[FerrariEnzo]

Im trying to decide between Alice Lake and Golden Ears (north campsite, most likely)

Anyone recommend one? I need shower and toilet, will have kids with me also.
Maybe someplace with canoe/boat rental, would be nice...

Will be going Aug 11-13 (Sun-Tues) so it shouldnt be too busy.. I just check discoverycamping.ca website.. shows 50% available..

Thanx

[T4RAWR]

i personally prefer golden ears to alice lake.

both sites will have showers and toilets, etc.

make sure you take lots of loonies and toonies for the showers and other facilities that require payment.

no canoe rentals at alice iirc but i think golden ears might have one at the main day use area.

make sure to take bug spray as well as some candles that keep bugs away from the camp site.

[FerrariEnzo]

thanx for the tips

[T4RAWR]

no problemo,

make sure to bring some water shoes for the little ones,

people are assholes and often drink and party by the beach on the lake so in order to avoid broken glass shards in their feet its a good investment.

also bring a box of baby wipes, much nicer to have than the shitty toilet paper at the park plus its got a million uses lol.

theres a thread in the 4x4 and outdoors forum on camping tips which is a good read if you have time

[FerrariEnzo]

Golden Ears has 4 different camp ground.. Im thinking North Beach.. is that good or you recommend the other sites?

[T4RAWR]

Golden Ears has 4 different camp ground.. Im thinking North Beach.. is that good or you recommend the other sites?

gold creek is probably gonna be the better place to camp, its usually where the families camp while the drinking and partying types camp at north beach.

[FerrariEnzo]

cold creek is probably gonna be the better place to camp, its usually where the families camp while the drinking and partying types camp at north beach.
Thanks.. very good info...

[T4RAWR]

no prob,

do you have enough equipment?

[FerrariEnzo]

I only need the basic stuff, Im not a heavy camping guy.. just wanted to take my kids coz they never been...

Tent/sleeping bag, foam tile floor (to sleep on), stove, lamps, buy spray, polysporin, coolerbox (ice/meats) BBQ tong set, chairs, baby wipe/hand sanitizer, multi-tool knife set, rope (to hang stuff), fire starter sticks... I think thats pretty much it.. only 2 nights...

[nabs]

I love Alice Lake. There are some great 4x4ing routes there as well if that's what ur into. It's close enough to squamish just incase you forget anything as well.

[Presto]

A bit late to the convo, but I just got back from Golden Ears. Stayed at Gold Creek. The wife needs plumbing. Fantastic weather.

Piece of advice for anyone going camping:
Buy wood before you get into the park.

My friend picked up this big bag of untreated, scrap lumber for $15, just outside of Golden Ears. That was equivalent to almost 4 bundles of the park's stuff. Firewood at the park is $9/bundle, or $25 for 3.

[Cassijon]

anyone have suggestions of which campsites within 1.5 hours of vancouver to try and get a site without a reservation if i were to leave vancouver on friday at noon?

[T4RAWR]

anyone have suggestions of which campsites within 1.5 hours of vancouver to try and get a site without a reservation if i were to leave vancouver on friday at noon?

most provincial park camp sites are on a booking basis so you're SOL there.

there are some off road/wilderness campsites i could think of if you're vehicle is capable of getting there.

[Cassijon]

most provincial park camp sites are on a booking basis so you're SOL there.

there are some off road/wilderness campsites i could think of if you're vehicle is capable of getting there.


ya i told the wife we're SOL with the provincial campgrounds, but she said there are some first come first served sites? when do you guys think they will start getting taken? is friday afternoon way too late?

[Tacoyaki]

you could try silver lake just outside of hope, went there not too long ago. It's a first come first serve for about 16$ a night.

[T4RAWR]

jones lake wouldnt be a bad place to try for either. there are bc hydro camp sites and then there are camp sites you can find off the side roads from the logging round.


you could also try for cogburn beach on east harrison, should make it there in a CUV like a rav4 or crv no problem.

also, you could head up to squamish and camp off the main fsr, watch out for rednecks with guns and bears/cougars.

[Purely]

Gonna head to Cogburn beach at the end of Aug :)

[T4RAWR]

^what car?

[Purely]

^^stock cars (accord, civic, altima, impreza, van) Will there be a problem?

