Our day began at 6am with the alarm clock reminding me of the grueling event soon to be started. After a quick routine we were on the road by 6:30 and heading for the first all crucial stop – Starbucks. Once we had loaded up on the essential drugs for the morning we were off for the trailhead near the summit of the Coquihalla highway. Being early the traffic was light and we were soon zipping through Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Bridal Falls – well another quick stop at the small grocery there to gather some additional food items for munching along the trail. Then we passed through Hope and soon were approaching the Zopkios range and the rest stop named after the mountains looming over the highway.

Of course when we arrived we were socked in with cloud and couldn’t even see the mountain we were soon to subdue. Having parked the truck we got out to get our gear in order for the hike and immediately started to get chilled. It was quite cold out and with the blowing clouds it was also very damp. We felt that at least the hike would be cool and we wouldn’t over heat on the way up, but we were apprehensive of getting to the top and not being able to see anything. Finally we had ourselves in order and we started out along the side of the highway to the start of the trail. Though uphill the excitement of the hike made it easy going and fast.

As we reached the cairn marking the start of the trail we met up with a group of three guys who were also doing the hike – chatting with them later near the top we learned that this was the third time that one of them had hiked Yak Peak. They gave us encouragement along the way as we crossed over some steep sections – mind you most of the trail was steep sections! Passing the cairn it took a few tries to locate the path through the overgrown brush but we soon were on the trail and crossing over a swampy patch on some narrow water soaked logs. Then it was into the forest and almost immediately up the steep slope that would continue for most of the hike.

The initial trail through the trees was pleasant as the switchbacks helped reduce the steepness and the cool air made for pleasant hiking conditions. After some time and several rest stops we came up the start of the talus field where we had to scramble over huge rocks to reach the base of the steep smooth cliff face that the climbers come to enjoy. There were in fact two groups climbing the mountain today and one of the groups was already on the slope a ways above us. The next section of our hike had us travel along the base of the cliff wall to the east side where we started once again to gain elevation. The next segment of the hike climbed along the edge of the cliff face where we were able to get reasonable footholds amongst the trees and boulders. It was hard going but quite scenic, the far edge of the cliff face sports a stream cascading down from the heights it was noisy but quite pretty to behold.

After some distance, the trail leads over a steep rock where a rope has been secured to help hikers get on top of it. It was nice having the rope as it made this section go quite quickly. After the rope the trail heads away from the side of the cliff and moves into a broader ravine which continues up to the ridge connecting Yak and Nak Peaks. This section was mostly grasses and exposed rock and made a nice spot for scenery but heading up we missed it all due to the clouds we were continually cloaked in. The return trip gave us grand vistas to enjoy as we made our way down this section, but for now it was grey cool and damp. Before much further we reached a protected dip just below the ridge line where the other group had stopped to eat lunch and wait out the clouds hoping they would clear. We hiked past them and up another 40m elevation to the base of a snow field where we stopped to eat lunch.

The weather was a bit questionable and I was concerned we may get caught by rain. Though we were mostly driving, rain would cut down on our viewing opportunities and as we were heading for a high elevation ridge I really wanted get some views. As we made our way north to Squamish the clouds kept their heaviness and I was not very hopeful. Once in Squamish we faced a second challenge, the local ham operators were active on the repeater helping with a bike race. This kept us off the air except for emergencies – at-least they provided some interesting background conversation.

We topped up the truck in Squamish and made for the start of the FSR. The initial road was quite nice as it was well used along the lower section as an access to Cat Lake, a popular destination. This did give us a new problem – there was a very slow moving truck in front of us. They seemed afraid of even the smallest holes. After a few minutes they finally pulled over to let us pass. We did and soon were out of sight. We reached a fork the main branch on the right stayed low but the left started up steeply and was in poorer condition. So up we went.

This road was rough but not overly so. We gained some elevation and came by a pull-out where we stopped to gather a few photos. Alas the clouds were still thick and I could see very little beyond our immediate location. At least the greens were vibrant. We continued up the road and soon reached a few more forks – taking the left each time we soon were crossing bridges and gaining elevation. This branch followed the Brohm River and offered some nice views down the valley to Squamish unfortunately the clouds were blocking the sights. We tried each short spur in turn as we drove along gathering photos of wet leaves and trees. At one point we were at the base of some serious rock cliffs which had a neat look to them. Taking photos proved hazardous as we couldn’t stay out of the car for long enough to enjoy the place thanks to the bugs which were biting voraciously and we had forgotten to pack bug spray. They really put a crimp on my photography.

