Granite Lake Quad Ride

Wayne and I went for a quad ride to Granite Lake. We started in town at the parking area near Edgehill School on Abbotsford Street. This is such a handy place to enter the forest trails. After the Duck Lake Bridge, we followed Duck Lake Forest Service Road to link up with the Granite Lake Road.

The ride is mostly over well maintained forest service roads, but the last portion on the Granite Lake Road has one tricky creek crossing. The water is shallow, at least this time of year, but the gully is deep. It doesn't look that steep in this picture, but for me it was.

Granite Lake is known for its trout fishing. Wayne threw in his line, but didn't get any nibbles. Maybe the fish have already moved deeper up here in the higher country. When you catch one, you will notice they are much darker than regular rainbows. Maybe it's from the dark tint to the water.

From the surrounding mountains, you can see how this lake got its name. I just love the granite outcroppings. We ate our lunch on the shore before heading back down the road. Even on this nice weekend, we were the only quads out in our neck of the woods. What a great way to enjoy nature.

On a calm day, the reflections on Granite Lake are amazing.


Do you want to explore the great outdoors in Powell River? Would you like a book full of maps and trail descriptions with GPS locations? There's a great book written by Dave, the president of the Powell River ATV Club. It’s called the ATV Trail Guide and costs $25. If want a copy, you can contact PRATV at their website. They are also on sale locally in Powell River at Quality Parts and Guy's Cycle Works. All profits support trail maintenance and building activities. -- Margy

Mr. Pumpkin Butt

Wayne and I went driving through Paradise Valley in Powell River's regional district and found the most amazing Halloween decorations. The house had a huge web with a massive spider guarding his "prey."

Next to the driveway was the Haunted Valley Cemetery.

But the highlight was Mr. Pumpkin Butt mooning passing drivers.

What a creative family! -- Margy

Blue Above, Gold Below

During fall it's typical for waves of storms to pass through quickly, then clear to gorgeous blue skies. Looking east towards Goat Island the view up was a beautiful sky blue.

But as my eyes were drawn downward, there was a "sunny" golden glow coming up from below.

Our fall leaves are about two weeks late, but well worth the wait.

This cabin belongs to Max Pagani and his wife Monica. Max is a local realtor with Coast Realty. Contact Max at 604 414-8829 or info@maxpagani.com if you are interested in local property, or even a cabin up the lake. -- Margy

Available Online: "Up the Main" by Wayne J. Lutz

Yesterday, Wayne and I had a nice, cool Fall ride to one of our favourite destinations, Granite Lake. I'll tell you more about that when we get back from the cabin at the end of the week. Except for one creek crossing, the ride isn't challenging (for people like me), but the country along the way is amazing. You can read more about a previous ride in Wayne's book Up the Main in a chapter called "Four." Of course, that means 4X4.

A Great Book
for the Outdoor Enthusiast

Up the Main

Coastal BC Stories

Travel up the main logging roads for an unparalleled backcountry experience. Whether you go by ATV, motorcycle, mountain bike, car or on foot, you can find clear mountain streams, hidden lakes and uncrowded campsites. Read Up the Main by Wayne Lutz and ride along with us. 

Go to PowellRiverBooks.com for ordering information or use one of our trusted partners.

Kindle $2.99 USD at Amazon.com
Other Ebooks $2.99 USD at Smashwords.com
Print version $12.95 USD at Amazon.com

Off the Grid Living Up the Lake

Today we're heading up the lake for a few days at our float cabin. It's a unique place to live. Want to read about how we handle off the grid living? Wayne has written two books about our cabin life.



The first is Up the Lake. It tells about how we discovered our cabin on Powell Lake, about life in our off the grid, boating to world famous Desolation Sound, riding our quads into the back country, and flying overhead for a unique view of this incredible place.

Up the Lake

Coastal BC Stories

Print for $9.95
Kindle for $.99

E-book for $1.99

Following in the footsteps of the most successful book in the Coastal BC Stories series comes Farther Up the Lake. Head up Powell Lake to experience more about our life in an off the grid float cabin, winter on the lake, spend the night up at the Head of Powell Lake, go beachcombing for logging history, and much more.

Farther Up the Lake

Coastal BC Stories

Print for $16.95
Kindle for $3.99

E-book for $1.99

Go to www.PowellRiverBooks.com
for ordering information.

Woodstove Refinishing

Our Kozi woodstove is a vital part of our float cabin. It makes all season living up the lake possible. This time of year, we only need an early morning and night fire, but in the middle of winter, it will be running 24/7. It provides us with lots of heat, but it also provides a cooking surface for heating lots of water, and even an occasional meal.

All that work takes a toll on the stove's surface. The first step in refinishing the surface is to scour away the rust and grime with a stiff wire brush. Then smooth the surface with sand paper and clean it thoroughly so no dust or rust particles are present.

We chose Tremclad High Heat Enamel in a flat finish. This paint resists heat up to 650°C (1200°F), well within the range of the surface of a woodstove. It is thick and covers well. Brush strokes smooth out during the drying process for a smooth finish that isn't supposed to crack or peel. I'll keep you posted on that.









We let it dry for a week while we were away. Originally, we planned a second coat upon our return, but it looked fine with just one. We will save the remaining paint for a future coat, or maybe for the chimney pipe. Not only does our wood stove look a whole lot better, but it will protect the metal so it will last many years longer.

For information about how to refinish your indoor chimney pipe click here. That makes the refinishing job complete and improves the appearance 100%. -- Margy

Buster's back ...

and Wayne's gonna be in trouble
Hey la, hey la my Buster's back.
If you see him come,
better cut out on the double
Hey la, hey la my Buster's back

Sorry, but the 60s song by the Angels just popped into my head.

This is pretty late to see our resident Garter Snake. But this year everything seems to be running a bit late. I saw Buster sunning himself on the brow log below our back deck.

Wayne saw him too, but gave him a wide berth. Buster isn't Wayne's favourite critter. -- Margy