[Cassijon]

jones lake wouldnt be a bad place to try for either. there are bc hydro camp sites and then there are camp sites you can find off the side roads from the logging round.


you could also try for cogburn beach on east harrison, should make it there in a CUV like a rav4 or crv no problem.

also, you could head up to squamish and camp off the main fsr, watch out for rednecks with guns and bears/cougars.

i drive an AWD so it shouldnt be a prob. is jones lake FCFS?

[Brianrietta]

^^stock cars (accord, civic, altima, impreza, van) Will there be a problem?

Shouldn't be, no. The usual things apply like don't pretend you're a rally driver and you'll be fine.

i drive an AWD gmc terrain so it shouldnt be a prob. is jones lake FCFS?

Jones is, yeah. I haven't been up to Jones yet this year but it can be quite rough. I think at some point this summer Hydro was planning on smoothing it out a bit, so hopefully that's done by then.

[Brianrietta]

you could try silver lake just outside of hope, went there not too long ago. It's a first come first serve for about 16$ a night.

Yeah, and if Silver is full, 40 minutes further down the road Ross Lake probably won't be. I was up there 2 weekends ago and it was remarkably quiet.

Honestly though if you're leaving Van at noon, you should have no problems getting to the no reservations campgrounds like Silver or Ross.

[T4RAWR]

^^stock cars (accord, civic, altima, impreza, van) Will there be a problem?

Take pictures :troll:

[Cassijon]

Yeah, and if Silver is full, 40 minutes further down the road Ross Lake probably won't be. I was up there 2 weekends ago and it was remarkably quiet.

Honestly though if you're leaving Van at noon, you should have no problems getting to the no reservations campgrounds like Silver or Ross.

Sweet. Thanks for the tips everyone

Has anyone here been to rolley lake? Is that an option? The wife said she heard its a nice area
Posted via RS Mobile

[T4RAWR]

Sweet. Thanks for the tips everyone

Has anyone here been to rolley lake? Is that an option? The wife said she heard its a nice area
Posted via RS Mobile

rolley lake is nice, been there a few times.

prepare for drunken idiots lol

bit more of a drive but: http://whistlerhiatus.com/whistlerhikes/skookumchuck.html

skookumchuck hot springs should be accessible by your car and is nice and quiet/private most of the time. usually the "older" crowd or families go there so its a bit better.

besides, you can soak in a natural hot spring fed tub while kicking back a beer.

[cho]

most provincial park camp sites are on a booking basis so you're SOL there.

there are some off road/wilderness campsites i could think of if you're vehicle is capable of getting there.

i took my lowered civic out to some off roading, oh god why am i so dumb

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/243645_10150978513607515_386696114_o.jpg

:badpokerface:

[T4RAWR]

that just looks like a dirt road :pokerface:

[akalic]

wanted to go camping this weekend but the weather looks sketch in hope... 40 percent chance of precipitation...ugh. wonder if there are any cabins for rental still?
Posted via RS Mobile

[Presto]

Campfire ban is in effect, tomorrow:
PARKSVILLE -- Effective at 12 noon on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, all open fires, including campfires are banned in all areas of the Coastal Fire Centre, except for the Fog Zone and Haida Gwaii.

A map of the area covered by the campfire ban is available online at: See a map

This step is being taken to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety. The fire danger rating is currently "high" to "extreme" throughout the Coastal Fire Centre.

With the current trend of warm and dry weather, wildfires in the region have displayed aggressive behaviour and required additional fire suppression resources. It is also anticipated that the Coastal Fire Centre will experience lightning throughout the next week, which will likely produce more fires. Human-caused wildfires can divert critical resources and crews from responding to naturally occurring wildfires.

Open burning is prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre. This prohibition applies to open fires of any size, fires with a burn registration number, industrial burning, fireworks, tiki torches, sky lanterns and burning barrels. The prohibition does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus with a CSA or ULC rating that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

The open burning prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire department. Please check with local governments for any other restrictions before lighting a fire.

Anyone found in violation of an open fire ban, including campfires, may be issued a ticket for up to $345. Anyone who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness may be fined up to $1 million, spend up to three years in prison and be held accountable for associated firefighting costs.
http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=2027


It says coastal, but this also applies to the interior.

[tmc22]

^ Do you think a bit of rain in the next couple of days will lift the ban?

[T4RAWR]

probably not.

[Brianrietta]

^ Do you think a bit of rain in the next couple of days will lift the ban?

To be honest with how dry everything is right now I'm surprised there wasn't a ban weeks ago. It won't be lifted for the rest of the summer, I'd bet.