While driving, we spotted some observation huts just off the main road, I hiked out to the first one we saw and climbed up into it. It did have a nice view of the valley and I spotted a second one further up. I wasn’t sure of their purpose but perhaps they had some nice views when the clouds were less. We back tracked along the road and took the next major fork which crossed over to the next creek valley and connected to another road which continued further up the ridge. This time we found the main road to the higher Brohm Ridge. This road seemed much rougher and the map showed it as a snowmobile route. 

It was just short of two years ago that we climbed Hope Mountain. At that time we saw the trail for Wells Peak and decided we would need to come back and try that hike. So here we were two years later starting off extra early for Wells Peak. We wanted to beat the afternoon heat so we left the house at 6:30AM and made only one coffee stop on our drive to the trailhead. Being so early the roads were clear of cars and we made good time all the way to the start of the logging road.

Starting up the FSR went well but soon we came by a large bolder that had fallen onto the road. There was a well-travelled path around it and though tight we were able to get by with little delay. We stopped to take a few photos of the waterfall just up from the level water crossing that at one point had been the place of a bridge. Driving this section of road reminded me of a few past trips where we encountered vehicle troubles – it was here that we first discovered the hole in the floor board of our previous vehicle, a Nissan Pathfinder, which was right above the exhaust pipe and was the cause of the rug smoldering! Today our drive went quickly and we were soon parking at the road end and the start of the trail.

The Hope Mountain trail starts off going down into the creek bed before climbing the far side of the valley, Wells Peak trail just starts straight up the old road. So after getting our gear in order, it seemed to take far too long, we started up the over-grown road. This first section goes quite quickly as it is fairly smooth travel and in a straight line up the side of the valley. The only interesting item we came across were several piles of bear scat. The bear obviously found the old road a convenience as well. Eventually we came to the bend and made our way south gaining elevation a bit slower for the next few hundred meters. 

Our first challenge of the day was getting over a large log that was across the trail. Now normally that would be easy but this one was covered in large red ants and they seemed quite aggressive. After planning his move Geoff got over without a problem. Then he helped me over. Once on the far side I took a few steps and stopped short as I felt a painful bite in my calf. I looked down to find a large red ant gnawing on my leg! A quick brush and it was off with no ill effects – those little things certainly can bite. We continued along the old road bed but soon we reached a washed out section which left us scrambling over slippery slope to get to the next segment of trail. Then we reached the forested portion where there is an old sign reminding people of no fires.

The next section was very steep with many small switchbacks as the trail made its way up to the ridge that leads to the northern flank of the peak. The trail is well marked and worn here so it is very easy to follow and though steep the tree-cover makes it cooler and a pleasant section to hike. We came by an old tree ladder which helped us climb up a steep section and then a very long tree bridge which crossed a soggy slope. Continuing up we were getting closer to the ridge when we suddenly realized that we were reaching the snow line. It seems that the late season had left a fair amount of snow still on the ground for us to deal with. It was hot enough that the snow was melting and every so often we watched as a buried tree sprung free from the snow! Though in some ways walking on the packed snow made travel easier, it also hid trail markers and so we were taking longer to determine our path. When we reached the ridge we lost the markers all together and so we hiked out on the open slope and there we beheld the snow packed bowl before us. 

The weather was not looking good all week as we monitored the changing forecast and by Saturday morning it was in heavy rain that we departed the house an hour earlier than normal for our drive to the start of the Tulameen FSR. Just a few blocks from home we ran in to an unexpected obstacle – a bike race had closed off the intersection of 24th & 184th. When this annoying event happened last year we were stopped for 15 minutes before being able to cross the road. I really think they need to allow cars through every few minutes and not make things so annoying. We turned around and drove north to #10 highway and then out for the east. We lost some time but were still ahead of our normal departure.

