Williams Lake all the way to Port Hardy

  

Sunday, September 18, 2022

 

Happy Birthday to our daughter, Karen.

 

On the move again, this time heading west toward Bella Coola. We were truly leaving mainstream BC life and heading into ranch territory. Who knew there would be cattle ranches in British Columbia?? We stocked up on food items as we knew we would be preparing our own meals for the next several days. We also made one last trip to Tim Hortons. It will be at least a week before we find another Timmie’s. By then we will both have gone into withdrawal.

 

Highway 20 was our road today. Soon after leaving Williams Lake we began to climb … and climb … and climb. It was a glorious sunny day so everything sparkled as we passed by streams and hillsides and valleys. Higher and higher we went into the Cariboo Mountains. The road was quite clear of traffic; certainly there were no large trucks to intimidate us. We stopped frequently along the way to take photos. Jim even managed to spot 4 mule deer in a field and they posed for pictures.

 

Once we reached the top elevation, the land transformed into a wide, wide plain. Grass and trees shared the landscape. Vast fields that had been cleared of forests were peppered with large herds of cattle grazing. There were also occasional fields with horses. Periodically, we passed laneways that were identified by the name of the ranch. Clusters of buildings were on the properties – houses, sheds, garages, and an occasional barn. It is unclear to us where the cattle stay in the winter months. Are they sold? Are they gathered together in a smaller space so their collective body heat will provide some warmth? At this point, it remains a mystery.

 

Once in a while we passed through a tiny village. No services were available. We were glad to have a full tank of gas and to have shopped for groceries before we left Williams Lake. As we crossed the plain, it became more and more clear to us how Canada has so much fresh water. There were many, many small lakes; many of them would be the source of the irrigation systems across the large grasslands on this plateau that serve as food for the cattle and horses.

We crossed the Fraser River on a bridge high above the water.

As we travelled west, the Coastal Mountains became visible to us, at first small dark spots on the horizon, and eventually larger peaks rising above the foothills in front of us. As we came around one corner, we were greeted with an amazing view of several mountain peaks with large and visible glaciers. It was a breathtaking moment … soon followed by a photo taking moment as well. While they were still very distant and the photo would be hazy, it was well worth trying to capture the memory.

 

We stopped in one small village to purchase a beverage and refresh ourselves. It was an indigenous community and the name had been changed from its English name back to its original name, TL’ETINOOX. We took a short drive in the village, first to visit a beautiful wooden church that sat high on a hill. It looked glorious in the sun. At the moment we paused in front of the church, the church bells began to ring. It took our breath away. Nearby the church, there was a new frame building that looked like it would be a seniors’ residence. Behind it was a brand new school building with two large playground structures. One was clearly intended for younger children and the second one was geared to an older crowd. Very well equipped on the outside, for sure. The residential area was small. The houses were in good repair and the yards were generally tidy. It was a very pleasant village.

 

Back on the road, we continued west toward Tatla Lake, our destination for today. We left the lofty plain and descended the mountain. The road dropped at a 9% slope. It was a long way down. The road quality deteriorated and soon we were travelling through a construction zone that went on for miles. Fortunately, it was Sunday and there was no work being done. And very little traffic. This was a free range area for cattle and grids had been installed across the road to keep the cattle from leaving the area. There were no fences and we had to take care when we saw cattle on the edge of the highway.

 

We came to a sign that identified Tatla Lake Campground. That was not what we were looking for. We continued along the road for several more kilometres with no sign of a village. There was also no cell signal and no access to internet. No way of checking if we had somehow missed a corner. We decided to give it 5 more kilometres before we panicked. After about 3 kilometres, we found a sign that indicated that we should turn right at the next road. Bingo!! We had arrived in Tatla Lake, an exceedingly tiny but cute community. We found our accommodation, an old style but comfortable and clean hotel, Tatla Lake Manor/Motel. We were happy to have arrived and we are very happy with the view outside our room. The morning sun on the mountains is something we look forward to.

