Category: Community Blog

The once picturesque view of the lake, mountain and sky from the west end of Lac des Roches and little Lac des Roches has been changed forever by 2 weeks of clear cut beetle kill harvesting above the lake.  With disbelief, residents watched the logging crew work its way over the crest of the mountain and make a swath through the forest, down toward the lake, highly visible from Highway 24, McCarthy Road and Gerald Crescent. While west portions of the cut block seemed to have been designed to mitigate the visual impact from private and public locations east of McCarthy Road, the view from the highway, roads and residences to the west is extremely disappointing and described by one resident as “horrendous”.  One resident estimates that over 100 acres of trees were cut from the north face of the mountain which are headed to Interfor’s mill in Chase, B.C.  It is still unclear to residents whether the logging is in compliance with forest stewardship plans for the site.  Several residents have registered complaints but have been advised that although the cutting was complete at 4 a.m. March 13, inspection and determination of compliance will be done upon completion of all logging operations which includes the skidding, processing and loading which is still in progress.  Sadly too, after discussions with Ministry of Forest personnel, International Forest Products (Interfor) personnel and Member of Parliament, Donna Barnett, residents have learned that they missed their opportunity to provide input into the consultation process for designing this logging site plan when they did not respond to Interfor’s advertisements in the local paper last fall.  They learned that only registered users of the land directly affected by the logging operation such as grazing permit holders or trap-line licencees are contacted directly by the Interfor, or other logging companies, for input.  All other individuals or groups must either have previously advised a potential logger of their particular land interest or respond to public notices.  This oversight by area residents has proven to be a very sad and unsightly lesson to learn.  Members of the Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake will be sending notification letters on behalf of all lake residents asking to be recognized as official stakeholders for all forest stewardship plans in the Lac des Roches watershed for future forest harvesting and development.  The group is also committed to let other citizen groups know of this incident so that they may take similar actions for their communities.  There are plans to follow-up with the forest ministry on policies regarding notification and compliance.

 

 

 

 

 

The ladies of Lac des Roches are still enjoying Sunday excursions on their snowshoes.  A trek to the little lake on the side of the south hill (now referred to as Egg Lake) is a nasty excursion in the summer due to the many deadfall trees and devil’s club but most of these obstacles are well covered by up to 5 feet of snow thiswinter.  Five ladies enjoyed a 7.5 km trek and roasted smokies on a brilliantly sunny day on the little lake’s frozen shore.

 

 

 

 

Winter residents of Lac des Roches have been bombarded with the sound of nearby logging most of this winter.  Between the sound of heavy equipment working in the southwest hills and the constant stream of logging trucks hauling in both directions of Highway 24, there is no doubt that the surrounding forest is heading to a nearby mill.  It was still quite shocking for residents to realize that under the cover of low clouds and snow storms, the loggers had crested the mountain and worked their equipment down the north side of the mountain, changing the pristine view from the McDonald rest stop, and dozens of view properties, forever.  Evidently the preservation of viewscape to benefit both residents and the tourism industry

, which was painstakingly determined through extensive balloon testing and consultation with residents well over a decade ago, is off the table in order to support the troubled forest industry.  At the time of this post, the feller-buncher was still going strong!

Less than a week after frigid temperatures and almost a foot of fresh snow, high daytime temperatures and above freezing night temperatures are contributing to sudden and extreme melting.  The startling roar of snow and ice sliding off metal roofs has begun and will likely continue through the upcoming week of expected mild weather. Similar to last year, some structures may be at risk of damage, particularly  roof vents, stacks and balcony railings, all in the path of falling snow.  Winter residents in each subdivision traditionally keep watch over vacant cabins for signs of pending hazards.

Any way you look at the snow this year, whether praising it or cursing it, every one agrees the snow is amazing.

Clearing crunch.  Residents clearing snow from decks and driveways have run out of room to push and pile the snow and many have been forced to revert to snowblowers and throwers from snow ploughs and shovels.

Sledders pleased.    Sledders claim that the fresh and deep snow on trails and cut blocks in the surrounding hills is the best they have ever enjoyed this year.

