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vancouver, bc
Canada
446 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2004 : 6:39 PM
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| has anyone been up to utopia lake in squamish? Im thinking about going up there for a 1 night trip, but i havnt heard much about it. |
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 double-double seeking, snow-chasing, short-cutting, vertical feet collector
Vancouver, BC
Canada
4385 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2004 : 9:11 PM
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are you sure that Utopia is its name? I cannot find it in the encyclopedia
cheers - C Wall |
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 Grouse Grinding, GPS carrying, lawn chair packing, bike riding North Shore tech addict who stares at Crown Mountain from his office window all day
North Vancouver
Canada
1854 Posts |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
661 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2004 : 09:41 AM
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Couple of us went to the trip in that area (Sky Pilot), look for the trip report here:
http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3559
Also, take a look at Spider Girl's trip reports, you'll find more details there:
http://www.mountaingirl.net/ben_lomond03/index.htm
http://www.mountaingirl.net/mtnlakehut/index.htm
You can access the trail either from Ferry Creak or Brittania Beach. We took the Ferry Creak access. Directions grom SpiderGirl's trip report:
"Take the Sea to Sky highway past the Furry Creek Golf Course, up the hill and then take your first right. At the 't' junction turn right. The red gate should be right there. You do need a key to open the gate. Contact me for more info. Drive for about half an hour, keeping left until you get to a stream crossing the road. Park here and continue hiking up the road until you see the trail branching off on your left."
Directions from Brittania Beach taken from a book by Jack Christie (I copied this from another thread):
http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3403
"A road runs through the town (Britannia Beach) and back up into the folds of the Britannia Range, to the sides of aptly named Mount Sheer. Along the way it passes another mine shaft. The easy 3-mi. (4.5 km) walk to the old site, abandoned in 1958, follows the original road, a 90-minute journey one way.
To reach the gate where the trail begins, turn in at the entrance to the B.C. Museum of Mining, drive past the mining offices and continue nearly a mile (1.4 km) uphill on the paved road, bearing right at all times. There's plenty of room for parking on the street in front of the gate."
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Edited by - Radmila on 01/23/2004 09:42 AM |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
116 Posts |
Posted - 01/23/2004 : 6:36 PM
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Last Sunday I was there and I did half way to the Utopia Lake. The route (smooth 2dw) is not as straightforward to follow as one may think.
This info can be useful for you:
1. Pass the Museum and Post office in Britannia Beach then a small bridge. Then keep right and follow Copper Dr. At the end there is a blue gate. Park there.
2. Pass the gate, after 200m take left. This is a logging road that goes up.
3. Follow the road. In ~ 700m from start there is a sharp left turn. Keep left, the road goes up.
4. After 1.5km from the start there is a curve with another blue gate, pass it. Continue the road.
5. At 5km there is junction. Keep left.
6. At 6km there is a solid bridge, pass it. Here snow started. Just after the bridge (at a curve) take right up, then shortly right again.
7. Then at ~7km there is Sheer Town site (not 4.5 as reported). At this point returned back (strong rain all day).
There is another 6km to the lake from this point.
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
974 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2004 : 09:59 AM
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HAVING PERUSED SEVERAL REPORTS ON HOW TO ACCSESS THE MINING ROAD THAT LEADS TO UTOPIA LAKE I'M AMAZED YOU HAVE'NT BEEN TOWED AWAY AS COPPER BEACH ESTATES IS PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO TRESSPASSING SIGN IS 20 FEET UP A TELEPHONE POLE BEFORE CROSSING BRIDGE AND GOING UP COPPER DR.
THE BEST WAY TO GET TO UTOPIA LAKE IS :START AT TOP OF FURRY CRIK HILL AND DRIVE UP TO FIRST JUNCTION ,TURN LEFT IGNORE RED GATE ON RIGHT. LEFT ROAD TAKES YOU TO UPPER PARKING LOT ON BRITANNIA MAIN.PARK NOWHERE NEAR GATE .TAKE OUT YOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE AND DAY/OVERNITE PACK AMD PROCEED UP . AT ABOUT 4KM ON MARCH 12/04 THERE WAS SOME BLASTING BEING DONE ON A 250M STRETCH OF ROAD ,AND IT SHOULD BE CLEARED NOW . CONTINUE UP TO OLD TOWN OF MT SHEER,AT 7KM. FIND THE WATER MEASURING GALVINIZED PIPE ON JANE CRIK,AND LOOK WEST FOR THE JANE BASIN ROAD. THIS IS THE ROAD THAT WILL TAKE YOU AS FAR AS MARMOT CRIK,BEFORE THE SWITCHBACK TAKES YOU WESTERLY TO THE OPEN PIT. AT MARMOT CRIK HIDE YOUR LOCKED BIKE IN THE WOODS. NOW TO FIND THE ORIGINAL ROAD UP TO PARKLANE/UTOPIA LAKES YOU HAVE TO BUSHWHACK THROUGH ABOUT 100 M. OF FIR, DEVILS CLUB, AND POINTY BUSHES, BEFORE YOU FIND THE ORIGINAL ROAD ON SOUTH SIDE OF BRITANNIA CRIK. ROAD IS BADLY OVERGROWN. THE BEST WAY UP IS ON DRY, EMPASIS ON DRY ROCK OF RIVER BED.WHEN YOU APPROACH THE DAM WHICH WITH LITTLE IMAGINATION LOOKS LIKE A CITADEL RISING WELL ABOVE YOU CROSS BRITANNIA CRIK TO NORTH SIDE AS THE BREAK IN THE DAM IS ACCESIBLE ON NORTH SIDE ONLY. YOU CAN CRAWL UP ON TO THE DAM AT THIS POINT OR STAY ON OUTSIDE OF DAM AND HEAD NORTH TO END OF WALL. A BARELY DICERNABLE ROAD PROCEEDS NOTHEASTERLY FROM THERE AND WITH TWO SWITCHBACKS IN 1.5KM YOU ARRIVE AT UTOPIA LAKE. GO FOR A DIP . DRINK ANTIFREEZE YOU'LL NEED IT. REST , SNOOZE,RETURN TO BIKE AND CYCLE ALMOST 12KM DOWNHILL AND SMIRK AT THOSE PEOPLE WHO HIKE ALL THE WAY IN AND OUT!
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Bruce W McLaughlin |
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utopia lake squamish
