Capturing the Art of Nature
Chilliwack Lake
Enjoying the Chilliwack Lake Beach after being stopped by locked gates
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2007
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Ethan and I made good time getting to the lake and surrounding park region. I was hoping to get to the southern end of the lake and explore some of the logging roads that climbed the slopes just east of the southern end of the lake before noon. As we drove along the road that skirts the eastern shore we came across many wonderful views of the lake and surrounding mountains which I planned to visit on our way back. My last trip here was in winter with a foot plus of snow on the road which tended to distract us from many of the sights.
As we neared the south end we came across a closed road with signs that read it was closed to traffic as it was an ecological reserve. As the closure was before the side road I was hoping to take it was now beyond our reach. So after getting over the disappointment we turned back a half kilometer to take the previous side road. We traveled it for a few kilometers but soon came to a washed out bridge over Depot creek which also blocked our way from any chance of gaining some elevation. So we settled in for lunch near the washout. I tried some 2m amateur radio communication, but without any elevation I was not able to reach my fellow club members who were monitoring for my call.
After a bite we drove back towards the lake and checked out a third side road but it also had a washout near the start so we decided to explore the beach at the mouth of Paleface creek that we had seen earlier. The beach area we thoroughly loved for it many phenomenal sights. I learned after the trip, that it had been home to a group of cabins many years earlier. Nothing remained of the cabins except for a path to the water and some overgrown clearings. This beach has lovely fine sand to rest on and is still a popular camping site during warmer weather.
The views from beach offer many varied compositions which make the place a great place for a photographer. The small rocky point that juts into the lake near here added texture to many of the photos I took from the beach. I will definitely be coming back to this spot for another round of photos.