The Cai Creek drainage sits above O0tischenia, across the Columbia River from Castlegar and above the Castlegar Airport. This is an old-growth forest that contains BC’s largest ponderosa pine and many other large trees. The notable pine tree is 600 years old and nicknamed Lieutenant Dan (from Forrest Gump). BC Timber Sales discovered the tree while crews were mapping out a cut block for the drainage. Logging is planned to happen soon and while Lt. Dan will be spared, many other big trees and the natural forest in the drainage will be logged.
Difficulty: B1 moderate
Elevation Gain: +400 m
Distance: 5 km return to Lt Dan, longer if you explore to “Jenny”
Ascent Time: 2.5 hours return to Lt Dan
Map: 82F/5 Castlegar
Drive: Drive up Highway 3 (the Bombi) from Castlegar 1.5 km from the vehicle inspection station. Park in a large gravel pullout across from the first runaway lane (GR 49.26864 -117.62420)
Route. Cross the highway and walk up the runaway lane to an old ATV trail that climbs steadily for 2 km. Enter the forest at the cut block green tape flagging and hike north to the pine. There is virtually no bushwhacking as the dense cedar canopy has kept most of the understory at bay. Follow the ribbons and continue past a rock slide area. Pass a 1 m diameter cottonwood, a big Douglas fir, an especially large Western white pine (left), and many old-growth cedar. All these big, old trees survived a fire 60-70 years ago that burnt many smaller trees and left a few stumps in the forest. As you near Lt. Dan, there is a group of big cedars with burnt stumps where the fire must have stopped. Just after the cedars, reach BC’s largest ponderosa pine (GR 49.269048 -117.611802). It is 1.53 m in diameter and 58.7 m tall and extends out from a slight slope reaching far above the surrounding trees. Deep claw marks on the bark extend far up the tree from a bear. Lt. Dan is big enough to be considered a ‘Special Tree’ and will be given at least a 56 m buffer from logging.
Head further north along the ‘pine line’ – a series of old-growth ponderosa pine that runs west to east down the drainage. Pass a few old pines – one with what looks like axe marks, and another nicknamed ‘the Twins’ – a pair of ponderosa pine growing from the same base. At the bottom of the slope, reach an open bench with big cedars and fir. After a short dense bushwhack, the forest opens up to ‘Jenny’ (Forrest Gump’s girlfriend) – a gently coloured 1.08 m diameter ponderosa pine.
Return the same way up the hill, pass Lt. Dan, and back to the ATV trail. On the way out of the woods, detour to see another big ponderosa pine that survived the previous fire because of its 4” thick bark. At 110 cm in diameter, this pine isn’t “Special” and does not get a buffer, like Lt. Dan. It’s not clear if the pine and the many other big trees in Cai Creek will still stand after the drainage is logged.
All Trails. Cai Creek is not searchable but this link should work. The distances are way off and the GPS track darts around a bit but you can see the gist. https://www.alltrails.com/…/afternoon-hike-502cc2c–442
Kootenay Forest Watch – Castlegar has led the fight to save this forest from being logged. Write Katrine Conroy, the MLA responsible for this area.