Capturing the Art of Nature
Jones Lake on Ice
It was a bright sunny day, ideal for enjoying views of the snow-capped peaks up the valley, so off we went to enjoy the views.
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2013
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Wahleach Lake now commonly called Jones Lake is a great spot to enjoy some fresh air and views of the Cheam Range yet not very far away. I enjoy this area and the amazing view of Lady Peak, the bright sunny day would make the peaks look amazing so I felt it would be worth a try and see if we could get to the lake. This time of year the lake is high enough that it is often snowed in and not accessible. The day was just too nice to stay at home so off Ethan and I went for a shorter day that would start with our trying to reach the lake.
The initial section of road was clear and reasonably smooth but we gained elevation quickly and were soon passing clumps of snow alongside the road. We saw that the road was kept open via plowing and we were hopeful it would continue all the way to the lake. The piles of snow along the side of the road were several feet deep and it was obvious that we wouldn’t have had a chance if it wasn’t cleared. We met a couple of vehicles coming down but otherwise we were alone in the solitude of the snow and wilderness.
Soon we were up to the start of the lake and the small recreation area at the north end of the lake. The plowed snow was piled so high that we actually missed seeing the entrance to the parking area, when we did finally notice it we were already passed it. The snow was piled deep enough that here was no way to drive into the parking area. So we continued to follow the cleared road past the cabins a couple of which seemed to be occupied. After passing the last one we continued up the road to where a small gorge crosses the road and here we had an amazing view of the Cheam Range. We parked the truck and got out to take photos. While I was gathering a few Ethan made his was over the crusty snow and down to the frozen lake. It was quite low and we were able to get down quite a distance before reaching the frozen surface.
Though the lake was frozen over, the layers of ice were not very strong as they were mainly refrozen snow layers but they were strong enough to allow us to walk out a short distance to a small stump. All this time I was gathering more photos of the peaks. They really were quite spectacular with the cover of snow. The sparkling snow crystals and black stumps strewn across the white snow field added an interesting foreground to the peaks. The short visit to the lake and walk across the bank was well worth the effort and we both found a number of sights that were quite interesting. Once we had explored the area below the gorge we returned to the truck to see how much further the cleared road went.
As we continued along we passed another parked truck, I noticed the occupants climbing back up the lake bank, they had been out there like ourselves. Even though they had likely been out there while we were I never noticed them, the area can be so vast that people just sink into it and disappear. We continued on a short way more but soon the cleared road ended. We looked at the road past the clear area and realized that it would be impossible for us to drive it. So we turned around and started down the road to the highway.
Once back to pavement we turned towards the town of Hope and then up the Fraser Canyon to the American Creek FSR. We missed it on our first pass but soon we were back on gravel and heading up the valley. We soon came by a guy under his car repairing something on it, but he looked like he was not in need of help so we continued on. The road had become quite muddy but still clear enough for us to drive and so we did. Finally we came by a fork the one path led up slope following the power lines. This fork looked a bit uninviting and seemed to be deteriorating quickly. So we backtracked and started down the other branch which led to a bridge across American Creek. When we reached the bridge we saw that the road ended just past the bridge. So we concluded that the other fork was the main way in but it now being lunch time we decided to stop on the bridge and eat lunch.
The wind had picked up and we found starting our burners took quite a few attempts but fortunately our soups were soon heating and we were able to enjoy a hot meal. Once done with lunch I gathered a few photos of the creek and then we turned back to the fork. Ethan wasn’t feeling the best so we decided to forego any tougher driving and head back to town. After picking up a coffee at the Blue Moose, I continued the driving and we set off for home. Though a shorter day, we did find some amazing views and we got to enjoy a couple spots that’s I had wanted to revisit.