"What I did on my summer holidays."

Remember when the teacher asked you to write a story with that heading? Well, Barney asked me to write about the trip we took to Bella Coola a few summers ago, so here it is. It was a very exciting trip, with spectacular scenery, and a whole lot of fun, but how am I going to get all those experiences on these flat pieces of paper?

The reason for going to Bella Coola was simple - jealousy. Barney had been there several times and I had not. I couldn't stand it another year, so I nagged, and nagged about it until going was easier than listening to me. We mentioned it to two friends, who mentioned it to two friends, who mentioned it to two more, and soon there were eight of us heading to "The Road West".

The week preceding our departure (which was July 4th) was overcast with rain showers. We expected the worst so made sure we had our rain gear and lots of warm clothes. Barney had, of course, packed tow chains, tire chains, shovels, etc. What luck! The afternoon we left the weather became dry, bright and sunny, and stayed that way for the whole trip.

Our 1st night out was not too far from home. We headed for a little forestry camp that we knew about on the shores of Dunn Lake. Of course, you won't find this lake on a regular provincial map of British Columbia, but, every trip with Barney is an adventure, so often we divert from highways to something more exciting. Dunn Lake is on a gravel road that takes off from Barriere and is the original road to Clearwater. We shared our campsite with a herd of cows who were quite well behaved. I hope they thought the same of us.

Leaving the next morning our road took us west to the shores of the North Thompson River where we crossed on a cable ferry. Having lived in Kamloops for many years we have often been on cable ferries as there are several in the Thompson & Fraser River areas, so it was a surprise to us to discover that there are some people who have not had this exciting experience. In early July the river is quite high so the trip is really fast. Now we are on the west side of the Thompson River in the Little Fort area, and we proceeded up Highway 24, the mostly paved road between Little Fort and Highway 97 just south of 100 Mile House.

Once on Highway 97 we headed north to Williams Lake and then west on Highway 20 heading towards Bella Coola. At last I was on the road to Bella Coola! The road people speak of with awe and say if it is raining you should never drive down the steep hill as you will never get back up again. Sometimes people say you should never take a trailer down as that, for sure, would be a one-way trip. Maybe even a camper wouldn't make the long steep grade coming up. Was walking out the only option? Would we remain in Bella Coola forever?

Our 2nd night out was just west of Riske Creek. We spied a nice gravel pit. Perfect. Gravel pits have a lot going for them as overnight campsites. There is always a large flat area, and because there is no vegetation close to you there are, of course, very few bugs. Gravel pits are also safe places to have a nice big bonfire because there is nothing to catch fire.

We all settled around the fire with drinks in hand to discuss which side roads we would head off down the next day. Each day one couple had their happy hour cut short as we took turns preparing dinner for everyone. A great idea (it wasn't mine) as the other nights it was just like eating out. Actually we had all prepared our dinners at home so most of the work was already done. After dinner wild flowers in the area were examined and identified by our knowledgeable friends. My knowledge of wild flowers stops just beyond dandelions.

Day 3 dawned bright and sunny, as usual. We drove along to Hanceville where we stopped at the general store just to check it out. Now we left Highway 20 for a little "four wheel drivin!" We had the only vehicle with four-wheel drive, but who was worried? We had a tow chain and a shovel, remember. The remainder of the road we drove that day measures only two inches on the government map of British Columbia, but the unbelievable scenes of towering mountains capped with snow, and acres of wild flowers in all colours of the rainbow would fill a book. One area would be carpeted with blue lupin and a few miles down the road and around a corner and suddenly the fields would be all red with Indian paint brush. Truly breathtaking. Oh well, yes, the road was a bit rough along the way so we were forced into driving pretty slowly. Actually the truth is that one of our group who gets a bit car sick got out and walked and we found it was hard to catch up with her, because she was walking faster then we could drive. But, no, the tow chains were never needed. Almost, but not quite.

We camped on the shores of beautiful Tsuniah Lake. A couple in our group took a quick dip and spent the next several hours trying to warm up around the campfire. This was another forestry campsite (they are all free, of course) which we shared with many other campers. All along this side road there were many places to make a camp. In the morning we were all treated to bannock for breakfast, cooked, of course, over a campfire whose coals had reached just that perfect stage. Our friends delighted in showing off their skills in preparing this traditional dish. No rice krispies or frosted flakes for this group. It's stick-to-the-ribs type food for us.

