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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
62 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2008 : 4:16 PM
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This trip was a few weeks ago, but it was nice enough to share a few words and photos.
I was heading out to Nelson for a conference so I decided to leave town several days early to get in some dayhikes. I prefer to hike with friends, but when none are available the solo thing has to suffice. Unfortunately this also meant that I was the only with a camera - and dang if I didn't forget my digital at home! Forced to buy a disposable camera, I tried to not be bothered too much by my oversight. I surely was not going to get a prized photo on this excursion.
My first adventure was Gimli Ridge. This is a great dayhike, even though it requires many k's on dirt roads to get to the trailhead. Flies were quite an issue on the lower part of the trail, but they thinned out on top. The trail steadily rises and then finally offers nice ridge views before breaking out on top. Looming Gimli Peak beckons for much of the way. There is still a bit of a climb to the saddle of Gimli, and then, if you wants to peer into Mulvey Basin, you have to skirt the base of Gimli and scramble on some rocks. It was nerve-wracking to peer down the 1000' drop into that Basin. Views up there were gorgeous.
 Gimli Peak
 Mulvey Basin (frozen lake)
 notice the barest hint of green - this is a pit toilet with a fantastic view!
 Gimli Peak in the far distance from the road (at least I think it's the peak!)
I had wanted to do the Gwillim Lakes the next day, but was nervous about spending two days in grizzly country solo, so I chickened out for something easier. I camped at a really nice little free forest service campground that evening (Little Slocan Campground, I think). My easier hike turned out to be the Slocan Lakeshore hike, a nice little excursion. Not too difficult, but lots of ups and downs. I stopped for lunch and stayed for almost two hours about 4 miles in.
The third day I chose Kokanee and Kaslo Lake trail. Again, it was a long drive on a dirt road to the trailhead (where porcupines are known to eat car tires, so there is a bunch of chicken wire in the parking lot available for overnight hikers). There was a warning at the trailhead that the section of trail that goes beside Kokanee Lake has lots of snow and can be dangerous. I kept this in mind since I was on my own. This was a really nice hike. Views were beautiful. There were quite a few snow patches yet, and sure enough, the trail next to Kokanee looked dicey so I decided to skip it (would likely have been fine with a friend) and stop at this lake. It was worth it.
 This little one sure was cute, and he/she was the extent of my wildlife viewing
  The lake
 Nice wildflowers
Since I finished the trail early I also did the short interpretive trail in the Old Growth forest a few miles down the hill. It was well worth it, with a very nice guide.
All in all a great trip. My first experience in this area was great!
EXCEPT that my hotel in Nelson had a screw-up. I made a reservation for two night before beginning my trip. When I arrived in Nelson I checked in to the hotel and asked the desk person about an easy hike in the area that I was thinking of doing for a short break the next day (Pulpit Rock). After hearing that a land-owner on the trail was unhappy with hikers going through the area I decided to do a different trail. Then I went to my room and went to bed. The next day I got up to go to meetings and I took my hiking clothes with me for another short little jaunt I had chosen for my afternoon free time. When I arrived at the hotel at 5pm I was met by a policeman. "Are you staying at this hotel?"
"Ummm, yeah."
"Were you out hiking today?"
"Ummm, yeah."
"Were you doing Pulpit Rock trail?"
By now I'm thinking "what the hell?" so I tell him that I thought about doing that trail and then changed my mind to do a different one. He then says that the hotel expected me back by 11am and when I didn't show they called the police and they had been searching the Pulpit Rock trail for me.  I said that I gave the hotel no indication that I was to be back earlier but he wasn't really interested in my story and walked away. I went into the hotel and said, "I'm the one who's supposed to be missing," and they uttered grateful sighs and handed me a large black garbage bag that was filled with all my belongings from my room - they had cleaned it out! They thought I was only staying one night (when I checked with under my reservation they didn't confirm with me how many nights I was staying - didn't think they needed to!) and that they thought I must have gotten stranded on the trail. Geez. If I was going to get hurt or lost on a trail I wish they would've picked one that was a bit more challenging. It's a bit weird having police out searching for you on a trail. Other than this and my paper camera the trip was wonderful.
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 Maple syrup lovin', tree huggin', face paintin' relocated Québécoise who is VERY serious about having fun
Vancouver
Canada
2637 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2008 : 5:18 PM
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Pulpit Rock was my very first hike. And I don't remember anything about it it aside from being out of breath and hating it.
And of course I'm in love with Gimli... Thanks for sharing those pictures!  |
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13442 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2008 : 5:29 PM
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Beautiful hike, nice area.
Then to have the hotel screw up so much on you.
Geesh    |
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 | Dru
Mountain Grammar Police
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Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2008 : 6:10 PM
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quote:
Gimli Peak in the far distance from the road (at least I think it's the peak!)
Nope, that's Wilton Peak aka Frog Peak in the Valkyr Range. A ways south of Gimli. |
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bandana wearin', pole huckin', view lovin', dog herdin', 4x4 navigatin', lake huntin', butt-slidin' bridge crosser, who enjoys postholing with an overnighter pack
Surrey, BC
Canada
4646 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2008 : 7:12 PM
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Good way to spend a couple of days on a business trip   |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
62 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2008 : 7:26 PM
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Thanks for the nice replies!
And thanks especially for the correction, Dru! I can be quite directionally challenged at times. It's nice to know what it is; it sure did dominate the view on that road.
I've read that Pulpit Rock has a lot of steepness, but it's quite short. Nice views of Nelson. Thought it would be an easy miss.
And yeah, it's awesome to mesh work with recreation! |
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Valhalla & Kokanee Glacier Parks, July 1-3