[T4RAWR]

bc wildfire website:

Fire Prohibitions and Area Restrictions - Wildfire Management Branch - Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations - Province of British Columbia (http://bcwildfire.ca/hprscripts/wildfirenews/bans.asp)

ban and restriction details:

Ban & Restriction Details - Wildfire Management Branch - Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations - Province of British Columbia (http://bcwildfire.ca/hprscripts/wildfirenews/DisplayBan.asp?ID=379#CampfireBans)

definition of campfire:

Glossary of Wildfire Terms - Wildfire Management Branch - Ministry of Forests and Range - Province of British Columbia (http://bcwildfire.ca/Situation/Glossary.htm#Campfire)


from what i can tell there are no bans on campfires currently. i would call the provincial park that you plan to camp at and confirm over the phone before picking up firewood.

[T4RAWR]

btw, for those of you who DO plan on having a campfire a good tip is to bring a shovel and a bucket thats able to hold atleast 10L.

the shovel is handy for moving coals around, banking the fire as well as moving logs around without burning your fingers off or fiddling around looking for the "poking stick" that eventually ends up in the fire anyways.

i usually bring a cheap charcoal bbq and throw in hot coals from the fire to do the majority of my cooking/grilling.

the bucket of water is obvious.

[Brianrietta]

^ Great advice. Keep in mind that any one of the following is a $345.00 fine:

Campfires are prohibited in an area which has fire restrictions or bans. It is the campers' responsibility to find out what areas have campfire prohibitions and restrictions.

Campfires require a fireguard, this means scraping down the dirt one metre high around the fire and removing flammable items, such as twigs, leaves, needles etc...

Campers must have at least 8 litres of water and/or a shovel to properly extinguish the fire.

Fires are not to be larger than 0.5 metres by 0.5 metres or approximately 19 inches by 19 inches.

Campfires are never to be left unattended.

When leaving the campfire, it must be properly extinguished so ashes are cool to touch.

That would be on top of an additional $345.00 if there is a fire ban in place. Also the government has a history of pursuing people who do end up starting fires - this guy got a $861,356 dollar bill (http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=f4255165-e176-4873-8d12-d02c60f0118a) for his troubles.

Be careful out there guys.

[inv4zn]

Ah. ignorant question. edited.

[T4RAWR]

no question is ignorant.

ask away

[inv4zn]

It actually was pretty ignorant.

It was "are campfires completely banned during the campfire ban." Pretty much the definition of ignorant...:lawl:

Going to Alice Lake on the 8th....gf was really looking forward to the campfire :okay:

[T4RAWR]

No big deal.

Generally its a region wide ban.

You never know, they might lift the ban before the day you go. :thumbs:

Im hoping for a few good days of rain to help settle things down.

[stewie]

Heading up to Kentucky lake at the end of the month with the gf and my dad. Get one more decent summer camping trip in! Hopefully I'll have better luck fishing there than what I get here lol...
Posted via RS Mobile

[Purely]

Just got back from camping at Cogburn with a bunch of friends, and had a great time! (thanks T4RAWR!)

-stock cars can make it there no problem
-lake was clean to swim in
-no noise complaints can be good or bad (group beside us was blasting music out of cars/partying all night)
-not too much privacy as more groups came in
-we regret not bringing legit inflatable rafts/boat for the lake

[punkwax]

Buy a portable propane campfire and you're good. Just got back from 4 nights up at Kalamalka lake between Kelowna and Vernon, brought my $90 Costco propane campfire and we were the only ones there who had a fire each night. It was great!

The lake was insanely nice, super warm. We had a playground 4 stairs away from our site, the kids had a blast. $.25 for a good, hot 5-7 minute shower. We stayed at Owls Nest Resort, kinda pricey at $50 a night but it was clean and quiet so no complaints.

[kevin7352]

Just got back from camping at Cogburn with a bunch of friends, and had a great time! (thanks T4RAWR!)

-stock cars can make it there no problem
-lake was clean to swim in
-no noise complaints can be good or bad (group beside us was blasting music out of cars/partying all night)
-not too much privacy as more groups came in
-we regret not bringing legit inflatable rafts/boat for the lake

+1. will come back again next year with upgraded toys :accepted:

[Purely]

Just got back from camping at Cogburn with a bunch of friends, and had a great time! (thanks T4RAWR!)

