August 17, 2005
Elaho Camp-out
Sentinels in the forest is the best way to describe them. Massive columns shooting straight up through the canopy, finally showing branches sometimes not till they’ve risen 100 feet! That’s a Douglas Fir, and to be able to pitch a tent among these 1300 year old giants in an old growth forest and bed down for the night is an unforgettable experience.
If you’re one of the 70 plus campers and hikers who joined us this past B.C. Day long weekend in the Elaho Valley for the kick off of the Wilderness Committees’ 25th Anniversary year, you know what I mean. The weekend was a great celebration of past achievements, on-going projects and to further successes in our future campaigns. For me though the highlight was just being in this incredible old-growth forest which is found at the end of a logging road and the end of another pillaged clear-cut. Since Randy Stoltman brought it to the Committees’ attention, we’ve worked tirelessly to help preserve this irreplaceable wilderness area for future generations.
As part of the advance crew I joined Andy Miller, our resident biologist, and his daughter Roane on Wednesday and from Vancouver we headed to Squamish to fill up with gas, ice cold cappucinos, bug juice and batteries for our flashlights, also being sure to reset our odometer at the Petro-Can so we’d not miss a turn-off farther up the logging road.
The drive up the Squamish River Valley is a passengers dream. We followed the ever-quickening Squamish River which was flanked by a mountain range filled with enormous glacial bowls and ribbons of water cascading through lush forests on their way to the river. Move over Rocky Mountains, we have a contender right here in B.C.
After reaching the confluence of the Elaho and the Squamish rivers we crossed the bridge over the Squamish and continued north with the narrow-channeled Elaho beside us, it’s raging water passing over and around rocks as big as a house. Soon we start to climb leaving the river below us and head into the most difficult part of the journey, not the steep climb into the mountains or the worsening road conditions, but into the devastating clear-cuts. Huge swaths of 1000 year old tree stumps protrude like headstones, a desolate memorial of a once vibrant landscape. It certainly makes you question the wisdom and morals of our elected leaders.
The sight of the Lava Creek bridge is bittersweet, for while the Committee and all others involved in wanting to see the Upper Elaho protected and the end to logging there, the bridge has provided an opportunity for hikers to travel up the Elaho, into the Hundred Lakes Plateau with its’ panoramic views, and descend into Meagher Creek, a 22km distance. That’s one reason to be happy when you get to Lava Creek; the other is that you’ve made it! If your vehicle survives the last few dips in the road you’ll find yourself on a spur road that ends at the Elaho to Meagher trail head, which is exactly where Andy and I decided would be the perfect spot for our gathering.
The next couple of days were to be savoured despite the hard work preparing campsites, digging pit-toilets, and hanging tarps and banners. When the works done and you’re well fed and sitting by the fire with a sky full of stars, you get a neat feeling knowing there’s no one around for almost 100 square kilometres.
Posted by JP LeFrank at August 17, 2005 12:23 AM