I did this float plane trip back in 2005 with Pete, Ken and Dennis and it was amazing. I have to say 2nd time around and on a lighter bike (my Lapierre Zesty) it was just as awesome and maybe even more so!
Tom, Laura and Housser picked me up in Housser's F15o pick up on Friday and we hit the road to Tyax, stopping at Pemberton's Pony Express for lunch.
Now the road to Tyax isn't one you usually ride. It's a gravel FSR (Forest Service Road) which bumps along and twists and turns, up and down a mountain for 60km. So it is not the most comfortable drive.
To add to that we were not without mishap! 16km up the gravel road climb smoke started pouring out of the bonnet/hood and we stopped and evacuated! Lifting the hood the coolant was gurgling out of the radiator like some geyser exploding. We all stood well back and worried! After all the coolant had gone we searched the car for water. Draining everyone's camelbak's into the radiator then flagging down some pick-ups and nicking their water. Then Tom hiked up to a stream and filled all our camelbak's twice to fill the truck! We were on the move again but gingerly!
We were almost at Tyax when we had to pull over and wait. Some helicopter crews were flying in and replacing broken powerline poles from the recent fire and we could see the devastation the June fire had caused in the burnt out forest all around.
When we got the signal to go we couldn't go- the car would not start, so out we jumped and pushed the truck to jump start it (and this was not the last time this trip). Well bad things come in 3's they say so we all hoped for one more bad thing before we boarded the plane tomorrow!!
Finally we arrived at Tyax and pitched camp before we went to cool off with a swim in the glacial waters of the lake. If you've ever seen the movie "On Golden Pond" well then you can picture this place at Tyax. Log cabins and lodge next to a lake with mountains in the background and us jumping off the jetty and screaming in the cold water!
A cold night in my $20 Walmart sleeping bag and an early start as we were the first plane out at 07:15am. We loaded our bikes into the float plane at 7:15 and took off from the lake for a 15 minute flight through the mountains to Warner Lake. The views were amazing in the early morning sunshine- glassy blue lakes and mountains galore.
We landed on Warner lake which was like a mirror (see below)- no single ripple to indicate how close we were to the surface- a real challenge for Terry our pilot who hadn't landed in such conditions for 5 years having been flying 747's more recently!
Bikes unloaded and we waited for the next flight in while we battled mosquitoes off and stared in awe at the views up here away from all civilisation, no roads or rail just a narrow singletrack trail to follow out for 42km+.
Dale and the Swiss crew from Bergrad.ch arrived (in their team colours) and we were off on the trail.
What followed can barely be described but the pictures and video will try to explain the wonders before our eyes. It started with a rocky but gentle climb to the end of the lake and then evolved into buff singletrack exposed on our right with a sheer drop down to Gun Creek if you veered too far that direction.
The fast flowy stuff was interspersed variously with some scree slopes providing a challenge to ride across or a washout where no trail existed, then some swooping track through the forest and sometimes emerging into meadows of wildflowers. Mainly we could see Gun Creek to our right and then each glacial blue lake as we passed Trigger lake and Hummingbird lake.
Again we were still waiting for that bad 3rd thing but as it turned out it did not happen to us but rather to Oliver who wiped out on a creek crossing, got caked in mud and broke a Carbon Formula Brake lever off his Lapierre Spicy 916. He rode on with just a rear brake only to crash again and lose the other lever! Yup he had no brakes now!
Dale hashed together a trail fix with a tyre lever as a brake lever and Oliver managed to ride on until we reached Spruce Lake where Terry picked Oliver and Shane (our tail guide) up. We rode on from Spruce downwards.
The trail got pretty dusty and we were riding some 200m+ apart. The Swiss guys ahead following Dale then Housser and I interchanging for the helmet cam and then Tom with Laura bringing up the rear together.
About 6 and a half hours of buff singletrack later we emerged on a fire track near Dale's cabin and we piled our bikes on his truck for a 5 min drive back to Tyax for beers on the deck followed by a refreshing dunk in the lake (Count to 3 and jump in! Scream!) and a warm up in the hot tub!
Tonight we dined in style in the Lodge. Tired, grinning and totally chilled out.
I slept well, and warm in my $20 sleep bag tonight with many other layers on that is!
We packed up camp and left on Sunday back to Vancouver but I have a feeling I'll be back pretty soon- there is so much more to be done there!
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