-stock cars can make it there no problem
-lake was clean to swim in
-no noise complaints can be good or bad (group beside us was blasting music out of cars/partying all night)
-not too much privacy as more groups came in
-we regret not bringing legit inflatable rafts/boat for the lake

It's that time of the year again :).

Does anyone have any suggestions for camping places that are non-provincial that has camping activities to do?

Also, how is cabin camping compared to camping outside in tents (done this for past 2 years). Any recommendations to rent out a cabin/place for ~15 people?

Thanks!

[stewie]

It's that time of the year again :).

Does anyone have any suggestions for camping places that are non-provincial that has camping activities to do?

Also, how is cabin camping compared to camping outside in tents (done this for past 2 years). Any recommendations to rent out a cabin/place for ~15 people?

Thanks!

as for a cabin, i cant say i know a place big enough for 15 people...but if you look into chataway lake up in merit, you can easily sleep 4 people per cabin and rent out 3-4 cabins beside each other (they have sections for rv's and tents on the other side of the lake). has all the basic needs...a stove. ghetto mattress (sleep in your bag on top of it lol), ghetto couch, draining sink (so long as you have your own water supply - they have outdoor taps to fill up buckets), and electricity until 9pm. has a playground for kids, a "lodge" type place with a pool table/pinball (i think...been a while since there), showers, porta pottys, and outdoor games (horse shoes). its right on the lake, can rent row boats, for a bit extra you can get a small trolling motor added on. lakes fine to swim in, and if your adventurous theres a dozen other lakes in the general area that you can drive to from going down the old logging roads.

CHATAWAY CONTAINERS LTD (http://www.chatawaylakes.com/resort)

me and my family used to go there every year for 10+ years straight when me and my brother were kids
ps- if anyone looks into that place, cabin 2 is the largest, 3 rooms - kitchen/couch area, and 2 bedrooms divided by a log wall. all other cabins are bachelor style with a bed beside the stove etc

[T4RAWR]

for cabins i'd say head up to shuswap lake and get yourself a nice little waterfront slice of heaven.

if you've got 15 people you can rent and entire house/cabin. lots of stuff to do nearby

[Brianrietta]

btw, for those of you who DO plan on having a campfire a good tip is to bring a shovel and a bucket thats able to hold atleast 10L.

the shovel is handy for moving coals around, banking the fire as well as moving logs around without burning your fingers off or fiddling around looking for the "poking stick" that eventually ends up in the fire anyways.

i usually bring a cheap charcoal bbq and throw in hot coals from the fire to do the majority of my cooking/grilling.

the bucket of water is obvious.



So I guess after camping last August I forgot to update this thread with the story of my trip to Seymour Arm which had shortly followed our fire discussion in this thread.




The Saturday morning (11ish in the A.M.) some of our crew who were starting breakfast hear some panicked yelling from what sounds like the next campsite over so one of my friends goes over to see what's going on. Well he runs back pretty quickly and yells that there is a fire next door. He grabs the shovel that I had sitting outside my tent and his fiance tries to wake me up to ask me whether I had a fire extinguisher. More on that later. At the other campsite the original lady who was calling for help is still freaking out basically spinning around in circles like a headless chicken. In the middle of an abandoned campsite there is a BBQ... And it's on fire... And the hose heading to the 10kg propane canister is on fire... We shovel a TON of sand and dirt onto the fire (it's a good thing it was also next to the beach because hard packed dirt at the end of the summer is full on awful to try to shovel). Several hours later we notice the campers from next door come back on their boat (a young family). After showing them the carnage and giving them a stern verbal shitkicking we discover that the husband had been under pressure from his bitch of a wife and wanted to at least have some food ready for them for when they got back in off the lake so he had left some smokies on the grill on the lowest heat setting before the went out on the lake. Obviously this guy went full retard but it's a good reminder that just because you are competent in the bush (and let's be honest none of us are ever as prepared as we think/hope we are) there are still plenty of potential Darwin award recipients out there that are waiting to try to take you down with them. I mean the community in Seymour Arm nearby there doesn't have a fire department... the ground was still tinder dry... and if the full propane tank had gone up in flames no amount of shoveling/small fire extinguishers were going to help at that point.

So the story about them asking me for the fire extinguisher: my friend Leanne pokes her head into my tent and asks me whether I had a fire extinguisher. I'm operating off of 3 hours of drunken sleep and she was doing an excellent job of not sounding panicky so I mumble some stuff like what and uhhh before I roll over and try to go back to sleep. I learn about all this an hour or so later when I hear commotion outside my tent where they're explaining what happened to some other late risers.

