bridge certainly does rattle and shake with each vehicle that crosses over it though – that is a bit unnerving. Geoff actually moved the truck from its first position as he noticed gravel falling on it from the bridge deck. We take so much for granted – just assuming that of course it was solid and in good repair.
Once done with capturing angles of the underside of the bridge we returned to the truck and then the highway, soon we were well on our way back to Hope and the Blue Moose Café! Our first coffee of the year in Hope was nice and set us up well for the final leg of the drive home. Though we didn’t get into the mountains as planned, we did discover some interesting sights just off the highway. It really doesn’t take much to find fascinating items to enjoy.