ROAD ACCESS – Lardeau & Badshots

KUSKANAX CREEK ROAD: take the road to Nakusp Hot Springs; beyond the springs, the road is on the N. side for 4 km, then on the S. side for 5 more km, before returning to the N. side; the road ends about 16 km. beyond hot springs near the W. side of Tenderfoot Mt; 4WD high clearance beyond springs; this data from Earle who says there is also a BCFS brochure about this road

INCOMAPPLEUX RIVER ROAD: turn off Hwy #31 and pass through Beaton & Camborne, which is just S. of Pool Creek; 2 km. beyond, road forks at km. 15; mainline continues N. on E. side of the river; turn off R. for Boyd Creek at km. 28; Kellie Ck. The bridge is at km. 30.2; Battle Brook is at km. 41 km. according to Earle; driven to Kellie Creek bridge in 7/04; almost all 2WD

INCOMAPPLEUX RIVER ROAD WEST FORK: turn left off mainline at km. 15; this may be road giving access to Mt. Burniere and Comaplix; not explored; Earle says this goes up McDougal Creek

POOL CRK/MOHAWK CRK. ROAD: turn off Incommapleux River road about 200 m. S of the Pool Ck. bridge; the road looks sketchy & goes N. to a landing above a tailing pond; it continues through the SE side of the landing, ascending steeply on the S. side of Pool Crk. Road bends S. into Mohawk Ck. At a junction in timber, take L fork. At about km. 7, the road crosses the creek, but the bridge is broken. ATVs or walkers can follow the road to a mine site at 6800′ in E. terminal fork of Mohawk Ck., about 2 more km. Drove to the smashed bridge, with some road building, in 6/02.

BOYD CREEK ROAD: turn R. off Incomappleux R. rd. at km. 28; continue up N. side of Boyd Crk.; high clearance 4WD in upper portions; this data from Earle; Peter J. says it’s open to at least the first cut block 6/01; was recently graded in 7/04; still not explored

GREAT NORTHERN CAT SKI ROAD: turn N. or right about 2.3 km. west of the Trout Lake Store off Hwy. #31; the road is signed “Garbage Dump”; turn right immediately; at the next junction, bear left (right is gated & private); the road is 4WD LR HC with deep water bars; reached km. 6.6 (4500′) before being stopped by snow on 5/24/03; the road snakes up buttress on the W. side of Halfway Creek, then heads to the base of the SW ridge of Great Northern Mtn. (7000′; 616-159); walked to the road end, with some portions cut off on 5/24/03; bear left at any junctions beyond km. 6.6; road seems to have spurs going NW, through and beyond headwaters of Mountain Goat Creek;

HEALEY CREEK ROAD: 4WD; follow #31 to bridge over Lardeau R. 149 km. from Nelson; Bailey bridge with sign about Wagner Project; the bridge has a gate but it’s not locked; new bridges lower down; lots of new cut blocks; new rd R at km. 7.3; another at km. 9; Butler’s Disco 11 km.; take the new rd R at km. 12.2 (old rd L just peters out below new one); another new rd. R at km 12.4; keep L at km. 13.6; ; narrow spot by trailer at Rick’s Ranch is getting quite tricky (short WB a help); bunkhouses 19.7 km.; above this, switchbacks with narrow portions; one near-washout 4WD LR; 24.5 km. Abbot Mine road turns off R; 25 km. is height-of-land; the road to Wagner Mine is blocked at 25.7 km.;

ABBOT MINE SPUR ROAD: from Healey Creek Road it’s driveable for 2.4 km. 9/95

HORSEFLY CREEK ROAD: gives access to Silver Cup Ridge and Mt. Fay; have not explored; Fred reports in 9/97: 4WD HC LR; drive .5 km. beyond Gerard bridge & go R; at 4.25 km. stay R on worse rd.; drive to 6900′ (2100 m) at 12.3 km; here you can turn round & park; it’s possible to drive 1.8 km. farther, but you would have to back uphill for 300 m.; a good campsite at 2260 m; no water

