Silverhope to Skagit (1 Viewer)

[BC40]

It was a nice morning so went out to do a little exploring Sunday. Very icy with a hard snow crust. Was a cold day but clear sky and great views. Continued past Silverhope Lake. The tire ruts ended and just a compacted snowmobile track continued. No major problems except the truck is wider than a snowmobile and I started getting concerned about the snow softening up in the sun. So at about 19km I chose a wide spot with lots of big trees (anchor points) to attempt to turn around. The reality was it was Sunday afternoon and if I got badly stuck it would be a very long walk out. Besides it was still a long way from Skagit at that point. Didn't have trouble turning around and no winching needed after all so we headed back to the lake. Good thing about winter no rangers around to give us s*** for having a fire out on the beach in the park.

Never been up there before, anyone know if there is any decent wheeling or interesting side trips/hikes in that area? Saw a trailhead to Eaton Creek/Lake, might be an interesting hike. Should also be old roads into the side drainages?

 

[canucksafari]

Nice pics Martin. Looks like the perfect day for going out - nice and crisp. I am planning on exploring that area a little more after talking to a guy who says he wheels up there all the time. I figured it would be steeper terrain but your pics show it as fairly open country for the coast mountains.

 

[BC40]

Thanks.
The main valley is quite wide once you get up to the lake. There are a bunch of side valleys that show in the maps outside of parks/protected area. Hopefully not all gated . I hear it gets very busy up there in the summer, but maybe some springtime exploring would be best.
Let me know when you plan on heading up there I'd be glad to go along.

 

[crawlin cruiser]

nice,

glad to see yuo had better luck than me

 

[jcolvin]

Never been up there before, anyone know if there is any decent wheeling or interesting side trips/hikes in that area? Saw a trailhead to Eaton Creek/Lake, might be an interesting hike. Should also be old roads into the side drainages?

There's a very nice logging road route up Sowerby creek (just before Silver lake) that you can drive in the summer. Some spectacular views, meadows and and you can get all the way up to the subalpine and some nice old growth (what's left that hasnt been chopped down). Not really wheeling but some big dropoffs and hairpins that make you wonder at the drivers who bring loaded log trucks down there.

There is a brand new logging road up on Mount Stoneman than goes over a pass into the Maimen creek headwater. Keep going when you go over the Sowerby river bridge, work your way up the side of Mr Stoneman and you will eventually reach the pass. The new road is not yet in the backroads mapbook. Each time I went up there was an open gate at 8 km 1/2 way up mt stoneman that claimed it would close at 4:30 pm but doesn't.

 

[canucksafari]

Thanks.
Let me know when you plan on heading up there I'd be glad to go along.

Will do. Hopefully by then i will have one of mine sold and the other lifted - hopefully.

Not really wheeling but some big dropoffs and hairpins that make you wonder at the drivers who bring loaded log trucks down there.

Read a story the other week in a Western trucking mag while at my favorite grub spot on the way to PG (The Hungry Bear) about a guy who had a job hauling loads somewhere near there. Day one he basically slid down a hill loaded narrowly missing going over. Next trip they tried to use a skidder to anchor him for a controlled decent - except the skidder also went sliding down the kill with the logging truck - both of them nearly going over. After that, they used off-road logging trucks to haul the logs down to a lower landing to load the highway trucks.

I often look at some of the roads I go on and wonder how in the hell they got loaded trucks down those roads.

 

[prado t]

Very nice!

 

[d0ubledown]

absolutely beautiful! so glad we have such beautiful scenery to enjoy. love the pic of the icicles...thanks for sharing

 

[skeletalmachine]

The Eaton Lake hike is really good. Steep, but well defined trail through old growth leads to a nice lake with a few decent camping spots.

 

[BC40]

There's a very nice logging road route up Sowerby creek (just before Silver lake) that you can drive in the summer. Some spectacular views, meadows and and you can get all the way up to the subalpine and some nice old growth (what's left that hasnt been chopped down). Not really wheeling but some big dropoffs and hairpins that make you wonder at the drivers who bring loaded log trucks down there.

There is a brand new logging road up on Mount Stoneman than goes over a pass into the Maimen creek headwater. Keep going when you go over the Sowerby river bridge, work your way up the side of Mr Stoneman and you will eventually reach the pass. The new road is not yet in the backroads mapbook. Each time I went up there was an open gate at 8 km 1/2 way up mt stoneman that claimed it would close at 4:30 pm but doesn't.

The Eaton Lake hike is really good. Steep, but well defined trail through old growth leads to a nice lake with a few decent camping spots.

Great info, thanks guys.

Jonathan, I think I was at the bottom of Sowerby. Heading up the west side of the valley towards the lake there is a gate on the main road that would presumably take you to the lake (closed right now). There is a small spur road towards the creek, but also a major road heading up the hill that was open. Sounds like an interesting side trip if that goes all the way up to subalpine.

I also noticed a smaller road leading up the hill a bit lower down that I'm guessing was the Eureka Mine road from my maps. Then theres are a bunch of other valleys like Cantelon, Hicks, Silverhope, Klesilkwa, and Maselpanic that may or may not be accessible anymore. Some look like they would lead close to small lakes for some short hikes.

I'll definitely spend a weekend up there once the snow melts. It's relatively close for me from Chilliwack .

 

[prado t]

Yes call me when you are going.

 

[jcolvin]

Great info, thanks guys.

Jonathan, I think I was at the bottom of Sowerby. Heading up the west side of the valley towards the lake there is a gate on the main road that would presumably take you to the lake (closed right now). There is a small spur road towards the creek, but also a major road heading up the hill that was open. Sounds like an interesting side trip if that goes all the way up to subalpine.

I also noticed a smaller road leading up the hill a bit lower down that I'm guessing was the Eureka Mine road from my maps. Then theres are a bunch of other valleys like Cantelon, Hicks, Silverhope, Klesilkwa, and Maselpanic that may or may not be accessible anymore. Some look like they would lead close to small lakes for some short hikes.

I'll definitely spend a weekend up there once the snow melts. It's relatively close for me from Chilliwack .

Yep, you keep on Sowerby main. It goes up sowerby creek pretty steeply, levels out, then over a bridge on the creek in a nice flat meadows area. Then it starts to hairpin up the mountain and keeps going up up up. I'd think there would be snow up there pretty late, alltho it seems there is less pack this year than usual. That may change tho...

I havent tried the eureka mine road, that must be interesting too...

Has anyone done blowdown lately (off the duffy)? That's a neat route up to the alpine, but was getting a bit sketchy in one place where there is a very steep dropoff. I haven't been up it in a couple years now.