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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2011 : 8:00 PM
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When I invited Theresa to Flora Ridge, I had no idea that the snow would be so post-hole-y or I would have recommended snowshoes, but because the snow was so soft I highly doubt that snowshoes would help...blah, but OK because we had a good time regardless.
       
When we got back to my Suzuki we wondered why a Jeep was parked so close and then realized that the Jeep's emmergency brake failed and slammed into us. No problem as long as the people with the defective brake system fix it.
It was wonderful hiking with you Theresa!
Happy trails,
Lynn
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2011 : 08:24 AM
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Yikes, that jeep looks like it had a good roll before hitting your vehicle.
Wonder where it would have stopped if your vehicle was not there.
Lynn, there is a alternate trail that follows the bluffs up and meets the main trail.
It is a pretty good trail and has much more open views. I really enjoyed it when I took it.
Because it is more exposed to the sun it should be mostly snow free now. |
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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
13453 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2011 : 6:27 PM
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Glad you got to hike to a pretty nice place with Theresa. Looks like conditions were fun. Lucky you did not suffer too much by being bumped by that jeep.
K |
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2011 : 8:10 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by KARVITK
Glad you got to hike to a pretty nice place with Theresa. Looks like conditions were fun. Lucky you did not suffer too much by being bumped by that jeep.
K
Exactly Karl, the dent on my bumper the next day looked much better because my plastic bumper seemed to have memory foam? The driving lights worked so I told the owner of the Jeep not to worry about a claim. I'm happy if she services her faulty emmergency break. A reminder to those with older vehicles to get regular check-ups.
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
606 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2011 : 9:11 PM
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| Love the tripod setting photo. |
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Chilliwack
1269 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 12:01 AM
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| Nice to read you had a fantastic workout with your daughter. Love the mother/daughter shot. |
Edited by - Kanike on 05/11/2011 08:11 AM |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1606 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 12:41 AM
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Looks like a good day.
That's too bad about your car. One evening on our street, the parking brake failed on a minivan and it rolled down the hill and hit a parked vehicle that then hit another parked vehicle. I heard the large crashing noises outside the window and ran outside as fast as I could to assist the injured. You can imagine my confusion when I saw all of the crashed cars but no one was around and all the doors were locked... |
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Peak bagging, bushwhacking, zamboni driving, snowshoeing, self portrait artist, and speed demon who loves to hang out on Mt. Seymour
3996 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 10:12 AM
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| It seems we've hit the time between good snow and it consolidating. I had similar conditions too but the snowshoes worked well enough. Good shots of you and your daughter. |
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Vancouver
1819 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 11:57 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Flowing-Brook
quote:
Originally posted by KARVITK
Glad you got to hike to a pretty nice place with Theresa. Looks like conditions were fun. Lucky you did not suffer too much by being bumped by that jeep.
K
Exactly Karl, the dent on my bumper the next day looked much better because my plastic bumper seemed to have memory foam? The driving lights worked so I told the owner of the Jeep not to worry about a claim. I'm happy if she services her faulty emmergency break. A reminder to those with older vehicles to get regular check-ups.
Your Grand Vitara may have suffered damage to the front end crash structures that are not apparent, but may now be a significant safety hazard. Either to occupants of the vehicle, or any pedestrian it might run into. You really should have a reputable expert take a look at it.
You show a sympathetic nature by letting the Jeep driver off the hook, and I know it's not easy to pursue it, but they owe it to you for your vehicle to be restored to the condition it was in before this incident. You might also consider that having them pay for a repair would be more likely to get their vehicle in safe condition, than getting away with no outcome. Reporting this to ICBC probably would be the most likely way to ensure that repair. Not ensuring the Jeep is fixed makes it that much more likely the next victim of this Jeep could be a person.
Oddly, another Grand Vitara was vandalized at the Black Tusk trailhead last week. Given how uncommon these are, this is somewhat of a coincidence. |
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 3:55 PM
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Hey Wally: I can't figure out this alternate trail, maybe you could show me sometime.
Hey sgRant: Thanks for your kind advice and I will be sure to get my bumper checked out on the next service but my husband also felt it's not a big deal. We have more damage on our SUV from people trying to break in then the dent so no worries. Besides, I believed the woman with the faulty brake system when she said she would go the next day to have it checked out.
Thanks everyone for your kind replies.