We continued on rough road for several more hours, then good gravel, before arriving back at boring black top at Tatla Lake. The scenery continued to be spectacular with no end of snow-covered mountains off in the distance and wild flowers at our feet. Our next stop was a forestry campsite just a mile or two west of Anahim Lake. As is normal with forestry campsites, we had it all to ourselves. Just as well, any other campers would have been green with envy as we sat around our picnic table eating cherries jubilee.

Day 5. The day we drove into Bella Coola. The day we went down the long steep hill. The scenery again was very beautiful with many glaciers in the distance and mountain streams rushing into the Atnarko and Bella Coola Rivers. The road was steep all right, but not as frightening as everybody claims. The grade is 18% and 20 kilometres long. The descent about 3500 feet. Bella Coola looked rather cozy, almost surrounded by very high mountains and with the North Bentinck Arm so still and blue on that warm sunny day. Just beyond town is the government wharf crowded with fish boats looking just like a picture post card. Across the street is the "Wharf Cafe", an old house which has been converted into a cafe. Great seafood for lunch.

Time for another adventure. Just a couple of kilometres down the road from the cafe is a hydro generating plant, and just below it another free campsite with access to tidewater (for anybody that is interested). Just before the generating plant is a road to the left that goes UP. Here we were at sea level having survived the steep hill into town and the first thing we found to do takes us straight up. The rest of our friends opted out of this adventure, so Barney and I started out on our quest to see the giant yellow cedar tree. Some tourists a day or so back had told us about it so we thought we should check it out. This gravel road climbed 4000 feet in twenty kilometres and then descended 4000 feet in twenty more kilometres down to the ocean on South Bentinck Arm. And there it was - a giant yellow cedar tree measuring five meters in diameter. After all that excitement we checked out the logging show at the end of the road and then started our climb back up and over the mountain. Up at the top, at the 4000 foot level, there is a forestry campsite and a little parking area with the trailhead to an overlook of the North Bentinck Arm. A nice walk of only three kilometres beside alpine lakes. We rejoined the rest of our group at a unique campsite in Thorsen which is about 4 km east of Bella Coola.

Day 6 and we got to spend it exploring the town and going on another off road adventure. One of the fellows in our group offered to amble off down the government wharf and negotiate with a fisherman for a salmon for our dinner. He was successful, and we had no doubt that he would be, and came back with a 12 pound salmon. Back to the Wharf Cafe for clam chowder before heading out of Bella Coola for a short distance. Ten kilometres east of Hagensborg some of our group went off to investigate where we could spend the night. We, and another couple, took a right turn onto a forestry road paralleling the Nusatsum River. After a 35 km drive we arrived at the view point for Odegaard Falls. Very impressive they were too. However, the road didn't end there so we thought we should see just where it went. At one point there was an incredible view of Purgatory Mountain, altitude 2100 meters, and glaciers, of course. At this point, Bill, who had negotiated for, and was in charge of the salmon, thought it a good spot to clean the fish thus leaving the innards for the grizzly bears. This done he packed it in snow in his camper sink and headed back down the road to join the others. We figured our truck hadn't been put to the test yet, so we kept on driving. Down we went another ten kilometres at an 18% grade with more mountains and glaciers to impress us. When we had gone as far as our truck would take us we came out to a river bed with the river coming from a very large glacier. Very rugged scenery. Time to turn around and find the other folks, and that salmon. We camped at McCall Flats Forestry Campsite, barbecued the salmon, and relaxed around the campfire. A great day!

Day 7 and it's time to go UP the steep hill, but was I concerned? Of course not. In the past two days I have been up and down more 18% grades then I knew existed. It is now old hat. We breezed up those 20 kilometres in just 27 minutes.

One more little side trip before the journey was over. At Chilanko Forks we turned north and drove up to Puntzi Mountain which was, up until a few years ago, a mid-Canada radar station. We admired the view, the wild flowers, and the wild strawberries (there were handfuls to eat). Our campsite on this last night was a forestry camp at Becher Pond just west of Riske Creek.

The last day, and you know about the horse heading for the barn. We left Becher Pond at 8:30 am and were home in Okanagan Centre by 8:30 pm. That even included a visit in Kamloops with friends who told us not to bother going to Bella Coola because it was boring. Did I have news for them!

NOTE: In order to insure adequate information is available to you for this trip, you must have the following:

1. British Columbia Road Map and Parks Guide.

2. Kamloops Forest District Recreational Map

3. Cariboo Forest Region Recreation Map

4. Mid-Coast Forest District Recreation Map

Maps 2, 3, and 4 are available (at no charge) by writing to the:

Vancouver Regional Office,
BC Forest Service,
2100 Labieux Road,
Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9
or telephone 604-751-7001.