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Bralorne
Bralorne is located 125 km (78 miles) west of Lillooet
on the Moha, Bridge River and Lillooet Pioneer Roads (Road 40) and
83 km (52 miles) north of Pemberton
on the Hurley River Forest Service Road about 15 km (9 miles) south
of Gold Bridge.
Bralorne-Pioneer
Mine
Bralorne is a small community that is almost deserted with only
very few people living here. The community is a cast off from the
hectic heydays of the gold mining era when the Bralorne-Pioneer
Mine was the richest gold mine in Canada and the most productive
in British Columbia.
Gold
Bricks
Lorne Mine poured its first gold brick at Bralorne back in 1932.
Through mergers and acquisitions, the two mines - the Bralorne and
the Pioneer - eventually amalgamated into the Bralorne-Pioneer Mine
extracting more than one hundred million worth of gold. Unfortunately,
Bralorne-Pioneer Mine closed in 1971 due to low prices for this
precious metal.
Lillooet
Pioneer Road
The main street through Bralorne is the Lillooet Pioneer Road. Here
you get a good chance to view some of Bralorne's historic past.
There are lots of old mine shacks, houses and deserted company buildings
of the Bralorne-Pioneer Mine.
Bralorne
Gold Mines Ltd.
Bralorne history has always revolved around the mining of gold with
the first claims staked in 1896. Various operators and owners have
operated and closed depending on the world price demand for gold.
Today Bralorne Gold Mines Ltd. has resurrected new gold finds with
a new phase of operation being designed, built and implemented.
Past
History
This past history of Bralorne can be found at the Bralorne Pioneer
Museum. Other interesting relics are the old mining equipment displays
throughout town or by visiting the Bralorne Community Church, a
community restoration project.
Bralorne-Pioneer
Motel
The Bralorne-Pioneer Mine office building in Bralorne is still in
operation as the Bralorne-Pioneer Motel. For other accommodation
there is also another place to stay called the Mines Motel which
features one-bedroom suites and kitchenettes. For entertainment
and a restaurant, there is a local pub called the Mineshaft Pub
that features live music occasionally.
Outdoor
Recreation
The outdoor recreation around the Bralorne area is excellent. During
the winter there is snowmobiling, snow-shoeing, backcountry skiing
and ice-fishing. Activities in the summer range from exploring the
old trails by using quads, hiking or by mountainbiking to exploring
the countryside, especially if you enjoy rock hounding or searching
the abandoned towns of Bradian, Brexton or Ogden.
Cadwallader
Creek
A rugged but popular trail is the McGillivray Pass Trail that starts
from east of Bralorne up the Cadwallader Creek Forest Service Road.
The trail takes you along the Cadwallader Range through the McGillivray
Pass and eventually to McGillivray Falls on Anderson Lake. The trail
comes out on the Highline Road to Seton Portage just north of D'Arcy.
Gun
Lake Fishing
Situated just north of Gold Bridge is Gun Lake. Here you can find
wilderness campgrounds and some excellent fishing for Dolly Varden,
Kokanee, Bull and Rainbow Trout. Gun Lake has a number of private
cabins, and is crystal clear lake and also features a number of
small resorts along the lakeside.
Tyax
Air
One company Tyax Air offers once in a lifetime guided mountain bike
tours through mountain passes featuring the 25 km (16 miles) Gun
Creek Trail. Tyax Air also has overnight mountain bike trips into
Whistler as well as air tours around Bralorne and Gold Bridge.
Hurley
River Forest Service Road
If you are planning on going to Whistler or the Lower Mainland,
you can take the Hurley River Forest Service from Bralorne instead
of going back to Lillooet. You will require
a 4x4 vehicle and be familiar with backcountry conditions. This
road can also be very rough, usually taking around two hours and,
unfortunately, is open in the summer time only.
Mountain
Pass
The Hurley River Road will take you through a mountain pass with
an elevation of 1,829 metres (6,000 feet) that usually has heavy
snowfall. The road opens generally between the long weekend in May
until November 1 or until the first snowfall. Please check with
the Cascades Forest District for openings and current conditions,
telephone (250) 378-8400.
'Wildlife
Aware'
If you are exploring the vast amounts of wilderness trails and the
backcountry around Bralorne remember to be wildlife aware especially
for bears and cougars. Please practise proper safety procedures
and carry emergency supplies.
Information
on Bralorne
Accommodation
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