Today, we decided to head out on the back roads around Kennedy Lake. After careful Googling of the area, we figured that we had a good plan, and were going to head for Kennedy River Bog Provincial Park.
Well, that was the plan at least. What we hadn't counted on was that what showed on Google as roads were actually logging roads (not that we didn't expect this) in moderately poor condition. Had we been driving a 4x4, with lots of ground clearance, we might have had a better go of it, but
Tigger, our intrepid Toyota Yaris, was shall we say, challenged!
Add to this the fact that one of the bridges that we expected to traverse was actually no longer in use, and not passable. It was, however a location that was simply stunning, with marvelous views, mirror-calm water and not a person or a sound to be heard.
Our overall plan included a stop at the Provincial Park, and then a return home via a circle route that would bring us out onto the landfill road and thence to Highway 4. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men... As we got closer to the location of the River Bog Park, we had to come to an abrupt halt as we were confronted by two oncoming 4x4 vehicles, on a road only wide enough for one vehicle. The guys in the 4x4s were great and managed to pull off enough that we could squeeze by them and continue. We took the opportunity to ask if we were indeed on the right road to the park, and were met by blank stares. Apparently, they had no idea there was a park there, even when we showed them our map. They suggested that about five minutes further on there was a pull-off and possibly that is where it was. They also concurred that our route back to the highway was probably correct. (We never did find the park, or even any sign for it.)
Mice and men, huh? Well, we were the mice, and we were in a labyrinth with no easy exit. At one point, a tree had come down across the road and only because it had broken into metre-long segments was I able to haul a couple of the pieces off the road to make a hole through which we squeezed the car. About forty-five minutes later, with Tigger ducking and weaving around potholes in which one could hide an elephant, we were within a couple klicks of the highway (according to our GPS), when we had to come to a screeching halt as the road ahead was well and truly blocked by huge boulders, obviously placed there to block further access. Hmmph!
Well, the obvious thing to do was to turn around and retrace our path back to West Road and from there back to Highway 4. On the way back out, as we drove down this single lane track, under a dense canopy of trees, a huge eagle launched itself just in front of us and flew for a hundred metres or so just above the road, until it had a break in the canopy above, where it rose and disappeared from view. It was a sight I'll never forget, its wings stretching so wide that it covered the road from side to side!
Finally, we got back to the highway and made it home for a well-needed lattes. From now on, we'll leave the logging roads to the 4x4s and the loggers!
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