I did have a fire extinguisher, it was in the rubbermaid container next to the shovel I had left out after using it to put out our own campfire the night before :drunk::troll::ohgodwhy:

So the lessons to be learned here people, please be prepared. Always carry a shovel with you in your 4x4 (preferably a full size one, you'll thank me if you have to dig yourself out as well). Consider carrying a fire extinguisher in your vehicle (again, preferably a full size one - please read THIS THREAD (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/64559-Ultimate-Vehicle-Fire-Extinguisher) for information on what to buy and why). It's not necessarily for you but even something like a small underhood fire while you're out bombing away on a forestry road can be absolutely disastrous for you and your surroundings. And thirdly, if somebody wakes you up to ask you about a fire extinguisher, you should probably rate that higher on the oh shit scale. A good practice I've always had at camp with people is having everyone's bear sprays sitting out around the camp in convenient places and making sure everyone knows were my first aid gear is but since then I've included the shovel/extinguisher/bucket as critical items that everyone should know the location of.

[Soundy]

For a nice camping spot with no fees, may I suggest Francis Lake, just a ways up West Harrison. Camped there a couple weeks ago, got some really sweet spots, and apparently the lake has some fantastic fishing. 4WD not required, and in fact, you could probably get there in a stock-height car.

Which also leads me to a fire story: so we arrive at this spot and our buddies are already there. They've been completely unsuccessful at getting a fire going for almost an hour, so I pull out my little jerry can, pour a little flame juice on the pile of sticks, apply the lighter, and voila!

I set the can on over by the picnic table and head back to the Jeep to get some food out while buddy pokes at the fire and puts more wood on it... I guess the fire isn't doing so well now, because next thing I see the light flare up, look around, and there's dude standing over the fire with my jerry can in hand... then I see he's got the big cap closed and the vent cap off and he's squirting gas on the fire from the little hole.

Which is working fine until he decides he needs a more direct aim, so he holds the can directly over the fire, squeezes it... and now the flame has travelled up the stream and is burning off the vent hole and on the gas that's slopped down the side of the can. :facepalm:

Of course, dude does the first thing that comes naturally: he throws the can away. Trailing gas out the vent the entire way. Until it lands on its side near the campfire, now drizzling gas out the vent and flaring up more and more. :facepalm: :facepalm:

Campfire on the left... gas can on the right...

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/v/t35.0-12/10262503_10154028337225402_1892105030_o.jpg?oh=e1d 31195c563766a6fb6bcaa852d2f0e&oe=5364871D

It was all bare ground around and pretty damp, so we just let the can burn itself out...

[murd0c]

you know you are from the city when.... :troll:

[stewie]

try using doritos next time

they might be safer for your friend to use lol :p

[T4RAWR]

doritos/corn chips are actually pretty decent fire starters. used to use them all the time on the beach when having a bbq or party.

[Phil@rise]

Hey Im very competent and prepared when out in the bush. I NEVER run out of booze

[Purely]

Has anyone been here?

secluded,waterfront Cabin & Cottage rental of Harrison Hot Springs on Harrison Lake,Echo Island,BC,Canada (http://www.elfinlau.com/)

[T4RAWR]

Havent been there but did some research before on that place. Its boat access only and is nicely secluded. Its more of a place to take your significant other for a quiet romantic getaway than camping/partying. Youd have to think everything through in advance and make sure you take what you need since its water access only.

[Purely]

No partying allowed at that place?

[T4RAWR]

i'm sure you could party, but your neighbors will probably be of the older crowd who arent super party friendly. you're better off heading to cogburn again if you wanna party or maybe 10/20 mile bay. maybe even chipmunk creek area.

chipmunk and 10/20 mile bay (west harrison) will probably need something with a touch of ground clearance. any stock suv on good tires should be fine.

[Phil@rise]

where ever you go to party clean up after yourself and make sure your friends do too. We all need to be responsible for more than our share to keep places clean and open

[T4RAWR]

i recommend getting the heavy duty contractor bags from home depot vs the shitty typical garbage bags you see everywhere else.

they're WAY better at taking the abuse from camping and also can be cut open to be used as make shift tarps to cover your gear or duct taped into a giant raft :D

[Purely]

Has anyone been to 20 mile bay camping? How strict are they with noise, etc? Last year we went to Cogburn and had a awesome time.