Larches and Snow in Manning Park, October 14

Did a day trip up Frosty Mtn. (2406m). It’s a 7 hrs round trip; half of the trail was on snow already. After 7 or 8 km one gets into open larch groves. Larch needles change into a vibrant yellow before they drop in fall. Larches are the only trees that can grow at this elevation, but very slowly only.



A tree with a trunk of 40 cm diameter may be 2000 years old – supposedly the oldest trees in BC. They are more common in the Rockies; Manning Park is the western end of their range.



From the summit excellent views of countless snow-covered pointy Cascade peaks.

Fraser Canyon Revisited, October 6 - 8

We escaped the wetcoast for a fill of sun on Thanksgiving weekend and explored the area around Big Bar ferry on the Fraser. From Lillooet we took West Pavilion FSR north, crossed the river at Big Bar ferry and did some mountain biking and hiking further north. First we scrambled down to Big Eddy, our last campsite on the Fraser trip, and recovered Pete’s glasses, then hiked on a bench along Moran Canyon to Kelly Creek with abandoned mine works. After crossing the Fraser we drove up a rough and excitingly steep gravel road to Jesmond Fire Lookout at 1970 meter. This is the northern end of Marble Range Provincial Park. Great views of the Fraser Canyon to the west and the flat lake country to the east. But freezing cold up there and hail showers. Last but not least we made our way into the Cathedrals, a wall of Bryce-Canyon-like pinnacles we had discovered on our river trip two weeks ago. The Cathedrals are on the east side of the Fraser between China Gulch and Deadmen Creek. Excellent easy riding through dry Douglas fir forest and open rangeland towards the Fraser and then hiking along bunch grass benches, across a couple of canyons, slides and ravines, a 9 hr roundtrip. Astonishing scenery. Endless vistas of canyons, cliffs and hoodoos, resembling the canyons in southern Utah. And not another human being anywhere.

Moran Canyon of the Fraser


Waiting for the Ferry


Fall Aspen


Bighorn Sheep


View from Jesmond Fire LO to Big Bar Creek and Fraser Canyon


Morning Frost


Riding on the Benches


Colliseum


Fraser Cathedrals


Cathedrals


Grassy Benches above the Fraser


Fraser and Churn Creek Protected Area