Capturing the Art of Nature
Camp Cove
For many years we looked down on Camp Cove as we drove the West Harrison and wondered what it was like down there as the entrance was always gated.
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2015
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It had been over a month since Geoff and I were last out in the back country and we were feeling the urge to get out there. The weather has been our biggest problem but today looked like there might be a break in the clouds long enough to enjoy some scenery. I wanted to scout out the trail-head of my next planned Summits-on-the-air radio hike. So we packed up the gear and set off for the West Harrison area. We also hoped to see what happened to a beaver dam that Geoff had spent some time pulling apart.
So as usual we picked up a few essentials on our way out and made good time for the start of the forestry road. Our day’s excitement began just over a kilometer up the forestry road. As Geoff made his way along he glanced to the side, down the steep embankment, and noticed a recent addition to the scenery. There was a fairly new pickup on its side leaning against a large tree abandoned below us. This caught his interest and so we stopped to have a closer look. Geoff found a path down the slope to the truck and looked it over. It was recent enough to not have been picked over for parts yet! After a good look we continued on our way to our next adventure.
As we reached the spot where we could look down on Camp Cove we once again remarked on how we hated the locked gates placed in numerous spots along the road. Then just after we crossed a small bridge over the stream that’s empties into Camp Cove we glanced back and saw that the gate was open and the way down to the cove available. We quickly turned around and started down the road. Now back on April 13, 2013 we did manage to drive most of the way down to the cove but on the other side of the stream and we had to walk part of the way to the lake shore. On that occasion the truck was in a tight spot and we didn’t feel like we could leave it for long so we didn’t wander along the shore to the cove but we did get close. Today we drove right into the campsite with the buildings and facilities wide open for exploration.
We parked on the lake shore and walked over the area. We first explored the point of land separating the cove from the main lake. It was a fabulous treed and mossy area that was quite pleasant to walk over, the views back to the cove and out along the lake were quite amazing. At one point Geoff called me over pointing across the lake to a waterfall he spotted. I was amazed to finally see it. This was the whole of the Slollicum Falls. Normally we see only the magnificent lower section which is already a 200+ foot drop, but from here we could see the full 1200 foot falls. A truly amazing site one never suspects is there from the East Harrison road. We returned to the camp site and looked over the buildings, they were still in decent shape though one storage building had collapsed. It had been a scout camp until forestry succumbed to first nation pressure and turned it over to the local group who have let it fall into disrepair. While we explored the area a couple other ATV’s made their way down and looked around. It really is a beautiful spot and a great location for a camp but it won’t take long for it to be vandalized.
We returned to the mainline and made our way to find the trail head for my upcoming hike. We loaded up the GPS track I made from my hike back in 2008 and soon found what would have been the old start to the trail. Since then the area was logged and the slope was now bare. We drove up a side road and soon spotted some flagging and a rock cairn marking the new start of the trail. It still looked to be in decent shape so we considered this task accomplished and made for the beaver dam. Upon arrival at the dam site we saw that it had been cleared and the road re-graded and built up. So we could see that the access to the area in behind was needed but alas the culvert had again gotten blocked and the water a dug a deep trench across the road blocking our way forward. Perhaps next visit it will be open for us to drive. It was past noon and we were getting hungry so we decided to head down to 20 mile bay for lunch. There being no one in the campsite, we made straight for site 7 which has perhaps the best view of the bay and lake. When we got out of the truck the wind was so strong that we decided to find a spot on the far side of the spit where we would be more protected from the wind. We slowly drove along and stopped where we had a lake view and where we could use the truck as a wind break. Here we had lunch and enjoyed a bit of a break from driving.
As we were packing up Geoff noticed that one of his 25 round magazines for his 22 was missing so we scoured the area but didn’t find it. At least it wasn’t too expensive. It was only at our next stop that Geoff discovered an object in one of the many pockets of his extensively pocketed pants. It was the missing magazine! This afforded me ample opportunity to comment on his cognitive abilities.
We continued north up the mainline and explored some side roads along the Kirkland Creek. It is a nice area and offers some pleasant views of the lake. We next stopped at the Davison Creek Bridge to capture a few photos. It was only a short distance further up the road that Geoff noticed a bug on his lap and brushed it onto the armrest asking what it was. I looked over and confirmed that it was a tick. He killed it and brushed it aside. A few minutes later I scratched at something on my chest and asked Geoff to look at it – another tick and this one had chowed down on me! We pulled over and Geoff started looking for some tools to remove it with. We needed a thread and a straw but had neither. Eventually he found a pen cap and we pulled a seam thread out of a bandana he had with him. This allowed us to get the tick extracted whole. Just after that was done I started to look over my arms and found a second tick enjoying my right arm. We grabbed a second thread and this time used an empty SKS shell casing and tied onto the tick and pulled him out whole as well. We packed up both for testing later if needed, and in fact they were sent off to a lab. Geoff spotted a fourth one on his clothing but it was not biting yet. That was enough for us so we turned back and made for home. Spending a half hour extracting ticks was more adventure than we wanted for the day.
Over all the trip was a good one, we saw some new locations, confirmed my hike trailhead and updated the supplies requirements for our first aid kit. The drive home went without incident and we drove much of the way in silence contemplating the two caged passengers we had returning with us.