Another day with a forecast for rain! So our prospects for some good photography were not looking promising. We left the hotel around 10:30 and set out for the area north of Hamilton and Burlington. We were hopeful that this region would be a bit more advanced in colour change than the area south of Hamilton. Well it was further along, a bit too much.

We drove the side roads for some time but with the thick overcast clouds the light was very dull and this hid what colour there was even more. So we did a lot of driving without stopping much. We did find a few small cameos of colour that we could enjoy looking at but often not take photos of. One such area was along the road leading to rattlesnake point. The windy road had offered some nice colours but there were no parking signs everywhere which cramped our style considerably. We could have parked at the conservation area for $13 but the rain hit hard at that moment and we really felt we would not get our money's worth so we drove on, besides who wanted to go for a long walk in heavy rain

We eventually gave up driving north and started back south towards Hamilton. We did find a number of small spots but they were usually buried deep across some residential neighbourhood and so we couldn't get the angles we needed to have usable photos. We did spot a number of lovely large homes for sale but they were a bit much for our afternoon budget.

All week they had been forecasting rain for the day so when I got up this morning I was surprised to see some blue sky and a bit of sun. Perhaps we were going to be lucky and avoid the rain for our first outing. Only time would tell, so I got ready for breakfast and then at 10am Mike came by and the two of us setoff for our first destination.

Mike had looked up a list of the more popular waterfalls in the area and had picked three for us to visit. All three were new to us and so we weren't sure what we would find. Our first stop was Chedoke Falls, unfortunately we were unable to get a good view of the falls from up above it and we could see no easy route down to where a good view could be found. This was a serious disappointment but we didn't lose heart as we still had two more to view, so we set off for the second one.

Our next stop was just around the bend, Cliff View Falls. We drove past the park and parking area on our first attempt but after a quick U-turn we zipped into the parking area and found a spot. On exiting the car we could hear the water so we were hopeful that a good view could be found. We made our way to the edge of a grassy area to where a trail leads down a steel stairway of close to 300 steps. This trail connected to the Bruce trail near the bottom of the escarpment, as we still could only hear the water we felt that we needed to brave the continual rush of people running up and down the stairs doing some sort of deranged exercise program. Though we annoyed a few by slowing them down to our pace, we slowly descended the stairs carrying our heavy camera bags. The pain was still a future event not much considered during out descent to find the falls.

Before much longer we had reached the bottom and still had no view of a waterfall. We walked west from the stairs and there we saw a small portion of the stream but it was behind a locked gate! Now this was annoying after all that work coming down the stairs. So we struck out again. We were at the edge of a golf course where we had a few scenes of some colorful trees which took some time to capture, but all too soon it was time to climb the stairs.

A short distance up I could see where some had jumped the railing and trekked off towards the stream where they likely could see the waterfall. But we felt we should stay on the approved path and so we slowly made our way back up to the car feeling quite frustrated, not to mention the clear indication from the joggers that we were in their way. So we now set off for the third spot of the day.

Our last trip to the creek saw us stopped by deep snow quite early along the road, so I felt it was time to get back there before the snows returned and blocked our way for another six months. Geoff did not want a long day or one far out so this site was ideal for both of us. We got off to a slow start as the second battery in the truck was acting up. The negative terminal was not conducting properly which took a bit of time to identify. Once fixed, we set off for the creek. The drive went smoothly and soon we were nearing the entrance of the logging road.

At the entrance we stopped to chat with some loggers and there, we learned of the heli-logging taking place not far past the first bridge. It sounded like we might not get past the operation. But we pushed on in and soon crossed the bridge and read a sign warning to check in before proceeding as the helicopter carried the logs right across the road. I called up and was answered by a truck heading up. When he caught up to our position we told him we would follow him up. We had to coordinate with a truck coming down and then wait for a second one to get loaded before we could scramble across the staging area. The mud was a foot deep across it and we were quite happy to get across without getting stuck. We even got a nod of approval from one of the loggers.

Two weeks ago we tried the Indian River FSR but were stopped by an active work crew repairing the road; they said to come back in two weeks as they would be done. So here we are two weeks later to see what the valley would reveal. We zipped along the first part of the road in record time as the clouds were thick and we had no views of the peaks. I did stop once to gather a few interesting shots of the clouds amongst the trees but otherwise we ripped up the road in our new tires and soon found ourselves at the tad pole pond. We got out to check out the pond again but found far fewer tad poles eking out a living along the shore line. That was a bit of a disappointment but it wasn’t to be out last. 

