Capturing the Art of Nature
Chilliwack Mountain
I drive past the small mountain on a regular basis and had never been on it to see what it had to offer. So today I thought would be a good one to explore the area.
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2009
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The weather was questionable as we left home but I hoped it would clear up by the time we reached the Chilliwack area. Alas, clearing was not in the cards, rather we got rain and even flakes of snow. We arrived at Chilliwack Mountain with minimal delay and exited the highway to make our way to the north side of the mountain where the access road was. I was immediately surprised to find the area fully developed with high priced homes lining the road all the way to the top of the rise! This was not a back country trip after all but a trek through a pricy residential area.
The road up the mountain was interesting as it made its way up the slope. There were many nice homes with great views all along the road and numerous new homes being built. The area was a mixture of new and old communities all sharing a lovely view of the valley below. Once we reached the top the weather worsened and we encountered light rain and some snow. So we didn't stay long on the slope - most of the view was obscured in fog and rain mists so the trip did not give me a good feel of the place. Once back down we headed further along the Fraser River and came to a nice view spot of the Fraser River looking westerly. Ethan noticed a hissing sound coming from under the truck at that spot but we couldn't confirm its cause, so we continued on along the road and soon came to a field where there were a number of lovely solitary trees to photograph.
It was while I was taking tree photos that Ethan confirmed that we had a tire puncture. We still had a usable amount of air in the tire and decided that changing it here in the mud was to be avoided if possible. So we got back in the truck and drove the few miles to the freeway interchange we were on earlier as there were a few service stations there. The paved area of the station made it easier for us while we changed the tire. So this cut our adventure short and once the spare was installed we set off for home. Being tired and wet with the continuing poor weather made it an easy decision.
So it wasn't the best of trips but I did enjoy a few of the views from the higher elevations and look forward to a return trip when I can better see the valley. I could wish for more public access along the road to the views as it seems that most spots have become private property leaving visitors no access to the views.