Travelling in British Columbia

Monday, 6 August:

Had a very good sleep last night, our room was so spacious and comfortable. After an early breakfast, we said goodbye to Sun Peaks and saw some of the most beautiful scenery in Canada as we travelled along the remote Duffy Lake Road. Our first stop was at Historic Hat Creek Ranch which is located on one of the few sections of the original Cariboo Wagon Road. This ranch played an important part in providing a stopping-off point for miners travelling north in the 1800’s.

Just a quick coffee and bathroom stop here. Long enough to stroll around to the blacksmith and have a chat. Unfortunately we weren’t able to see the historical buildings. I think you can do a tour of them on a horse-drawn wagon which I noticed when we arrived. Would be an interesting stop if you had a few hours to spare.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Next stop was in Lillooet to Fort Berens Winery for a delicious, leisurely lunch with a wine tasting. The staff were very friendly and made us feel most welcome.

Nice view of the vineyards as we ate lunch.

We are now in dry and rugged country.

I counted over 80 cars on this freight train

These structures protect trains from avalanches

Our driver stopped suddenly and here is what I saw right outside my window!

Continued west as we crossed the Coast Mountains, quick photo stop at Duffy Lake and then on to Whistler.

Sun Peaks

Sunday, 5 August:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Today we headed west over Yellowhead Pass and arrived at Mount Robson, the Rockies tallest peak at 12,989 feet (3,959 metres).

Stopped to take in the scenery at Pyramid Lake, then enjoyed lunch on the verandah of a local restaurant.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Lunch with a view

No wet paws for these two!

Today has been quite leisurely as our next destination is not far away and back in the coach once more, we followed the Thompson River as we descended through the Columbia Mountains and arrived at our accommodation for the night, Sun Peaks Grand Hotel.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Sun Peaks is Canada’s second largest ski resort and we found the village absolutely charming. We were surprised at the number of people staying there in summer, but then we discovered that there are many activities in the absence of snow, such as golfing, biking and hiking. Shops, bars and restaurants are all within easy walking distance and we enjoyed our time here very much.

Jasper – Day Two

Saturday, 4 August: As tempting as it was to laze around the resort, by 9.30 we were in the coach to start the day with a cruise on Maligne Lake to Spirit Island. Set amongst towering peaks, Maligne Lake is the largest glacial fed lake in the Canadian Rockies and interestingly, the water is a different colour at Spirit Island than it is where the boat departs from. As you get closer, the water changes from blue to emerald, due to the presence of rock flour from the glaciers.

Maligne Lake (1)

Maligne Lake

Spirit Island is one of the most photographed places in Canada and we could see why. Beautiful, peaceful and a very special place.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

On our return we hopped back on the coach and headed to Athabasca Falls. This waterfall is not known so much for its height (at 23 metres) as for the force of the water falling into the gorge.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Next stop was Maligne Canyon. This canyon measures over 50 metres deep and we did an interpretative walk, learning about the underground river system while following the canyon’s trail past beautiful waterfalls and spectacular rock formations. Several bridges crossed where you could see the water far below. It was very interesting to read how the churning water is constantly eroding the canyon.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The rest of the day we had to ourselves, which gave us another opportunity to explore the resort and later in the day I walked around the lake which took 1-1/2 hours at a leisurely pace, stopping to read the many boards set up at intervals, with interesting information about the plant and animal life around the lake.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Around JPL lake (7) Around JPL lake (6) Around JPL lake (1)