West Harrison Overnight Run
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:21 pm
Discussion at our last club meeting led to a suggested overnight run up the West Harrison Forest Service Road with a one night stay over on the August 6th/7th weekend. I was given the task of determining whether the bridge was still out near Doctor's point so we could plan a through trip with a stop at Port Douglas. So while the rest of the group was up Whipsaw this weekend a small group of four trucks did some research up West Harrison. The Bridge is in fact well and truly washed out at the 54 km mark and blocked by a first growth log barrier, despite misleading info from various government resources, no work has begun on reconstruction. Nevertheless some intrepid group who doesn't like to take no for an answer has opened a down stream crossing of the creek that is accessed by a steep drop off the right hand bank of the road near the washout. The actual crossing is boulder strewn followed by a rough scramble up the other side and a short slither through some blowdown before emerging back onto the road. It appears that the new temporary crossing is at a spot that a very old bridge used to cross at because old abutment timbers are still visible. Boys from the logging camp are crossing here daily. North of the washout the road is rough but easily passable. Other bridges have been worked on and they seem ridiculously overkill with wide concrete decks and galvanized guard rails? Anyway, the road is passable for a club run.