Out and About with the Family: The Old Water Pipe Hike

Once upon a time, outside of Riondel, in about 1907, a three mile wood stave pipeline was built. The crazy miners of the area, ran it up a mountain and down in to gorge. There were two men living up by the dam, regulating the water coming down. This pipe rain up the mountain and then down to a mine, along the lake shore. Water was needed to run the mining equipment down by the lake. There are still remnants of a road in places plus "bridges" (wooden planks over streams). Again, it is one of those engineering feats which impress, for it was made at a time when pure hard work and determination were demanded of people, if they were needing to succeed.

As we drove up the logging road, hoping to recognize the area where the trail started, I was reminded of the second time Chris and I hiked this particular trail. It was the summer of 2007. Chris hiked it Amyah, in a kids' backpack. She was almost 2 years of age. We had friends along who also had a little girl the same age, also in a back pack carrier. It was a great day out with them, and Chris was eager to show the impressive pipe to his friend. :)

All went well until we decided to take a different way back and perhaps come out by some neighbors place. However, we went wrong somewhere on the mountain trail. All of a sudden, in the middle of the forest, was a piece of plywood sprayed with florescent paint, telling us to "*%#*$* OFF", - we were TRESPASSING!

However, about the moment we saw it, we had already stumbled in to their yard, or should I say their remote B.C. "farm". The house was half made, there were about three angry looking dogs barking at us and people peering out the windows. I was also trying to not let the chain saw laying by the fire pit bother me. I remember solemnly swearing I would never watch another CSI or Criminal Minds, if we got out of this alive! Chris causally waved, apologized for bothering them and kept walking - quickly. We got out of there and finally down to the water tower in town. Once we felt safe, we sighed relief, and laughed hysterically. However, Chris not so much, as our poor little Amyah had gotten scared enough by the dogs that she peed her pants, leaking through the backpack, on to Chris's back!

So, today was the day, our kids were going to hike "the old pipe trail". We had a slow start, for as I mentioned, we were not entirely sure were the trail head was. So, after driving most of the way up a mountain, on a logging road, and me clinging to the middle consul of the car, because I don't like riding near the edge of a cliff!, we turned around. Thankfully, on our way down, "Hawk Eye Chris" saw what he thought was the PIPE! By George, he did find it! We parked and then bush whacked until we found the 100 year old "road" in the bush, which basically followed this pipe.

I have to say, there was a lot of whining about legs getting scrapped during the first part, who was leading, whose hiking stick was better, and so on... but things soon settled out. Bush whacking can be awful let alone if you are only 45 inches tall! From then on, we had a most pleasant hike up to the dam and the old log cabin. It is a great hike, mostly in the shade of the forest.