{"id":8596,"date":"2017-06-18T08:10:03","date_gmt":"2017-06-18T14:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=8596"},"modified":"2019-03-29T11:28:44","modified_gmt":"2019-03-29T17:28:44","slug":"teapot-mountain-british-columbia-canada-9-5-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=8596","title":{"rendered":"Teapot Mountain, British Columbia, Canada (9-5-16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 38 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska<\/em><\/p>\n

Lupe’s morning started at 7:00 AM with a quick side trip into nearby Fort St. John for fuel for the G6.\u00a0 Then it was back N a few miles to the turn SW onto Hwy 29 to Chetwynd.\u00a0 Making that turn, Lupe left the Alaska Highway for the final time on her Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation.<\/p>\n

Hwy 29 was a beautiful drive.\u00a0 For a while, the road\u00a0followed a stretch of the Peace River valley.\u00a0 However, that feeling of being in the truly far N,\u00a0which Lupe had while in the Yukon and Alaska, was fading fast.\u00a0 At Chetwynd, SPHP turned W on Hwy 97.\u00a0 It would eventually turn\u00a0S and take Lupe to Prince George.\u00a0 This was still gorgeous, unspoiled territory, all wild,\u00a0forested, and full of rivers and lakes, but Lupe saw no more snow-capped mountains, not even on the most distant\u00a0horizon.<\/p>\n

Nearly all day would be spent driving, but Lupe\u00a0did have\u00a0one adventure in store for her.\u00a0 She was going to take the trail up Teapot Mountain, sometimes touted as one of the best day hikes of central interior British Columbia.\u00a0 The trail isn’t long, only 0.9 mile (1.4 km).\u00a0 It climbs an ancient\u00a0steep-sided basaltic plug which survived the last ice age, while gaining 650 feet of elevation (200 meters).<\/p>\n

The sky clouded up.\u00a0 Light rain showers dampened the highway.\u00a0 Miles rolled by.\u00a0 Suddenly, ack!\u00a0 Talus Road!\u00a0 Wasn’t that it?\u00a0 Yes, and SPHP had missed the turn.\u00a0 Oh, well.\u00a0 At least the sign had been spotted.\u00a0 SPHP found a place to turn around.\u00a0 A few minutes later, Lupe was turning W onto gravel Talus Road.<\/p>\n

A kilometer later, SPHP missed the R turn onto Caine Creek Forestry Road, too.\u00a0 The whole area seemed to be a maze of gravel roads, and the signage wasn’t great.\u00a0 Nevertheless, after a brief exercise in futility, Lupe did make it back to Caine Creek Forestry Road, which wound around for 2 miles (3 km) before crossing a bridge over a creek connecting a couple of skinny, swampy lakes on either side.<\/p>\n

As the road started curving L after crossing the bridge, a sign\u00a0could be seen tucked back at the edge of the trees near a dirt side road on the R.\u00a0 Nearby was enough\u00a0parking space for several vehicles.\u00a0 The sign said Teapot Mtn.\u00a0 An arrow pointed\u00a0into the forest along\u00a0the side road.\u00a0 Not another soul or vehicle was around, but this had to be the trailhead.<\/p>\n

SPHP parked, and Lupe got out of the G6.\u00a0 The sky was clearing a little again.\u00a0 The sun was trying to break through.\u00a0 On the way here, Lupe had seen densely forested Teapot Mountain a little to the W.\u00a0 It didn’t look very big after all the mountains Lupe had seen on this Dingo Vacation.\u00a0 The trip up Teapot Mountain<\/a><\/span> (3,009 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> wouldn’t take long.<\/p>\n

Lupe had plenty of time.\u00a0 Why not take a look at the swampy lakes and the creek\u00a0from the bridge, before going up the mountain?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe at the trailhead. There was room to park maybe half a dozen vehicles nearby.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Lupe along Caines Creek Forestry Road near Teapot Mountain. Photo looks NNW at the larger of the two skinny, swampy lakes. The swampy lakes were actually part of the Crooked River, which flows N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The water in the creek, which was actually the Crooked River, looked clean and clear.\u00a0\u00a0From the smaller skinny lake, it\u00a0flowed N\u00a0under the bridge.\u00a0 Both skinny lakes were part of the river system.\u00a0 Lupe didn’t see any fish in the river, but no doubt there must be some.\u00a0 The lakes had plenty of water and looked like great habitat.<\/p>\n

