It had been two years since I last visited the eastern Stave region and the prior trip was on Boxing day 2006! so I thought it would be a decent day to explore the area and note the changes that had occurred. It being a holiday, Nicholas my third son was available to join Geoff and me. So the three of us prepped the truck and set off for Mission and the roads beyond. Near Mission we encountered our first of many problems, I managed to blow a fuse on my power distribution unit, somehow the notebook was drawing excess power today. We found some for sale in a small general store just outside of town. The little store seemed to have a bit of everything and would be worth a return visit.
Back on the road the fuse blew a gain before it settled down, still not sure what was causing it but I was glad it stopped. Soon we arrived at the start of the Lost Creek FSR, we edged our way through a number of abandoned trucks having launched their ATV's. We were surprised that there was no snow anywhere to be seen! The last time I was here in the winter there was snow starting from before the FSR. Today we barely encountered any all day. We made our way to Davis Lake Park and stopped to grab a few images of McDonald Falls. It was here that I discovered I had forgotten my tripod at home. So I would have limited opportunities at the Falls today. We decided to explore the upper section despite not having the tripod. The flow was decent and I got a few shots but not of the caliber I was seeking, so after a short visit we returned to the truck and set off further up the road.

Once past the park we had our first view of Stave Lake, it was mist covered and offered some lovely mood photos. There was a branch of the road leading down toward the lake but as there were several groups of shooters doing target practice, we decided to leave this spot and continue on up and try the Twin Lakes branch and see if we could get some better views of the lake. Soon we arrived at the fork leading to the twin lakes and started up a steep rough section of road. It seemed a lot rougher than I remembered but it may have been memory or the stiffer suspension that the truck has. Once we got past the steep section the road was quite easy to drive and we quickly arrived at the larger of the two lakes. We parked in a small campsite and I started taking photos. 

The lakes were frozen over though it wasn't a thick layer and I wouldn't trust it enough to walk on it. While I was shooting photos, Geoff set up a target for some practice with his riffle. He showed Nick how to shoot with it and Nick managed to hit the target a few times which pleased him considerably. I find it far too noisy for my liking and prefer to stay away when Geoff is shooting. Just as I was leaving the sun had heated up the surface enough to send up clouds of mist, so I was able to gather a few more photos with a different character.

The last few times to the area were curtailed by a washout which blocked access to the lake and the Statlu Creek area. So I was glad that the bridge was repaired and we could now venture to the lake. Unfortunately the mountain slide that happened a few years back blocked the road and one can no longer continue the drive to Mystery Creek and on to the West Harrison, so we would be returning this way. Despite It being a dull day with cool temperatures, I was looking forward to the drive - at least it wasn't raining.

On reaching the FSR we found ourselves alone, it seems that the area was not an attractive one this morning. That suited me just fine as I find crowded roads to be a nuisance never mind a hazard. We did our regular stop at the campsite at the start of Elbow lake. I'm not sure what it is about this little lake that always catches my eye but it has become the norm to stop here and grab a few shots. The area is pretty and all but there is something else about this spot that keeps me stopping to check it out. Maybe I just feel there is something there that I haven't been able to find yet.

Once past the lake we set off down the main road and soon came to a newly logged area that we turned off to explore. It wasn't a large area but we did get a bit of elevation and a few shots. The area was split into two segments and crossing to the second put us over a narrow bridge where a large logging vehicle was parked. Geoff looked it over for a few minutes while I grabbed a few photos of the creek. We noticed another group in a truck on the far side of the main road so once we were done here we set off to see that area. They were blocking the road but after chatting with them a bit they said that it didn't go far, so we returned to the main. They seemed a bit surprised to see us and at first took us for someone official.

As we got further up we discovered a frozen wall of ice that looked very pretty and worth a number of photos. Next we came to another actively logged branch and turned up it to explore, signs were warning us of video surveillance . We discovered some icicles hanging from the roots of trees. These caught Geoff's attention and he climbed up the slope to view them from a closer point. After checking out the area we returned to the main and crossed the repaired bridge on our way to Chehalis lake. Just before the lake we came to a lovely frozen waterfall that was just visible from the road. We decided we needed a better view and since the creek bed was too slippery we decided to climb a small ridge beside the sunken valley to a point overlooking the waterfall. After stumbling through the undergrowth and steep mossy slope we arrived at the ridge top, the view was great and I got a good series of images including a pano.