We continued along the road and soon passed the open barrier and crossed the temporary bridge. The day wasn’t the best as the clouds were thick with the odd drop of rain but they did add a dramatic look to the steep slopes beside us. Soon we were passed the placed we reached last trip but there were too many signs of active road work ahead as we inched southward. Soon we came by a Hydro work crew clearing brush from beneath the towers. Then we followed a huge rock carrier as it ambled down the road to pick up another load. Once it turned off we continued on a couple more kilometers to where a lone excavator was repairing a water crossing. We watched it for a bit but soon realized it was going to take too long for us to be able to get past. So there we were, a few kilometers further down and just at the start of the interesting section of the river but we could go no further. So it was back up the road.

Along the return we did drive out onto the flood plain of the river at one point for a few river shots, the colour change was just starting along here and we were able to gather a few shots of the trees on the far slope but nothing too dramatic. Done with the river scene, we continued on up the road and decided to continue along the Mamquam. Just before we reached the Mamquam, we spotted a Doe eating along the edge of the road, when she saw us she meandered off the road a bit and stopped to watch us. I got a few decent photos of her before she walked further into the brush. Once back to the main FSR we b-lined it to the double bridge and there we followed the road south east along the north side of the Mamquam River.

The initial few kilometers of this segment of road was very potholed and made for a very rough drive. It was getting a bit tiring before long and we were both getting a irritated with the road. It didn’t help that the road was low in the valley with thick brush along both sides of the road - we had no views and the drive was not interesting. Finally we came to the first of many forks and here we chose the right hand branch. It continued for a kilometer or so before it ended at a washed out bridge. The river was quite fast flowing through the gap and it was not a surprise that it would need regular maintenance to stay usable. We back tracked to the fork and took the left branch.

The early Fall is the most colourful time for outdoor photography, one just needs to find those spots where the colours are rich and easy to see. One such spot is along the Anderson River FSR where the road climbs over a ridge and follows it into the deeper valley. In planning the day’s trip we were fighting the weather, rain was forecast and we had to decide if it would be drier to the east or north-west. This morning the forecast favoured heading to Hope and up the Canyon so that was the direction we set out for. I wanted to find some rich colour scenes to photograph and the ridge of the Anderson quickly came to mind, so that was our primary destination for the morning. Our drive to the start of the FSR went well and we were soon ready to find the colour but we also had the added bonus of breaking in our new tires! On our last trip we wore out the old ones and had to replace them with a new set of four. This time round we bought some Toyo Open Country MT’s which have a more aggressive tread than the previous, so I am hopeful they will do better for us.

Not far along the road we saw our first patches of colour, these lower trees offered mostly yellows but they did contrast well with the rich greens and being early in the season there was still a lot of green for a back-drop. So today, they did provide some dramatic tones. As we made our way higher, we soon started to see some oranges and then as we neared the ridge the place erupted in reds. There were so many shades of red it was incredible. Some of the trees were still decked out in rich green and together we had the best display of greens, yellows, oranges and reds that I have seen in this spot. We hit the timing perfectly for this year. I spent time slowly walking up the road over this section, taking lots of photos of the hundreds of trees that offered their beauty for any takers.

After basking in the richness of the colours, we continued along the road to the old burned out building where I remembered a bush that had some rich reds last year. This year it was a bit early and the bright reds weren’t there yet but the bush still had many leaves in various stages of transition that made for interesting close-up images. So I spent a few minutes with my macro lens and gathered some images of individual leaves. Next we started down the road to the bridge over the south Anderson and there we turned north to follow the North Anderson east. The season was a few weeks early through here to see much broad based colour but one could still find smaller patches hidden amongst the trees.

On a trip I made last October along the south side of the river, we found dozens of clumps of interesting mushrooms, so we set out to see if they could be found this year. Unfortunately, we were not able to find many mushrooms and those that were out were very tiny and not photogenic. We eventually came to a washout that we felt was best to not try as we weren’t having much luck finding mushrooms. So we turned back to the main line where we continued east along the north side of the river. When we came to a more recently logged area, we climbed up the slope to a point where we had a good view of the valley. It was here where we ate lunch. Though we were in view of the main group of peaks for the area, the clouds were completely hiding them from view, and while we ate the clouds moved in thicker and dropped a bit of rain on us.