In the 15 minutes Lupe spent\u00a0sniffing around\u00a0the Crooked River and the swampy lakes, 2 vehicles had arrived and parked at the Teapot Mountain\u00a0trailhead.\u00a0 Hikers were already somewhere\u00a0on the trail ahead of her by the time Lupe started out.\u00a0 The first part of the trail\u00a0followed the side road, which curved NW as it led Lupe into the forest.\u00a0 The side road dead-ended after only a few hundred feet.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe on the short side road which served as the first part of the Teapot Mountain trail. The road curved NW as it led Lupe into the dense forest. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Where the side road ended, a wide path strewn with leaves led off to the W toward Teapot Mountain.\u00a0 Lupe hadn’t gained any elevation yet, but she was about to.\u00a0 The path started climbing steadily, slowly at first, but it quickly became steep.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe near the start of the path to Teapot Mountain after the side road dead-ended. The path started out level as shown here, but quickly became quite steep. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The well worn trail was easy to follow, but\u00a0soon became a\u00a0real\u00a0challenge for heart, lungs and legs.\u00a0 It worked its way over to the SE face of Teapot Mountain, where it began to climb even more steeply heading almost straight up the mountain.<\/p>\n

The dense, lush forest hid all views.\u00a0 Many tree roots and rocks were exposed on the trail, which was hard packed.\u00a0 This part of the Teapot Mountain\u00a0trail\u00a0must be very slick when wet, but it wasn’t bad as Lupe made her ascent.<\/p>\n

Teapot Mountain hadn’t looked that big from below, but\u00a0felt\u00a0bigger with each step up.\u00a0 The relentless steep rate of climb continued until Lupe reached a junction\u00a0close to the top of the mountain.\u00a0 Here, the trail divided.\u00a0 Lupe could go L or R.\u00a0 It didn’t really matter which way she went, since\u00a0both directions were part of the circular loop trail around the upper rim of Teapot Mountain.\u00a0 Lupe went R (N), hoping\u00a0to catch a view of the Crooked River below.<\/p>\n

Just because Lupe had reached the loop trail didn’t mean she could see anything.\u00a0 The top of Teapot Mountain\u00a0was\u00a0as densely forested as all the rest of it was.\u00a0 The trail had come up near the SE\u00a0end of the mountain, at a part of the rim that proved to be\u00a0a little lower than most of it.\u00a0 The summit area contained within the loop trail was\u00a0acres in size.\u00a0 The interior terrain sloped gradually and unevenly up toward some unseen high point.<\/p>\n

The loop trail was\u00a0an easy,\u00a0almost level stroll.\u00a0 Lupe didn’t have to go very far N before she came to a break in the trees where she could see\u00a0a long, skinny lake down along the Crooked River off to the NE.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe could see one of the long, skinny lakes that was part of the Crooked River system from the loop trail. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On her way\u00a0around the N\u00a0rim of Teapot Mountain, Lupe came to no more viewpoints until she\u00a0reached some\u00a0cliffs at\u00a0the NW end of the mountain.\u00a0 Lupe\u00a0could see a large shallow pond in a clearing far below.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
From cliffs near the NW end of the loop trail, Lupe saw this shallow pond in a clearing below. Topo maps show that the top of Teapot Mountain is somewhat smaller than this pond. The loop trail around the perimeter really isn’t very long. Part of Jakes Lake, a much bigger body of water, is farther away on the L. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the cliffs at the NW viewpoint, Lupe didn’t have far to go to reach a big tan-colored\u00a0rock formation at the SW end of the mountain.\u00a0 Up until now, Lupe hadn’t seen anyone along the trail.\u00a0 She found everyone here, congregated on the rock formation which offers the premier view from Teapot Mountain.<\/p>\n