The rains in November set quite a number of records this year. Their most irritating effect was that they kept me cooped up and out of the hills. So today's trip was long anticipated and I hoped that my choice of location would live up to the urgent need of seeing some real back-country. I have been in the Chilliwack river area so many times that I have lost count but even so, there are new areas opened up and some areas blocked off with washouts. Today we actually had a mix of new and old. It was a fun day out there though I didn't actually get to do what I had planned - no surprise, I often don't.

We started off exploring an area just south of the Chilliwack River Road that exits just before the road crosses over the river for the second time. It was a new area for me though I believe that this is the place that Geoff and his friends often come to go camping in the winter. I don't think I found the spot he uses but I am sure I was close by it. The area has some new logging taking place so the roads were in decent condition and as such we were able to get up to some viewpoints quite quickly. The road had some icy spots but was generally clear and easy to drive. I found a couple of decent scenes but nothing was really calling out to me so far. The day just felt cold and dull despite the clear skies at this point. As we made our way down I did spot an interestingly shaped tree that I was able to position into a reasonable shot. We started up another branch of the road but soon came to a log that was pulled across the road. We contemplated pulling it aside but I really wanted to get to the main area of my drive so we turned back and set out for the Folley Creek FSR. 

Folley Creek was bare of snow this trip and we were able to make some good time driving it. At one point we took a break to watch an eagle hunting in the river. As we reached the lake we tried a branch road I had not traveled before. It seemed to go a good distance up the north side of Ford Mountain and I enjoyed the drive though I didn't find much to shoot. We then continued past the lake and set out further up the valley. The road had some serious washouts and with the ground frozen, it was hard on the undercarriage as we scraped our way across some of them. They were getting deeper and being frozen and this still not my main target we decided to return and try it again after the thaw. As we came back to the lake I glimpsed the main waterfall mid-way up the far side of the lake and stopped to get a few shots.

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.

I had tried twice earlier this year to explore the Bridal Falls FSR, both times stopped by snow, and I still needed to find the Garnet/Emory Creek loop which was missed last trip. So today's adventure was to comprise two separate explorations. As the Bridal Falls area was first along the way, that was where we began our back country driving.
We came to the start of the FSR and noticed that an area just west of the road had been cleared and developed into a trailer park. There were only a few camping there today as it was now out of season. The Bridal Falls area seems to be pushing tourism quite effectively. We were soon past that and into the forest where we rapidly made our way upward. The truck bounced a lot along the road and it seemed a lot rougher than last time in the Pathfinder - I need to get used to the stiffer suspension. Before long we were passing the place we were stopped on our first trip and then on the second, followed immediately by the spot we stopped on our hike from the first trip. We were soon at a fork and took the right branch which went to the launch site for the paragliders. 

We arrived at the site, parked and got out our equipment to photograph the area. The view was spectacular. I could see far down the Fraser Valley and far up Harrison Lake! Though it was quite cold with a breeze the site was amazing and I didn't really want to leave, but we had just started our adventure so it was back to the truck and then off to explore the left fork. We made our way up till the road was blocked off, at one point it had continued on and joined the Chipmunk FSR with access to Cheam and the Chilliwack River. Today you can only walk across the washed out area and join the Chipmunk at a ridge overlooking the valley. I had previously been on the top side of the washout and had planned to try this lower section for years, so being here completed another of my goals. As we made our way down we came upon another truck making its way up. We chatted for awhile, they were new to the region and didn't realized you couldn't drive much further and that you had to reach the upper launch site from the back.

Since Geoff and I tried to connect back into Garnet Creek from Emory Creek FSR in the Spring and were stopped by snow, I have wanted to return to try it again to see if the pathway is drivable. So today Ethan and I set out to further explore the Garnet Creek region and see if the path to Emory Creek exists. First we planned to explore a new area – the headwaters of the actual Garnet Creek and once done to head back to where we believed we could follow the transmission line service road to Emory. It was a bit of a blustery day so once again I was cautiously hopeful that the weather would hold long enough for us to complete the trip. We set out for our regular coffee in Abbotsford and then on to Agassiz to pick up a lunch. Soon we were on the FSR and immediately came upon a forestry notice saying that a bridge at 10km on the Talc Creek FSR was washed out. I wasn’t sure why it mentioned Talc Creek so I ignored it.

We quickly drove through the first section of Garnet. I was hoping to get some nice waterfall shots at the rock face that borders the road but the water flow was so low there wasn’t much to see. Driving on, we soon were at the fork between American and the upper section of Garnet FSR’s. As we hadn’t seen the Garnet section before, we had planned to explore that area and return here to continue on up to where the connector to Emory Creek would be. 

