Capturing the Art of Nature
Chilliwack Lake Relaxation
I had planned to do some serious back-country driving today but as I wasn’t feeling the greatest and after yesterday’s unplanned trip I was still a bit tired, so an easy relaxing time along the far shore of Chilliwack Lake filled our afternoon.
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2011
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Today was my regularly scheduled trip with Ethan, I had been planning to do some serious driving but I wasn’t feeling the best so a quieter trip was definitely the best plan for the day. I thought we could also take the time to try a bit of HF radio work and to sit along a lake where we could enjoy a nice view and the warm sun. So we set off at the regular time and soon were making our way along the highway to Abbotsford. As we were going to be sitting, enjoying the day, we needed to stop at a store to pick up some portable chairs. Once done gathering some fuel and coffee we spotted the local Rona where we bought a pair of foldable chairs.
Back on the road we were soon in Sardis buying lunch at a newer Subway, this one is not much before we turn on to Chilliwack River Road. The little mall is quite new and most stores were yet to be opened. The drive along the river went quite quickly, there didn’t seem to be many out yet for such a lovely day. Soon we were by the Military base where I spotted an amazing view of Mt. Slesse, so we stopped and I gathered a few shots before we continued on to the lake. The road along the lake was terribly rough and pot-holed like last time which reduced our speed to a crawl. Along the way we passed a couple of cars parked along the side - the drivers having given up on the road.
Just past the start of the lake we came to a bend where a snow slide had occurred and which was still blocking the road. We noticed a bit of a path across the top so we thought we would give it a go. I got out to direct Ethan as he made his way up the snow bank and around the sharp turn. Part way across the truck started sliding down towards the lake. Ethan revved it a bit, spitting snow, the tires caught and he made it the rest of the way with little further trouble. Now we could continue down the road with likely few others brave enough to try the obstacle.
After shaking ourselves to the core we finally came to the point I thought would be a nice place to set up for the day. Ethan wasn’t convinced it was the best spot so we continued past and drove to almost the end of the road before he agreed that it was indeed the best spot for our needs. So after back tracking to the point we parked along the edge and started to set up the radio gear.
My first goal was to get the 2 meter Yagi in place so that we could contact Carolyn at home. I pulled out the antenna from the case and discovered that the bolts that hold the elements to the boom had bounced out and were now missing. So this posed a problem – how to attach the elements to the boom – well I did have duct tape! So in the traditional Canadian fashion we taped the antenna together and hoisted it into the air. The radio picked up a strong signal and I was chatting with Carolyn with a clear channel! Another duct tape success story!
Once the VHF link was in place, we started on the HF wire antenna. We stretched it out and hoisted it up to the working height and soon I was hearing callers from South Dakota, the eastern seaboard and even one station in Europe! I tried calling a couple of them but they were all busy with a contest and serious pile-ups, so I unfortunately didn’t reach the contest stations. That was a bit disappointing, but the radio work wasn’t my prime interest for the afternoon. With gear in place I could now relax with a nice book as I soaked in the sun over-looking the lake! Ah what a lovely afternoon to enjoy the solitude of the quiet outdoors.
While we enjoyed the sun were we soon surprised the stealth arrival of a pair of cyclists. They had traveled the road and were continuing on down to the far end of the lake. Their cycling being so silent, it was quite a surprise to suddenly have some other people moving past the truck. A bit later as we were packing up another pair came by the first two still hadn’t returned past us. Taking down and stowing the gear went quite smoothly and soon we were back to the bumpy road for the drive up the lake. The return drive seemed a bit less gut wrenching but I am sure it was just that we were relaxed from the sun and perhaps used to it.
The snow pack loomed ahead of us and though we still slid a bit on the return we made it across with little concern. By the time we got to the paved road a large crowd of vehicles had accumulated at the entrance to the closed park. Some were parked and walking in to camp despite it being closed. I guess they really want a campsite rather than to just park at the side of the road and camp in any number of easily accessible spots. There really are so many to choose from.
We made our way past the parking lot to the road and were soon well on our way back home. It was a lovely warm day; the viewpoint was a great spot to spend the afternoon soaking in the ambience. Now I was nicely rested for the Easter week-end. Though I didn’t take many photos I did get a few great views of the lake and one small stream and we were able to test out the communications gear and figure out what maintenance was required – I’ll need to buy some replacement bolts for the antenna.