A friendly dog wanted to play with Lupe, but with cliffs so close by, the humans put a quick end to all the mad dashing and chasing around.\u00a0 A wooden bench was nearby to the E.\u00a0 Lupe got up on it for a look at the big view.\u00a0 Summit Lake, which is quite large and\u00a0has an interesting irregular shape, was the main attraction.\u00a0 Lupe could see the N end of Summit Lake dotted with forested islands not too far away to the S.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
From the SW viewpoint, Lupe could see Summit Lake dotted with forested islands. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Summit Lake through the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While everyone else remained congregated on the tan rock formation, Lupe and SPHP went off in search of the true summit of Teapot Mountain.\u00a0 The highest point Lupe found was a nice mossy spot at the end of a very faint trail into the\u00a0interior.\u00a0\u00a0The summit wasn’t far from the SW viewpoint at all.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe sits comfortably on the mossy spot at the true summit of Teapot Mountain. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe returned to the loop trail.\u00a0 People were getting ready to depart.\u00a0 Before long, Lupe had the premier viewpoint on Teapot Mountain all to herself.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe conducts her initial investigation of the premier viewpoint on Teapot Mountain. She discovers a sign indicating she is 1 km from the trailhead (by the most direct route), and aptly enough, a teapot. Part of Jakes Lake is seen in the distance. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
So, SPHP, is it tea time? What kind of tea are we having? Did you bring any crumpets? …… Umm, heh, sorry Looper, I didn’t remember to bring any tea. Kind of short on crumpets, too, to tell the truth. Guess I wasn’t thinking.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Loopster astride the big tan rock formation, with Jakes Lake on the L. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For a little while, Lupe and SPHP stayed together up on the tan rock formation enjoying the view of the lakes and forests of central British Columbia.\u00a0 Before long voices were heard approaching from the E.\u00a0 More hikers.\u00a0 Time to go and let them enjoy this beautiful spot in peace.\u00a0 Loop still had many miles to go today anyway.<\/p>\n

Lupe saw more teapots placed on rocks and in trees along the S rim of Teapot Mountain\u00a0as she completed the loop back\u00a0to the trail down.\u00a0 The clouds hadn’t\u00a0so much as\u00a0sprinkled any rain for a while.\u00a0 On her way down, Lupe encountered several more groups of people who had decided to come up.\u00a0 Apparently, Teapot Mountain really is quite a popular hike.<\/p>\n

It was mid-afternoon by the time Lupe\u00a0arrived back at the G6 (2:55 PM, 50\u00b0F) ready to resume the long drive S.\u00a0 Teapot Mountain had been a pleasant break from being cooped up.\u00a0 The whole trek had taken a little over 2 hours at a leisurely pace.<\/p>\n

By evening, Lupe was\u00a0far SE of Prince George near the small town of McBride.\u00a0 Her day ended with\u00a0a pleasant twilight stroll exploring\u00a0a quiet\u00a0park next to the Fraser River.\u00a0 Up until\u00a0her Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation, Lupe had never been even this far N before in her whole life.\u00a0 Tomorrow she would return to more familiar territory in Jasper and Banff National Parks in the fabulous Canadian Rockies!<\/p>\n

Note: The L (W) turn off Highway 97 onto Talus Road is about 31 miles (50 km) N of Prince George.\u00a0 Follow Talus Road 1 km to a R turn onto Caine Creek Forestry Road (poorly marked).\u00a0 Follow Caine Creek Forestry Road 3.3 km.\u00a0 The Teapot Mountain trailhead is at the start of the\u00a0first side road to the R after crossing the bridge over Crooked River.<\/em>\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Adventure<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Prior Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from Lupe’s <\/span><\/em>2016 Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska Adventure Index<\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/em>Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/span> <\/span><\/em><\/a><\/strong>or<\/span><\/em> Master Adventure Index<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free to New Lupe Adventures<\/b><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day 38 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska Lupe’s morning started at 7:00 AM with a quick side trip into nearby Fort St. John for fuel for the G6.\u00a0 Then it was back N a few miles to the turn SW onto Hwy 29 to Chetwynd.\u00a0 Making … Continue reading Teapot Mountain, British Columbia, Canada (9-5-16)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[726],"tags":[105,79,30,106,26,104,778,779],"class_list":["post-8596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2016-canadian-rockies-yukon-alaska","tag-american-dingo","tag-british-columbia","tag-canada","tag-carolina-dog","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-lupe","tag-prince-george","tag-teapot-mountain"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/IMG_2880.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8596"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21272,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8596\/revisions\/21272"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}