Completed: Centre Creek campfire run

[BC backroader]

On Sat., Apr. 4th, myself and 3 buddies, + 1 wife, did a run into a FSR that we hadn't been to before, just to check it out, and spend a few hours around a campfire in the evening. Our little convoy consisted of my TB, Jason's 2wheel drive 2dr Explorer, and Bill's Chev 1500 4x4 p/u. The valley we were headed to is a tributary of the Chilliwack River, about 1 hour's drive from our homes, and pavement all the way to the FSR turnoff. Every campsite in the Chilliwack Valley was crammed full, but once we started up the Centre Creek road, we had it to ourselves, except for a few ATVs.

Once off the main road our route became a class 2 track, following the deep valley of Centre Creek into the mountains,with some very steep sections, some minor landslides and rockfalls, and a few trees across the track, but the surface was solid, though very rough and washboarded in sections. Fortunately, the 2wd Explorer had enough clearance and suspension travel to handle the roughest sections without help, though he said a 2speed TC would have been very helpful.

At 10km in, there was a nice area to park the trucks at an old logging site, so we pulled off the track and set up for the evening cookout. This was pretty much the end of the driveable track for trucks, though the trail continued to be passable for ATVs for several more km., though very overgrown with willow and alder along the sides, and had 1 landslide that would have stopped the trucks about 2 km in. I walked this section in the last hour of daylight, just to check it out. Since this is prime bear country, mostly blacks, but a few recent sightings of grizzly in the main valley, I was carrying my .300 WinMag, just to be on the safe side.

Back at camp, the others had cut some dry wood from logs in the old slash piles, and had a good fire going, which was very nice to sit around, as the warm afternoon quickly changed to sub-freezing as the sun set. We spent the evening around the fire, cooking hotdogs and smokies, hot chocolate and hot cider, with brownies and doughnuts for dessert. At about 0100 we called it a day, packed up our gear, and headed back down the trail in the bright light of the full moon, and home to nice warm beds. It was an interesting trek into the creek valley, with beautiful scenery, and great company, and we plan to do many more trips like it this year. Here's a few shots from the day:

[navigator]

looks like a good time.

[Jrgunn5150]

Looks like a nice drive!

[Eredin]

That scenery is beautiful, nice shots!

[ORTMAN]

Sweet scenery!! Not much like that for us flat landers. Lol


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[DirtyBacon04]

Ballsy to be hiking there at night. That's how a lot of "I shouldn't be alive" stories start. I'm sure you weighed out the risks and did it safely, though. I'm jealous!

[BC backroader]

Thanks, ORTMAN, I do love the mountains. When you can make it to a high point, and the vista of valleys and peaks opens up around you, it feels great.

DirtyBacon04, I was back in camp before dark, and was armed with both bear spray and a .300 Winchester Magnum rifle on the solo hike. Though that is not totally risk free, I've been an avid outdoorsman in these mountains all of my adult life, more than 50 years, and have a pretty good grasp of bear behavior, both blacks, and grizzlies, so I was comfortable in doing it, though always on alert - that's part of the fun! I've had several very close encounters with blacks, which always turned and bolted from me, and 1 grizzly that took offence with my inadvertantly getting too close to his stash of moose remains. He is now a beautiful rug, but it was a very intense few seconds, and the reason why I now carry the Magnum, instead of the 30-06 I was using when I met him.