We arrived at the start of the FSR in good time having stopped once for some food supplies and the traditional coffee and then a top up of gas in Squamish. The weather was promising to be decent in the morning but less so as the day progressed, so we were hopeful that we would have decent lighting for photography. Our first thoughts were of the Indian River FSR and how we have wanted to get down it again; the road has been closed for years. So when we arrived at the fork we opted to try the road and see if the road was clear.

We made our way down the Stawamus-Indian FSR in good time. Soon we reached the place we got stopped in the snow at the last time we came this way. With no snow to think about we zipped past and soon had some nice views of Sky Pilot and Ledge Mountains. They were quite impressive looking with cloud rising up the far side and blowing through the gap between the two peaks. Every second had a different look to it as the cloud swirled around the group of peaks. After enjoying the view for a while a chap on a dirt bike came by. He stopped to see what we were looking at and then had a bit of problem restarting his bike. We continued on stopping for more photos of the group from a few angles. But then we saw ahead of us an SUV and the bike stopped on the road.

We pulled up to the two vehicles and got out to see what the issues were. The road ahead was open as a wall of cement blocks had been moved aside, but an ominous sign was posted just to the side warning that proceeding could subject one to fines! Well not being one to take back-country signs that seriously as most are left overs, we decided to continue on in. The chap and the bike came along as well. Soon he was well beyond us as we stopped every so often for photos. Soon we crossed over a bridge made of train cars and there we spotted a parked truck and excavator treads heading on down the road. We kept going thinking how nice all the recent road work was. Before much longer we came to the road crew and there we stopped to chat with them as they took a snack break. The senior of the two told us how they come by to repair the road every three years and that they would be done in two weeks. But then they told us the bad news – they would be closing it off again in a month! It seems that they only open it for a brief time every third year to service the power and gas lines. Such a shame as it is an amazingly scenic valley.

After our chat we started back and soon were greeted with a number of ATV’s & bikes exploring the newly opened road. We came back to a small pond and there we stopped to take some photos and discovered that it was full of tad poles. It seems to be very late for them and I hope they survive the winter. We tried a few short side roads, the last of which promised an alternate route back to the Mamquam. Alas after a steep descent, we reached the end of the drivable road, a narrow foot path continued down to a creek that had washed out the old bridge. Here Geoff, on his way back to the truck slipped on a rock as he jumped across the creek and ended up with a sore and wet ankle. As it was now time to find a spot to set up for our 2pm radio contact we started up the steep section of loose gravel. Unfortunately we couldn’t get traction and so we had to get out the winch and pull ourselves up. That took too long and we missed our HF radio window. Well there is always next week.

We started our day with a quick drive to Horseshoe Bay but there we encountered a major delay. It seems that the Sea-to-Sky Highway was playing host to a major cycling event which went from Vancouver to Whistler! To accommodate the cyclists a lane of the highway was blocked off and cars were shifted over to make room. The numbers of cars made for many delays as they threaded their way along the normally free-flowing road. This was quite irritating as we never once saw a cyclist. They were all past where we were. When we finally got to the entrance of the Furry Creek FSR we found a police car blocking the way in. At first he was waving us on but after I got out and chatted with him about our intent and activities, he opened the barricade and let us onto the road. So finally, we got our start on the back-country portion of our day.

I have driven the early section of the road a number of times but I never got to the end due to snow blocking the way, so today our goal was to reach the end of the northern fork and see just how far it goes. Not far along the road we spotted a black bear strolling along but once he saw us he took off and soon ducked down and off the road towards the golf course. Not much beyond he departure point we had a great view of Howe Sound where I had to gather a few images. We continued on in along the road that Geoff and I got stuck on when we last drove it. On the map the road is shown to continue on to the Seymour Lake area, though I doubted we would be able to drive that far, I was hopeful that we would get close. 

We tried a few side roads as we drove along and I was able to gather a number of interesting mountain shots and even some close-up work on some thistle seeds. It was a pleasant drive and soon we were past the place that trapped Geoff and I last trip. We made a few kilometers further before we were stopped by a river crossing that was a bit steep for the truck to try. The area around here was heavily inundated with trails for dirt bikes, including some makeshift bridges across the creek. Rather than push our luck with the crossing we opted to turn back and explore the side roads we passed on our way in.