 

Monday, September 19, 2022

 

Today began quietly in our room watching the funeral and committal services for Queen Elizabeth. It felt like such an historic occasion that we really had to watch it. All the pageantry and protocol was remarkable, quite a feat to put together in 10 days time. I did wonder who had the responsibility of arranging seating for aall the foreign dignitaries who were in attendance. What a delicate and political process!

 

We left Tatla Lake about 11 am and headed west along Highway 20. Our goal today was to reach Firvale, ultimately on our way to Bella Coola. We were still travelling across a high plain. Grasslands surrounded us. Ranch entrances appeared periodically along the road and signs warning of cattle on the road were frequent. There were occasional grids across the highway to keep the cattle from crossing into another ranch. It was a pleasant drive with the sun shining and very little traffic except for log trucks.

 

We passed through a few small communities, the last major one being Annahim. Then the quality of the pavement changed. The road had been wide and the pavement in good repair. At times, there was an extra lane to enable faster traffic to pass the slower vehicles. The centre lane was well marked and there were wide shoulders with periodic rest areas. But west of Annahim, the pavement was old and deteriorated; the centre line was often not visible; the shoulders of the road were very narrow and there were only a few opportunities to pull off the road. Still, there were warning signs about livestock on the road, and there were many. Ranches continued to flank the highway and large herds of cattle were visible. Well, not always visible, because there were forests of trees mixed with grasslands now and the cattle wandered through the forests, mostly hidden from view. We did see several cattle close to the road, often at the edge of the shoulder. Perhaps the grass tasted better when coated with road dust.

 

We later learned that it is almost round-up season. We did see one woman on horseback with the assistance of a dog gathering a herd of cattle and shepherding them down the road. We stopped and watched for a while, partly out of interest and partly because the road was entirely blocked by the animals.

 

We stopped in a small community, Anahim Lake, to get some gas (stations were scarce in this area) and to add to our food supply as we would not be passing through any other towns for several days. We had a lovely conversation with a woman who was putting gas in her truck. We asked her what kept her in Annahim Lake. Her answer ... “I do the garbage for the community; I have a few cows and horses and my husband is in logging. This is home.” We asked her where the best place to get some provisions might be. She told us that the main business district would be good. “Where was that,” we asked. She laughed and said “Right here. This is the only store in town.” We all had a good chuckle and we bought a loaf of bread and some noodle soups and carried on with our journey.

 

Not too much further along the road, the pavement changed in quality again. In fact, the pavement disappeared entirely and we were now travelling along a rugged gravel road. It should have served as a warning of what was ahead. We gradually began to climb and eventually arrived at a sign that said “Heckman Pass Summit, Elevation 5000 feet”. How did we climb so high without really being aware of it? Gravel road or not, it was a smooth drive.

 

But then, the next section of the road told another story. We had to go down!! On a narrow gravel road with no guard rails – not a single one – but lots of high cliffs with plunging rivers or dense forests far below. Many of you know that I am a very confident driver but this was the most terrifying drive I have ever done. We hugged the inner cliffs as much as we could except where the hairpin turns put us on the outside lane of the road. “Don’t look down” were the most common words in our conversation. In fact, they were the only words we spoke. It was otherwise silent except for a few gasps and groans. We crept along, mostly in first gear with my foot at the ready to hit the brake pedal. I hyperventilated most of the way down … down … down. Remember, we started at 5000 feet and the road finally levelled out at 500 feet. That was 4500 feet of torture; it felt like the road was going straight down. At times the slope of the road was as much as 16%. I can say emphatically that I will never, never travel this route again.

 

At the bottom of the mountain, the road was paved again and we entered Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, the largest park in British Columbia. 

We were In a river valley following the Atnarko River. It is a beautiful river, fed by many mountain streams, several of which are totally dry at this time of year. The salmon are spawning on this river … and then, it happened!! We saw a grizzly bear in the river feasting on the fish. That was why we had come to this park … to see a grizzly bear. We had barely been in the park an hour and there he was!! It almost made the trip down the mountain worthwhile.

 

We stopped to watch the bear frolic with the fish, catching them, tossing them in the air and ultimately eating them. He was a very happy bear. After we left this spot, we stopped into two official bear watching locations and there was not a single bear at either one. We felt sorry for the people who were waiting there with cameras and tripods awaiting the arrival of a bear. We did not tell anyone that we had already seen one just up the river.