Rather than a quick coffee near home we stopped at the old spot in Abbotsford before continuing on to Hope and the Coquihalla. The rain had lessened as we made our way up the valley and by the time we left the highway it was only a mild drizzle. That we could live with but it also hid the peaks of the mountains from us so we did have fewer grand vista opportunities to photograph. But we were now here enjoying the backcountry with the irritation of the cyclists rapidly fading from memory! Not far along the road we startled a huge snow hare who then quickly hoped across the road in front of us. He was partway into changing colours from white to grey, his feet were still snow white.

We continued south along the Tulameen mainline as we hoped to make it past where we were stopped by snow last year. The drive went quite quickly as the road was in good shape and the dull rainy weather made it uninviting to get out and take photos, I did hope it would clear a bit as the day progressed. Soon we were all the way down to Sutter Creek and the Rec. site where we had some great views of the small gorge the creek flows through. I got a couple of photos today but the rain really cramped my style and we didn’t bother to climb down the slope to the water this time. After Geoff shot off a few rounds of his guns we continued south and soon passed the point we were stopped at last year. As we drove the new section we surprised a few deer and by the end of the day we had seen six deer and two bears. The second group of deer were running down the road away from us and soon switched into hoping mode, it is a funny sight to see but they do make good speed! Alas we were stopped by snow once again less than 6km past our previous point. I guess we will just have to try one more time.

We reluctantly turned back and started to explore the side roads as we came to them. The first led to a more recently logged area along Vuich Creek. We had to clear one tree that had fallen across the road and soon we came by a small bridge where two logs had been pulled across to block entry. Now we could have moved them but we decided to honour the desires of the loggers who placed them there as we had so much to see. Turning back to the mainline we stopped at Sutter Creek again and this explored the area across from the gorge where some side roads led to a few campsites. We drove a short distance along a grassy road and found a few interesting sights but then it was back to the mainline for the next side road.

July is only a few weeks away and with it comes my mountain peak hikes. So I felt I needed to get a bit conditioned for hiking by starting out with an easier hike. Although I have hiked Brohm Lake a couple times in the past, I never hiked the western ridge to a viewpoint. So it seemed like a good goal for the day, weather permitting. Fortunately the weather looked ideal for a hike and so Ethan and set off for the lake and the start of our day of hiking.

Along the drive in, Ethan was trying to remember which lake this was, hoping it was not the one he really hated. Later at about the two –thirds point we determined this was his hated hike! But today it was going very well and not at all like his memory. We felt that the reason for the prior difficulty was due to the camera bag we were lugging around. I now have a smaller hiking setup which is much lighter and easier to take along. So in the end Ethan’s view of the hike was redeemed.

We arrived at the lake parking lot before 11, not really early enough for a major hike but for this one it would be just fine. I really quite like the hike around the lake as there are quite a few interesting sights as one makes their way around the trail. Around the parking area the shore is very rugged with tall boulders dropping down to the lake edge which give a dramatic look to the photos. As one hikes south the terrain changes to a flat marshy mode with lots of tall grass choking the surface of the lake. Here there is a long wooden foot-bridge which crosses over the marshy portion of the lake. The bridge offers a great number of textures by itself but it also opens up many angles on the lake to enjoy.

On the far side of the bridge the trail forks, the right branch follows the lake edge north and has been the way we have gone in the past. The left branch initially leads south and then curves around to the north on the far side of a ridge. One can from there take a short side trail up to a minor peak where there is an old observation platform. Along this portion of the trail I spotted some lovely sheer rock walls with ample mosses and greenery hanging down from it. The fresh greens of spring made for a very rich look and I was stopping often to gather a few photos. I really need to come with a couple of flash units to provide some fill light but those were not with me today. Closer to the top we came by some amazing patches of skunk cabbage – the flowers were not out yet but the leaves were huge and rich in bright greens. I gathered a number of photos of the plants.

Two and a half years ago Ethan and I drove a loop starting in Garnet Creek jumping across to Talc Creek and ending on the East Harrison. It was a lovely drive with some amazing valleys to explore. So today, Geoff and I hoped to do the drive in reverse, starting on the Harrison and then exploring Talc Creek. Unfortunately, the start of Talc Creek presented a locked gate! Not at all what we were expecting. It seems that with the increase in back-country campers in the area, most of the roads are getting gated. So with no way to enter the Talc valley we decided to continue north up the Harrison and cross Cogburn Creek to run up that road but it too was gated! Now we were getting frustrated.

