Prometheus

Early spring may not seem like the best time to wander up the Fraser canyon, but, for me, the season could not have been more perfect.

The bright red Highway 1 bridge rebelliously stands among the untamed landscape.

The old Alexandria bridge, almost 100 years old, hasn’t been used by cars since 1964.

The rough, almost primordial beauty of this landscape captures my imagination – rain and rapid streams rushing down jagged rocks, low hanging clouds and fog, slowly crawling around the mountaintops, wild rivers meandering among steep canyon walls. The presence of nature, powerful, uncaring and awesome, can really be felt here.

Ladner Creek Railway Bridge, Hope

Greetings to everyone who still open up my blog. After a long hiatus caused by a distraction called life, I’ll try to start posting more frequently once again.

This abandoned railway trestle is rusting away east from the city of Hope, British Columbia. The bridge was once a part of The Kettle Valley Rail Road – a now abandoned railway that used to serve mining towns in BC.

The railway hugs a side of a steep hill and the bridge is only accessible by following the rail track for a few kilometres.

The metal rails and even the wooden crossbeams are now gone, but the pathway etched on the side of a cliff is still in good condition. The short hike ends in front of a collapsed tunnel, the bridge is right on the other side of it.

The first glimpse of the bridge is breath taking. Such a massive construction, abandoned and forgotten, rusting away in the middle of this wild landscape looks outlandish.

The steel construction still feels sturdy and shows no sign of giving way to the elements.

Although the same can’t be said about the wooden crossbeams that once supported the rails, they are now rotten and unsafe to walk on. The only way to cross the bridge is by walking on the metal parts on both sides of the railway. Alas, that didn’t seem like a good idea at that time, given the slippery conditions and the deadly fall waiting for those who take a miscalculated step while trying to cross.

This is part 1 of the Fraser valley trip, more pictures coming soon!

Big Cedar

The Bureau of Secret Tourism is happy to inform you about the newest executive decision of the Executive Cabinet Task Force In Matters of Internal Affairs to establish a new department in our venerable organisation – The Committee of Recreational Hiking and Countryside Exploration! Effective immediately!

We are happy to present you the pilot project of our newest branch committee – the report of the Big Cedar trail, just north of Vancouver city.

The Big Cedar tree. Its about 600 years old and can give one the idea of what the ancient forest looked like before it was destroyed by the early settlers.

Getting lost can be quite easy, there are markers, but one can easily loose sight of them in the dense shrubbery.

Kennedy falls. Cold air and moisture rush down from the mountains along with the water, making the area around the falls considerably cooler than in the forest above the creek.

In conclusion – A great hike, and a great pilot project for the new committee. Exploring nature is quite different from the usual procedure of dealing with rusted ladders and railings, climbing over barred up fences and avoiding security guards. Indeed the overconfident exploration on my part resulted in a certain amount of falls, soaked shoes and lacerated hands.

But deter us, from exploring new frontiers this shall not!