Happy trails,
Lynn
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Langley, BC
Canada
1078 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 4:23 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Flowing-Brook
Hey Wally: I can't figure out this alternate trail, maybe you could show me sometime.
Hey sgRant: Thanks for your kind advice and I will be sure to get my bumper checked out on the next service but my husband also felt it's not a big deal. We have more damage on our SUV from people trying to break in then the dent so no worries. Besides, I believed the woman with the faulty brake system when she said she would go the next day to have it checked out.
Thanks everyone for your kind replies.
Happy trails,
Lynn
I think he's talking about a trail that branches off to the left about half a kilometer into the hike. It's not flagged as I recall, but reasonably well worn. |
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Chilliwack, B.C.
Canada
355 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 4:25 PM
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Great looking trip again! I love that trail!
quote:
Originally posted by Wildman
Yikes, that jeep looks like it had a good roll before hitting your vehicle.
Wonder where it would have stopped if your vehicle was not there.
Lynn, there is a alternate trail that follows the bluffs up and meets the main trail.
It is a pretty good trail and has much more open views. I really enjoyed it when I took it.
Because it is more exposed to the sun it should be mostly snow free now.
Wally, I believe I may have managed to find this route since we had talked about it. Dose it start at a sandy pull off spot to the left where it looks like atvs and 4x4s have tried to drive up? I only went in a little ways due to rain and improper footwear, but it narrows down to a small path about 100ft in and looks as though it used to be well maintained (logs backfilled against to maintain a path) and is flagged with old flags of diffrent colors as well as newer orange flagging, probably only a year or 2 old. It's all east about a km from the Flora/Lindeman trailhead.
Might head up there next week if anyone's interested, and the weather co-operates.. Have a look see and see what the old routes like. The more open views certainly appeal to me, although I've always thought, even in summer, Flora Lake trail to be one of the better ones in the valley for spuratic viewing holes.  |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 5:25 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by giverhard
Great looking trip again! I love that trail!
quote:
Originally posted by Wildman
Yikes, that jeep looks like it had a good roll before hitting your vehicle.
Wonder where it would have stopped if your vehicle was not there.
Lynn, there is a alternate trail that follows the bluffs up and meets the main trail.
It is a pretty good trail and has much more open views. I really enjoyed it when I took it.
Because it is more exposed to the sun it should be mostly snow free now.
Wally, I believe I may have managed to find this route since we had talked about it. Dose it start at a sandy pull off spot to the left where it looks like atvs and 4x4s have tried to drive up? I only went in a little ways due to rain and improper footwear, but it narrows down to a small path about 100ft in and looks as though it used to be well maintained (logs backfilled against to maintain a path) and is flagged with old flags of diffrent colors as well as newer orange flagging, probably only a year or 2 old. It's all east about a km from the Flora/Lindeman trailhead.
Might head up there next week if anyone's interested, and the weather co-operates.. Have a look see and see what the old routes like. The more open views certainly appeal to me, although I've always thought, even in summer, Flora Lake trail to be one of the better ones in the valley for spuratic viewing holes.
I hope to sometime, Lynn, do you get any Tues. and Wed. off?
You are right Kelsey, that is where it starts and then heads on a gradual slope in a eastern direction and then goes fairly straight up. This is the very old original trail from what I understand.
It goes something like shown in the google pic below.
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 6:22 PM
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| Wally, give us a call, sometimes Stu can get Tuesday or Wednesday off. I'm into holistic healing so my hours are here and there. |
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Outdoors addicted flyfishing, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking car crooner and resident motormouth
Da'Wack, BC
Canada
5372 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 10:05 PM
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Nice lynn! Love the pic of you and Theresa.
I would be interested in checking out that alternate trail as well. |
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Vancouver
1819 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 10:11 PM
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| NWTrails shows yet another trail, that starts at the same place as the present trail and traverses over to the stream east of the "original" trail. It goes up the stream, but before reaching the elevation where the current trail crosses the stream, it traverses east to cross the ridge just west of the low point SE of the lake. It then goes directly down the open slopes to the lake. It's not shown as crossing the present trail, and I have no idea if it exists. |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 10:20 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sgRant
NWTrails shows yet another trail, that starts at the same place as the present trail and traverses over to the stream east of the "original" trail. It goes up the stream, but before reaching the elevation where the current trail crosses the stream, it traverses east to cross the ridge just west of the low point SE of the lake. It then goes directly down the open slopes to the lake. It's not shown as crossing the present trail, and I have no idea if it exists.
