July 2020
In July, as well as spending time at home in Vancouver, I slept many nights in my Highlander. First, on a trip to Salt Spring Island where I finally camped “stealth” in Ganges on a side street in town. I had a favourite peaceful and beautiful spot on the island where I spent time each day, between hikes and swims, prepping a meal, reading, writing, and just relaxing. I got wifi while sitting just beyond a restaurant patio in town, and used the wonderful civic pool to shower and get filtered drinking water. It was so fun! From there, I visited a friend in Victoria and slept in the parking lot of her apartment building, an old mansion in the beautiful Rockland area, with tall oaks and pretty gardens all around. We strolled to the Cook Street village, ate our meals on her sunny deck, and went for a walk in Beacon Hill Park. After Victoria, I headed up island to visit family and stopped mid-way for two nights of camping at Cowichan River Provincial Park. As always, it was exciting to visit a new place. The campground was very family oriented and there were excellent riverside hikes that take you to lovely deep green pools, great for swimming. Finally, I spent several nights visiting family in the Comox Valley. We had to stay socially distanced of course (I slept in my Highlander again, parked in my mom’s driveway), but it was still so great to spend time with family and friends.
August 2020
By August, I was ready to resume my travels along B.C.’s country roads and so I decided to head north to visit my sister Michelle and her family in Vanderhoof. For the first leg of this trip, I used the chapter entitled “River Trail to Gold” from Liz Bryan’s “Exploring the Interior – Country Roads of British Columbia.” My route would take me north via Lillooet, with an overnight stop at Kelly Lake, and then up Dog Creek Road which parallels the mighty Fraser for much of the way to Williams Lake. What a road! Scenic, lonely, historic – this road was possibly the highlight of my summer (in a summer full of highlights), and it was definitely the highlight for a very special wildlife sighting (even after having seen a wolf and seven bears in one day!). Here we go!
The drive from Vancouver to Whistler, through Pemberton, and on to Lillooet was a pleasure, early in the day with little traffic. I made a stop mid-way along Duffey Lake to stretch my legs and admire this beautiful scene of forested mountain slopes mirrored in the lake, with a foreground fringed with bright pink fireweed.
I stopped at another pullout farther down the lake and from there I had a great view, zoomed in, of Joffre Peak and Mt. Matier towards the west.
Where Duffey Lake narrowed at its eastern end, the water and plants vied with each other to exhibit the prettiest shades of green, and there was a large collection of logs that was fun to walk on.
A while later, as I descended into Lillooet, I was struck by how rapidly the landscape changed from thickly forested and dark green slopes to the stark, gray, and precipitous mountains of exposed rock and steep sandy benches that surround the narrow river valley and town. A roadside sign proclaimed that Lillooet was “Guaranteed Rugged” and it was easy to agree wholeheartedly!
I made a quick stop to visit the wooden suspension bridge, built in 1913 to replace an earlier truss bridge constructed in 1889. Prior to the truss bridge, a reaction-cable ferry operated between 1860 to 1888 and was used by gold seekers who had travelled to Lillooet from the coast, up the “River Trail” on their way to the gold fields of the Cariboo. Today, it is a scenic pedestrian bridge which offers thrilling views of the churning, silt-laden waters of the Fraser River.
After my walk over the pedestrian bridge, I drove back through town to join Highway 99 and cross over the Fraser again to continue north. I made a quick roadside stop a short while later to take in this view of the Fraser and the steep and precarious canyon. From near here, the gold-rush River Trail veered northeast and away from the perils and challenges of the river.
I drove north to Pavilion (known as 22 Mile House during the gold rush, with Lillooet being Mile 0), expecting to take the steep and rough road up and over the shoulder of 2000 meter Pavilion Mountain which was the grueling route taken by the gold seekers. The Ts’kw’aylaxe band, however, at Pavilion had a “no visitors” sign restricting access through their village because of Covid-19. So I had to take a long detour by staying on Highway 99 east through Marble Canyon to Highway 97, then north to Clinton, then back west again on the Pavilion-Clinton road to Kelly Lake. I was actually somewhat relieved to not travel over Pavilion Mountain as I had already travelled that road once before with Brent and the kids on a previous camping trip and it was a rather freaky road! Steep and narrow, it switchbacks swiftly up the mountain and is even more daunting on the descent, dropping some 700 m in under 6 km. During the days of the gold rush, the miners would drag heavy logs behind their loaded wagons to help slow their descent!