 

We continued a few more kilometres to our accommodation for the next three nights, Thunder Mountain Adventures. We are actually staying in a deluxe tent with electricity, internet and a full bathroom. The shower is particularly beautiful with windows where the roof should be, the beauty of the surrounding forest visible from within. It is gorgeous. Our front porch looks out over glacial mountains. One of the tallest mountains is Arjuna, which is the name of our tent.

 

The only proviso is that there can be no food in the tent. There are three tents on this site and there is a common kitchen area provided for all of us, including a personal fridge for each tent. Another recommendation is not to leave anything on the porch. Apparently, the foxes in the area are very mischievous and regularly steal shoes.

 

After a well deserved nap, Jim and I headed out again in search of bears. But no luck. When we returned to our ‘home’, we met the other visitors tonight and enjoyed chatting with them. The hostess, Rebecca, joined us. Such a personable woman. It turns out that she is from Guelph and came here for a visit 14 years ago and never returned. She leads a fascinating life, quite ambitious and clearly an entrepreneur. We are delighted to be staying in her tent.

 

It’s chilly here this evening and Jim is lighting a fire in our woodstove. That will make it cozy to sleep.

 

Good night, all.

 

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

 

So much for lighting a fire in our woodstove. All the elements were here – paper, kindling, wood … and a lighter. Sadly, the lighter had somehow been melted by a previous user and would not work. It was too late to contact our host. So we crawled under the covers, thankfully a very warm duvet, and slept with very cold noses all night long. Needless to say, we will make sure we have a device that will actually light the fire tonight.

 

Even though the daytime temperatures are as high as 26C, we are in mountain country with patches of snow high on the mountaintops. The sun sinks below the peaks early and the air cools off quickly. Mostly, we packed for summer weather (we did leave home in August) so neither one of us has appropriate clothing for cold nights. That is on us, not on the proprietor of this amazing property.

 

We’ll start with our tent. There is a large covered front porch (12x8) with comfortable furniture, beautiful potted flowers and other amenities. The main room in the tent measures 12x12 and features a very comfortable bed, two chairs, a table to write on (or open a computer) and a woodstove. The bathroom is a wooden structure to which the back end of the tent is attached. It has its own heating system a toilet (of course), a large vanity with a sink with hot and cold water. In another small room off the bathroom is a huge shower, with a glass ceiling so you can look at the mountains while you shower. Not bad for a tent.

 

The rules include ‘no food of any kind in the tent’ so as not to attract the animals that live in the surrounding forest. A separate building open air building is available for food storage and food preparation. It has been cleverly designed and holds almost any kitchen item you can think of. There is even a food dehydrator there. There is a separate fridge for each tent and cabin so that food does not get mixed up. There is a large firepit in front of the kitchen that acts as a place for guests to gather if they so wish. Last night, there was a gathering peppered with conversation and laughter. Somehow this place, Thunder Mountain, just makes people relax.

 

Our morning today started early. We had been given some advice about finding bears, to leave just at daybreak because when the bears wake up they are hungry and head for the river. We have identified seven locations within an easy drive where bears are most likely to fish. So off we went, filled with optimism. About 90 minutes later, we arrived back at our tent. Not a bear in sight anywhere … and we had checked each location twice. Disappointed and still chilled from last night, we both crawled back under the covers and had a lovely nap. It is remarkable how being rested impacts your spirit.

 

We relaxed in our tent and prepared some lunch before heading off on excursion two. Same seven places, checked each one twice. Spoke with people who had patiently waited in one place all day long. Not a bear to be seen!! The drive does take us through magnificent scenery deep in a mountain valley alongside a blue/green river. No complaints about that.

We returned to our tent, relaxed on the porch, drank a gin and tonic and enjoyed the view. Dinner in the kitchen with some new neighbours tonight. They are from Tofino and quite willing to swap travel tales. It was a pleasant evening. We are now in our tent with a fire in the woodstove. It is quiet and cozy. Life is good. Even without the bears … but we will try again tomorrow.

