| Author |
Topic |
|
Van, BC
Canada
2780 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2010 : 5:58 PM
|
Photoset:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/realaworld/sets/72157623878080024/
I only was able to free up my schedule at midnight last night, so I decided today to take a quick stroll up to Deeks Lake (in what turnd out to be crappy rainy weather).
Elevation Profile:
Google Earth birdseye:
Google Earth 3d:
  
This will be a short TR since it was a short hike and I didn't take very many pictures.
The weather was promising - high clouds and sunny breaks - as I was crossing the Lions Gate and even while I was at the trailhead. The steady drizzle and the low clouds/fog soon moved in though, and stayed for the whole day.
I parked in the paved lot at the Porteau overpass and set off. Winter has not been kind to the forestry road. The uphill stretch about 7-800m from the start (just after the old gravel pit and just before the Kallahane FSR turnoff) now has two good sized rocky ruts running in the middle or along the sides. 4wd is looking more and more useful now. (By the time I came back down, a F150 and a Pathfinder had successfully made it past this stretch.)
 
The ~4km of forstry roads was uneventful, but it was nice to get some km into the legs. At one point I saw a fairly fresh cougar track in a mud puddle - probably the same kitty whose prints I always seem to see in the Kallahne area.
The snowline in these parts is a very sudden 820m. By the time I hit Phi Alpha falls, it was about 1-3' deep. Conditions are terrible. No melt-freeze at all here - just melt. The snow is very wet, pretty much isothermic, and is starting to hollow out in many spots. Even with snowshoes I was sliding around, sinking through or punching through pretty much randomly.
Spring conditions:
Extremely slow going, but made it up to the lake in about 2.5 hours. Hard drizzle and low clouds, so had no desire to go any further. The lake is still covered, but it looked like the snow was completely saturated - would not want to try to cross. Kept hearing rockfall off the cliffs surrounding the lake, so everything is melting higher up as well.
Lots of wet snow sluffs on the surrounding slopes:
Didn't linger too long and headed back. Ran into two guys who were on their way up and complaining about the snow as well. Still drizzing, very humid, low lying clouds/fog. At least it was nice and warm; spring is here.
The (not all that) long road home:
-Ryan |
|
|
Trail running, bike hucking, fast packing, beer drinking collector of pine cones on a day pass
AKA
Dances with Trees
Forest Gnome Cabin
Canada
13029 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2010 : 6:45 PM
|
| We're officially in crappy spring snow transition phase! |
|
|
vancouver, bc
Canada
466 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2010 : 7:25 PM
|
| I always feel like crying and just tumbling down the mountains when the snow gets sloppy. But hey, at least it's warmer out. I went on far too many hikes this winter where I got soaked most of the hike and then froze when I finally got to the freezing level. I guess that's not quite over yet. |
|
|
1448 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2010 : 1:29 PM
|
To be honest the road looked alot worse on my trip last year. Looking close to your shot except they where 6 inchs deep. Was like a washing machine driving up it, except washing machines don't have windows to bang your head against. LOL
Thanks for the TR Ryan
quote:
Originally posted by Ryan.in.yaletown
Photoset:
|
|
|
vancouver, bc
Canada
475 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2010 : 1:37 PM
|
| yep the rod is not so good to the trail ,i was there a few weeks ago |
|
|
Van, BC
Canada
2780 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2010 : 4:10 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by camshaft
To be honest the road looked alot worse on my trip last year. Looking close to your shot except they where 6 inchs deep. Was like a washing machine driving up it, except washing machines don't have windows to bang your head against. LOL
Thanks for the TR Ryan
Might be hard to tell from the pics, but the ruts are at least 6" deep.
On the upside, I just bought myself an XTerra, so now things like that won't matter ;-)
-Ryan |
|
|
Too close to the city, BC
Canada
783 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2010 : 5:00 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Ryan.in.yaletown
Might be hard to tell from the pics, but the ruts are at least 6" deep.
On the upside, I just bought myself an XTerra, so now things like that won't matter ;-)
-Ryan
Woohoooo!! Congrats! Something a little more in line with your lifestyle  |
|
|
|
Fast hikin, carrot chompin, always grinnin, gear scatterin recipient of the Theta Lake manouver
Burnaby
2039 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2010 : 6:30 PM
|
I was just going to tell you my Xterra went up there twice last week...
And the road is worse than last year. Or at least my memory of it.
Congrats on the purchase. Year & colour? |
|
|
Van, BC
Canada
2780 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2010 : 6:37 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by burnabyhiker
I was just going to tell you my Xterra went up there twice last week...
And the road is worse than last year. Or at least my memory of it.
Congrats on the purchase. Year & colour?
06 Black. Not as flashy as yours ;-)
-Ryan |
|
|
|
Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13442 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2010 : 9:09 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Ryan.in.yaletown
quote:
Originally posted by burnabyhiker
I was just going to tell you my Xterra went up there twice last week...
And the road is worse than last year. Or at least my memory of it.
Congrats on the purchase. Year & colour?
06 Black. Not as flashy as yours ;-)
-Ryan
Nice.. You know have 4WD freedom. Enjoyed your TR and style, regardless of the crappy weather. I think crossing the lake would be asking for a slushy submerging.
K |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Deeks Lake - 2010-04-17