 

 

 

 

 

Melting snow.  Winter residents are keeping a watchful eye on cabins for sliding and melting snow with the current daytime warming trend. While it is unlikely we will experience the same amount of damage to structures from sliding ice as last year, the build up of snow and resulting melt water could put some residences at risk of flooding.

Trekking in the snow.  The Boultbee gals have wisely set aside every Sunday as “snowshoe day” instead of the regular noon walk on the road.  The ladies have been exploring the many trails and destination points close by and despite the hundreds of dead trees that litter the forest floor and infrequently-used trails, the deep snow covers much of the debris and aids snow shoeing on some of their more rugged routes.

Lake snow.  Deep snow on the lake has its pros and cons.  While sledding on the lake is better with deep snow than on just bare ice, walking with only boots is difficult unless on an old and hardened sled path.  As always, the weight of the snow will force overflow water up through cracks and natural holes and despite the cold snap of -20 C nights in February, there were several inches of slush all around Rock Island.

Skiing on snow.  Spring skiing on the lake has always been popular and it just got a whole lot better.  Several Boultbee Road residents pooled their resources and inventive spirits and have created a cross-country ski track sled.  After several trial runs and modifications, the group is close to having a successful design that would please most nordic skiers on the lake.  The last task will be to put up some signs to deter walkers, sledders and snowshoers from inadvertently destroying the set tracks.

The blanket of deep snow on the lake has kept the ice quiet this winter.  Absent this year are the haunting bangs and warbles of cracking ice as the temperatures changes back and forth from the chilly nights to the warmish days.  In their place this year are the sounds of wood expanding and contracting which fills the morning and evening air.  Since our forests are a mixture of deciduous and conifer trees, it is unclear if the sound is particular to any species, but most definitely, their are strange noises emitting from tree trunks. This small spruce tree on the Falkner Lake trail might emit a noise but the shroud of over 3 feet of snow would certainly muffle it.

Several Boutlbee gals accepted an invitation to the inaugural and very successful “ladies auction” held at nearby Lee Road on Feb. 21.  The concept of inviting area ladies to bring unwanted items to be auctioned off among friends and neighbours was borrowed by the auction hosts who had attended similar events in the Okanagan.  Most of the estimated 75 items were auctioned off to a very pleased purchaser.  The selection was varied with; books, clothes, jewellery, appliances, craft items and decorator pieces, all potential bargains since the bidding for the majority of items started at only $1.  The Lac des Roches ladies were pleased with their purchases such as a “used once” crock pot for $5 and brand new pure wool knee socks for $1 amid the pleased sellers whom obviously had no further need for these items. The hosts are hoping the idea has “taken off” and that one or more of the attendees will consider hosting another auction in the neighbourhood. The Boultbee gals have indicated they would enjoy doing just that when more summer residents return to the lake.

There continues to be active – and very noisy logging – all around Lac des Roches. The feller buncher working just on the other side of the south-west shore mountain can be heard clearly all day and night and is responsible for the subtle and surprising alteration to the horizon as trees disappear from the crest of the hill from the cut blocks on the back side of the hill.  One resident has been told that log hauling from the north, down Wavey Lake road, will end within 2 weeks.  The snow ploughing will likely cease if there are no logging trucks using this forest service road – happy news to sledders who use this road to access trails.  Other log hauling could last until spring break-up forces road restrictions.  In order to meet targets, some mills switch to earlier unloading hours which places logging trucks on the roads and highways in the very early hours of the morning.  With logging trucks hauling – what seems like – both day and night, drivers are cautioned to take extra care on the roads.

 

Undeterred by the frigid temperatures in early February, this young family from the lower mainland ventured up to Lac des Roches to visit relatives.  The cold snap ended just in time for the family day weekend and the few visitors to the lake were rewarded with beautiful calm, warmer and sunny days, perfect for snowmobiling in the hills, tobogganing on the slopes, making angels in the snow and long walks on the lake.

 

The ladies who walk regularly on Boultbee Road have expanded their daily regime to include a snowshoe trek once a week. Since the beginning of the year, the ladies have spent their Sundays exploring old trails and meadows in the immediate area, averaging 5 to 6 kilometers each trip. Although there is enough snow to plan treks for the next couple of months, the warmer temperatures and sunny days of late winter may result in slushy snow conditions which could shorten the remaining season of snowshoeing.