Chilcotin 2001
SHULAPS TRAVERSE
DAY 3, September 4, 2001 - Shulaps Traverse
"Disappointment will be not in your vocabulary during this point to point adventure" is how the guidebook describes this ride. A distance of "only" 43km with an elevation gain of 1950m and a 1 hour hike-a-bike section marks this classic high alpine Chilcotin trek.
We start our ride by driving from Gun Creek and proceeding some 70 kms east of Gold Bridge driving along Carpentar's lake's shores past Seton Portage along some magnificent cut banks. Then we turn north on the Yalakom River FSR and proceed up the Yalakom River FSRS some 10km up the road. You can drive up the FSRS past the Lac La Mere junction for quite a way and we park on a nice wide landing and start climbing on our bikes.
The map shows the approach up the Yalakom FSRS. Our start point is at approximately 1200m elevation.
It is beautifully cool and clear when we start. The morning sun warms us up nicely and makes the fall colors that much more brilliant on this grinding climb.
There are many little offshoot roads to the left. Make sure you take the main left road and not one of the minor roads to the large landing where the hike-a-bike starts. Here we are grinding up to the hike-a-bike.
The hike-a-bike is a mindless gruelling push and carry for about an hour. Gaining the ridgeline and getting on the bike is a relief. The views south of the Shulaps Range are worth it.
The ridge top is usually blessed with some cooling breezes.
Gaining the ridgetop does not mean the climbing is over. First we ride on the flat approach to the pass.
Peter with a view looking south on to the Shulaps Range.
We continue riding up and over to a pass to the west. There is some early season snow in the highest peaks.
More ridge - top riding along the alpine. The trail is not well defined in some places and you have to make sure you are taking the west - oriented trails.
Of course, like almost all Chilcotin rides, there are wild loose descents.
Finally we gain the pass.
It is not all down from here. Following the pass there are two minor descents and ascents where routefinding also can get tricky, these descents take you through two minor offshoots of Hog Creek. Here is Peter looking down one of the valleys carved out of the mountains by this "minor offshoot".
This view shows the mountains from where we came and descended - looking east to the Yalakom River watershed. Peter and Mark are in the lower right hand corner of the picture climbing out of the last major uphill we climb before starting our 4 km descent down Brett Creek back to Marshall Lake Road and the vehicles.
Peter contemplating the Shulaps Traverse.
The last flat section before descending into Brett Creek.