The first section of road was a bit overgrown with a couple of less travelled bridges but soon it opened up into a lovely valley with interesting rock formations and great views of the ridge line that was paralleling us along the valley. The road was continually climbing through the valley and provided a number of views to the creek at the base of the valley. We had a few drops of rain here which was a frustrating sign but we were fortunate in that this was the only rain we had while in the back country. While we were stopped for some photo taking I received a radio call from a club member and though deep in a twisted valley we were able to have a clear chat all the way to White Rock. The Ham bands were working well for us.

We continued westward up the valley and soon were into some rough road with several side roads. We decided to forego the side roads at this time and perhaps take them in on our return. As we drove I started to wonder just how far this valley went as it seemed to go on forever and was now past the marked road on the map. Suddenly it dawned on me that we were heading straight to Talc Creek! Now I was excited as we might be able to loop through to the East Harrison FSR and enjoy a view of the lake. So we kept driving forward over some steep sections and soon we were descending into a new open valley. It was looking very promising. But then I started thinking about that sign we passed at the start of the Garnet Creek FSR, would we get all this way and be stopped by that washout we were warned about?

I have been slowly working my way up the Fraser River as we explored the back country. The next logging area is located just outside of the metropolis of Spuzzum. So Geoff & I set off to discover the sights of this region and to see if there was a possible connecting route through the hills to the East Harrison area. The day was partly cloudy which should be ideal for photography. I was hopeful it would stay bright for the duration of the drive and not turn to rain.

After we picked up some food for lunch at Peter’s Deli in Hope we started up the canyon but soon got dribbled on by some clouds. So I was starting to be a bit apprehensive about the day. Soon we came to a viewpoint along the side of the highway and we pulled off to explore its sights. The view directly from the road wasn’t very good, but a short walk along a well used trail brought us to some unobstructed views of the Fraser River. I grabbed a few shots while fighting the drizzle and then we made our way further up the canyon, this time stopping at a widening of the shoulder. Here we found a few more lovely sights but they all had some obstruction in the way. Geoff noticed that we were walking over a short train tunnel for the tracks that were hugging the river. He briefly considered going down to track level but everything was wet and the slope quite slippery.

We returned to the truck and made our way further up the canyon, we soon discovered a side road leading towards the river which we took. This road paralleled the highway for a couple of kilometers. Not far along it we found a pair of grave markers proclaiming the existence of a native burial ground throughout the area. A short distance further we had access to the river bank where we found a fascinating collection of smoothed rocks. Geoff went exploring across the various rocks to find some interesting angles for his photos. Returning to the truck we soon came to the end of the road where we managed to capture some more decent images of the river. We then carefully turned the truck around on the narrow lane and returned to the highway.

As we proceeded north, the highway made its way through a few tunnels and slowly widened the gap between us and the river, so our views of the river were getting scarcer. So we were fortunate that we were soon in the Spuzzum Indian Reserve with the town just around the bend. As we left the reserve the entrance to the Spuzzum FSR opened before us and we turned into it. Now we could concentrate on the back country and see where this road would go.

The map showed a number of side roads that looked interesting but when we came upon them we found them to be very over-grown. After passing by a few we decided to drive one for a distance to see if it opened up. After driving a ways and pushing back the undergrowth that was hanging over the road, we took some video footage of us driving through the tunnel of small trees. A bit further along we decided that the road would be best travelled on an ATV and so we turned around in a small widening. It was fun driving through it but the branches were snagging on our mirrors and antennas so we thought it best to stop before we broke something.

I started this year's climbing season with a hike on Hollyburn Mountain which is directly next to Strachan. So it seemed fitting to end the season with Strachan. This was a new hike for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect nor how long it would take me to complete. The day was starting off really well weather wise – mostly sunny and not overly hot. Unfortunately the cloud burned off fairly early and the temperature rose higher than I would have preferred.

We drove up to the main parking area for Cypress bowl but due to construction for the 2010 Olympics we had to park alongside the entry road. This suited me fine as the parking ticket dispenser was broken, so we got a free day trip. There are two common hikes to the peak, the short quick way is along the service road basically to the top, the second, a longer trail through the forest that hugs the slopes. We chose the forest route as it would likely offer more to see. After reviewing our maps we set off up the eastern slope past a number of construction workers who were busy improving the ski runs. A sign pointed us into the forest and we were soon putting some trees between us and the construction noise. This first section of trail was typical second growth west coast forest an we made quick time as the trail was quite level for some distance. At this point we were actually heading away from Mount Strachan and toward Hollyburn. 

