Capturing the Art of Nature
Garnet and American Creeks Again
My last two tries to connect to Emory Creek got side-tracked so this third attempt will hopefully find the way through.
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2009
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I had planned to connect through to the Emory Creek FSR on the two previous trips to the Garnet Creek area, but both times I got diverted to other adventures as we went along. The first trip saw us heading west up to the Garnet Creek head-waters and then over to Talc Creek and Harrison Lake. It was a lovely drive with many great sights that I really need to repeat. Our second attempt saw us head up the Transmission line road to American Creek where we connected to the Trans Canada Highway in the Fraser Canyon after crossing over the repaired washout on American creek.
So here we were, trying to find the elusive connector to Emory for the third time. We set out on Garnet Creek as before and stopped to enjoy the faster water flows that the recent rains had produced. The small trickle down the cliff face that forms a wall along a section of the road was flowing quite heavily today and offered a new feel to the fall. I setup my equipment and started taking some slow shutter photos but had to fight with the wind which was whipping up the stream and spraying water long distances from the actual channel. It tried several times to soak me a few dozen yards away!
Our next stop was on the bridge crossing a major tributary to Garnet Creek. The water was fast and furious today, generating a loud roar that clearly warned of the power in the water. It was amazing to see just how different the creek could look as the water level changed. From a friendly little quiet stream in which one could cool their feet, to this fast and dangerous rapid that would easily knock you over and carry you along for miles. Once past the creek we made our way to the spot where Geoff and I were originally blocked by snow back in mid May. Today, we continued up the road but as we did we were getting more and more concerned as it seemed to be leading away from the valley where the power lines ran. I was hopeful it would turn back but that hope was rapidly failing.
We continued to climb in elevation and came across a few nice viewpoints looking down into the American Creek valley. The road was quite passable though the cross-ditches were a bit annoying in a few places. Eventually we came to a shallow ditch that had a large rock blocking part of the road. We decided that as the road looked like it was passable for some distance still, we would drag the rock out of the way. So we hauled out some gear and hooked a strap to the rock and pulled it over. While working on it we were attacked by some freezing rain and hail that made life a bit cold for a time until the cloud passed. The hail seemed to add to the feel of the place and though cool, I enjoyed the setting. We got back in the truck and crossed through the now wider opening we had created and made our way up the road. Soon we encountered a crossing of a small stream. The water flow was up and the path across seemed a bit uncertain for a large size vehicle, So since the road only went a short ways further we decided to not bother trying this crossing. We set off back down the road stopping for a few shots along the way. A small lake on the map just up from the road looking appealing but the wet slippery ground that we would have had to cross to get to it convinced me to try it again on a drier day.
We continued back down to where the power lines were and tried a few spur roads that lead to some of the towers. We finally found the one traveling along the line leading to Emory Creek. But after a couple of towers the road ended. Not a very encouraging development. I studied the path forward and saw to my dismay a steep slope under the lines just before the next tower. It would seem that the roads do not actually connect! This was a major disappointment after all these tries. Those next towers must be serviced from the other side leaving only a few hundred feet between the two road segments. It would be passable on foot with some effort but not even an ATV would be able to do it. Well at least we confirmed the situation and now know we didn't miss out on the loop road before.
So, now that our intended route was no longer possible we needed to decide which way to head out. I decided to go out American Creek, this way I could revisit a few locations I thought particularly nice and then end the trip at the Blue Moose Bistro in Hope. We made our way to the steep section of road that was a serious challenge for Ethan last time here. Today it seemed to go so much easier as he knew what to expect - practice does make things so much easier. We got to the small lake that forms the headwaters of American Creek and then tried a few spurs to the transmission towers. One crossing was through some fast running water that was a bit of a challenge. The ground soon became quite muddy and soft in places so we had to be careful not to get stuck. Once back on the main road we followed our route from last time and soon came to the level water crossing of American Creek.
On our first crossing, the water flow was light and the way across easy to find, it presented no concerns. I had hoped to stop here for some additional shots of the creek. But today the creek was wide and fast flowing. If we hadn't been here before I would not of thought the crossing would have been recommended. After a few moments of planning we set out across the creek, the water seemed ominous when we were in the middle of the flow. Looking upstream I could see the rocks that I had hoped to shoot but today they were completely covered in fast flowing water. The nature of the river was so different from last time, not nearly as interesting in this setting. So we made our way across and kept on going.
We stopped at a few more side streams that with the extra water were producing some lovely waterfalls to enjoy. I also took some shots across the valley of a waterfall sliding down a large rock face but the wind and rain made for some difficult shooting and I didn't get the quality of photo I wanted. We made for the highway and stopped at Schkam Lake (Lake of the Woods). I had driven past this small lake several times lately and thought it might be a good time to visit, The trees offered some colour but the weather made most things dull and cold. So our stop was short, a few others stopped by for brief visits while we were there. We continued on to the Bistro and enjoyed a hot drink before heading back home. Over-all a great day for back-country exploration and photos even though we failed to find a way through to Emory Creek.