Sunday, January 17, 2010

Clear Creek Hot Springs

January 15th, 2010


"It was a tough ride up... but sometimes in order to enjoy the beauty, we will need to go through some rough spots." Rene said to the girls after 48 Km on a rough, mucky logging road. It was a good analogy for our ride up and for life in general.

It was Kalina's Birthday recently, and all she wanted was family time as a present. I was able to get a good deal at Harrison Hotsprings Resort for Thursday night... $119.00 for the room and breakfast buffet for the adults.  Love this place! Pools are great.... rooms are clean and up to date... we've been here many times and I would highly recommend it.
Harrison Resort and spa
Friday morning after another dip in the pools and a relaxing breakfast... we were all ready and refreshed for an adventure! Actually, we were considering paying for a late check out and lazing around in the pools all day. You see, there was a rainfall warning for the previous 2 days and it didn't look like it was letting up. It rained in torrents, in cascades, deluge, downpoured, flooded and gushed forth (Gosh I love the Thesaurus!)
"What if there's mud slids?" I asked Rene over coffee, and looked out at the monsoon outside. I was way too comfortable at the nice, warm, dry resort.
"Please...daddy...please...one more night?" the girls rang out in unison. "What if we get stuck?" Alora asked.
"We've got food, water, dry clothes, blankets, pillows and a wench... I mean a winch." then he looked and me with those big blue eyes and winked.








We are a family of adventurers, always have been... always will be.... what's a little rain?









To get to the Clear Creek Hotsprings you need to go 36Km up the east harrison forestry service road.. the entrance is before Sasquatch Provincial Park.
After the sand pits at the 36Km mark, you turn right on the Clear Creek Road and go up another 12Km to the hot springs.


Here's a play by play on our drive:
5 Km - Logging truck just passed.... beautiful water falls on the right... brimming full to capacity.



6 Km - Lots of pot holes... lots of mud... Just passed a tower on our left.... WOW! Amazing waterfall on our right.

7 Km - Rivers of mud on the road.

8 Km - Logging Truck passed.

12 Km - Rivers... where only trickles of streams were before... will we make it?

13 Km - Logging Truck number 3 passed. Taking it easy... busy logging day.

14 Km - Bear Creek Recreation site to the left. Beautiful view. Nice beach. The entrance to the site is after the bridge.

16 Km - Big puddles... Parked Logging truck on the side.

19 Km - BIG BUMP! Took Air! It re-arranged the inside of the "Zuki". Had to stop and put things back.

20 Km - Cogburn Beach Recreation site. There are new parking spots along the beach front and they put in some new pit toilets since the last time we were there. Doesn't look like you can drive down to the beach anymore.

22 Km - Logging Camp... with 2 Suzuki's parked by the house. "Now you know Suzuki's are good when the lumberjacks use them." Rene said.

23 Km - Rock Scree... Kids and Rene climbed up and ski'ed down.

24 Km - 2 great camp spots on the right... one on either side of the bridge.

25 Km - TRUCK!

26 Km - Thick, gumbo mud... changed 'Zuki" to 4 low.. went straight through.

27 Km - Big Bump... took air again... bum was actually off the seat for a second.




28 Km - "TRUCK!" I thought we were gonners as the truck sped past us within centimeters... Rene's a great driver... He pulled 'Zuki over in no time flat.
"He's not stopping for anything or anyone." I said irritated.
"He needs the torc to get up the hill... It's our responsibility to get out of the way on an active logging road." If we do this kind of thing more often we will need a H.A.M Radio.

33 Km - Emergancy air strip for small planes.

34Km - MUCKY! YUCKY!

36 Km - Cut off for Clear Creek.. Yippie... made it past the logging trucks!





There were no more Km sign posts.... so here's what happened within the 12 Km up Clear Creek:

1st part easy... even our old 1982 VW Van made it up this part.
















Then it got a little Rocky....

Horn button fell off.
"I.... can't.... go.... any.... further....." Rene said, pretending to be the horn button. "It decided to bail on us."

Streams of water running down the side of the road.
"Took my waders out of the car... hope we don't get stuck in that water." Rene smiled.
All this water makes me need to go pee! Bumps don't help!
"I feel sick!" Alora groaned from the back. Nina wants to walk the rest of the way.
"Who put that rock in the middle of the road?"
"OOOOOFFFF....EEEEH...OOOOOOW..." just a little bumpy...

Then it got snowy....

Slip sliding away... slip sliding away... you know the nearer your destination.... the more your slip sliding awayyyyy. Ahhhhh... Simon and Garfunkel.
"NO... I'm not stopping so you can take a picture." Rene was trying to concentrate on the road ahead. All I saw was the beautiful waterfall.
"But it's so pretty?" I said.
"The road is eroded...it's a long way down.. I'm slipping... I don't want to lose traction. NO!"

"I feel sick." Alora again. Bump...bump..bump...
"Hang on." Rene tried to warn us for the BIG bumps.
"When will the bumps stop?" Alora asked, "I feel like a bobble head."
"When we get back onto the pavement."Rene retorted. We were the 1st...we were breaking ground... going where no one had gone before.....Well... maybe for 2010?


"Come on.... you can do it baby." He was now talking to 'Zuki'. "BIG ROCK!...SLIPPING! Come on.... nice catch girl....you're almost there... RIVER!... narrow....big cliff... we won't make it.... yes we will! Come on Zuki... you can do it girl........ WE MADE IT!...... Won't do this again in the winter......
.........I'm the 1st in the hot tub!". He had to share that moment with his daughter. Great driving Rene!

We spent a couple of hours at the tubs and then sadly headed back home.
"Want to get through the tough stuff before it gets dark." It's always good to have a little light when you're going through a burdensome spell.

"Down hill from here on in." Rene said. One minute later we were sliding sideways down a steep incline.
"Don't worry," I said calmly. "The big rock at the bottom will stop us. Just stay away from the cliff to our right." I was getting used to this 4x4'ing stuff.... these adrenaline rushes were no longer a hindrence.
"Slow and easy....Keep wheels in contact with the gravel...stay in our previous tracks...." He was now talking to himself.

"I'm just going to follow the tracks that this expert driver.. who broke the trail made." Rene smiled at me. Yes, it was HIS trail.... and YES, He was a fantastic driver. 
"OOOOFFFF...EEEEWWWWHHHHH....OOOOOWWWWFFFFF." Bumpy part again....


"Don't open the door!"


Later..... "It's okay to fall asleep." I said to Alora. Nina was already dreaming. "I know.....Hot tubbing is exausting."





















NINA'S PICS







































Alora's Improvements

1) Have to teach the Bears and other wild life to clean up after themselves.... gosh... they are PIGS!
2) Cougars have been leaving dirty socks and underwears in the Hot Tubs... I didn't think cats liked water.















Dog's Blog



They left me behind... They said I was to smelly for the Resort. sniff sniff... I smell good.... and I would have greeted everyone at the pools... because I am nice dog.... I would not swim in pool... they could have taken me? No matter... wise Pack Leader came... my ape pups call him Opa.... He is very wise... big respect for him I have.... Maggie came too.... she is sometime anoying... she steals my bones... but I share... I love her. I had nice time.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love love your stories....u really have a gift for writing....and OMG what an adventure and there definately was a rainbow at the end..the hot tub..keep writing!!

Anonymous said...

You manage to make something so harrowing into something hilarious! You have a beautiful gift for writing, Anuschka.

Anonymous said...

ha! We tried to take our 81 VW van up there in the winter...TRIED... hopeing to try again in the near future, maybe with some quads. Great to see another family taking risks and having adventures!