I felt we should just keep heading up the road and so we drove up to the Silver Creek log sorting yard and then continued on. We soon came by a side road to the east which had some large logs partially blocking access which we had never explored so in we went. We ended up spending the whole day in this relatively small area. The area had multiple side branches for us to explore and some lovely sights of the mountains and greens of the mossy understory. On our first side branch we stopped at the end of the road and climbed up some tree fall to get a view to the north. It was an OK sight but not great. We then drove to the end of another branch where we were had to stop as the road continuing on was not drivable, so we decided to hike out on it to a lovely moss and fern covered area. While there we heard some logs dropping or branches breaking and at the second time Geoff got concerned then when I mentioned that I had also heard them both we figured there might be an animal lurking not far away. He fired off a couple rounds of his .22 and we then went back to the car so he could get his bigger rifle. We returned for a few more photos and then left the area.

We drove to the end of another side road and there we got out and clambered up a small ridge to gather some photos of the area. I spotted some interesting trees to photograph. As we retraced our drive I looked up another side road and spotted a bear on the road right near a turn. We hocked the horn and it quickly scurried off around the bend and up the road. We drove on up this side road but never saw the bear again. We quickly drove this branch and then returned to the mainline where we drove back to the next fork. This one opened up a whole new area for us to explore and so we ended up driving a fair ways south as we slowly gained elevation.

On the first road in this new area we had a sharp switch back as the road climbed the slope of the mountain and as we continued up Geoff looked down slope at the road we had just driven up and saw a large black bear about 30 meters from the side of the road! We decided to stay where we were and watch the bear for a while. He was busy eating berries and really wasn’t interested in us. The Salmon berries were ripening well and he was enjoying a good meal. We drove the short distance to the end of this branch and then had to come back down passing by where the bear was. We did so and stopped along the road closest to the foraging bear. He merely looked up at as and continued eating, then as we weren’t moving he lay down on a log much as a dog would do and watched us. Geoff fired off some rounds of his SKS to which the bear looked up but couldn’t be bothered to move. Geoff fired off another sequence, this time the bear casually got up and walked away. He really didn’t seem to care about us much at all, considering it was still open bear season, he should have been a bit more wary.

Today Ethan joined me for a drive through the hills. Our goal was to explore the roads on Mt. Agassiz. To get there one had to enter via Mt. Woodside and so we set out for the FSR entrance off the highway on the lower slopes of the mountain.  The initial climb to the ridge goes quite quickly as the road is in good shape and we really don’t have to go that far.  About half way up there is a good view showing the beauty of the Fraser River and the valley heading west. It is an amazing view and would only get better as we gained further elevation.

As we came by the side branch leading to the launch point of the paragliders, Ethan suggested we go there first and so we did. I was easy to convince as I felt we would get better views with the sun behind us rather than in front. When we arrived we found four pilots on the site preparing to take off. We chatted with them as they each in turn launched into the scenery. I got some good shots of the pilots taking off. One of them was embarking on an 8 hour cross-country flight – across to Stave River up the lake, over to Harrison and back down!

After an hour plus on the site we set off for the rest of our day’s journey. Climbing higher we came by the fork leading to the radio repeater on the peak of Woodside and as its gate was open we started up it next. The road was a bit over-grown and the brush still leaning inward from the season’s snowfall. We got to within a half kilometer of the end before snow stopped us. So close but it is still out there causing trouble. We returned to the mainline and continued north-east. We came by the fork leading to Stacey Lake where we walked around its frozen surface back in December 2010. Today we found a string of 4x4 parked on the road with the drivers all busy fishing on the lake. We chatted with one chap who had come in from the lake as he had gotten very cold.

We backed back to the mainline and continued on our way to Mt. Agassiz. The next gate was also open and we continued along soon passing the peak of Agassiz and coming to an amazing viewpoint of Harrison Lake. Here we stopped to enjoy our lunch and the great scenery.  It was lovely in the bright sunlight but soon we were getting overheated and so we continued up the road but it only went a short distance further. So we returned to the first fork and there we drove along a soggy bit of road and soon found ourselves within a few feet of the edge of Campbell Lake.  We stopped at a makeshift campsite so I could gather a few photos of the lake and its reflections of the clouds above. The road continued on past the lake and so we decided to follow it. The first few hundred meters were very wet and soft but it hardened up enough for us to keep going. We continued for a few hundred meters more crossing some more swamp zones and very narrow gaps before we realized the road had narrowed to a trail and we would need to back out. This proved a bit troublesome, tight space between trees and a drop on the one side. After careful maneuvering Ethan was able to back us out and we were soon back to the lake where we could turn around.

