Sunday, June 21, 2009

West Harrison FSR

I had tried to take this road a few years ago,
but it was closed due to a bridge wash out

"Today,will be the day"
I looked at the weather reports
calling for rain
Well it is dry now, so off I went

I headed east on the "Trans Canada"
slogging through traffic, sucks at the best of times
so over the new Golden ears bridge
and on to the #7

what a fun road...
That is until I got close to Mission
the drivers here are worst than Richmond

My fist stop was to top up with fuel, and fill my jerrycan
I am still not quite sure what my DR's range is yet
(stock tank)



Finn resting while I have a snack & coffee

As I sat here, about 20 DS bikes went past
heading for the same trail I am no doubt



Turning just after the "Sasquatch Inn"
there is a short bit of pavement
before you hit gravel

Stock tires+ gravel= :(

It was not too long before I relaxed, and started to enjoy the views



They are quite amazing



Nice little pond along the way



The road travels in and out of trees





You come around a corner
wow







A few streams crossing the road



But all the larger one have great bridges







Two couples in this Volvo XC70 out for a nice Saturday drive



As I continued on, the road got worse
I wondered what had happened to the Volvo

I came around a corner to find a steep climb
with a ton of loose rock and boulders

I had just got some momentum up
when



(This is much steeper than it appears in the photo)

I had to stop on the slope, trying to stop my bike from sliding back
Just to the right of the car you can see a shelf of solid rock
this had stopped the Volvo
But, not for long
The driver just slowly picked his way around the shelf
and they were on their way

A shot looking down at the loose rock



Getting started on this was a bit tricky
The stock gearing on my bike is too high
for moving slowly

(Note to self; re-gear bike before next trip)

I passed them at the top of this climb
and was doing quite well until
another corner
another loose rocky climb

But this time I hit a larger rock, and my bike goes side ways
I am heading for the side of the trail
I get it headed back up
but I lose all traction, and lay it down
I dig my leg out from under the bike thinking
I as sure glad I put on those bash guards
I start to take off my helmet, and get my camera
But as I look at my bike it seems to be moving all on its own
I grab the handle bars, and look at the back tire
There is nothing under it
Well, when I say nothing, what I mean is nothing for about 50 feet :0

What I thought was bushes growing at the side of the trail, was actually
the branches of a maple tree that was growing at the bottom of the cliff

This is a shot of where my bike was,
after some guy on quads came along, and helped me get it back on the trail

Yes that it daylight you can see through the leaves



Thank god for my foot peg, and my new Otrlieb panniers
They are all that caught in the soft soil

I really didn't want to think about the
"What if's"
So, after thanking the quaders
I kept going till I came to the next bridge

I want to do a closer inspection of the damage



Only a small gouge on one of the side plates
and, some dirty Ortiebs

Woo Hoo!





Had a snack watching the water fall



This is it tumbling down to meet the lake



Except for those few sections
this is quite an easy trail

Nice roads again :)



Coming down into the logging camp
at Port Douglas
at the top of lake Harrison



the camp





From here all the way to hyway 99
there is a great gravel road



I tried to find the hot spring, but ended up take the wrong trail





Great view

I will have to come back and see how far this trail go's





I got back to the road and headed north



Nice cruising road





Looking back the way I had come



Not far out of a small settlement
I come upon this truck
I didn't fare very well, when it met the trees







It had not happen all that long before I got there,
but no one was around, so I rode on

"Lilloote Lake"





It was about 5pm
So I found a camp site
with this flooded stream close by





The view from my camp



All set up



I was going to heat this up, but the mosquitoes were hell



Mmmm chunky

The next morning
the rain I had missed the day before
found me

But from here it is only a 20km ride to the #99







The turn off to the lake



Once I hit the pavement
the rain really started to come down
I stopped in Pemberton for fuel

The rain stopped not too far south

My butt needed a break from the Dr's seat
I pulled over at this view point



And what a view





It is between Whistler & Squamish



At Britannia Beach I pulled in for a burger& coffee

Lots of riders come here for the
"Fish & Chips"

Some guys out from Vancouver



The Britannia mine
Closed, except for tours



The temp was very low, so by the time I got home
I was frozen

Just hang my gear to dry
Then hot shower :)