After my detour, I arrived at Downing Provincial Park with its campground beside pretty Kelly Lake and had no trouble to get a great site with a view of the lake. I felt a little bit sad to not be here with Brent, Sophie and Daniel as we had once had a wonderful time camping here when the kids were young, despite two days of intermittent heavy rain! In our family, this is known as the camping place with the big brown muddy dog.
After a relaxed dinner, I ended my evening with a quiet walk along the lakefront until a soft rain began to fall and I retired to my Highlander to read before bed.
The next morning, I made a quick stop just beyond the campground to photograph the attractive buildings of the historic Kelly Lake Ranch. During the gold rush, this was the site of 38 Mile House which was advertised in Victoria’s Colonist newspaper in March of 1863 as being a “Good Stopping House”.
At the junction beside the ranch, I turned north onto the gravel road headed towards Jesmond and travelled up the narrow forested valley of Porcupine Creek, past several small lakes and historic buildings, with the white limestone peaks of the Marble Range on my right to the east and the Edge Hills to the west.
Later, on this section of the route, the road travelled for some time alongside and under an impressive array of towers and high voltage power lines stretching north to south.
After passing through tiny Jesmond, another stopping point on the River Trail, I arrived at this signpost and for the first of many times on this day I regretted having booked a night of accommodation in Williams Lake. I have always wanted to visit the Big Bar reaction ferry which crosses the churning Fraser to the west, and to camp at Big Bar Lake a little to the northeast of here. A lesson learned – it is better to stay open to possibilities! On the other hand, now I have a good excuse to return on another day.
With a regretful sigh of roads not travelled, yet with appreciation for the road I was on, I continued north on Dog Creek Road and stopped a short while later to photograph these lovely horses grazing in front of a hay storage shed belonging to the historic buildings of the OK Ranch, established in 1859 by Joseph Haller and one of B.C.’s earliest ranches. It also operated as another “stopping house” during the years of the gold rush.
Beyond the OK Ranch, the road travelled along a pretty section of hay meadows and wetland, and I came upon yet more fine-looking horses, including a beautiful and curious colt.
Dog Creek Road then narrowed dramatically through a limestone canyon,
and later emerged to this gorgeous view of freshly mown hay fields and a string of houses on the approach to the indigenous village of Canoe Creek (Sexqeltquin).
Beyond Canoe Creek, the road rose to this completely natural feature of the landscape, a glacial esker that looks like a man-made earthen dam built between two hillsides.
Then, from the top of the hill beyond the esker, the view opened up to a sweeping expanse of sagebrush, with the eroded hills of the Fraser River trench calling from the distance.
The road swept gently back and forth down the curved green slope to land on a bench, high above the river and parallel to it. The river remained out of sight deep in its trench to my left but the road ahead was so achingly beautiful my heart soared.
The air was warm, the sky was bright, the landscape was thrilling, and it was so wonderfully quiet and lonely. I kept stopping to take photos, and at one point started to walk towards the trench, hopeful for a view down to the river.
But it was farther than it looked and, mindful of the possibility of rattlesnakes, I decided to be patient and walked back to my car to carry on up the road.
After several more kilometers of gorgeous driving, there it was! A glimpse of the Fraser from Dog Creek Road.
This stop featured the pleasing geometric lines of an old corral, and the many-faceted, sculpted shapes of the deeply eroded hills on the far side of the river.
The river came into and out of view as I travelled northward, and then I caught a glimpse of the one lane suspension bridge that crosses the Fraser near Churn Creek. It is possible to cross here and travel via the road to Gang Ranch and onwards to the Chilcotin Plateau!
From the top of the road that descends to the bridge I could see the fan-shaped gravel deposits of Churn Creek where it enters the Fraser. To the right is a large sand bar that is popular as a pull out spot for river rafting companies. I braved the steep and somewhat scary road down to the bridge. The sandy slopes seem so impermanent and you have the sense that a rock fall or slide could occur at any time and sweep you into the river.
I parked and walked on foot over bridge. The river almost hums with energy.
Then I drove over the bridge and turned south onto the Empire Valley Road towards the Churn Creek Protected Area.
A short distance past the bridge over Churn Creek there is an interpretive kiosk and a 450 meter circular trail with additional interpretive boards that highlight some of geology, plants, and wildlife of the area as well as the ancient and more recent history of this place. Secwepem’c (Shuswap) peoples have used the resources here for over 10,000 years, most notably salmon which they would net and dry for winter use. The area is still used by the Secwepem’c for that purpose today. They also harvested saskatoon berries which they would dry or turn into jam, and prickly pear which was an important food source steam-cooked in pits or roasted over hot coals. Big sagebrush was collected and used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes and the bark was woven into mats and clothing. In the 19th century, land use in this area by Europeans began to include cattle grazing, road construction, and placer mining.
