Cameron Lake Trestles - Episode 2: Little Qualicum River and Chalet Area

Описание: Part 2 in a series of videos documenting my thoughts as I review and show highlights of the various photographs and videos that I made at the 4 trestles above Cameron Lake and the surrounding area, during 12 hikes between the years 2019 and 2025. My final visit was in March 2025.

This area is between Mile 12 and 15 on the former Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway's Port Alberni Subdivision, on Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada).

In this Episode, I show photographs and video of the area east of Cameron Lake, because this is where I would start my hikes from.
0:00 - Little Qualicum River Bridge
0:57 - Start of Hike Location
1:57 - 3 Time Eras
2:37 - Imaginary Freight Train
4:26 - Little Qualicum River Bridge
5:51 - Wesley Ridge Tree Marker
6:33 - When the Trestles Were Lost
8:09 - Siding Switch-Stand
8:58 - Old Rail-Cars
9:23 - Station Name Sign
9:42 - Into the Woods
10:32 - Context Outro
11:13 - Silly Endings

-------------------------

The Wesley Ridge wildfire (fire number V71145) started near Cameron Lake on July 31, 2025, and this fire ended up destroying three of the lakeview trestles and damaging a fourth. The wildfire also threatened a community on the other side of the ridge, but no homes or other buildings were lost.

The significant change to the historical railway landscape caused by this wildfire is my motivation to produce this series of videos.

I am thankful to the BC Wildfire Service for their excellent detailed website and gallery of photos.

------------------------
My own photo album from my March 2025 visit is linked here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1320134...

------------------------
I like to see how the inactive railway grade and structures are impacted by nature and time. There has been no train activity here by the E&N Railway since early 2002.

This railway is owned by the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF). The railway was previously owned and operated by RailAmerica and by Canadian Pacific (CP).
In the pre-fire era, various physical and political obstacles would have needed to be cleared, and partnership relationships established, in order for trains to have run here again.

Disclaimer for the pre-fire era when I visited:
Walking on any industrial property, including a railway and its structures, exposes you to various risks, and more so if the property is unmaintained. This is not a park or a trail. This requires good situational awareness and alertness, knowledge of the location and its hazards, personal responsibility, and a good assessment of the risk that you are exposing yourself to.

For the current post-fire era, any visit would be very dangerous, because of the combination of typical post-wildfire hazards in a steep-slope area, as well as the partly-destroyed remnants of an industrial corridor.

I am curious to see what changes might happen with this part of the railway corridor in the coming years.

-----------------------------
BC Wildfire Service update on 2025-08-16:
The Wesley Ridge wildfire (V71145), located adjacent to Cameron Lake, is now classified as Under Control. This status reflects significant progress, but crews will remain on-site to continue patrols and extinguish hotspots. As this remains an active worksite, please continue to avoid the area.
Even after a wildfire is contained, hazards can persist for months or years, including:
• Danger trees that may fall without warning
• Ash pits that stay hot and hidden below the surface
• Unstable soils and terrain
• Increased risk of landslides or rockfalls
• Damaged or uneven trails
• Higher water runoff, which can cause flooding or debris flows

------------------------