Running a diabolical eye over the frame, Holmes pulled on his pipe and dropped the magnifying glass, "By God, Watson, the only possible way I can see of getting to this lake without using the Nanaimo Lakes' Access road is this old and decrepit logging road from the north! After the right turn on the trail in the bottom left, is that a small trail leading up then down or a game of shadows?...And why is the trail so brown looking? Could that be logs, perchance, or have other riders suffered a nasty skid? It seems they don't want us getting there without paying a dollar to the caravan Nazi, eh, Watson?"
"Well, Holmes, I shall bring you your brown trousers: it seems you're bound and determined to try it, fool that you are."
"That's the spirit, Watson, keep on with the encouragement. I'll ready Suzi. Seen my TP?"
I had a great ride today trying a little of everything. First, I did the power lines to Rhododendon lake, where the Rhodo's are just starting to think about blooming. It was a gorgeous day, and I made it in one hour exactly from my door to the lake. When I got there, large trout were jumping everywhere. Unlike Kidney and Boomerang, these were monsters with a decent bassy thump when the "kippered" down back onto the surface. The lake was non stop with three or four simultaneous jumps, slaps and rings at any given time. The fish were aggressively leaping and breaking the surface after a fresh hatch of black lacey flies with two long prongs trailing behind the abdomen, and they were everywhere. So you can imagine, that it was the most singlehandedly frustrating experience to be at the lake for 1.5 hours and not have bite! The fish were jumping within 40 feet of the shore, most around the typical location where I fish from, and despite some 14 inch monsters following my (many different) lures in, nary a bite I got. I left the lake with the action still in full swing, shaking my head and wondering how such big fish can live in such a small lake. Wise fish.
Rhododendrons just starting to crack some flame...Look like they'll be gorgeous soon...
It was hot enough that I was riding in a tee shirt and armour...Fabulous weather!
But this was just a side show for today's ride, and at about 2:30 I packed it in, knowing that I just wasn't going to get a kipper today and headed off for some more adventure.
I had decided to find what I thought was an unnamed lake on Google that is enroute to Mount Moriarti; although, I knew it wasn't Moriati Lake, which is further east. So leaving Rhodo and heading north and not taking the route east leading back along the power lines, I made my way to the 155 - The Englishman River Main. This is an easy ride with speeds of 70 and 80 easily maintained. I saw one other rider all day, and he was on a 2 stroke KTM coming the other way on this stretch. Just prior to the last bridge on this main BEFORE turning right over the next bridge and crossing the Englishman, is Branch 146. Take it. It will take you on a nice circle route up to the lake. The first part of the trail is very small, but easy, with the occasional bouldery section which, if taken slowly is a piece of cheese cake. You then take a right fork through a heavily wooded section where there are many alders down over the trail. Eventually, you come to this...
Excuse the wide angle nature of these shots, they're taken with a GoPro, and both distort and, in video, reduce apparent speed...But I like the clarity compared to the iPhone... This is an old abandoned bridge which is safe to walk on, and now, I know is also safe to ride over. The bridge spans Moriarti Creek, a beautiful clear and fast flowing creek with some serious power. A bit like Suzi Q!
Shortly after crossing the bridge, take right fork then 100m or so later, take the left. This is where you start some serious elevation climbing. Eventually, after traversing some good trails, steep grades and the occasional boulder strewn bounce fest, you start to notice snow and serious vistas. In particular, on your left, you will notice a black hole-like cavity in the landscape. This is Marshall Lake. Basically, at every junction, as illustrated, you go right.
As we got higher (that's me and Suzi - amazing how inanimate objects can become very important when you're all alone in the alpine...) we crested the snow level, but it wasn't too bad and after a couple of patches made it easily.
The lake was placid and fishing would have been nigh-on impossible from the little opening I found. However, once the snow has melted some more, there is great access on a road that circles the lake; there were some spots that looked deep and rocky on the other side. The lake is gorgeous, but I imagine, being a snow-melt fed tarn and shaded by the large peaks around it, it's cold... There was no sign of any fish rises yet...
Enroute down, I decided to take a different route that I saw just after the rotten bridge. It was on this route, after noticing fresh bear scat since leaving the Englishman Main prior to my ascent, that I came face to face with a beautiful big blue/black bear. It was huge and in prime condition. He was absolutely terrified and ran like rhino trying to out run the bike, finally giving up, and ducking into the woods to my right. I managed to use the handlebar remote to switch on my helmet cam and get a few shots, although I had to slow down to do this, and he got further ahead.
