Capturing the Art of Nature
Chilliwack Lake Beach
The beach two-thirds the way down Chilliwack Lake is a beautiful spot to spend a sunny late autumn afternoon.
Category
Serendipitous Discoveries
2013
Click on image to view gallery
I haven’t been out in the back-country since mid-September, except for my drives in Ontario, so I was definitely feeling a need to get out and enjoy some fresh air, sunshine and scenery. I didn’t want to do serious driving on this trip just to get out and enjoy some quiet time in nature. As it had been sometime since I was down the road along Chilliwack Lake I felt it would be the perfect place to spend a few hours.
Ethan arrived around 8:30am and we loaded our gear into the truck and set off for the coffee shop. Done acquiring the coffee mixture of choice we set off for Chilliwack and soon we were starting down the Chilliwack river road. It was not busy and we made good time along the road. As we made our way along the valley we passed numerous pockets of heavy frost interspersed with dry patches. The sun has only a short time working over any single spot along the road this time of year so places can continue to build up frost for long periods and it often starts to look like fallen snow. I was glad it was only frost as the last time we came to visit the lake we were stopped by deep snow at the start of the forestry road.
This morning the sun was out and the forestry road was clear. In fact it was nicely levelled off and the horrendous pot-holes filled in. The drive along the lake was actually quite pleasant this time. It seems that there is a small logging area being worked and as part of their operation the road was improved. As we made our way down the lake we stopped at a number of spots to enjoy walls of icicles of various shapes and lengths. There were some very impressive cliff faces full of icicles! Eventually we had worked our way down to the beach area and there we found a vehicle parked next to the access path. We pulled in next to them and got our gear organized so we could get everything we needed to the beach in one trip.
The first section of the short trail was steep and slippery so we had to go slow and pick our steps carefully lest we go for a bad tumble. Once down to lake level we followed along the side of a small stream and then walked across the broad sandy beach to a spot a few meters from the lake. Here we set up our chairs and relaxed. I took a few initial photos but then just relaxed in a chair for a few minutes, soaking in the freshness of the place. Though the air was cool the warmth of the sun was pleasant and we just felt great sitting out there looking across the lake at the peaks on the far side. After a few moments of reflection I got up and started to walk south along the lake shore.
I had never visited the area to the south of the big tree log that was lying across the beach. This delta area was created by the sediment from Paleface Creek and is fairly broad with a few streams running through it. I stopped to take photos of the log positioning Williams Peak in behind to give a variety of interesting views. Finishing with the log, I continued down the beach trying to avoid soft spots and sinking in too deep in the soft sand. There were some interesting photos along here and at the furthest point I could safely walk to I saw a A-frame a little ways further down the shoreline. The A-frame has road access but there is a locked gate keeping people out. I then turned around and made my way back to Ethan and then continued past to the rock causeway where I gathered a few more photos. Ethan had started cooking lunch by the time I got back to him so I didn’t want to go much further.
After lunch I replaced my small zoom lens with my telephoto and then set off to retrace my path from earlier. This time I was looking for new sights with the longer lens. It was fun seeing just how different the place looks with the longer lens. I found some shiny sections of the beach to be particularly interesting with the longer lens. I also go a better shot of the A-frame this time. Eventually I had worked my way back to Ethan who was reading while sitting next to the lake. I packed up the camera and sat down for a bit more peace and quiet. By now the clouds had thickened and the sun was not as bright and warm so we were starting to feel the chill. Before we got any colder we packed up and returned to the truck.
Rather than just head back we continued down the road to the furthest point we could drive which is the bridge over Depot Creek. The road was closed here to protect the south end of the lake. Rather than find the cement blocks we found a forestry gate and a watchman who was spending his time in his trailer. I had chatted with him before on the West Harrison so we spent some time talking about his time here and how dark and cold it must be at night. He explained that they were doing a last bit of logging on a stand on the north slope just across the creek. Once done hauling it out they plan to remove the bridge to permanently protect the area to the south. They will be replacing it with a smaller foot bridge.
After chatting for a while we started back up the road and made our way out in good time with the improved road. We continued along the Chilliwack River Road and soon were in Sardis where we picked up a second coffee for the trip home. It was a lovely afternoon and just the perfect outing for my mood and need to regain some back-country sights.