We gathered a few more shots of the valley, creek and to the far west – Howe Sound – it is a pretty area and despite the thick dust clouds we kicked up as we drove, I enjoyed the simple scenery along the road. As we neared the start of the road we could either switch over to the south side of the creek and revisit that trail and perhaps even get a closer view of the heli-logging going on or follow an unexplored road heading north towards Britannia Beach. The latter choice was more appealing and soon we were on virgin road. 

Earlier in the summer I was still uncertain as to which peaks to hike this year. In perusing the hiking book we finally noticed the Zoa Peak hike as being about the right length and in a new region. So Zoa was selected as our final challenge for the summer. Zoa is located just a bit north-west of the summit of the Coquihalla Highway, so we had a fair amount of driving to get to the start of the trail. As the weather was expected to be hot we planned to leave the house quite early so we could get the bulk of the hike done before the day got hot. 

Geoff arrived at the house at 6:30am and we on the drive a few minutes later, stopping in Abbotsford for the traditional coffee and then in Hope for lunch supplies and a breakfast sandwich as I didn’t have time for my normal bowl of cereal. Once done in Hope we returned to the highway and were soon at the Falls Lake turn off. We left the highway and made for the parking area for people visiting the lake and starting our hike. Now the maps showed some logging roads and service roads that looked as though they would take us up past the initial portion of the hike which follows a pipeline. Since neither of us like hiking where a truck can drive us, we decided that we would take a few minutes to see if the road was drivable to the spot on the pipeline right-of-way where the trail leaves the pipeline. 

Following the logging road we soon came to the connector leading to the pipeline service road. It was steep and rough in places but nothing all that challenging for us. So continuing along we were soon on the right-of-way just above where the trail leaves the clearing. This was great as it cut off a third of the elevation gain. The spot we found to park in also allowed us to set up the truck’s cross-band repeater with a solid connection to the repeater back in Hope which in turn was linked to Sumas Mountain and then to home. So once parked, our first task was to set up the antenna mast with the Yagi antenna. In starting to organize the mast, we ran into our first problem of the day.
Where Geoff had parked the truck there was a narrow ledge along the passenger side of the truck for me to work from and as I was reaching items in the back of the truck I was slowly sliding to the end of the truck. Then suddenly I felt a burning sensation in my right leg which led to a rapid repositioning. I thought little of it as I had bumped the exhaust pipe before. I made my way around its protruding presence and grabbed a few mast items to take to Geoff. When I got to him he immediately noticed my leg, it seems that my brief contact had caused a fairly serious burn on my calf! So we stopped the mast work and Geoff got out the first-aid kit and covered up my burn. It didn’t seem to be bothering me much so we continued with the antenna set up and then we got ready for the hike. The Yagi gave us an excellent quality link to Hope.
Communications established, leg bandaged, we were now ready to head to the trail and start up the next segment. Our first section of the trail was quite steep for a few hundred meters but then dropped to a fairly pleasant grade for most of the remainder of the trail. As we were quite high in elevation the trees were not overly thick along the trail giving a pleasant open feel, but thick enough to provide lots of shade. The trail was quite easy to follow with a well-worn path through the ground cover for most of the way and on the rocky spots they had a good number of cairns to show the direction. The trail we followed seemed to follow a different path than that described in the book. It avoided climbing the first of the two peaks, electing to stay level and round the first peak on the north slope. This was fine for me but it did leave me a bit uncertain as to whether we were on the right trial.

I have always enjoyed the hikes on Mt Seymour. They can range from very easy to quite challenging; today I needed a shorter hike as I had a major family event to attend in the late afternoon. I was thinking about shorter drives until I realized that my third son – Nick – had a week off from work and would enjoy a short hike. So in thinking about hikes, Goldie Lake jumped to mind. It isn’t a very difficult hike, a decent length and the numerous angles of the various ponds offer many photo ops. I hadn’t been there in three years so a return visit was due. I felt that a quick stroll up Dinkey Peak would be a fine finish to the day should we be up to it.

