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NORTH TO THE KLONDIKE GOLD FIELDS:  HOPE AND BEYOND

For years I've been wanting to visit the old gold rush town of Barkerville in British Columbia's Cariboo district and finally this year I managed to accomplish this.  It's a long trip by bus, 10 hours from Vancouver, but the journey was well worth it, through some of the west coast's most spectacular scenery.
The first brief stop along the way was the town of Hope. (The sign itself captured my attention!) Hope is the entryway to the Fraser Canyon where the mighty Fraser and Coquihalla rivers join. The town is nestled in the mountain pass of the Cascade and Coast Mountains.

Heading north, we soon pass the famous "Hells Gate", located immediately downstream of Boston Bar in the Fraser Canyon. Here the towering rock faces of the Fraser River plunge toward each other creating rapids.  From here you can go on river rafting excursion through this narrow passage of roiling water.


This has also been a popular fishing ground for the local aboriginal communities and in the past, European settlers also congregated there to fish for salmon.  It was on this route that the gold rush miners traversed up the river to the Cariboo gold fields.

This is also the canyon area where the first explorers came paddling down the river or portaging to the Coast. The scenery is spectacular, still as wild as it was then when later men trudged north in search of gold.

North, toward the village of Cache Creek, there were the remains of forest fires that had ravaged the countryside in recent years.

Cache Creek is located at the junction of the Trans Canada Highway and Highway 97 on the Thompson Plateau, junction of the Cariboo and Thompson Valleys. There are rolling grasslands and hills covered in sagebrush and cactus with a backdrop of beautiful mountains.



Cache Creek was the halfway point for prospectors en route to the Cariboo Gold Fields. Here (above) you'll see a way-marker pointing in the directions of the many places these hopeful miners came from. Many were from California, others from England, Scotland, Ireland and other European countries.  Today travelers like myself who are following the historical gold rush trail still stop off at Cache Creek.

All along the route are pristine lakes.  The little town of Lac La Hache is renowned for excellent fishing. The lake is a popular for swimming, boating, parasailing, water skiing and camping. Even in the winter there are activities such as ice fishing, cross country skiing and skating.  I was most impressed by Lac La Hache. For many years I knew the name but this was the first time I'd visited there.

Next stop is the rustic village of 100 Mile (also known as "Hundred Mile House") located on a plateau where there are numerous lakes.  The area is excellent for swimming, fishing, bird watching and horse-back riding. For thousands of years the Chilcotin First Nations lived, hunted and traded here and still claim the region as their traditional territory. In the mid 1800's miners flocked to the area folling the news of gold in the Cariboo. A wagon road was built to manage the traffic that came up from Lilloet on the Fraser River north to Barkerville. At the time, this was known as Bridge Creek House and was renamed 100 Mile House because it was 100 miles from Lilloet (Mile 0). Between 1862 and 1870 there were more than 100,000 travelers through this region. Eventually a freight and stagecoach line carried people and provision to the gold fields, cattle were imported and a thriving ranching culture developed.  By the 1900's logging and forestry became the dominant economic source.  Today tourism, logging and ranching are the leading industries in the South Cariboo.

After Lac la Hache, passing through 100 Mile, there is another spectacular lake known as Dragon Lake.  At the north end of this lake is Williams Lake, a small town in the central Cariboo. They are famous for the Williams Lake Stampeded. The town is named in honour of Secwepemc chief William who was instrumental in counselling the Shuswap band from joining the Chilcotin in their uprising against the new settlers back in the 1860's during the Cariboo Gold Rush.

This entire area is so rich with history, that for a history-buff like me it was a treasure trove of stories, added to the magnificent scenery.  It was easy to imagine being one of those early settlers, the men trudging north to the gold fields, or the brave explorers who came down the river to the west coast.

The Cariboo Gold Rush attracted a rush of American prospectors to the Fraser Canyon in 1858 Many stayed on as permanent settlers. Others began to explore the rest of the province searching for new finds. It was after Billy Barker, a miner from England, struck pay-dirt north in Barkerville, that floods of men arrived from other parts of the world seeking their fortune in the gold fields around Quesnel.  The area became known as "the Cariboo", NOT "Caribou", which is an Algonquin word "xalibu" meaning "a pawer or scracher'. In BC it is regarded as a corruption of the French word "Cariboeu or Cerboeuf" meaning "reindeer" as it is a favorite haunt of that species.

After ten enjoyable hours on the Greyhound bus, by 6.30 pm that evening I arrived at the town of Quesnel where the next phase of my Cariboo adventure began.

NEXT: Part II.  Quesnel and beyond.

My friend Rick had won tickets for the Grouse Mountain Sky Lift so he invited me to accompany him on a day-trip. It was only the second time for me to go up the Lift and for Rick it's been many years since his last visit.  You can ride the lift for $39.95, expensive, but there's lots to see and do when you reach the top.  The gondola swings 300 meters above the treetops and travels up the mountain in only 12 minutes.  The views are fantastic, but just wait til you actually get to the top!

The first thing we did was relax with a coffee at the mountain-top cafe and enjoy the view of Vancouver far below.  It was a clear enough day you could see all the way to Vancouver Island and past Point Roberts in the States.
Our first stop was at the Logger's Show.  They perform at intervals during the day and it's well-worth taking in the brave and often goofy antics of the loggers,  illustrating what old-time lumber-jacks did in the woods.
This unexpected character almost gave us a heart-attack with his antics high atop the pole.  Along with all the other performances by the two lumber-jacks who perform their various stunts such as axe-throwing, sawing contests and climbing,  it was an excellent show!

There's lots of things to do on the mountain including zip-lines, para sailing and the various shows including ecological lectures etc.  Of course, in winter time this mountain is a popular skiing resort for locals.  And hikers love climbing the famous Grouse Grind Trail.


We were just in time to take in the Birds in Motion show next.  These are birds of prey who perform and fly about while the trainer gives you the story about each bird.  The first was a Harris Falcon from the desert of South America. He was the only bird not found locally.  The next was a red-tailed hawk, then a great horned owl (I loved this guy!), a turkey vulture and a bald eagle. 

The Resort is located a 45 minute scenic drive from Kamloops, nestled at the foot of three mountains.  The most distinguished resident is former Canadian Olympic ski champion and member of the Canadian Senate, Nancy Green Raine.  She's actively invovled in the community and you can enjoy a complimentary ski with her or sit in on a fireside chat at the Hearthstone lodge on Sunday evenings.  Her husband, Al Raine, is the mayor of Sun Peaks.

I wasn't at a loss for things to do, from exploring the Village boutiques,  dining at the various bars and restaurants,  taking a long quiet walk out to the skating rink (would have gone skating but it was closed til evening!).  I opted on a sleigh ride but it turned out I was the only passenger.  I snuggled up on the big sleigh pulled by a team of sturdy Clydesdale's named Zeus and Thor who took me on a jingle-bell ride around the resort and out into the surrounding countryside.

There's something about spending a few days enjoying the crisp mountain air as you watch the sparkling snow fall over the tranquil village, sitting round the fire laughing over the antics of the birthday-boy while w sipped tall glasses of iced paralyzers, that made for an extra special family weekend.