redfern lake

[king]

I'm planning a trip to redfern lake in september and am just wondering if anybody can tell me anything about getting in there. We're gonna take a three horses and an atv for the gear.
I was wanting to know what the trail is like for horses and anything else you guys are willing to share. thanks

[Fisher-Dude]

It's a really nice area, lots of game around and the scenery is unreal. The trail is well-used, although it has a few challenging spots. Should be a piece of cake for your horses though. I'm basing this on my conversations with the lodge owner - I flew in to Redfern and then rafted the Besa and Prophet rivers for 18 days. Quite the adventure!

[hunter1947]

I hunted in that area for 10 years strait for moose back in the late 60ties and the early 70ties there was a guide camp in there ,it was about the halfway point into redfern lake from the main road. The turn off to go into redfern lake from the highway was mile 178 ,you turn left to enter that road ,i have heard that in on that road there is a big oil plant now. But if you keep going past the oil plant you have to keep to your right ,it is a seismic road ,or mineral road that takes you into red fern lake. It is around 60 miles into red furn from the Alaska highway. We used to go in on the first of Nov for two weeks. When you get past the log cabins that the guides own ,you will come up onto the dirt air strip ,then continue on to your right from the air strip. They the guides tried stopping us one year from going into red fern ,we contacted the lands and highways department when we came out and they said they can't stop you from going in there ,they said that it is a mineral road ,or a seismic road to redfern lake and the can not stop you from entry ,we took this letter in the next year but did not have a problem with the guides the next year. There was real good sheep hunting when you pass the guide camp ,it is about 10 miles past the guide camp were we seen the stone sheep on your left up on the top of the mountains you will know you are in the right place because there is a big valley that runs in with you far about 8 miles and it is about two miles across to the mountains were the sheep are ,lots of moose and caribou in there to. There might be elk in there now from what rumors i have hear ,there were no elk in there when we hunted that are back then ,i have lots of pic of that area in my album ,if you want i could send them to you ,one of the pic is the turn off to go to redfern lake. Send a privet message if you want more information. There was a lot of muskeg at about the 12 mile area 5 to 7 different pools. Butonese you get buy them it gets better. We used to take 3 4x4 in with winches on all trucks as we took our campers in as well ,the muskeg was frozen up at that time. You should have no problems with the quad and tree houses. Get some real good area maps as well to show you the road into redfern lake. http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif

[tufferthandug]

Make sure you don't park your rigs too close to the trail head. If the weather turns nasty it can prove for a hairy ride out.

Park on the upper parking-lot before the hill and ride the extra few kilometers down to the trail head. If you get caught in some snow on the way out you'll be EXTREMELY thankfull that your horse trailer and truck are at the top of the hill.

The rest of the trip is easy.

[WoodOx]

Allowed ATV throughout the redfern area?

[hunter1947]

I think the restrictions on a quad in that area was 8am to 6pm ,not sure on this never had to worry about it. They might have lifted the restrictions in a last couple years ,check your hunting regs to make sure what you can do.

[hunter1947]

Make sure you don't park your rigs too close to the trail head. If the weather turns nasty it can prove for a hairy ride out.

Park on the upper parking-lot before the hill and ride the extra few kilometers down to the trail head. If you get caught in some snow on the way out you'll be EXTREMELY thankfull that your horse trailer and truck are at the top of the hill.

The rest of the trip is easy. Take snow chains for all four tires and you won't have a problem.

[tufferthandug]

All tires were chained buddy! Everyone had to pitch in to get a grader down to tow all the vehicles out. September 2004.

[srupp]

soooooooo quads would be OK???say end of Sept for moose..????

Elmer

[hunter1947]

All tires were chained buddy! Everyone had to pitch in to get a grader down to tow all the vehicles out. September 2004.
If your worried about the weather ,you could leave the horse trailer up top and then take the truck and your others belongings down to the corral.http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon12.gif.

[Rock Doctor]

There are no restrictions on quads as far as "hours of use" anymore, as far as I know, but keep them on the trail, if the CO's catch them off the trail the operator will be fined, and the quad will be flown out at the operators expence.
It is very nice in there, awesome scenery, if you get a chance try to hit Fairy Lake, the fishing is second to none. Cross the outlet creek of Redfern, then follow the lake shore till you get to a creek running into the lake. Follow this creek upstream to Fairy Lake.
Trail is very rocky in some places, fine for quads, I don't know much about horses??? There is also a bridge that has to be crossed on the way in, it used to have an expanded metal deck, not sure how the horses will like that?

Here is a Sat Photo of Redfern, and Fairy Lakes. Redfern is the big one, and Fairy is to the left, you can just make out the creek going from Fairy to Redfern. Takes about 45 min to walk from one to the other.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/RockDocPhoto/Redfern.jpg

[Orangethunder]

You will want to confirm but what I have heard is that there is a weight restriction for vehicles (1000lbs?) on the trail. I think this restriction is intended to keep smaller 4X4's (Sidekicks/Samuris) and some of the side by side ATV's which are almost trucks in themselves now from being used. There are no ATV's permitted >400m off the trail and I believe the more popular routes are posted. Sounds like it can be a busy place at times but you never know what you might find.

Good luck, and happy hunting!

[Trapper]

I was in there last year.let me tell ya you wouldn't get any thing bigger then a quad in there.lots of mud holes the first have anyways,its about 35 km. to the lake from where you would park your truck.
good luck

[hunter1947]

You will want to confirm but what I have heard is that there is a weight restriction for vehicles (1000lbs?) on the trail. I think this restriction is intended to keep smaller 4X4's (Sidekicks/Samuris) and some of the side by side ATV's which are almost trucks in themselves now from being used. There are no ATV's permitted >400m off the trail and I believe the more popular routes are posted. Sounds like it can be a busy place at times but you never know what you might find.

Good luck, and happy hunting!
Boy things have changed in 43 years ,it was just an old cattle trail back then.:roll:.

[king]

Thanks for all the information!
Our plan is to pack the atv with all the stuff set up a base camp and take in the horses to ride out past the lake where atvs aren't aloud. Does this sound like a good idea to get away from the larger groups?
Thanks again
Matt

[hunter1947]

You can never go wrong when getting in that much further were quads and other machinery can't go ,go for it ,you can't loose a thing ,only gain.:wink:

[Gateholio]

We came out that trail/road on our way back last year. You wouldn't want to take a trailered truck down too far, the road was pretty nasty in places.

Your plan sounds good, I have som efriends that have done that for several years, mostly for moose and elk.

[Orangethunder]

Go with your plan. Get past the ATV's and you will have way less company.

Good luck