For several years, the north end of Pitt Lake was where trucks went to die.

Ford, Chevy and GMC - the makes were all there.

It was a location where the relics of human ingenuity would be discarded like a chocolate-bar wrapper away from the prying eyes of city folk.

That was until a few weeks ago, when after receiving complaints from cabin owners in the area, the Coquitlam RCMP's rural unit stepped in with a unique salvage project.

Along with the help of a few businesses with expertise in the area of scrap removal, the fleet of abandoned vehicles was sent on a road trip to the sky.

The salvage plan actually began last February, when Mounties started getting calls from residents living at the lake who were concerned the vehicles were leaking fluids, posing a hazard to the environment.

From there, the RCMP, working alongside the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources, made several trips up the lake to identify and catalogue the assortment of mostly 1980s and early 90s trucks and SUVs.

None turned out to be stolen, just abandoned.

There were 15 in total. Most were so badly decomposed they couldn't be driven.

The intent of police was to track down the registered owners.

It's believed people living near that area of the lake, which is only accessible by boat, brought up the vehicles by water.

They would be driven around the area, but the expense of a return trip likely meant their stay would be permanent.

"Once one or two were left for abandonment, that just started the trend," said RCMP Const. Jamie Phillipson.

On June 11, the trucks were removed by barge to be recycled for scrap metal.

It's a sight that won't be missed by Dan Gerak, the operator of Pitt River Lodge.

For two decades the lodge has been offering its guests a fishing and wilderness adventure in one of the most breathtaking parts of the province.

But on the way up to the lodge, guests would pass by the trucks with a curious disdain.

"They looked like a bunch of junkers," Gerak told The NOW.

He surmised the trucks had been piling up in the area for years.

They were uninsured and used for off-roading by an assortment of people staying at the lake - some of whom would be behind the wheel after more than a few beverages.

That could explain the condition of some of the trucks.

"It was like the Wild West up there," Garek said.

Though he was glad to see the barge full of trucks leave, he doesn't expect it to take long for a new pile of clunkers to emerge.

Mounties are hoping Gerak's predictions don't come true.

Residents have been told to call police if they spot more vehicles being left behind.

There is also the possibility of the registered owner getting a call from police and a hefty fine.

Anyone caught operating a vehicle on a forest service road without insurance could face a $345 fine, while owners of vehicles left abandoned or that pose an environmental risk could be hit with a $575 bill.

Owners are also on the hook for the costs of removal and any cleanup related to the vehicles.

However, in the case of the recent batch of trucks left at Pitt Lake, there may not be any fines handed out.

RCMP Const. Michelle Luca said police have spoken to some of the registered owners and are currently assessing what fines and costs, if any, might be passed on to them.

However, she indicated many of the owners in this case claimed they didn't know their vehicle was left at Pitt Lake, as they had sold the trucks years before.

"If they [investigators] can't prove the registered owners [left them there], it's going to be hard to link a fine to them," Luca said.

jdeutsch@thenownews.com