 

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

 

What an amazing day!! The sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky. The mountains glistened in the sunlight and the morning view of the peaks visible from our tent porch was spectacular. What a great day to go bear hunting!

 

We had a plan and had identified seven locations along the Atnarko River to search. We drove to the first two sites and found nothing. We drove on to the third location, still nothing. 

Number four was where we had our breakfast – a very portable breakfast – peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Jim had made his coffee before we left the camp and I had my orange juice along with me. It was a delight to sit in the car somewhat above the burbling river, water tumbling over the rocks, enormous salmon fighting their way upstream to spawn. 

There were several people in the river fishing for the salmon. This is what they were catching. This fellow was very happy with his catch.

Some of the more lively salmon were leaping right out of the water, a perfect invitation for a grizzly bear to come fishing. But, alas, no bears here either. Nor were there bears at the next three places we visited, including the place where we had seen a bear two days ago.

 

It was almost noon when we returned to our tent. It is such a delightful place to spend time with a wide front porch and a very comfortable bed inside, perfect for a nap. When we were both rested, we set out again to repeat our search path. This time we lingered a bit longer at each site in hopes that a bear might come. Two of the places we stopped were official provincial park wildlife viewing stations. One was a campground filled with bear watchers like ourselves. As we had stopped in so frequently over the past days, many of the campers recognized us and gave us the up to the minute report about bears. There had been no bears seen at the campsite for two days. Still, campers perched their chairs at the river’s edge in hopes … We carried on the second official location where a viewing platform protected with electric fencing had been constructed.

Several people were on the platform, some with enormous cameras, some quietly reading a book, some simply chatting with one another. There has been two bears seen from this platform early this morning but none since then. We joined the crowd for about an hour and then moved on again. Still no bears. We did see a heron though.

Four more stops along the river, each one an extended time in watch and wait mode. Alas, we did not see a bear today. But we still celebrated the fact that we are in such gorgeous countryside, with snow capped mountains and glorious forests. 

How lucky we are to be here and to claim this territory as part of the nation in which we live.

We made dinner in the kitchen – fresh vegetables and cooked chicken prepared as a salad. Quick and easy … and delicious. A quiet evening in our tent with a lovely fire in the woodstove. Our last night here. We will be sorry to leave in the morning but it is time for our adventure to move on to a new location.

 

Good night, everyone.

 

Thursday, September 22, 2022

 

It was a slow start this morning. It had been very cold during the night and we both needed some warmth to get us started with this new day. A fire in the woodstove was just what the doctor ordered. We relaxed as the tent warmed up and lamented that we were leaving today. Packing up took a bit of time and our conversation with Rebecca, the owner of Thunder Mountain was longer than we expected; a great conversation but a bit long.

 

Finally, we were out on the road. Although we are heading north today, the car took on a life of its own and turned left (south)  out of the driveway. One last trip along our bear-hunting highway. We decided to stop only at our favourite spots: first Stupendous, a rest area – no bears; next Fisheries Pool – Success!! We were so excited to see a large female grizzly in the river fishing. 

We watched her for a long time, until she finally left the river and wandered into forest. What a delight it was!! Apparently the car knew something we did not know about seeing a bear today. When we left Fisheries Pool we wandered along the highway stopping at five other familiar places. No bears. We parked at the place where we had seen a bear when we arrived at Tweedsmuir and finally ate some breakfast. Yes, peanut butter with marmalade on bread today. We enjoyed sitting a simply watching the river run. Occasionally a large coho salmon would jump out of the water. Are they ever big!! Eventually, we left this, one of our favourite places in Tweedsmuir and finally headed north.

 

Our goal today was to reach Bella Coola, the town from which we would take a ferry tomorrow destined for Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. Bella Coola was only sixty kilometres up the highway. The entire route followed the Bella Coola Valley, flanked by mountains on all sides, many of them still wearing snow patches near the top. Rich forests and occasional cleared land for growing hay were our constant scenery as well as glimpses of the aquamarine river and dry mountain streams. It was supposed to have been a rainy day but, thankfully, the sun shone for one last day.

