China Head Mountain trip (page 2)

[BC Explorer]

Some frost on the 3rd morning

Finally on the way back home and what a view.

The sail ferry needed to cross the uper Fraser river.
This ferry works by using the river current passing by sails mounted under the ferry and acting like wind on a regular sail boat.

[BC Explorer]

The beetle has done a lot of damage but you are right it still is beautiful.

[paulj]

I've read some accounts of trips in this area on a BC 4x4 club website. They crossed from the south at (Gold Bridge (Bridge River), ending up at the Gang Ranch bridge across the Fraser.
I've poked around the edges of this area, but haven't gotten into the core. One trip I drove down to the Fraser at High Bar. Without low range (Honda Element) it gave my brakes a serious test - I could smell them, or at least hot brake dust, by 2/3 way down. Then drove along the river benches to the Big Bar ferry crossing (the one shown), then east to Big Bar Prov Park. That trip continued on to Bella Coola. On the way back I drove through Gang Ranch and across its suspension bridge.

On a later trip I drove to Gold Bridge from Pemberton, explored one of the roads to the north until I hit some mucky construction, and then back to Pemberton via Anderson Lake (High Line Road). Later I took another reaction ferry at Lytton, and drove along the west side bench back to Lillooet. I considered taking the west side Pavilion Road north from Lillooet to the Big Bar ferry, but by then I'd had enough backroads gravel for one trip.

Views along that deep and dry Fraser Canyon can be quite spectacular.

[BC Explorer]

I've read some accounts of trips in this area on a BC 4x4 club website. They crossed from the south at Bridge River, ending up at the Gang Ranch bridge across the Fraser.
I've poked around the edges of this area, but haven't gotten into the core. One trip I drove down to the Fraser at High Bar. Without low range (Honda Element) it gave my brakes a serious test - I could smell them, or at least hot brake dust, by 2/3 way down. Then drove along the river benches to the Big Bar ferry crossing (the one shown), then east to Big Bar Prov Park. That trip continued on to Bella Coola. On the way back I drove through Gang Ranch and across its suspension bridge.

On a later trip I drove to Bridge River from Pemberton, explored one of the roads to the north until I hit some mucky construction, and then back to Pemberton via Anderson Lake (High Line Road). Later I took another reaction ferry at Lytton, and drove along the west side bench back to Lillooet. I considered taking the west side Pavilion Road north from Lillooet to the Big Bar ferry, but by then I'd had enough backroads gravel for one trip.

Views along that deep and dry Fraser Canyon can be quite spectacular.

If you are ever back in this area you should give me a shout.
We try to venture all through this region and always find more.
It really is beautiful country and I can't get enough.

[SeaRubi]

what a cool ferry! Thanks again for the write-up

[paulj]

The wiki article on reaction ferry describes how these work, and includes a picture of the Lytton one
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_ferry

In effect the direction of movement of the boat across the river is determined by the length of two cables the run from the ends of the two pontoons to an overhead cable.

In river canooing there is a similar technique - paddle upstream (against the current) with the bow angled, and the current will push you across the river.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/marine/index.htm

[BC Explorer]

The wiki article on reaction ferry describes how these work, and includes a picture of the Lytton one
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_ferry

In effect the direction of movement of the boat across the river is determined by the length of two cables the run from the ends of the two pontoons to an overhead cable.

In river canooing there is a similar technique - paddle upstream (against the current) with the bow angled, and the current will push you across the river.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/marine/index.htm

Cool,
I haven't crossed there yet but, I'm sure a trip could planned that way.