October 5th, 2003
Chilcotin - BURKHOLDER LAKE
After flatting my car's tire on the way back from 9 Mile Ridge - again; we tried to patch the tire. The patch didn't hold so we were delayed in the morning trying another puncture repair. All this meant that we did not have enough time to try for the Shulaps Traverse in the Shulaps Range. Instead I reached for the guidebook and for another trip on the tick-list; Burkholder Lake.
This trip involves the same trek out to the Yalakom FSR and then to Burkholder Lake. It is a 14km out-and-back from Lac la mere, where we park.
The ride to Burkholder Lake is sandy fast singletrack through fall colors. Gina rounds the corner
Peter marching on
Chai crossing a creek. Keep this creek in mind
Steve on the singletrack approaching the lake
Burkholder Lake itself. Just your regular little alpine lake in a remote setting. The ride to the lake itself was admittedly anti-climatic. Not really your classic Chilcotin epic in that the ride was short and the suffering was non-existent.
Lunch was a relaxing change of pace in a hunter's lean-to and camp.
Chai crossing the creek. We take the opportunity to test his log-balancing skills while heaving rocks at the creek,
More Chai
Gina approaching the last downhill on the run back to the cars
Lee on the downhill
Gina hammering on a corner in back to the barn mode
Steve carving up Burkholder Lake downhill
The drive along the shores of Carpenter Lake alone are worth the effort of getting to the Chilcotin. Carpenter Lake is a man-made creation propped up behind a dam at the Seton Portage crossing. This is a view of the fall colors lining the lake looking west.
Here Peter and Simon try to add to the run-off around Carpenter Lake
While Chai does the same thing but facing towards Lilloet
A log boom ensures that the sluice gates of the dam remain undamaged and we bid goodbye to the Chilcotin till next year.