 

We checked into our accommodation when we arrived in Bella Coola and then headed out to explore the town. That did not take long – one grocery store, a couple of restaurants, a small hospital, a small school, a museum that was closed and a gift shop that was also closed. We drive through the small residential part of the community. Some houses were well cared for but many were in extremely poor condition and many yards were filled with junk. It was actually pretty depressing. Clearly this community struggles economically.  We chose Freddy’s Restaurant for lunch. Jim had a beef dip sandwich and I had fish and chips. Both meals were excellent. It has been a while since we have been in a restaurant so we really enjoyed our meals.

 

We checked out the ferry terminal since we need to be there at 5:30 am tomorrow and we do not want any surprises. We are really hopeful that someone at the dock will have a coffee cart. Unlike other ferry terminals, for this one, we all need to check in at the local COOP parking lot in town before heading the additional three kilometres to the wharf. Good thing we checked it out today.

 

Clouds had gathered and rain was beginning to fall. We headed back to the place we are staying, Rainforest Accommodation, where we have a functional and cute room upstairs in a house. We had noodle soup and a fresh fruit salad for dinner and settled in for a quiet evening. Definitely early to bed.

 

Friday, September 23, 2022

 

This day began very early with a 4:40 am alarm. We were taking the ferry from Bella Coola on the mainland to Port Hardy at the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 7:30 and we were supposed to be there and lined up between 5:30 and 6:00 am. We were staying in a modest BnB about 30  minutes away from the ferry. So we had to be very organized and waste no time after we got up.

 

We left our accommodation at about 5:10 and were well in time for the ferry. The lining up of the vehicles is an interesting task. A BC Ferries employee guides each vehicle into a line based on where the vehicle will be located on the ferry. We wanted to be close to the elevator so we were first in line to board. RVs came next, followed by pick up trucks and then cars. Often there are also transport trucks that travel this route as well. On other ferries we have been on, you drive straight onto the car deck and park where you are directed. This ferry was a bit different because everyone had to drive onto the ferry and then turn around and actually back into the parking space. It was quite a process. Fortunately, there were some very skillful BC Ferries personnel to guide the operation. At least, at the end of the journey, we were able to drive off the ferry head first.

 

The ferry was loaded and actually left a few minutes early. Daylight was just emerging as we left the dock. A light rain was falling and the sky was quite overcast. Beneath the gray rain clouds there was another band of white fluffy clouds that shrouded the tops of the mountains. As the morning lightened, the rain also stopped and the visibility improved as we travelled along. My word, there is a lot of wilderness in British Columbia. Vast expanses of forest descended the mountains with no sign of human habitation – not roads, no houses, no boats – just forests and mountains and water. It was a very peaceful journey. Oh, there was an occasional lighthouse.

 

Along the way, we were fortunate to see several whales. Some of them were simply moving through the water, emerging only to breathe and then disappearing again. But one whale was particularly active and breached several times. What magnificent animals they are.

 

The ferry crossing was a ten hour ride, beginning in a river in Bella Coola, then moving along a lengthy channel before briefly entering the open ocean. As we approached Port Hardy we entered another quiet strait and finally docked somewhat ahead of time. It was a calm day with calm water all the way along. A lovely and relaxing way to travel.

 

Once in Port Hardy, we drove directly to our hotel. It is the same hotel we stayed in when we were here a few weeks ago. Indigenous owned and operated, it is a modern, clean facility with very comfortable and well equipped rooms as well as a fabulous restaurant. We moved in, enjoyed our gin and tonics and eagerly went downstairs for dinner. Our meal started with salmon pate and bannock. For our main course, Jim ordered haddock coated with smoked salmon. I ordered bison tagliatelle. Both meals were delicious. We rarely have dessert but tonight we fell victim to temptation and shared a house-made cheese cake and a piece of chocolate layer cake. Both were fantastic. We are staying here tomorrow night as well and are already looking forward to dinner.

 

We are in our final week of travel. We need to organize our belongings, post the next segment of this blog, and finish the photo books that will tell the story of this adventure. That should keep us both busy tomorrow … as well as watching the next Michigan football game. M Go Blue!!