The vulture was sitting on a road sign close to town. No one died.

Some ways past HWY 19, we jumped on Black Creek Main, normally a quiet road. However, there was industrial activity ahead, so we turned back to the DBM.

We didn't have any obvious alternatives, so we rode the DBM to Oyster River. It was dusty but quiet. We took a break and had a look at a bend in the full flowing Oyster River.

We stopped at Woodhus Creek to collect water and this loaded truck went by us. That was the only loaded logging truck we would see on the trip.

It went from quiet to quieter on Quinsam Main. We followed it until we turned west from Lower Quinsam Lake onto a smaller road..

We were looking for a way across the Ironwood River when we encountered three ATV's. One of them was grandstanding it up a section of clear cut.

It was a bone chilling start to the day with fog and a start temperature of 0C.

Fog didn't slow us down that morning. Filter coffee was on the menu.

We followed Coal Main for a while. Our first stop was Gooseneck Lake, and the remnants of the train line that crossed the lake. There is also an expensive, public campground run by Mosaic, the local Timber operator.

We took some smaller roads out to the Gold River highway.

That led us to the new, free Upper Campbell Lake campground, operated by BC Hydro.. It is geared up for RV's and it is a busy place.

We popped over to the causeway/bridge that crosses Upper Campbell Lake. Elk Main continues along the lake (gated) and it would make pleasant, easy riding.

Crossing the Strathcona Dam

We passed by Fry and Brewster lakes (lunch at the latter) and looked at some of the old rail bridges from times gone-by.

Gosling Main offered good riding. The Rec sites at Gosling were all unoccupied while most others we visited had a handful of occupants each.

We followed Campbell Lake FSR out in milder temperatures. I stopped to look at this old rail bridge.

Although the crown land north of Campbell River seems less intensively logged than the private lands to the south, it has its share of clear-cuts.

And other times, on the same road, the riding was brilliant.

John Hart Dam

We rode down a path on the South side of the Campbell River that turned out to be a walking path (not signed as such from above).

BC Hydro Public Affairs money at work.

We passed through a sliver of Campbell River.

We rode the Elk River Timber road, then through the Beaver Lodge lands and encountered a number of people out on their morning walks.

Last September I had "pioneered" a route right to the Jubilee Parkway but things change and we had to backtrack a short distance at this sign.

Thereafter, we followed old logging roads, now used by ATV'ers and dog walkers.

Once we hit York Road, we went East, looking for a route to the Oyster River, without success. We hit the 19A and took a break at Oyster Bay.

We stopped at Discovery Foods for a bland chicken burrito (now off my list). Roads and paths led us to Black Creek. It was just deep enough to warrant taking shoes off.