It was eleven years ago that Geoff, Ethan and I were driving through the valley and exploring some of the easier side–roads. At the end of one of these was an old cabin that was hidden in the trees along the side of a creek bed. Though we had tried a few times to find it since that trip, we hadn’t found it. Today we planned to put more effort into locating it. In looking over my old photo of the cabin I noticed a couple of mountain scenes taken at the same time. So I figured they were taken close to the cabin and if I could position Google Earth just right I would discover the spot they were taken. So a few days before the trip I spent some time on my computer and eventually pin-pointed the spot where the mountains on Google Earth looked similar to those on the old photos. Armed with a starting point we set off for the valley.

Upon arrival we soon learned two things – the first was that the road was recently graded and was very smooth and easy driving – all the way to Ross Lake. The second was that the easy road brought out a lot of campers and with the dry road the dust kicked up by driving was massive! Our first stop upon entering the valley was just before Silver Lake where we had a nice view into the lake and the river just below it. I have taken numerous photos form here but the spot always draws me back. We were able to clamber onto a huge rock in the middle of the river where we took some amazing water photos. Unfortunately, we had to wait for long gaps between vehicles on the road as the dust they kicked up blew across the river and lake obscuring the scene!

As we continued our way south along the valley, everywhere we found a wide spot or side road there were groups of campers milling about. They seemed to be eking out a camping experience in every nook-and-cranny that could be found! Quite funny in a way as those alongside the road were getting covered in a thick layer of dust with each passing car! With the road in such good shape we were very quickly approaching the location where our side road to the cabin should be and we needed to keep an eye out for it. Soon we found an old over-grown road leading off to the SE from the mainline. The trees were crowding the road and a deep cross-ditch made the entrance to the road a bit questionable. As it was only a half kilometer to the end of it we opted to just park and hike in to the end of the spur and look for the cabin. We easily reached the end of the road now much over-grown and covered in the intervening 11 years. We started up the creek bed and crossed over to the far side. After climbing through the bush along the side of the creek Geoff yells out that he found the spot! Unfortunately, the old cabin had been destroyed. All we found were some of the ‘appliances’ – bathtub, stove, wood-burning heater. It was a real shame but at-least we can now claim to have finally found it.

The Squamish valley has a large number of side branches to explore and I have traveled very few of them. I have seen the first and half the second plus a couple at the far end of the Elaho but as to the rest, well a few were partially seen many years back but nothing in recent memory. So we felt we should return to the valley and try for the far northern end of the Squamish mainline. The initial drive went quickly as we left home a half hour earlier than normal and we were able to beat the week-end traffic. In Squamish I was able to contact a local ham and we set up to do some simplex calling while we were far up the valley. On our way home we dropped into visit with John for a few minutes before heading home.

We zipped up the early section of the road passing the many lovely sites we stopped at last week. It was quite surprising to see how much greener the place is after just one week! We didn’t really stop to look around until we reached the bridge across the Squamish River leading to the Elaho. From the bridge we gave a call back to John and were able to get a clear signal all the way down the twisty valley. So now we started up the less traveled section of the road. The early part of the road was clear and easy to drive. Soon we came by a huge tree that had fallen across the road. It was huge but fortunately left a big enough gap under it that the truck was able to drive through it.

Soon after the tree we found a short side branch the lead up through a shale field. Here we parked and got out to look for some decent photo ops. Geoff noticed a huge stump not far up the slope so we made for it. I slipped on the moss at one point and was fortunately caught by Geoff. The mossy covering on the rocks was not as solid as it looked. When we areached the stump we discovered that it was hollow and not a safe spot to stand on which I had hoped to do. I gathered a few pictures of it to try and portray its size. We explored a bit more before we returned to the truck and continued up the mainline.

