The Celebration at the Cabin in the Chilcotin

 

It was so good to finally see this place that John and Marg

have often talked about as they moved onto this land,

first with an RV and then building this cabin. 

The views are specitacular ...

I could understand why they love this place.

Elmer and Judy, as well as Harv and Bev (MGCC)

joined us here. 

We all shared all the meals.

Elmer and Judy grilled hotdogs for our first dinner

and we also shared other yummy fixings with those. 

We sat outside until the moon appeared. 

Oh, and dessert was fresh plum platz. 

My H and I were the only ones sleeping in the cabin, 

but in the mornings, everyone brought in their coffee and granolla,

and we shared something like, waffles, biscuits or muffins. 

There was no agenda.

We went for walks, ate again,

some played games or put together a puzzle.

Dinner was pulled pork on soft buns,

baked beans and coleslaw.

Apple pie for dessert. 

On Sunday  morning Lovella and Marg played hymns and worship music ...

their first try at duets and it was perfect, out there with the birds singing in the trees.

We went for a drive to a deserted homestead.

It's something we don't see too often, 

and it made me wonder about who lived here, 

and why did they leave? 

We all found something to appreciate ...

picking a type of sagebrush that smells like eucalyptus

or gettting out a sketch book. 

The guys had to study the way this home was built.

Handcrafted with precision. 

We checked out the inside,

imagining a happy family in those rooms.

There was also a chicken coop and a workshop.

A photo shoot was set up. 

The ladies had to take another walk ...

Can you hear the leaves singing? 

Fall in all its glory! 

For dinner we enjoyed John and Marg's steak dinner with sides 

and Napoleon cake for dessert.

It was windy and cool out, but cozy inside. 

The next morning it was time to pack up again,

and head home. 

We took the land route, taking eight hours. 

The colors were amazing! 

Bella Coola

Bella Coola, also known as Nuxalk (New Hawk), was the home of the Nuxalk nation, who lived throughout the central British Columbia coast until, tragically, they were hit by a smallpox epidemic in the 1860's. Survivors moved close to the mouth of the Bella Coola River, which became a Hudson's Bay fur trading post.

Today, on the small town waterfront, you will find an assortment of fishing boats, an old cannery, a tidal estuary and the BC Ferries dock. It is the only port between Vancouver and Prince Rupert that provides road access to the interior of BC. 

What I did not know is that it is the grand entrance to what is known as the Great Bear Rainforest. This is what our friends wanted us to experience when they booked a grizzly bear tour on the Atnarko River.

It was an early morning start.

We were given life vests and got into our tour guided raft,

with instructions about keeping quiet. 

The stillness of the morning air, added to the overall breathtaking beauty. 

I took a quick shot while we waited,

the sun shining on the mountain in the background,

almost too bright to be picked up by the camera.

We were still waiting quietly, or barely moving, when we spotted the first bear.

Quietly our guide entertained us with a bit of history,

and personal stories as he rowed us along,

our eyes taking in the stunning views all around. 

Travelling with friends is the best!

A view of Mount Stupendous ... 

named so by Alexander Mackenzie's journal entry when he saw it and wrote, 

"Before us appeared a stupendous mountain, 

whose snow-clad summit was lost in the clouds." (July 17 1793)

He also described this place as a "friendly village".

Wildlife was plentiful ... mergansers perching on logs, 

beautiful tiny birds flitting about and

bald eagles high up in the trees,

scouting out their next fishing spot. 

In the shallower sections we could see the water teaming with salmon, 

on their migration for spawning. 

 For the bears this is easy and perfect timing to fill up before winter. 

My H was counting the number of fish one bear caught and promptly devoured, 

I think the count was 7 or 8 within a very short time.

We saw two large grizzlies like this one 

and another one with two cubs, but we could not get close enough for 

good photos. 

Seagulls added to the wild beauty.

Three relaxing hours of floating on the river -

 something we never would have thought to do, 

had it not all been arranged for us. 

Bella Colla is remote, few people seem to know about it

and it remains raw and natural in its beauty. 

After the tour we were on our way to Pyper Lake in the Chilcotin.

Three of us riding caravan style, the one behind us towing their RV

up the steep 18% incline and switch back gravel road,

 before we hit normal roads. 

Once we got to a place where we could safely stop,

we parked and put together  a roadside picnic lunch.

Another couple of hours of driving before we got to John and Marg's cabin,

where I'll begin my next post. 

A More Northern Adventure

To celebrate their 50th wedding Anniversary 

our friends John and Marg (MGCC) 

sent out an invitation to numerous friends several months ago,

to join them on a trip to their cabin in the Chilcotin. 

We left from Horseshoe Bay early Tuesday morning to Nanaimo.

From there we had a four hour drive to Port Hardy 

on the northern part of Vancouver Island.

The next morning we were to leave at 7:30 AM for Bella Coola,

but with a delay due to wind and waves, 

we didn't leave until about 1:00 PM.

It was all good, since we were in great company.

Just before we left, the sun even came out.

The ferry was not large, a lower deck that held about 45 vehicles,

a middle inside deck with seating and a food bar

and an upper deck to get the best views.

It was still windy! 

So much so that for some time we were happy to just sit, because of the rocking. 

A few shots to let you get a feel for the beauty all around  ... 

And yes, the captain slowed down several times 

to let us enjoy sightings such as these.

We saw orcas and dolphins. 

It turned out that because of the delay, 

we saw the sun set before we got 

to the inside passage of the trip that I had been looking forward to. 

However, the sunset colors were gorgeous! 

The last hours on the water the ship moved  in complete darkness. 

We heard a rumor about the crew having gone to sleep. :)

We docked at midnight, got back into our vehicles,

and were pretty happy to get to a Mountain Lodge for the night. 

The next morning, we enjoyed a continental breakfast

and then headed out to do some exploring.

At this point we were only three couples,

a few more joined us at John and Marg's cabin the following day,

taking their RVs by land, rather than going the long way. 

It's always nice when you don't know what to expect, 

and these beautiful falls (Clayton Falls), 

with bowl-like formations shaped by the water,

just happened to surprise me.

The mist and the fresh air in the woods,

friends to share the trail with

and huge cedars ... were all part of a very fun day!

Feeling small ...

and here again! 

Oh Lord, our God, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

When I consider the heavens, the work of Your fingers, 

the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,

what is mankind that You are mindful of them,

human beings that You care for them?

Psalm 8:1,3,4

To be continued ...