 |
Chilcotins
- Aug 2 - 4 2008 Aug 4, 2008 - Taylor
Pass - Camel Pass - Ridgewalk - Cinnabar |
|| Day 1 - Taylor Pass - Eldorado Basin - Lick Descent || Day 2 - Jewel Creek - Spruce - Windy Pass - LS Bluffs - Lick Creek || Day 3 - Taylor Pass - Camel Pass - Ridgewalk - Cinnabar ||
Useful links:
Day 3 is sunnier and warm! Finally this system has passed and maybe we won't have to worry about rain! We climbed up the same route we took on the first day (the High Trail to Taylor Pass) to check out another ride down the Cinnabar creek system.
View from the trailheads is clearer now then before
Kevin on the climb
Sharon on the climb. This climb always seems easier the second time around.
Chris and Kevin on the climb
to Taylor Pass
Pearson Trail is visible on the slope across the valley winding S into the Taylor Meadows drainage from Taylor Pass
From Taylor Pass, instead of continuing on the doubletrack of the High Trail towards the Eldorado drainage we turned left on to the Pearson Trail and then went exploring the ridges. We ended up riding about 8km of ridgeline, very little of which was hiking. Stunning 360 degree views all around with not a person in sight. I'm sure the old miners didn't have bikes in mind when they put in these routes but bless their gnarled hearts in any event.
Lee dropping on to the Pearson Trail.
Dave on the RMX - C
Chris heading to Camel Pass on the Pearson Trail
Lee on the Pearson trail.
Kevin
Taking in the view of Cinnabar Basin
Starting the hike to the ridges
On the ridge at 2100m
Cresting the ridge then riding down
Group shot - looking on to the Dickson Range
Sharon on the descent. We started at the ridge in the background
Look at Sharon at picture bottom. Our ride takes us along the ridgeline pictured in the foreground then winding to picture left
Sharon on the ridge
View from this basin looks
S to Tyax Lake. Our route continues along picture left side-hilling the scree
slope
The careful reader will notice the paucity of directions. This route will find you when you're ready. Honestly, if you keep your eyes open you will find this jewel among ridgeride. Just to give you an idea of the quality of the ride, in the picture below our route took us from where Sharon is standing along the ridge on picture left (can you see the trail?) then the far ridges in picture centre. Eldorado ridge is on picture right.
This route is not for fat-ass shuttle monkeys. Some fitness is required. The prize are the views and the baby-butt smooth naturally bermed 900 m descent off the ridgetops down to Tyax Lake at the end of the ride.
We ended this ride with approximately 1400m of ascending over 30kms. It would be possible to bail out earlier if weather comes in by either descents down the S Cinnabar Basin or by the High Trail doubletrack ascending from Gun Lk.
Sharon - Dickson Range in
the backdrop
Sharon going for the climb
Chris dropping off the ridge
down to the meadows of Cinnabar N
Kevin
Lee and Sharon meadow-stomping
Dave and Kevin into the meadows
Sharon and Kevin trying
to find the trailhead
Lee
Getting a bit sidetracked
and bushwhacking
Chris on the descent
Trevor on some fast buff
singletrack
Day 3 exploration
|| Day 1 - Taylor Pass - Eldorado Basin - Lick Descent || Day 2 - Jewel Creek - Spruce - Windy Pass - LS Bluffs - Lick Creek || Day 3 - Taylor Pass - Camel Pass - Ridgewalk - Cinnabar ||