RADY CREEK ROAD: turnoff is 165.7 km. from Nelson or 12 km. beyond Gerard bridge or @ 1.4 km. past Rady Creek; just north of km. 36 sign, I think follow the new logging road for 6.5 km. to jct.; take the older road sharp R and steeply up; at 9.9 km. go straight ahead at 3-forks jct.; at km 10.4 road ends in a spacious landing at 7380’GPS   ); 4WD high-clearance, 1st gear, low range in spots; not as tough as Kootenay Joe but nosing into that category; Dave Elliott took the L fork at km. 9.9 and drove it to campsite at end; rough but driveable; Sept. ’96 & Sept. ’09;

RUE DU BEAU ROAD: BCFS calls this Copper Queen Creek road; accesses Silvercup Ridge from Hwy. #31; turn off said to be at km. 29 sign; turn off 17.6 km. N. of Gerard Bridge; said to be signed; @ km. 2.1 go L; @ km. 3.2 go R; @ km. 3.5 cross Copper Queen Creek & immediately go L; @ km. 4.1 stay L; @ km. 5.4 go L; @ km. 6.2, bear R on an older, narrower road; @ km. 8.1, fork L; reach timberline @ km. 8.6; @ km. 9.3, intersect Silvercup mining road (6790′); park here; not driven; directions from Don’t Waste Your Time & Doug and Sandra as of 06/03

HOPE CREEK ROAD: turnoff is 145 km N. of Nelson on #31A; the bridge is sometimes confused with Healey Creek bridge which is 4 km beyond

LAKE CREEK ROAD: turnoff is 122 km. N. of Nelson on #31A; quite new; probably doesn’t access anything useful (Sept. ’96)

LARDEAU CREEK ROAD S-band: turn off at Trout Lake (coming from Galena Bay, it’s L at the Trout Lake store; at km 5.2 bear R, go downhill, & cross the bridge over Lardeau Ck. at km. 6.4; road continues along S side of Lardeau Ck.; next jct. (14.5 km.) is L to CMH lodge (do not take); continue ca. 4.7 km. to Triune Ck. turnoff; Lardeau Rd. continues to a logging deck just a bit beyond;

OLD SPUR TO CMH: turn R off Lardeau Creek Road @ km. ; go down and back downstream; cross bridge and drive uphill to lodge; this road is ribbon taped and is washing out; driven 09/09; 2WD

SHARON ROAD: begins near and below CMH lodge; signed; continues 1.9 km west past CMH power plant;very good quality to this point; @ km. 1.9, Sharon continues west, while the very good mainline switches up and right; @ km. 3.3, the road is covered by a slide at Union Jack Creek (that is 1.3 km. west of the junction with Finkle Creek road); Terry Turner says it can be walked to the Nettie L. mine (15 min. down to Five Mile Creek, then up and R at a junction (2 hrs. walk to mine); driven 09/09

FINKLE CREEK ROAD: turn up and R @ km. 1.9 on Sharon Road; drove to 4861′ GR 714-142 at a landing near CMH’s pond and weir, 5.2 km. from CMH lodge & 3.7 km. from jct. with Sharon Road; road continues up a bit into cut blocks above landing; very good, wide, new but steep road; water bars in upper end; 4WD HC 1st gear; driven 09/09

TRIUNE CREEK ROAD: in late summer ’96 blocked at the lower end by trees on the road in preparation for a logging landing; the road can be walked the 2-3 km. to Triune Mine; fairly steep with few switchbacks; roadbed good but overgrown with grass in lower reaches; probably driveable a good ways after trees are cleared

FERGUSON CREEK ROAD: follow Lardeau Ck.; at km. 5.2 continue straight to Ferguson; carry on L up Ferguson Ck; at 4.2 km from Ferguson jct. bear L onto the fainter track; at km. 4.8 road is washed out (looks permanent); the newer road at km 4.2 looks to cross to the E. side of the creek and end in a cut block; it doesn’t look like there’s any easy access to Mt. Poole from this side (fall ’96) this guy from Nakusp BCFS says try accessing Ferguson Ck this way: about .5 km. before Ferguson townsite, take Broadview R. to the L; then stay R. at Branch 10; after 4-5 km., keep L.; I’ll bet you this doesn’t get a person across Mountain Goat Ck., but it may give access to Great Northern Mt so that a view can be had to the N.

