She’ll be Comin’ Through the Mountains....

The last day – and perfect weather for the final Big Drive!

Breakfast at the orchard with Ross & Ed

Ross and Ed and I headed out to one of their favourite Friday morning traditions – breakfast at a local apple orchard called The Crick – wonderful coffee from the neighbouring Backyard Beans, and a breakfast sandwich. We hear dire stories about the future of the peach/apricot/nectarine harvest this year – badly hit by frost, so that all the buds were just little crispy tips.  Luckily the apple harvest was not damaged, and it looks as if they’ll have a good crop, which will mostly go to cider.

The Crick

Cider made here in the fall

When I finally got my act together and got away, I headed south, bypassing Penticton, and enjoying the road through Oliver and to Osoyoos. I could have gone back up to Peachland and taken the connector to the Coquilhalla Highway, which would probably have been faster, but speed was not the issue – I love the lower route, and it gave me the chance to check out a few of the fruit stands already open, as well as to explore Osoyoos a bit. Lake Osoyoos straddles both countries and the border lies just south of the city; i took a run down there just to get as far south as I could (the furthest north was probably Hazelton, on the road between Terrace and Smithers, where we left the Skeena River and moved across into the Bulkley Valley). Having turned around, I veered off the road to go down to Haynes Provincial Park, which is a spit of land that just out into the lake and got a bit of a walk both in woodland and by the lakeshore – lovely clear water, with just enough cooling breeze coming off it. 

Haynes Point

Looking north to Osoyoos

Looking south to the US 

Then I retraced my tracks and veered off Highway 97 and on to the westbound Highway 3, known as the CrowsNest Highway, which stretches from Medicine Hat, AB through to Hope, where it joins the TransCanada. The last time I drove it was in 2019, returning from the last Chorfest before COVID hit. The name comes from the point on the Continental Divide where the road passes from Alberta into BC. The highest pass on this route in BC is the Allison Pass (1342m – just a little less than the CrowsNest at 1358m) and closely followed by the Sunday Summit (1282m) – the Coquihalla only gets to 1244m, though the Okanagan Connector achieves 1728m at the Pennask Summit. 

Looking back at Osoyoos 

There’s a LOT of uphill and downhill on this route – first the climb out of Osoyoos and the turn to head down into the Similkameen Valley. The road actually follows the course set by the river all the way up to Manning Park, where its headwaters are found, and there’s a lot of zig-zagging involved in place, which is why it is a longer route than Highway 5, which is more direct. The lower Similkameen valley is very beautiful, and its slopes are the homes for many wineries. Sadly, as in the Okanagan and in the Osoyoos valley, the vines were hit by the same cold snap that hit the stone-fruit trees, and it’s sad to see how many lines of vines are decimated, or sending up only minimal shoots.  This will not be a good year for many of the wineries – though there are some varietals that seem to have made it through; perhaps they budded later.  The cherries, however, have made it through, and most of the fruit stands have them in good quantities!

The Similkameen, near Hedley

Once down in Keremeos, the valley remains pretty level and open through Hedley and on to Princeton, where I stopped to stretch and get some lunch before resuming the Big Climb. The elevation at Princeton is 650m, so there was a lot of climbing to do before the road got to Allison Pass!  It was obvious that we were going into the holiday weekend, because there was much more traffic headed eastward than towards Vancouver; it’s a road that really takes careful driving, but it’s really well engineered. 

... and the sane river in Manning Park

At Manning Park I took another stretch-break, but I was keen to make the point where the Similkameen vanished and the new creeks were flowing westward at last. Once that happens, there’s a sense of being on the homeward leg, though even when the road is past Hope, it always surprises me just how long there still is to go! I loved seeing the Fraser River again off to my right, and remembering that I greeted it in Prince George, and said “See ya later” to it after Williams Lake.

In fact, I ended up doing a bit of a detour, going off the TransCanada at Bridal Falls, and taking the Old Yale Road through Rosedale and into Chilliwack – some very pretty communities, and lovely quiet roads. I wanted to pick up a gift voucher from the Minter Gardens shop for a Valley friend, and it was a nice place for a quick exploration, before heading back to Hwy 1 and home.  Eastward traffic was nose-to-tail, but westbound had its congested corners too, and it was 7pm before I was opening my door in Richmond to find Scout looking at me as if to say “Where the heck have you been?”

Watching carefully - "you're not going away again?"

