South Chilcotin 2012 (aka Spruce Lake)

Friburg is fine. there is a big trench in the main parking area. but over all its ok.

Flip. most likely.

Thanks dick! See ya Wednesday?

will be up for 4 days august long, A, maybe see ya up there!

Me too, staying at a cabin at Gun Lake.

Taylor and Ridge-a-rama both saw wheels in the last couple days. the bridge need a bit of work on the taylor climb. was going to go poke around the shulaps today but its raining. wa wa.

Will need to find some other camping options since Friburg is out.

You need not be worried; you are in good hands ;)

Can anyone confirm if Deer Pass is good to go yet? Really hoping to tick it off the list this summer.

Pretty sure I've read this debate before, but as a loop from Spruce Lake - which direction would you ride Deer Pass?
- Clockwise: up to Hummingbird/Trigger, over Deer Pass and back along Tyaughton Cr? OR
- Counter- clockwise: up Tyaughton Cr, over Deer, and back along Warner Trigger / Hummingbird

I've done Trigger / Hummingbird / Gun Creek as a drop from Warner. And also ridden Tyaughton as part of a multi-day adventure from Graveyard (over Elbow). Just need to connect the middle piece now! Having been on both trails, I'm leaning to doing Deer clockwise.

Thoughts from anyone that's done it??

^^ page 1 said a group already made it over Deer this year

Clockwise might be safer/easier. If there's a ton of snow on the north side, you could either chill at the pass and then turn back (if you don't want to tromp through it). And even if you do tromp through it, its easier to walk/slide/ride down the snow than up.

Dick - have you heard anything about Windy?

Can anyone confirm if Deer Pass is good to go yet? Really hoping to tick it off the list this summer.

Pretty sure I've read this debate before, but as a loop from Spruce Lake - which direction would you ride Deer Pass?
- Clockwise: up to Hummingbird/Trigger, over Deer Pass and back along Tyaughton Cr? OR
- Counter- clockwise: up Tyaughton Cr, over Deer, and back along Warner Trigger / Hummingbird

I've done Trigger / Hummingbird / Gun Creek as a drop from Warner. And also ridden Tyaughton as part of a multi-day adventure from Graveyard (over Elbow). Just need to connect the middle piece now! Having been on both trails, I'm leaning to doing Deer clockwise.

Thoughts from anyone that's done it??

Hey Mrs G, can you let the forum know which way you did the ride and riding time when done? I would be interested in your findings as Im doing the same and, Ive heard, a group taking nearly 12 hrs to do the loop (though they did run into glutinous mud and snow)

- Counter- clockwise: up Tyaughton Cr, over Deer, and back along Warner Trigger / Hummingbird

We've already talked about it in person, but I've done it this way with Lee coming from the Graveyard area then stopping at Spruce.

The trail intersection is below Warner so you can remove it from your route description.

Map courtesy of Lee.

I'd do it this way as the West side is much steeper than the East side. I'd rather hike a bike up the less steep and ride down steep.

The horse people always do it the other way so the loaded horses don't flip over when decending.

Lee's ride report [HTML_REMOVED] pics from that day are here:
http://www.leelau.net/2008/chilcotinsept2008/deerpass2008_09_06/

Has anyone been to the very end of the Relay Creek road yet this year?

I was last out there in Aug. 2010 but heard it had deteriorated last year.

Condition?
How far can you drive now with a decent 4x4?

Dick - have you heard anything about Windy?

we rode windy a couple days ago. some snow but its all good. the creeks are high if you need to cross any of them.

July 20th report, (thanks Tyax Air):

Taylor Basin
- From trailhead to Cabin is clear of snow [HTML_REMOVED] debris, new bridge has been built over the raging creek crossing (thx Joe Dick and Jeff Playfair) and the whole trail is rideable up to the cabin.
- Taylor Cabin to Camel Pass is mostly clear 15% snow covered in a few patches.
- Taylor Cabin to Eldorado Pass (towards Windy Pass) is 10% snow covered with a few patches of snow over the pass on the descent into Eldorado.
- Everything is melting quickly now and by July 27th should be clear.

Eldorado Basin
- From the Eldorado Cabin northwards towards Windy Pass is mainly clear of snow.
- Snow patches remain around the Eldorado Cabin area

Warner Lake Area
- From Warner lake down the Gun Creek Trail is clear of snow and deadfall.
- From Warner Lake up to Warner Pass has a few snow patches.

Deer Pass Trail
- South side is clear of snow.
- North side is mostly clear of snow and easily passable

Tyaughton Creek Trail
- Trail is clear from the WD intersection, North to Lorna Lake. South of the WD intersection has considerable blow down.
- Creek crossings are extremely high, use caution when crossing!

Lorna Pass
- Clear of snow on east side, West side has one patch of snow near the top of the pass (same as last year) which will remain there most of the summer.

Elbow Pass - No reports yet

Graveyard / Relay - Clear of snow

Lorna Lake / Big Creek - Mostly clear of snow

Spruce Lake Area / Gun Creek Trail - clear of snow

Windy Pass - One patch of snow in the usual place.

Pearson Basin / Lick / High Trail:
- A few small patches of snow remaining
- Lick creek trail has suffered some logging over the lower portion and has not yet been cleared. (Lee Lau was just in and said it's all good).

Lick was being cleared as we were riding down, they did leave a couple trees that are not passable on bike (guess they were just clearing for horses).

eldorado pass and basin are totally clear of snow