Coastal Cruiser July 1, 2006 Run to Chataway Lakes Area, North of Merritt.
By the time the July 1 long weekend finally arrived, we were all itch’n to get out of town and do some serious wheel’n. The early birds, Petra N with her son Clayton and dog Ranger, Mat R, Bill W, and Gary T, got out on June 30 to beat the mad rush out of the lower mainland. The weather was hot and sunny as we headed out past Hope and up the scenic Coquihalla, past two radar traps safely thanks to Mat’s detector, and on to the sleepy town of Merritt. We were sure glad that the Merritt Mountainfest Country Music Festival is next weekend otherwise it would have been a total absolute zoo. We dieseled up in Merritt and drove West along 97C and Highway 8 to Lower Nicola and then North up the Aberdeen road (no longer called the Chataway Lakes Road). One thing that soon became apparent was that the map books are not accurate, and even the GPS is missing some of these lakes. We camped down at Tyner Lake Friday night and the Rainbow trout were jumping and the mosquitoes heartily sucking blood. The Forest Service campsite was small, “cosy” as they say in the real estate business. Petra & Co. went swimming and there was a cool breeze off the lake. No need for a tent fly; the night was warm and dry, no dew in the morning! Dan M and Marie arrived at midnight while Jan & Angelica H pulled in with little giant dog Tiko (more about that incredible dog later!) at 3:00 a.m. , God knows how they found us in the dark, although Mat did post Bill’s CC signs, with reflective tape no less. Tyner Lake is mostly used by local fishermen and is stocked with lots of trout.
Saturday morning we broke camp and headed for Abbott Lake which offered a more spacious camping area, although we were still not alone there. Mat offered to go and bring the rest of the arrivals over to Abbott Lake while we settled in for the day. Eventually they all arrived: Steve T with son Tiernan in his 40 and towing his cool military trailer, Marcin & Ania C complete with aluminum canoe, Drew E & dog Winston in their FJ Cruiser, Traci & Rojo, and Air Canada pilot guest Dennis P. We had 10 vehicles in total; not a bad turnout. Another warm starry night with campfire and tall tales, followed by night time waterfowl calls of loons and other unknown critters.
Sunday morning Petra had to leave early at 5:00 a.m. to go to work. After a leisurely start we again broke camp and headed North along the trails spending most of the day exploring unmarked roads, clear cuts and boulder strewn creeks. We managed to lose Jan at Chataway Lake but, damit, he eventually found us! Chataway Lake is beautiful but its all fenced off by development. By late afternoon we were pretty tired and dusty, and even Traci was barking orders over the CB. We eventually settled in at Leroy Lake with the whole place to ourselves. We could hoot and holler to our heart’s content and not hold back for any neighbours. Canoe rides on the lily pads, wild roses, woodpeckers, refreshing breezes, campfire amusements, teasing Dan about looking “drained”, and best of all, the hearty laughs when Jan passed around the photo of his tiny dog with a massive erection. So help me, the dog isn’t much bigger than a Chihuahua, but its dong is absolutely ginormous! It was unbelievable and he was actually stepping on it. We figure it has to be bigger than Jan’s!
Monday morning we packed up and headed North once again to the last lakes in the chain. Tupper Lake proved to be the absolutely best lake of all, but alas it was time to head home although some managed to get a canoe ride in before leaving. Next year we should head straight for Tupper Lake first and come down from the North, from up above Logan Lake.
To sum it up, this was a memorable wheel’n trip. The weather was perfect, the participants good companions, the countryside drop-dead lovely, and the location fairly close via the Coquihalla. In fact, one could visit Tupper Lake on an ordinary weekend without too much trouble. Special thanks to Mat R for his enthusiasm and efforts above and beyond the call of duty for leading the pack with his GPS and maps. Congratulations to Drew for his determination to pilot that FJ Cruiser to its limits, and finally to Jan for that remarkable dog!
Coming down the Coquihalla we spotted a float plane dangling upside down from trees along the roadside. Looks like it lost power while climbing through up through the pass. It wasn’t totally wrecked, and looked like it skimmed the treetops and finally tangled up coming to a stop in the tree crowns. Hope the pilot and passengers were ok.
~Bill
P.S. Coastal Cruiser meeting next week: Friday BBQ, July 14, time to be announced.
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