It’s been a great trip! - 2630k of driving, plus another c.500k of ferry, so perhaps not the most ecologically friendly holiday, but I was able to see and do things I would not have been able to do any other way. There’s been weather of all kinds, from the downpour in Williams Lake and the thunderstorm outside Kamloops to the beautiful sunshine of this last day. Time alone – time with friends – new places to explore – memories refreshed. Prince Rupert was the westernmost point, Hazelton to the north, probably Vernon to the east and Osoyoos down to the border!  I’m glad to be back in my own space again, and though I know he’s loved having Debbie visiting him, Scout is VERY glad that things are back to normal.

A Day with Friends

I love travelling alone, but for my Okanagan day, this was the occasion to catch up with friends and enjoy some visits! Janette and I had a quiet hour together in the morning, sharing prayer and singing the song we learned from Julia Davids at our last Chorfest in Langley. The day was bright and hopeful as I left on the back road heading to join Hwy 97 near Monte Lake, and I passed some lovely wetlands conservation spots. 

Reed-beds and ducks...

Shortly after Monte Lake the clouds loomed ahead, and from that point until I arrived in Vernon an hour later, bands of rain passed through. We really need the rain - there are a couple of wildfires, but nowhere near the number of two years ago. However, the creeks are low because, despite the recent rainfall, there wasn't enough snowpack to set up a reserve - so people in the Interior are still concerned about what the upcoming months may bring.

Sarah and Cynthia

In Vernon I met up with Cynthia and Sarah Markson for coffee - daughter and granddaughter of my dear friend Audrey Fricker, who I met in the Cathedral Choir shortly after I arrived in Canada in 1982 and with whom I lived for years, after her son Chris and his family moved out of her basement suite.  Audrey sang in both my church choirs and in Richmond Chorus, she served on the BCCF Board for a while and we both sang in Elektra Women’s Choir.  She began failing around 2011 and moved to Vernon a couple of years later to be closer to her family; she died in 2015. I adopted Audrey's cat Peggy when she moved, and she established a tenuous truce with my own Kissa; both cats passed within 6 months in 2018.  It was lovely to catch up with Cynthia and Sarah, and to hear about Sarah's work at a local vet clinic, which she adores. Like her grandmother, Sarah's a singer and loves her music.

From Vernon, I travelled down to Lake Country to have a lovely lunch with Brenda Dewonck, former member of Richmond Chorus, and to hear about her family and her travels and the choir she sings with. Onwards then to Kelowna, for coffee with BCCF President Frances Chiasson - along with a quick music transfer, and some discussion about BCCF plans in the upcoming year. I have been with the BCCF since 1983, and stepping back (though not pulling out completely!) is the next step in my retirement plans.  

It then took a full hour to get from downtown Kelowna to Peachland - traffic constantly bottle-necking, not always for any reason I could see. I've been extolling the virtues of our BC highway engineering, but I began to rethink that on the journey down the lake!  I did stop in Peachland to check something on my phone, but also to get some quiet water time.

On the water's edge in Peachland

One more big slow-down just outside Summerland, where there had been a rockfall earlier in the year and the highway was being repaired, and then I was turning off the highway to find Ross and Ed's place. Ed was BCCF Treasurer for all its early years, and still offers advice around issues of charitable status when needed. I used to dog-sit for them when they lived in Richmond - and later in Burnaby. He and Ross have been involved in dramatic ventures as long as I've known them - TUTS in Stanley Park, shows at various theatres - and since their move to the Okanagan, and so-called retirement, they are busier than ever, primarily with Many Hats theatre company (and currently in rehearsal for a show starting in mid-July). The Bears, as they are known, live in an older strata complex with a wonderful view over the valley.

Ed, Ross and Barb

We sat and reminisced, and then went out to dinner at Shaughnessy Cove restaurant down in Old Summerland, right on the water, and reminisced some more. We were joined by Barb Baker, to complete the day's loop - Barb was a dear friend of Audrey's, a retired school principal (in fact, she was Cynthia Markson's principal) and sang with Brenda Dewonck in my Richmond Chorus. It's been years since she'd seen Ross and Ed, and they were all surprised to discover that they now live about five minutes apart! 

Dinner was wonderful, though sadly for us, there was (loud) live music for the evening inside the restaurant, but we were able to hear each other by sitting outside, draped in cosy blankets, and watching the light change across the lake. 

Evening light on the east side of the lake

Many happy memories and points of contacts between our very varied lives!

