The 2020 solo journey

I try to take a solo journey every summer, My big trip was going to be to the MOA rally in Great Falls but Alas serious things got in the way. So what to do. At first I was thinking the Chilcotin and Bella Coola, one place in BC, I haven't been to. But out of respect to the small communities to not spread my common man diseases I changed plans. Besides I think we are still at war with the locals there. Ne need to inflame that dilemma. So what to do. How about a round about route back to Fernie and do Hartly Pass and do some of the roads that Dear Kathy said no to on our last trip.
All packed and ready


So off to the North we go with only a slight idea of where and how we get back to Fernie, Why not head to the Tum Tum and the North Adams river.
I had met with Chris and Virginia on their 800 GSs as I headed to Adams lake and Squam Bay. They soon left me in their dust as I stopped for a picture.

So many K later we get to Tum Tum lake. It is a very nice spot and I was tempted to set up camp but the urge to be on the move overcomes me in the early part of a trip. Plus my plans of hitting the highway had a slight miscue. The road was washed out.



It is a beautiful spot.

Met a guy and his wife from Vavenby who has spent this weekend for the last 27 years on the lake. Nice legacy. knew all the roads and the only way out was the 100 k back to the junction the the 38 k to highway 5.
Might as well get at it.

As I pounded out those Ks of gravel I looked for glimpses of the River, Not much to be seen. Only one real spot, I stopped for a quick picture

There was a group of young guys loading Kayaks. Maybe in a younger year I might have been one of them. Oh Well.

There the Tum Tum is off the list, not sure it is exciting enough to do again. Only if they are logging will they fix the road I suppose..
Once back on the Highway I wick it up a tad, The rig settles into a nice 105k It is now getting late but we still have light till almost 8:00 so Blue River is in the cards. I pull into the campground at dusk hoping for a spot. No issues. Of course I have the new Redverz Solo tent which I have only set up once. My spot is a tad small and the tent is a tad large. Not sure I have made the right choicer a new tent, Err I mean Kathy made the right choice for a Xmas present. Once things are set up it is dark, so no pictures of my first camp, But I did cook up a reasonable freeze dried stew



Day one in the books

The Next morning went as expected, I struggle with packing up the tent, Grumbling over details. Kinda hating this tent. Maybe all the train whistles had disturbed my sleep. Plus the weather forecast had changed, there was a system blowing in from the North. I hit the road early and grumpy.
I have this yen to explore places I find on the internet, one is the road up Canoe Mountain, supposedly the highest road in Canada. It is just South of Valemont and looks down on Kinbasket Lake. So counting down the K to where they say the road starts, I pass it by. Surely it is better marked than that? I turn around and find the spot. Hmmmm looks kind a sketch. Up we head, Nope this is a quad track, Maybe 4x4 certainly not a one wheel drive 610 kg machine that I am on. Of course there is no where to turn around but maybe if I make this next climb there might be. I sure we've all been there. Nope, done.!

I try to get the rig to roll back wards, This is about 20 % slope here. Nope too many loose big rocks.

So after digging a channel and clearing the big one I get the rig stuck sideways on the trail and wanting to tip on it's side. Hmmm!!!

We are so happy to have that winch. I actually use it more than you think. Solo and very few brain cells that function, you know!
Any ways. Winch secured to a a tree I get the rig to move forward then pull it back so I can then get it pointed down hill. . Not bad. An hour and we got all of a Kilometre from the high way. So much for Canoe Mountain.

I've been to most bits of Kinbasket Lake that you can drive to except the Valmont end. To compensate for not making it up Canoe Mountain I head for the east side of the lake. Turns out the top of the mountain would have been socked in so best I didn't make it.


At the marina I turn around. Stopped in to check out one of the Rec sites and had a good yak with one of the campers, turns out he has been going there for many years. Funny how guys find there spots and return year after year.


As I get back to Valemont the rain starts. I muddle around a bit deciding what to do. Should I head west and South or stick to the "no plan" Lets see if there is a spot at Mt. Robson.
I find a few open spots but the rain is coming down hard and it is still early in the day. Let's see what Jasper has to offer. I do stop at the last camp ground in BC for a light lunch of Jerky and Coffee, bought a pound of the stuff at Avola. Not bad, and I carry the left over Coffee from the morning in a Thermos. Terrible stuff, some day I will learn how to make good camp coffee!!!. This camp doesn't entice me to stay.
Once in Jasper I head to Whistlers Camp Ground, Closed up and being rebuilt. They have bulldozed the entire site!! One of the park official later tells me there is going to be 800 sites. WTF!!
I head to Wapiti worried now that maybe it is full. It is a long weekend after all. Not to worry lots af spots and people packing and leaving on-mass due to the rain. I set Up, Did I mention I Love my new tent!!!


The view from inside, warm and dry

Let it rain all it wants.

NICE. I'm very jealous. And looking forward to more.

Cheers, Wayne

PS, the tent looks great for inclement weather.

Ok, where was I. After a full day and night of rain, I decided to spend the next day poking around Jasper. After hiking around the campground checking out all the campers and watching the masses packing up I headed to town for supplies. Beer ! Of all the times I have been in Jasper I have never been up to Pyramid Lake. Nice spot with lots of trails to explore. Maybe when I bring Kathy up here we'll check some of them out.

As you can see the sky is much nicer.

Lots of tourists around even with the Covid Pandemic.

After town I made the trek up to one of my favourite spots. Edith Cavell -- I was going to hike to the meadows but it was a tad late in the day by now so passed. I did have a good yak with a couple of young guys heading out for a 5 day hike. Their packs looked a tad too heavy for my skinny legs to carry. I think a Moto to carry camping gear is way more civilized.
Back to camp.