Capturing the Art of Nature
Big Silver and Shovel Creek
Our goal was to check out the new power projects as we made our way through the loop ending at Boston Bar. But we saw no power work under way and Shovel Creek was washed out! But it was a great day enjoying the back country.
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2013
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We planned our trip to include some serious driving into the furthest reaches of the East Harrison and to hopefully complete the loop to the Nahatlatch and Boston Bar. En-route we would look over the new run-of-river power projects on Big Silver and Shovel Creek. So though the weather was a bit questionable, we set off with high hopes of doing the loop.
We made good time to the start of the logging roads and soon we were zipping along listening to some 4x4ers on the radio from across the lake. There seemed to be very light traffic out today and so we made good time as we drove north, we did pass one small group of teen-agers heading up for the week-end as they were driving fairly slowly. It didn’t take long before we were stopped on the bridge high over the Big Silver River, the view of this gorge has always been a favourite of mine and I love coming back to enjoy the majesty and opportunity to capture a few images.
Done with the bridge we continued north looking for signs of the new power project but soon we reached the Shovel Creek fork and we turned up for the route to the Nahatlatch. We were disappointed in not seeing any signs of the new power project. Looking up info later confirmed that it had not been started yet. Our drive along Shovel Creek soon encountered a serious road washout. A small stream had eaten away at the centre of the road and it looked like it may stop us but Geoff surveyed the route and felt he could make it. I made sure he felt he could get back should we need to back-track later. The first section went quite smoothly but the last section was very narrow and the rear driver tire slide down in some soft sand and we were now in need of our winch.
The winch made quick work out of the situation and then we repositioned it so we could climb up the far side of the washout. The road then continued for a while before we encountered a second washout, this simply crossed the road and after moving a few rocks, it was a simpler feat to cross, though we did need the winch here as well. Finally we made some distance gaining elevation and soon we reached a 100m long snow pack that took us a second run at to get across. Not all that much further we came to a third creek washout, this one was just too deep for our long vehicle and so we grudgingly called it quits. I gathered a few photos of the up-stream portion of the creek as it was quite pretty tumbling down over large boulders.
It being past noon we decided to take time to eat and so we enjoyed some nice warm lunch before continuing on down. Geoff wanted a spot to shoot his new scoped rifle but he wanted to sight it in over a 200 yard distance. Our lunch spot didn’t have the length so after eating we drove back the way we came and eventually found a long enough stretch of road. We set up a target on an old rotten log and then drove the 200 yards to where Geoff set up to shoot. He missed the target and couldn’t even see marks on the road to the side so he ran up to look but found nothing. A bit discouraged he tried another couple of shots but all missed the target and we couldn’t find any marks on the road. When Geoff turned back from looking at the road past the target he noticed 3 exit holes in the log just below the target! Geoff had shot remarkably straight, it was just low which is easily corrected by adjusting the scope. Next time he will be bang on. Now he was feeling much better about the target practice, if only he had noticed the first hole when he checked after the first shot.
We continued down the road to the smaller washout. We got most of the way across but got hung-up and so out came the winch again and we were soon over the gap. Just as we were reeling in the cable the first of 3 4x4’s came up to us. They were a group out to celebrate a bachelor party and were hoping to do the loop. They had shorter vehicles but no winch so I wasn’t sure they should be attempting the crossings. We left them there looking over that washout, I wonder if they did go on or just decide to enjoy the spot and camp there.
Then it was onto the first and longest washout. It was much easier this time as Geoff piloted the truck across the gap and down the south side of the gap but with all the traffic the road had gotten soft and soon the back passenger tire was sliding into soft sand. Rather than spin we opted to just attach the winch and pull ourselves out. The winch made very quick work of the final couple of meters and now we were rapidly descending to the East Harrison FSR along the Big Silver River.
I had hoped to take a side branch to explore the northern reaches of Mt Breakenridge but Geoff had to get back earlier today so we kept on heading out past the fork. A couple of km’s further we spotted a chap running up the road, well out of breath and waving us down. He desperately wanted a lift back a few km’s to campsite where some friends had a truck, his had broken down 6 kilometers further down the road. We took him back and then continued south and out. It was a decent day, though we didn’t get far up the Shovel Creek FSR we did have some challenges crossing the two washouts and then again on the way out. Hopefully the road will one day be opened up again.