May 22 – Othello Tunnels, To Chilliwack

We finally got to the Othello Tunnels on our fourth attempt and it was worth the effort.

Make sure you check out the photospheres today. They are much better at capturing the canyon walls.

Our timing was almost perfect as well. We arrived at 8 am and were the first ones there. We had the tunnels to ourselves on our outbound trip. Coming back there were a few more people but not too bad. Just as we got back to the parking lot 3 bus loads of young public school kids arrived. Really dodged a bullet there.

The tunnels were built around 1915 through what was once thought to be an impossible place to build a railroad. I can see why. There are 5 tunnels and 2 bridges. Four of the tunnels are in a straight line and you can see end to end. The last has a curve.

Back to the now unblocked entrance to the first tunnel.

All the signs said to take flashlights but ours were not bright enough and it was easy to feel your way along.

The gap between the first and second tunnels had the most dramatic steep cliffs.

This rock face was so flat that it seemed unnatural. It is the start of the second tunnel.

Looking back at the end of the first tunnel, with a huge net to catch any falling rocks.

Here is a picture taken on the way back. It’s about an hour later and the sun is much higher now.

The river was raging down below us.

Do check out the photosphere.

Coming out of the second tunnel. On the park map the next tunnel is marked as Tunnel 3 and 4.

The river does a sharp turn underneath the bridge. One side of the bridge looking toward tunnel 3.

The other side of the bridge looking towards tunnel 3.

Looking upstream back at tunnel 2.

This was taken on the way back when someone dared to invade our private trail.

Another must see photosphere.

Looking back from the start of the third/fourth tunnel. The light from the left side is a gap where you can see down to the river.This must be the break between 3 and 4.

Always with the locks.

Coming out of the fourth tunnel looking at the entrance of the fifth tunnel.

The river does another sharp turn the other way under this bridge.

Looking back at the fourth tunnel.

The final photosphere.

Jennie liked the spider web on the bridge.

Looking towards tunnel 5. The lower part of this bridge is the original railroad trestle.

The somewhat less impressive exit to the fifth and final tunnel.

We continued along the trail for a while just to get some exercise.

Lots of mossy trees.

We didn’t go far before turning around when the trail started a long, uninteresting straightaway.

A few more people on the way back.

And the horde descends on the parking lot. This is the first school day the tunnels have been open.

We went back to the campground to collect the RV and proceeded with our very short 1/2 hour move to the Cottonwood Meadows RV Park in Chilliwack.

The sites are a bit tighter here and there is no mountain view, mainly because Chilliwack is on a large flat plain. There are a lot of farms around here.

The campground is right next to the Trans Canada Highway but we are in site 42 (the answer to everything according to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy).

As per usual, after lunch we hit the visitor’s center and then did some grocery shopping.

We are here for a week.