After it raced into the woods, if you look carefully, you can see him looking up at me before he decides he's had enough and rapidly runs off...
Continuing down, there are some spectacular vistas, made a little less so by the wide angle on the Go Pro...
Finally you join the Englishman River Main only about 200m further west than you left it on a road that is steep but actually in better repair than the 146 you took up.
Finally, here are two GE trails from my iPhone App. The first one goes from Doumont to Rhodo via the power lines; then from Rhodo to Englishman River via 155F. Then south west along the Englishman River Main to 146. You can see the loop. I took the furthest east trail up, crossed the bridge and headed south west. Coming down, I branched left and took the furthest west trail down. I saw the bear about a quarter of the way along that trail.
Below: the bridge is located where the east trail crosses the creek, just before the trinity of trails meet.
On my last ride, I set off late and decided to visit OK Mountain, partly because I had tried earlier but couldn't get past the snow back in March, and partly because I can see the many vantage points from the power lines when enroute to Rhodo Lake.
After dipping a rod in Kidney and getting a very black trout, I took off via the OK Lake circle route. Below is an overview from the Boomerang Junction. The OK trail I took is in red; the blue trail is part of the route to Rhodo.
I rode a few of the spurs, including the direct route up to the peak (the one with a picture icon on it). Unfortunately, or fortunately, I decided to abort my ride up that route after riding over several steep boulder-river rock strewn sections and being faced with one that looked decidedly risky. I decided it would be folly to continue, and if I fell and damaged a knee, or worse, an engine casing... I'm not sure any one-wheel-drive would make up the one I turned around on, apart from perhaps a trials bike, but even then, it'd be quicker to walk, frankly. Below is a detail of that route:
It's a pity, as I wasn't far off the circle trail around the top. I may give it another go, even if it means walking the rest.
There were several neat vantage points along the way.
The ride continues a short way after this, until it peters out at a switch back. There is lots of evidence of rock slides too.
In fact the ride continued after this one right up to a tiny blocked trail which doubled back and up the hill: there was more scrub alder, broom and small coniferous trees but they weren't an issue. There were even wild strawberries in bloom everywhere. Anyway, that's where I stopped.
A great ride, and one the bike did easily. I've got another assault on the top planned for next weekend...
I set out early on Saturday to head up to Rhododendron Lake along a new track that Andy found the other day. I haven't been up there since last year, and hadn't been off piste for a week. So imagine my surprise, and, I admit, amusement on seeing the image below as I entered the tank traps to transition from Doumont/Weigles to Branch142 or whatever it's called...
It amazes me how many people get themselves into trouble by taking 4X4 trucks into areas where they have absolutely no business being. The abandoned truck had a flat rear. The formula for this seems to be youth, an unbounding belief in immortality, eternal optimism despite the voices, little experience, and a dash of alcohol. It was in a deep tank trap, and, with no winch, the truck wasn't going anywhere until help arrived, which Andy tells me was in the form of two trucks...
Meanwhile, I headed south-west towards the hydro-lines trail to Rhodo. While the forecast was for no rain, someone didn't tell the dark clouds brooding over the mountains, and it began to drizzle. I wish I'd had a better camera, because the light was perfect for some Ansel Adam's contrasty moody shots.
I decided to try a parallel route to the power lines, but got skunked when the road diminished into a pin-cushion of saplings and logging debris-a potential tyre-gashing body-piercing scenario that didn't appeal to me.
Finally, after getting onto the hydro-line trail and winding my way off to the right later on, I came to a smooth well-groomed dirt road. There was an interesting logging vehicle with a sign that indicated I was being videoed. Tosh.
They really are making a mess of things, those corporate types, aren't they?
Andy arrived just after I did, and we met in the parking lot. The fishing was slow, with Andy trying his new bait-weight approach. I stuck with the tried and true and finally, on my "penultimate last cast"...got a firm bite out of nowhere and pulled in the mighty kipper. It has swallowed the hook and managed to commit suicide on the way in: a real kamikaze cutthroat trout this one!
I had to leave for a pressing dinner-movie date, but I left Andy casting in my spot in search of another whopper. He didn't have any luck but bagged 7 or so at Kidney Lake the next day - so karma has mysterious ways of working!
The route back was this one:
Rhododendron Lake is in the west, and the lake to the far east is Boomerang. You can see the denuded strip that denotes the hydro-lines. Rather than follow them the whole way, I cut right on the way into OK Mountain valley and took a sharp right up to Rhododendron Lake. There's a camp sight on the other side. I'll have to explore that this summer...