Sunshine to Thunderstorms

It's been so lovely to have time with Janette and David. Janette may no longer serve on the Board, but she deeply believes in the work of the BCCF, and continues to offer support to board members; we had no lack of "biz" to discuss. 

David shares a summer morning with the dogs

In bright sunshine, we took off for a visit up to Sun Peaks, with a potential BCCF project in mind. Her little Jeep made easy work of 70-off kilometers to the 1500m elevation. It’s a little Whistler, but is growing all the time: hotels, cafes, shops - and ski-lifts going off in all directions. Janette and I took a walk through the village, which was quite quiet - ski season is well over, of course, but the mountain bikers and the golfers were everywhere.

Looking off the covered bridge 

No ride on a ski lift today!

We sat over coffee and later over lunch and hashed budget issues and practicalities, deciding eventually that it wasn't a project we could take on right now - but that it hadn't been a wasted morning. We'd had a lovely time exploring, and then we took the jeep further up the mountain to see what was happening in the development - some really large houses and more building still happening.  Sadly, it was clouding over, so the view was less stunning than it had been earlier.

There weren't a lot of people to be seen at the upper level - but there was no lack of marmots!

What a great way to spend the morning!

We headed back home with a looming sky promising rain. In the end, the action held off till late afternoon, but produced a colossal thunderstorm before it cleared by early evening.

Janette & David's home

Something about the Sun

 What a great day! - sunshine all the way. Williams Lake was clear and crisp when I left, with just a tiny little drift of cloud over the lake. The Cariboo-Chilcotin is peppered with little lakes, and it felt as if no sooner had I passed on than another would appear. Apparently they're leftovers from the glacial retreat - little depressions that are filled with run-off. It reminds me of flying over Northern Canada - BC doesn't have nearly as many lakes as Alberta, but more than 8000 of them are here in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. 

Travelling on down Hwy 97 I paralleled the lovely Lac La Hache, and on to 100 Mile House where I stopped for a coffee, and then walked the accompanying donut off at the nearby so-called Swamp Trail. This is a project for treating run-off water, but has the added benefit of attracting wildlife, and they've added good identification signage. 

Reedbeds full of redwinged blackbirds

Such a pretty place!

It was something of a blessing, with all this standing water, that there were few mosquitos (though that might be because I was well coated with bug spray!) but there were lots of the little transparent blue dragonflies, and the goose-poop on the pathway led me to guess that there might be geese around.

Can you see the dragonfly?

Parents keeping a careful eye open while the kids graze

A reedwarbler singing its heart out

From 100-Mile I headed on down the highway, and then suddenly spotted a sign for Green Lake and veered off-route. Dennis Tupman is much in my mind through this part of the journey - he loved life in the Cariboo, and I have a memory of a BCCF Executive meeting/retreat in his home in Green Lake. I was on the wrong side of the lake, but remembered how peaceful it was.   Travelling past the bottom end of it I encountered more of the little lakes - some of them open water, some of the mostly reedbeds, a few where there was no longer water, just cracked mud.  I had a short break sitting by one of them and watching a few little divers appearing and disappearing - unfortunately just too far away to be able to identify them.

Green Lake

So still!

The reedbeds encroach on the lake surface

Somewhere out there a little duck is diving happily!

Back onto Hwy 97 again, and this time the next turnoff was planned. My friend Brad from RAPS told me that I had to go see this place if I had time - and I determined to make time!

The Chasm was formed at the end of the Ice Age when glacial runoff water cut through the layers of lava formations to form this spectacular gorge. There's a pathway (and a very secure fence) along the top rim, and some wonderful views. It's 8km long, 600m wide and 300m deep, and the swallows were out in force below us, swooping and dancing.

I finally tore myself away from the Chasm, and headed for Clinton, where I had a quick lunch and then headed for the long descent to Cache Creek. More spectacular road-building, and an easy drive for those of us heading south, but I felt for a pair of cyclists I encountered at the approach to Cache Creek - they had a very long haul uphill ahead of them! From 396m elevation to Begbie Summit at 1232m is a tough prospect!

The scenery really changes at Cache Creek, where I abandoned Highway 97 after more than 440k on the Cariboo Highway, and joined the TransCanada Highway, aiming for Kamloops. Rocky desert slopes on both sides, with the Thompson River running far below - this is very different terrain. Sagebrush and some grassland from place to place, but like the Chasm, this is a clear result of the effect of water on rock, and the ancient lake bed lies high above the current river, with millions of years of lake floor sediments showing in the valley walls.