After my walk around the interpretive trail, I decided to drive further south on the Empire Valley Road.
After just a kilometer or two though, the road really started to climb and I realized that my energy was starting to wane so I stopped at this wonderful lookout point to consider my options. I was eager to drive further into the protected area to check out some rustic campsites, still about 8 km away. (Again, I regretted having booked a stay in Williams Lake.) But, the afternoon was advancing and I decided that perhaps I had already had enough excitement for one day! I stayed here for a few quiet moments enjoying the view to the northeast,
and to the south,
and nearby.
Then, I headed back the way I had come, stopping once more when I got to the top of the hill just north of Churn Creek.
From there, the green glimpse of cottonwoods and willows below enticed me to brave the steep hill down to the river.
On the flat, I walked along the sandy road, lined with vibrant green grass, cottonwoods and willow,
and then I exited onto and along the high sand bar to the edge of the wide gravel fan deposited by Churn Creek as it enters the Fraser.
Again, the energy in the air and water at this place was humming. Any geomorphologist would be in heaven here with erosion and deposition evident everywhere and constantly in process all around. The rocks were a mixed jumble and tumble of shapes and sizes and included some very interesting concretions, vividly coloured.
I wanted to stay there at Churn Creek for the rest of the day and into the evening to watch the light change and shift and play over the river, creek, hills and stones. I wanted to camp in the sand by the willows and watch wildlife emerge with the dusk. I wanted to spend more time in this thrilling yet peaceful landscape, beside the powerful surge of the river and with the whispers of ghosts in the dry warm air. Alas, it was time to say goodbye and move on.
I made a quick stop for another photo of the bridge, this time from the west side of the river,
before crossing and continuing north on Dog Creek Road, with several stops again to look back…
and forwards, again and again.
Some distance later, Dog Creek Road veered away from the river trench, up onto the forested plateau, then down again steeply into the Dog Creek Valley where the indigenous village Xgat’lem is located. Shortly after passing the village, the road curved up and around a small hill and as I rounded the curve, in the middle of the road, I saw a mother bobcat and her two pudgy toddler-aged kittens! I stopped abruptly and we all stared at each other in surprise for a few moments before mum and one kitten went over the concrete barrier and out of sight downhill but the other kitten headed uphill on the opposite side. I inched my car forward and stopped to see the plump-rumped kitten hurriedly scrambling upwards. I wanted to watch longer, but I was worried that if I stayed the kitten would continue running away and might have trouble finding mum later so I slowly drove off. A bobcat and her kittens! I never thought that I would ever see a bobcat in the wild and there she was, in full view with her family. Truly an unexpected and special sighting. Lucky me!
Dog Creek Road veered towards the river again and the vistas continued to inspire me.
Then, the road again left the river trench behind and climbed up onto a wide flat prairie! What a surprise!
It was so beautiful and unexpected I thought I would explode with happiness!
Then, once more the road headed back down and towards the river,
before finally leaving the river behind and heading east into the valley of Alkali Creek, passing Alkali Lake and the well-kept modern and historic buildings of the Alkali Lake Ranch, established in 1861 and yet another gold-rush River Trail roadhouse site.
Just past the ranch, the road passed the indigenous village of Esk’et and finally transitioned from gravel to pavement as it headed towards Williams Lake, still about 50 km away. Scattered homes homes started to appear and the countryside was lovely but I was already missing the solitude and splendor of the Fraser River trench and its sage-strewn bench lands. This day was definitely a highlight of my summer, and the route is most definitely worth a return visit. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey!
Wonderful reading! The geomorphologist’s heaven in the area of Empire Valley Road was vividly described and shown in your photos. I was there with you looking at those concretions. Right after that I loved the triple echo of what you imagined if you could stay a night by Churn Creek. You wanted to watch the changing light, the emerging wildlife at dusk and wanted more time in a thrillingly peaceful landscape. You helped me sense more of the love in your travels by what you might miss in not being able to stay. Williams Lake was waiting. …. I loved this entry. I am imagining the humming sounds of river and landscape. It is a gift.
Thank you for your kind words Anna. It was wonderful to relive this experience while creating the post.
You are one daring woman!! Brave does not even begin to describe you!
I would like to be one level braver and actually camp in a place like this solo. Maybe this summer…
fantastic photos thanks for sharing your journey. That Big Bar country is pretty special.