Not much further we came by a stream that had clogged it drainage pipe under the road and it was now flowing over the road cutting a deep crevasse into the road. We added some flagging tape to a small marker that a prior visitor had left to better mark the danger. There was still enough space to drive past the gap but in crossing we discovered that the water had made the ground very soft and we sank in the mud. So we had to haul out the winch and pull ourselves free of the soft sand. At the rate it seemed to be eating the road, I don’t think the spot will be crossable for much longer. We continued north, past the S200 branch and soon encountered deep snow. Well that was the end of our drive up the mainline for today, so we drove back to the S200 branch and started up it. Not far in we came by a lovely waterfall where we gathered a number of photos. Geoff was a bit worried about getting back across the gap on the mainline so we kept our stay short on this side road and soon we were driving back to the crevasse.

I really enjoy driving up the Elaho and seeing the beauty of this area surrounded by high mountain ranges and glacier capped peaks. I have seen very little of the area due to the time it takes to arrive on scene, but when I do get here I am never disappointed. This winter we drove the Squamish mainline twice in the deep snow hoping to reach the start of the Elaho but both times fell short of our goal. Today the snows are gone on the lower levels and the road was busy with recreational users so we were able to finally get to the Elaho River and enjoy the breath-taking gorge and amazing ice-capped peaks.

After fighting with some construction delays on the highway we finally arrived at the start of the mainline and our planned adventure. We soon noticed that the early section of road was recently graded and the horrible pot-holes cleared up – that sure made for a more pleasant start to the drive, the last time this area was not at all a fun bit of road. Driving on the road did get rougher as we journeyed deeper. 

We eventually came to a heavily wooded area with a small pond off to the east side of the road. We stopped to gather a few reflection shots of the new growth with its fascinating greens that spring brings out in the rush to return life back to the forest. I was still playing with my polarizer and experimented with the look of the shot through it. I am still not certain I like the results of using it but I am forcing myself to use it the next few trips to see if I can get more out of the scenery with it. Some shots are vastly improved others not at all, but the overall feel of the photos is different and I still have to decide if I like it.

Shortly after the pond we came by a stand of moss covered trees that called out in a loud way to Geoff, so we parked and got down into a small stream bed to gather a few photos of the trees with their moss chocked branches. We were now fighting the odd drop of rain, so I didn’t want to spend much time out here away from the safety of the truck – such a wuss. Done with the trees we made for the truck and continued on up the road. Soon we reached the turn-back spot of our previous trips and kept on going – no snow to hinder our ambitions today. We came by a few other vehicles where the occupants were out fishing or hunting in the surrounding bush. We also came by one side branch along the river that we drove that gave access to a number of great camping spots, but we were not staying the night so on we drove.

Finally we reached the bridge over the Squamish that provides the access to the Elaho valley. Over it we zipped and saw a few more groups camping along the river. We made our way directly to the viewpoint of the Elaho gorge where we stopped so I could gather a few more photos of the gorge. I never get enough of this view, today I found a trail leading to a small ledge where one had an even better view of the river far below. Reluctantly we left the gorge view and set off up the Elaho for the first bridge and our intended section for driving. The road seemed quite clear of debris and we thought it must have some activity of some sort occurring on it.

Not much beyond the bridge the road forks, we chose the right branch first and continued west along the south side of the Elaho. This road slowly gained elevation as it hugged the north slope of ice-cap peak. We came by one small waterfall, Geoff stopped just past it and in backing up got perilously close to the edge of the road, I yelled out to stop so he could get out and check his position to see how he should drive to get safely back onto the road. It wasn’t too serious a challenge yet but it could have been with a moment more of backing-up! We decided it wasn’t a good spot to photograph due to obscuring brush so we continued up the road.

Only a few dozen meters further we came by the main stream of the small creek and here we had an amazing waterfall. There was a fair amount of brush blocking a good view of the falls here as well, but we felt it would be worth the effort to clear some of it. So while I hacked at some of the closer branches, Geoff got out the chainsaw and made for the larger clumps along the edges of the drop. After 45 minutes we had most of the weed-trees removed and I was able to gather a good number of photos. Geoff found one more clump half way up the drop that he wanted to clear so he set off to deal with those trees while I waited for him to be done. That last bit of effort cleaned up the scene even more. Done with the site we packed up and started to leave when Geoff noticed that his clip of 22mm bullets had gone missing! After searching the area around the foot of the falls we gave up and continued up the road.