On Saturday (13 September, 2008) Robb and I hiked in to Tumblewater Meadows. It is one of the most precious places we know, high up in the Beaufort Range. Every sunny day I can look across the water of Baynes Sound and see the criss-cross of ridges that hide the hanging valley where the Meadows are tucked in.
One disturbing thing about our trip this time was that another patch of clear-cut has been logged, taking the devastation just that little bit closer to the portal of the Meadows. Of course we are only able to reach there on a day trip because we can drive up to 3000 foot elevation on those logging roads.
From the end of the logging road there is no trail, just a route we know that starts with a steep, nasty climbing sidle through the old growth to climb above the waterfalls issuing from the hanging valley. Devil’s Club in the gulleys and the almost impenetrable willows and alder growing in a steep-sided avalanche chute keep the trip interesting. Nevertheless it is all worth while.
The outlet stream never rages in flood, as the snowmelt is gradually released from the sponge-like meadows.
This is privately-owned forest land, but surely the Meadows should be preserved in their natural state rather than trashed to obtain logs for export.
2016 Update:
We have continued over the years to visit this beautiful spot as the logging roads creep closer. At our last visit in Fall 2015 the logging road had reached the level to traverse into the hanging valley above the falls but had yet to cross the avalanche chute.
This pristine and rare ecosystem is being currently being engineered to log. The forest surrounding these sub-alpine meadows is visually stunning yet extremely mediocre from a fiscal perspective. The monetary gain from logging this timber would be a break even, or minor proffit at best. Would be a shame to destroy this beautiful and unique land for such minimal financial reward.
All for a few 1000 year-old Yellow cedars!
I just got back from a hike to the Tumblewater Meadows today. There is falling boundary ribbon right to the edge of the meadow, both on the North side of sundew lake and where the meadow ends and Tumblewater stream starts down the valley. If the logging company falls trees to the edge of the meadows I am sure it will change the pristine state of this gem of a meadow system. There are so few such treasures not touched by the human hand. It would be a real shame to the greed of mankind.
Thanks for the report, Bruce. Have they advanced the access Road past the avalanche chute?