Thompson Valley with the surrounding walls

This was the first place I felt surrounded by traffic, after miles of open roads. I was glad that the road basically bypassed Kamloops as I headed east, and found the Barnhartvale road exit, driving up through the canyons to grassland areas. Janette Walker and her husband David live in a very beautiful, peaceful space; David has recently sold his cows and largely retired from farming; Janette remains active as one of the area's leading accompanists. She was on the BCCF Board for years, serving as VP, President and Past President; we miss her!

We had a lovely quiet evening catching up and making plans for the next day.

Sunshine & Showers Bring out the Flowers

Monday was another day of dodging the showers, and trying to decide what layers I needed to be wearing at any point.  I left Prince George bright and early (well, modified...  it was a compromise for Julia and me - I'm an early bird and she isn't!), and I abandoned the Yellowhead Highway and headed south on Highway 97, crossing the Fraser River (see you down in Richmond...). The countryside is almost immediately different - not tamed, precisely, but certainly showing more signs of agricultural care. I drove down nearly to Quesnel and then took the Barkerville Highway off to the east. It's a road that's a bit less well maintained, but well graded for easy driving. A lot of it is back to the 'driving through the trees' of the first day, but there were more breaks, and more variety of tree species. From Quesnel to Barkerville is more than 80k, and I couldn't help thinking of those early prospectors travelling the rudimentary road - many of them with no idea of what they'd find at the end (other than dreams).  I did a short stretch break at Jack of Clubs Lake, just before the road enters Wells; the lake used to be much longer, but was filled in by tailings from the mine.

Barkerville Town itself is another seven kilometers beyond Wells - uphill all the way!  It was much colder, and we had passing showers from time to time, but there was usually somewhere to shelter. It was not really busy - I guess the season's not formally started yet, with the schools only just out.  There were a few costumed staff, and a little by-play, but not a lot of interaction. 

From the entrance, looking up the street

 I decided to walk right through the town to the top end, ID what I wanted to see, and descend slowly.

At the top of the town.

Looking downhill

Apartheid was of course alive and well at the end of the 19th century. All the upper cabins and stores were for the Chinese community.

This tiny cabin was the home for 6 Chinese miners who would have worked in shifts, and rarely been together. They were, of course, paid much less than their white counterparts, but according to the stats, Chinese residents made up half of the Cariboo region's population, and they too played their part in creating the network of highways that were created by trained engineers (mostly military) but actually put in place by labourers from many places. There's some really interesting stuff about the early highways here.

The Chinese, as in many places at the time, created a Chinatown with the support of imports from their homes, and established their own patterns.

the Chinese store, with imported goods

the terraced gardens, where they grew their own supplies

Hey, this is me! 
Of course I had to make friends with the Barkerville Cat!

Practicing a curtsey with the school-teacher

Anyone need the dentist?

The library

St Saviour's Church

The pump organ is still in use

It was a fascinating couple of hours and I would have stayed longer, but there was still a long way to go!

The sun came out as I drove back down the Barkerville Highway, and I got such pleasure from seeing the road-verges in the light - lots of varieties of grasses and forbs and sedges, of course, but wonderful sweeps of blue lupins, and not only various daisies (chamomile? fleabane?) and coltsfoot, but little splashes of orange-red.

And every now and then there'd be a meadow with everything mixed together

I have to find out what this is!

The difference in temperature between Barkerville (about 12C) and Quesnel (nearly 22C) required dumping the sweatshirt and finding a cold drink before refueling and heading for Williams Lake. The land was tamer and tamer, more variety of agriculture in place - and as I went, the sun hid and a series of rainstorms swept in. Looking across the Fraser on my right at one point, the far bank was shrouded in rain, which luckily I was just managing to outrun. But I might as well not have bothered - within another ten minutes, we were headed into a big downpour, and the last leg of the trip was not a pleasant one!  I arrived at my motel in the pouring rain, and initially didn't even bother bringing my bag in with me. 

A little down-time, and things cleared again. I went out to find some dinner, and to get a bit more of a walk before returning to the motel, to discover that we had this wonderful view, which had been hidden behind rainclouds earlier. 

I would go and read outside for a while, but I'm already reacting to mosquito bites, and prevention is better than (a lengthy) cure.  A little planning for tomorrow, perhaps a little TV, and an early night....