Trevor, Bryce and I headed to the Chilcotins for our annual take our bikes for a hike excursions. This time we elected to take the Tyax Adventures floatplane air donkey to Lorna Lake. We planned to spend three days and two nights base-camped at Lorna Lake then work our way back via ridgelines and alpine to our starting point at Tyax Lake.
Our first day was spent eating, then eating again. Then boarding the air donkey to Lorna Lake to setup camp. After all was said and done we were ready to start a trip with daypacks out-and-back to Cluckata Ridge just before the crack of noon. I had approached Cluckata in 2006, circumnavigated it in 2009 and approached it via Tosh Creek in 2012; it’s a beautiful feature that’s got pretty views and a convenient approach.
The route itself from Lorna Lake is a piece of cake and is well marked on the Trailventures Map. Up Big Creek, then Grant Creek you go. Don’t miss the faint trail heading NW climbing through meadows and sparse trees to a cowboy camp by the lakes at the foot of Cluckata. The ridge itself is nice and wide and meanders up towards a small set of bluffs where you can drop by your bikes then scramble to a small sub-peak. I guess you could keep going on kinda ugly rocks to the true “summit” of Cluckata if you’re into peak bagging. Or you can just chill and take in views.
We were back in time for a lazy time lounging on the Lorna Lake beach at 1870m where temps were a balmy 26 degrees and bugs were absent before the sun dipped below the surrounding mountains
Route map
Breakfast at Tyax Lodge is served at 7am and is soooo worth it
At the Floatplane Dock
Notes at the dock
See point 4 on the right. Make noise. 9 out of 10 groups (hikers, bikers, equestrians) we see are dead silent and that is just inexplicable. Mr Bear will avoid you if they can hear you. Other users will know you’re approaching and that’ll mitigate user conflict. So fart and scream loudly.
Sluice Creek crossing leaving Lorna camp
Grant Creek approach
On a subridge of Cluckata looking to the east
Reaching the alpine and heading to Cluckata. Dorrie Peak and its ridge is to the south
Dorrie Peak and Warner Ridge to the south from where we dropped bikes at about 2300m
Chilling and taking in views. Looking E towards Graveyard and Elbow
Meandering down the ridgeline
More meadow meandering
Down Grant Creek
Lorna Lake dinner with Indian Fusion restaurant butter chicken and chilli chicken
Last day’s light at Lorna Lake
The 151 stare