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Story by TXJEEPER

North Ram River Adventure
Kiska Fire Tower Trail

We wound down the old forest road and came to a National Forest primitive campsite on the North Ram River. We pulled in and were greeted by almost the whole gang. Setting up camp was the first priority, but we didn't take too long. We wanted to hit the trails already!

Steve and I were anxious to get going, so we headed out to scope out a trial. Now, keep in mind, that this is pretty far up north, so it stays light until about 11:30 in the evening! Nothing like having 18+ hours of daylight for wheelin' in the summer, eh?

We headed up the trail where I learned that it would be a weekend full of creek crossings. The North Ram River is really more like wide streams, than a true river. The water is not far gone from the peaks, so it's extremely cold and clear. You still don't, however, want to drink it. The water contains contaminants from the beavers that could give you beaver fever. No thanks!

Steve had a book about the old fire towers of the Canadian Rockies and was dying to see if we could find the Kiska Tower, which was nearby. After several hours of easy wheeling up an old forest trail, we finally found the tower. There really is nothing left of the fire tower except for a stone floor and a set of stairs. However, being where it is, it has a spectacular view of the mountains. The guys had never gone this far up the trail, so Steve was dying for a photo. After the photo, we slowly made our way back to camp in the dark. The easy trail became a bit more interesting in the dark, for sure.

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