GAINER CREEK ROAD to CMH: follow Lardeau Ck. S bank road to CMH turnoff; at 14.5 km; take the turnoff to L & cross to N. bank of the creek at 15.2 km; at 15.4 km go left CMH); if you go R you can follow old rd. to Gainer Ck; at km. 18 stay L (R fork crosses the creek and goes to cut block; may link up with S side road); at km. 23.6 pass Index Ck. road on the other side (no bridge); at km. 24.6 keep R, go down and cross the bridge at 24.7 km; road continues S. along E. bank to end at km. 25.3 some lack of clarity here; in 09/09 from Gainer Creek road, we turned L onto signed CMH Galena road and drove 7.8 km. to lodge

GAINER CREEK ROAD: at km. 14.5 on Lardeau Ck. road, go straight; at 15.5 km. follow a major spur down and L which soon crosses Lardeau Creek; keep L at 16.1 km; continue along W. bank of Gainer; at ca. km. 23.6 pass Index Ck. the road on the other side (no bridge); at km. 24.6 keep R, go down and cross the bridge at 24.7 km; road switches up into cutbacks on the other side and continues S. a few hundred m; 2WD in 6/01 Terry Turner says the road is washed out 3.5 km. below Bunker Hill Creek, 09/09: where the new road bends R and down to cross Gainer Creek at ca. 24.6, the old road goes straight (not driveable); walked it 9/00 to point below Badshot Mt where it fords Gainer and joins Mohican Mine road; suitable for ATVs; walked in 6/01

BADSHOT MINE ROAD: (not driveable) This leaves old Gainer Ck. road just before it crosses Gainer Crk. to join Mohican road; it goes straight up (overgrown but open) for several hundred feet, then turns R to become a more obvious road; not badly overgrown in the bottom section, it soon comes into open and keeps to N. bank of Perry Lode Ck.; seems to go right through pass and into upper Badshot Ck (an old cat road); shows on 1:20 000 map as a trail; walked almost to Badshot-Perry Lode col in 6/01; a spur leading off old Gainer in the vicinity of Culkeen Ck. soon peters out and does not join this

MOHICAN MINE ROAD: (not driveable); from point where old Gainer road crosses the creek, follow Mohican road through meadows and into alder where it is overgrown; switches up below ridge W. of Mohican, staying on NE side of u/n tributary draining the Mohican basin; goes right to alpine; descended on foot 9/00 to link up with old and new Gainer roads; not too badly overgrown, although staying on switchbacks lower down requires route-finding; too overgrown for ATVs

BADSHOT MT ROAD: (my name) keep straight N. on the old road when Gainer Crk. The road goes R. at km. 24.6;

POPLAR CREEK ROAD: off Highway 31, 26 km. N. of Meadow Creek; cross Poplar Creek bridge, then turn left onto a very good 2WD road; at the 10 km. sign, there’s a turnoff and bridge across Poplar Creek leading to a logged area; continue along the main road to the 17 km sign; fork for Cascade Mt take the turning to the L; continue on the road along the first S. tributary of Poplar Creek, past newly logged area; always keep to the most-used track; after about 3-4 km. take L. (uphill) fork; this leads into the valley NE of Marion Lks.; continue; do not take spur back up and to L; the road begins to switchback; follow switchbacks until the road becomes too overgrown at a switchback/landing; walk uphill and to R; follow this skid road parallel until it peters out into a trail and eventually a flagged route leading to basin NW of Cascade Mt. main haul road continues over three bridges to second S. fork of Poplar Ck.; road looks overgrown but did not explore; continue on main road to fork at km 23; left fork goes about 1 km more to end of logging; right fork descends .6 km. to a ford of Poplar Creek (753-783; bridge broken summer ’95); road continues as shown on 82K/6 and penetrates even farther into the western and southern headwaters of Poplar Ck; bridge at 748-785 is ok; all posted kilometre signs are from Highway 31/Poplar Creek road junction and below CMH lodge