About two thirds the way along this first leg, before the trail turns back toward Strachan, we met a hiker with a child in back-carrier coming toward us. He reported that he had seen a bear to the side of the trail about 10 minutes ahead and as he had his kid in tow he decided to not risk continuing past. We decided to carry on as it would be over 20 minutes between when he had seen the bear and when we would get there. We never did see the bear though he may well have seen us. We finally reached the end of the first leg where one can choose to continue forward along the Baden-Powel Trail and on to Hollyburn. The return leg to Strachan started to have greater elevation gains and was not as well marked or travelled, but we did pass a few hikers travelling in the reverse direction. On route we heard a radio call on my hand-held from a Ham on the east-coast who was demonstrating ham radio to guests at a state fair. I ended up chatting with a few east-coast families and some pre-teens as we walked along. Eventually we made it back to the main ski slopes and took a bit longer of a rest. Now the trail got much steeper as it made its way to the top of the south peak of Strachan. 

Along this section of the trail we came to an old plane crash site where a military training flight had crashed into the side of the mountain in 1963. The wreckage remains as a memorial to the pilots and has mostly been left un-pilfered. It does seem to be a popular site as at the summit we later heard a number of other groups of hikers talking about the crash site. After a longer rest at the crash site we set off for the final slog to the south summit, but we soon lost the trail. We made our way over some steep brush for a few hundred feet until we relocated the trail and continued on. Soon we were at the south summit and took time to eat a snack and get some photos and some rest. I chatted with some of my radio club buddies from the summit with my hand-held.

The hike to the peak of Hope Mountain is a moderately travelled one. Though not nearly as well known as Cheam, this trail is fairly well maintained and marked. Earlier this year when I was trying to determine what my 5th peak of the season would be , I came upon this hike in a new hikers book I picked up. As I was spending a fair amount of time near Hope while exploring the logging roads, it seemed like a natural extension to the exploration of the region. In preparation, I took a drive up the logging road early in the season to scope out the trailhead so that the day of the actual hike would start smoothly and get us on the way sooner.

When we left home we were concerned about the weather again as it was overcast with some chance of rain in the area. What we hadn't expected however was the low cloud layer which fogged in the whole mountain! When we arrived at the parking area next to the trailhead we were completely enshrouded with fog. Though that was fun to be in, it caused us two serious problems. The first was the lack of a view of anything, the second was the complete drenching of all the foliage along the trail. Despite these issues we decided to do the hike as planned.

We first setup the cross-band repeater radio as is our custom on hikes. This took a bit longer than normal as we were having trouble finding an orientation for the antenna that could reliably reach the Sumas Mountain repeater. We eventually found a partial solution to the issue and then set off. The first leg of the hike is down through the head-waters of a small stream, here the foliage was thick and being wet with dew the plants were hugging the path soaking everything that came past. We were quite drenched before we had gone half a kilometer. Trying to shake the water off the plants slowed us down quite a bit and so we were making very poor time on the hike.

I have driven the Hope-Princeton highway past Sunshine Valley countless times over the years on my way to Manning Park or the Okanogan, so it was long past time to stop and see what the little community was all about. On the way we tried a few logging roads that started on the highway but none were passable for more than a short distance. So we rapidly worked our way up to the valley. We first tried the road across the highway from the main section but quickly discovered it was a 'private' residential area and people like us were not welcome. So we turned around and set off into the main area and quickly found our way heading out the FSR into the hills.

The road was well maintained and travelled and we made a number of crossings over the Sumallo River . The river itself was a reasonable size and near the start of the valley many homes were built right along the side of it to take maximum advantage of the pleasant sound of the flowing water. We noticed kids toys scattered along the bank waiting for their owners return as the day warmed up. As we travelled further into the hills we came across a washed out bridge with an inviting road beyond it. There was a clear path down to and across the river and it was very tempting to follow the path across but we didn't have a winch on the truck yet and so I was reluctant to try it. I do think it is mainly ATV's that make the journey here.

Heading further along we came to a major fork in the road with the one heading up the slope calling itself the route to a Winter Play land. Apparently there is a good ski mountain here that has a site that had been operated as a small ski area in prior years. It is currently closed as they were not able to secure better support to develop it. We did eventually drive our way up to a locked gate that blocked 4x4 access to the actual base of the ski area. I will need to come back with an ATV to explore it further. After checking out another short spur we stopped along the side of the road for lunch at a spot with a nice view to the south looking up the Sumallo river valley. A couple of other vehicles came by while we were eating but generally it was quite quiet, probably due to the questionable weather.