Cariboo Jacqueline 2011

On January 22, Dave Jorgenson (http://www.whitegold.ca/winter-trips.html) and I skied from Wendle and Bonner Lakes not far from Wells on the Bowron Lake Road on much of the legendary "Able's Amble" route, which cruises through some lovely meadows behind Valley Mountain before dropping back down to the One Mile Road near Downey Pass. Since we were taking an alternative route to the Cariboo Waggon Road from Stanley to Barkerville, we figured it deserved a new name, hence Jacqueline.

There was a LOT of snow and with just the two of us to look for and break the trail, it was physically demanding; I think we were out there most of the day! But there are some lovely vistas from that route. Some pretty big cut blocks, too.

Next year maybe we ought to loop back around from Wendle Lake to Devlin's Bench and take the Forest Rose-Valley Mountain Trail back to Wells ;-)

A "Cariboo Track" steps in for Cariboo Jack

Minus 12C at breakfast; sunny skies ... a perfect day for a pleasant ski from Forest Rose Campground near Barkerville to the One Mile Road and meadows in Wells along the new bike trail. Isabelle and Spencer Knoke, Beth Collingwood, Yael Wand, Bill Horne, Bruce Self and Heather Peters ventured out with Stella and Mort as four-legged scouts.

One skier unfortunately had to turn back due to viral fatigue, but the rest of the party found the trail in better condition than expected. Aside from some icy "tree pee" in the narrow sections, the snow was excellent. Lovely to encounter three dog teams at One Mile heading towards Barkerville.

Thanks to Yael for the photos...

2010 Cariboo Jack cancelled :-(

This year's Cariboo Jack, which had been scheduled for Saturday, January 23, has unfortunately been cancelled due to unfavourable weather and snow conditions for skiers on the Cariboo Waggon Road.

Sigh. I suppose we skiers are fussier than mushers, who can handle different conditions. But seriously, the central segment of this trail can be very tricky on XC skis when it's icy, so in the interests of safety, it makes sense to pursue alternate plans:

Skiers are invited to meet at Forest Rose campground (near Barkerville, just off the Bowron Lk Rd) at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 23 to ski to Wells via the new bike trail.

Snow conditions in Wells as of late Friday afternoon were cold enough to preserve a slim fluffy zone beneath the crust. The weather forecast for Saturday is cool and sunny with possibly some cloud...

Those craving a more marathon-like experience Saturday can have the option of carrying on to the Cornish Mountain trail network from the One Mile Road or from the meadow.

This will be a leisurely, family type of outing; bring snacks ;-)

best wishes,
Bill Horne

p.s. be sure to still check out events for the annual sled dog mail run here http://www.dogsledmailrun.ca/

Cariboo Jack 2010 dates

We are aiming to hold another Cariboo Jack on January 23, 2010 in conjunction with the annual Gold Rush Trail Sled Dog Mail Run. Stay tuned for more details ;-)