Though Mt. Seymour is close-by, we wanted to leave a bit earlier than normal so that we would beat the worst of the day’s heat. So we left around 8am with Ethan driving and Nick exploring the rear seat. The drive to Starbucks in Cloverdale went without incident as did the remainder of the drive to the North Shore. Soon we were climbing out of the truck and getting our gear in order. Up on Seymour we are only meters away from the Mt. Seymour repeater, so setting up communications for the hike involved simply dialing in that frequency. I also used my three GMRS radios so that Nick could join Ethan and I with radio coverage. Once ready, we started down the trail – the day was already starting to get warm so it was a good thing we had picked an easy trail. 

Not far down the path we discovered a snow bank! It seems that the year is so late that even at low elevations one can still find patches of snow in the shadows. That was quite unexpected but it did add a fun dimension to the day. We made good time to the first lake despite meandering along taking numerous photos as we went. The ground was quite dry except where the snow was melting, so we had quite the range of trail conditions. The one thing we did have plenty of was flies; they were quite thick but thanks to some Deet spray, tended to ignore us. 

The Goldie Lake chain offered some amazing reflection images of the trees and rocks surrounding them. I find reflection photos to be among my favourites. They can be very subtle to outright amazing to look at. Today I had an interesting range of subtle effects as the stillness of the lake surface made for strong reflections while still providing good views through to the bottom. Upon arrival at Goldie Lake itself we stopped for a short break enjoying a few snacks before continuing around for more angles. There were a few more snow patches on the trail as we rounded Goldie. At the juncture to continue the Goldie Loop or head off for Flower Lake we opted to tackle Flower Lake next and so we started along the Flower loop trail. This trail segment was muddier than the Goldie trail perhaps as it is a bit lower and travels through several swampy areas.

Three months ago we had tried to see the area but it was too early in the season for the snow to clear, so today we returned to see the rest of the first two side roads. Geoff was my companion for the day and he arrived just after 8am and we set off for a coffee in Cloverdale, lunch supplies in West Vancouver and fuel in Squamish. Eventually we actually reached the start of the Squamish Valley Mainline. En-route I contacted John a local Ham radio operator who lives a kilometer from the start of the Squamish Main Line. He would be keeping an ear out for us should we need help.

Our goals for the day were simple – finish the first two side roads along the Squamish Main Line and to do a bit of radio chatting from a high location. Once we arrived at the start of the logging roads, we tuned the radio for the road frequency and switched the truck to 4x4. Soon we heard a pair of log haulers coordinating their positions for passing and warning each other about nuisance recreational drivers, I regularly find their comments amusing. The distance to the first side road – B100 – is not long and we were soon heading up the slope. As I had done most of the side branches last time with Ethan, we kept to the major road until we passed the point that I was stopped at last time. We were able to reach the end of the road and also a few of the upper branches. There really wasn’t all that much beyond what we did before but it was nice having completed the area. I did find a few interesting scenes along the newer area.

Having completed the bulk of the B100 area we returned to the main line and made our way to B200. This section is much larger than the first and even though we spent most of our day here we explored less than half of it. Last trip, towards the end of our day we came upon a pair of hikers who were wandering along the back section of the road looking for the continuation of the trail they had hiked up. They never did find it, so it seemed a bit odd to find two more groups doing the same thing today. It seems that the trail leaves a bit to be clarified. Reviewing the hike in a book later I learned that the trail simply follows the road back down! Once we passed the hikers we chose the left branch which leads up to a sub peak of the region. It was a road we could have tried last trip but due to time constraints didn’t explore. The road wound its way up the ridge and soon came by a small pond where I found a few interesting angles of the reflected stumps in the water. We continued up and soon came to a section of road that was being encroached by alder along the sides. We pushed our way through and soon had clear road again.

We continued up the road but as it was approaching 2pm and my scheduled radio time we had to quickly find a spot to set up the antenna. Shortly we came to a fork with one branch stretching east-west and soon we had the gear in operation. I put out a call on the 40m band and John answered back. We had a brief chat and then I continued calling for club members, eventually a chap in Oregon responded followed by another in Idaho. It was fun talking with them; Ken from home was able to talk to the Idaho station who then relayed the info between us. So it would seem that the signals were skipping over White Rock this afternoon, but we were able to communicate with others a few hundred miles further away. Next I tried the 20 meter band and chatted with a station in Las Vegas. He reported a strong signal and after a short chat we parted and as it was approaching 3pm, I decided to close down and get back to exploring.