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Chapter 23 of the continuing saga of the Northwest Connector:
October 24, 2009. We were rewarded with splendid weather for this late in the season. Cloudy with sunny breaks and temperatures reaching into the low teens.
6fiddy, volcon and me, the old trials guy headed out from Bruce's to Dewdney and a familiar ride up Norrish Creek. The gate was closed today so we slugged our way through the bypass trail. Although soupy it was quite passable. I couldn't help notice the very large sign telling us how our watershed will be protected from people like us and the words "Road Closed". I guess that clearcut logging operation up there doesn't impact the watershed nearly us much as us dirt bikers churning up the logging roads :?.
Logging was going full bore so we had to take care going around the equipment. Once past the powerline we climbed past Dickson Lake. Some of the ditches filled with rocks are a challenge but Volcon managed to guide his KLR through with hardly a spill (well maybe a couple of low speed tip overs). This is a really nice ride for a B rider and can be done on a KLR but be prepared to drop your bike as it is easy to get high centered in a few of the stream crossings.
Shortly after we dropped down from the Dickson Lake road we crossed the bridge on Statlu Creek. Just past the bridge is the spur road that takes you to the south west and if you stay on the right fork it eventually ends up at what I call the Statlu Landing. The climb is rocky but the road is openwith few if any face slappers. You get a great view on a clear day. But today we were looking for a different path.
We continued north on Statlu FSR keeping an eye for the haul road that potentially could hook up to the North Lost Creek road we have been busy clearing.A short distance down the road we rode through the lower portion of a large slide, the one that is clearly visibly on Google Earth. The haul road should be close.
Another kilometer and there to the left was a grown over grade. 6fiddy and I headed up through the salal and salmon berries until it was just to overgrown to carry on by bike. Volcon stayed at the main road to keep an eye out for bike bandits and 6fiddy and I headed up the remants of the haul road. At first it was fairly grown over with the usual assortment of brush but about 400 meters up the underbrush thinned out and at that point we wish we had our bikes.
At about 500 meters we crossed the creek that runs down the slide we crossed down below. I commented that it would be one heck of a section for a pro trials rider but feasible.The grade continued on and I watched our progress on myGarmin as we got closer and closer to a waypoint I set marking the summit of the Northwest Connector. We carried on until my old knees started talking to me and the brush started closing in again. There were a few nasty spots including a short sidehill leading into a creek but up to the point we turned around on foot it would be very passable on bike (with some work clearing and some pick work here and there).
The end result is we got within about 1200 meters from the connector trail we have cut on the other side. You can clearly see the summit from several points along the haul road. The condition of the grade was surprising good, growth is not as extensive as on the Sylvester side and I think the trail to were we finished could be cleaned up in a day with some help.
There is still the daunting task of cutting a fresh trail through the old growth at the summit and the terrain gets steeper as you climb up the hillside but I think there is some promise. I know this won't be completed this year but I think Flyn can take some satisfaction from picking a course that has great potential. A few weeks ago I was somewhat discouraged but after today I have renewed enthusiasm for establishing the Northwest Connector.
Here is a google earth view which includes actual tracks that have either been ridden or hiked.
otg
![url]](http://[url=http://www.dualsportbc.com/photogallery/data/780/436Salsbury_Lake_OH_view.jpg]http://www.dualsportbc.com/photogallery/data/780/436Salsbury_Lake_OH_view.jpg[/url])
