G-spotter Posted November 27, 2011 Posted November 27, 2011 Trip: Chilcotin/Tsi'los Park - Tchaikazan-Yohetta Loop Date: 8/20/2011 Trip Report: So my wife likes to do these big week-long hikes every year with her friends and I was dragged along this year since we were heading to the Tchaikazan which has some mountains and stuff. Actually, some damn fine mountains. But anyways. We drove up to Williams Lake onwards to Hanceville, and down past the Nemiah Valley on the 20th and spent the evening setting up the cars, one at the mouth of the Yohetta where we planned to come out, and the other at the Tchaikazan trailhead. Looking upstream from camp. The next day the clouds came in and we hiked c. 10km up the valley in occasional rain to a campsite next to the outfitter's cabin, 1km east of Spectrum Creek. The trail was mostly in good shape. Rufous Mtn north face from the trail. Heading up the gravel flats with rain coming over the Rhino. We spent the whole next day camped at the outfitter's cabin in pouring rain. Debris flows and floods were coming down some of the creeks and the main Tchaikazan rose by a foot or so. We found a hunter's cache over near Spectrum Creek that had been destroyed by grizzlies and salvaged an uneaten tarp and intact can of propane which fitted the stove in the cabin and enabled us to brew a bunch of hot drinks without worrying about running out of gas. The tarp was strung up to replace the ratty one at the cabin and kept us semi-dry next to a smoky fire. Flooding in the forest. When stuck in the cabin, making pizza from dehydrated ingredients is always a good way to pass the time. The next day, the clouds were breaking. A big grizzly walked by the cabin on the other side of the river at dawn. Fresh snow on the Rhino Very large bear on the other side of the river. We packed up, left the cabin and climbed the trail to where it petered out in the meadows below Spectrum Pass. Great views, good weather, lots of flowers. Very nice hiking overall. View up the Tchaikazan to the glaciers. Hiking in the meadows. Nearing the pass. Buck-toothed local. We spent the next day and a half in and near the pass, lounging in the meadows and checking out the views. Pretty nice place overall. The people I was with had weird scheduling ideas that prevented me from just taking off and bagging a peak, in that I had to help move camp in the middle of the frickin' day. But the peaks around the pass are mostly chosspiles anyway. Camp below the Rhino. Spectrum Peak Our high point, on a pinnacle overlooking Chilko Lake, from the ridge NW of Spectrum Pass The morning of Day 5 we broke camp and descended into the Yohetta side of things We spent all day hiking down the creek towards Mt Goddard and Dorothy Lake. The going gradually got more annoying as we came into a beetle-kill zone. At the end of a 16km day we set up camp next to the lake and thought the toughest going was over. Marmot skull Prayer flags Heading out Wet crossing The next two days were godawful slogs, moving at 1km/hr through tortuous beetlekill. The view of Mt Goddard was pretty cool, though, it reminded me a lot of Hozameen. There was also a nice interlude on the last day through some birch forest after we climbed high up the hillside to get around a crappy burned area with thick second growth and lots of downed snags. There were fish in the Yohetta Lakes but we didn't catch any of them. Goddard east face Pine beetle circuit diagram in dead tree Looking back to the Chilko Lake mts. Yohetta Lake Aspen grove hiking. We made it out to the cars and beer by the afternoon of Day 7. Saw a big lynx while car-shuttling, and a couple of bears. We camped near the trailhead at Tuzcha Lake that night, had a swim, dressed up in clean clothes and the like. The next morning we went into Nemiah for gas (super cheap, everyone gets the status discount) and drove home. Tuzcha in the morning. Anyways, overall I would have liked to do more peak bagging but it was a good time and a fun part of the province to visit.I hope to go back in the next few years to climb some of the big peaks around the head of the Tchaikazan River. Lots of good routes to do in there for sure. Gear Notes: Hiking poles. Chainsaw if you've got one, for all the deadfall Approach Notes: Drive to Hanceville and then south as far as you can get. 4wd useful. Quote
Bigtree Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 Beautiful country. The last shot is the pick of the litter of course. Thanks for posting. Quote
mountainsloth Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 looks like a fun trip! Nice shot of the marmot. Quote
Khartoum Wood Posted November 28, 2011 Posted November 28, 2011 looks to be a nice back packing trip very cool nice pictures. Quote
Zoran Posted December 2, 2011 Posted December 2, 2011 Great hiking trip. I like cherry pies from Hanceville. Chilko Lake is beautiful lake and spring skiing from peaks down to Goddard Glacier is very good. I like the place very much. Quote
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