Day 2:
Bridge River Beauty
“We all strive for safety, prosperity, comfort, long life, and dullness.” ~ Aldo Leopold
Video: Day 2 Bridge River Beauty
My
morning on day 2 began with thick layers of fog. Surprisingly, I slept good, albeit, a little
wet because of the blanket of fog that had engulfed the valley overnight. I had
large drops of condensed water coming off the trees onto my tent and this is
what woke me from my sleep.
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| View from my morning camp on Lillooet Lake |
With the daylight, I was able to see more clearly
my neighbors with whom I camped. It turns out, I was a bit more cozy with them
than I imagined last night. I really wanted to take dip in the lake to clean
up, but the lack of privacy kept me from doing so. But, that could wait until
later. After a quick breakfast, I packed my soggy tent up and headed down the
road toward Pemberton. The road along Lillooet lake was in really bad
condition. It was pretty rough, even by motorcycle standards. It really
exercised my suspension and my ass. Eventually the fog gave way to sunshine and
I was beginning to get excited about my trip again.
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| The fog lifted and the views were priceless |
I re-fueled in Pemberton
with both, breakfast and premium unleaded. I then proceeded further into the
far flung reaches of southwest BC on the Pemberton Meadows road. I was on the
fringes of the glaciated coastal mountains. I headed up the Hurley Forest
Service road over to GoldBridge. This road was awesome. I gained elevation
really fast and the soon found myself above the valley floor with great views
in to the heart of the mountains.
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| Hurley road is amazing |
It was hard to make fast progress as each
corner rewarded me with great views. At one point I was mesmerized by the views
into Dowton Lake. I stopped for quite awhile here to admire the scenery.
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| View of Dowton Lake from the Hurley Road |
Not
far from there, I stopped at Goldbridge, an old mining town with a population of
43 people, and had a snack. I then proceeded up to Bralorne mining town and had
a look around, including a quick tour of the mining museum. It is quite the
place to see. For any biker, visiting
the bridge river area is an unforgettable experience. I can see that any dual
sport rider would love to ride any numerous road options here as they all offer
fantastic vistas and challenges for all skill levels.
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| Old mining towns and abandoned bldgs |
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| Welcome to Goldbridge... Population 43 |
Leaving
GoldBridge, I proceed very methodically along Carpenter Lake. Carpenter Lake is
a real gem of ride as well. The lake is just over 50 kms in length, but I would
take more than 3 hours to ride it. I stopped several times to savor the beauty
and waterfalls in this deep canyon.
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| Pictures don't lie... |
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| Carpenter Lake was spectacular |
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| Hmmm, hmmm, hmm, good!! |
At the end
of Carpenter Lake is a dam where the road winds its way through a narrow canyon.
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| The road and the river wind through a narrow canyon |
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| Magic |
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| Cool ride -- One of the best motorcycle roads ever |
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| The geology has a story to tell |
Both the road and the Bridge River would continually wind its way through the
mountains. It was fantastic and mode for a very special riding experience. For several
miles, the road hung precariously along the cliff wall, without guard rails and
with the river far below at the base of a cliff. This was not a ride for those afraid of heights.
Eventually the canyon mated up with the Fraser River and I passed the West
Pavilion Road; A road I was to ride the next day. I spent the night in
Lillooet.
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| Old buildings and cabins dot the countryside, adding to the experience |
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| Exiting into the Fraser River Canyon to Lillooet |
Until Next time..
Stay Tuned for Day 3...
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