Once upon a time there was a trail to a mining claim that was being worked or tested before Chilliwack Lake became a Park. It was on the right side of the creek. What or where the trail was to get to it I do not know but that may have been it or part of it. |
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Chilliwack, BC
Canada
309 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 5:36 PM
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Nice photos of you and Theresa. Bummer about the snow conditions. And the jeep. isn't there a safety rule about not walking between parked vehicles? now i understand.
The 103 hikes that came out in the late eighties has the old trail shown as the current trail and shows an older yet trail farther east. From the new trailhead, the access to the old trail is 10 minute walk on the road, starting at the sandy pull out (as giverhard surmised). NSH Klaus T used to do trail clearing on that trail. Don't know if he still does. gsandrock and I added extra flagging one fall when we feared Elk Mtn trail would be closed because of logging. I prefer the old trail going up (shorter, steeper & really beautiful) and the new trail coming down. As for the older yet trail, I've not yet tried to find where it meets the road, but from Flora Lake I could see a trail going up to the ridge between Flora and Wittenberg which I surmise is the older yet trail. |
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Chilliwack, B.C.
Canada
355 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 8:28 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by hb
Nice photos of you and Theresa. Bummer about the snow conditions. And the jeep. isn't there a safety rule about not walking between parked vehicles? now i understand.
The 103 hikes that came out in the late eighties has the old trail shown as the current trail and shows an older yet trail farther east. From the new trailhead, the access to the old trail is 10 minute walk on the road, starting at the sandy pull out (as giverhard surmised). NSH Klaus T used to do trail clearing on that trail. Don't know if he still does. gsandrock and I added extra flagging one fall when we feared Elk Mtn trail would be closed because of logging. I prefer the old trail going up (shorter, steeper & really beautiful) and the new trail coming down. As for the older yet trail, I've not yet tried to find where it meets the road, but from Flora Lake I could see a trail going up to the ridge between Flora and Wittenberg which I surmise is the older yet trail.
These posts have really sparked my curiosity. I went for a later day little venture up there to stretch the legs this afternoon. Now I have to admit, I became sidetracked because upon getting up there I found the campground open to day use now. So I drove down by the boat launch and headed over across the river to the Radium Lake trail. Turned around at that point wanting to still check out the alternate Flora trail. Got back to the truck and headed back up to the FSR. I figured since I was that far already, I'd check up on the avalanche blocking the road. There's now a sign in place saying, "Drive Slowly" and the slide is now easily passable in a high clearance vehicle. I forgot to take a picture of it becmoing hasty to get back to my original plan. There is still a fair amount of snow to melt, but it's going fast.
Finally I turned the jeep around and headed back to the pullover.
Looking back towards the campground. You can see the last hydro pole in the valley.
This is what the trail looks like. Didn't go far enough up to get any views (picture worthy ones anyway).
I wonder perhaps if the older yet route would be up the valley the avalanche has come down. That creek valley leads up to the meadows under Flora-East (not sure if that's an actual name, but we've been calling it that for years. It's the next peak on the ridge going east from where you come over the pass going to Flora Lake.) It seems the most likely for a prospector route, the next significant valley would be Paleface and that's quite aways further East. I know for sure there was alot of prospecting that took place up Paleface. "The Silver King Group" and "Iron Mountain Group" both had mine sites situated in that valley. I too have seen that trail coming up from Flora Lake to Wittenberg and wondered it's origin. It looks well used from the ridgeline.
Next Wednesday (weather permitting) I'm going to take the day to do this trail in it's entirty. I know where it hooks up with the new trail and snow shouldn't be an issue at that point. The viewpoint overlooking the lake is a good enough destination for me though, should it get to post holy. If anybody else is interested, message me. |
Edited by - giverhard on 05/12/2011 8:33 PM |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1116 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 9:47 PM
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| Nice TR.Lynn, so nice to see someone with a forgiving nature .A lot of anger around ,I saw two guys ready to kill each other today over a minor traffic screwup.Man ,it was ugly,even to a hardassed old grump like me.People should relax and get out in nature more.whoops,sorry for the post hijack. |
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2011 : 10:45 PM
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I'm ready to go on this steeper trail up Flora Ridge, I still can't really see in my mind what you are all talking about although I've been up this trail at least 8 times.
Ted, I appreciate your comment. You're the nicest grump I ever met ! |
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Flora Lake Trail ~ May 9, 2011
