August 30, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Attractions
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The last week in August and first weekend in September means major events for Smithers. Our town turns busier then ever and the community comes together. First was the Fall Fair Parade with fire trucks, horses, and floats. The community came together to view the creativity of our valley's residents. People from all over come to enjoy these end of summer/begining of fall events. Alpine Al and I were in the parade together, we had so much fun waving at the kids and I threw lots of candy to everyone watching the parade. I went to the BV Exhibition (Fall Fair) and saw so many new and familiar faces. This fair has something for everyone; with the rides all day long, live entertainment, concerts, rodeo, extreme bull riding, horse competition, great food, and much more! A person never gets bored at an event like this. This up coming weekend is the 100th annual Telkwa BBQ (Demolition Derby), this is very exciting as I am a backup driver for the demolition derby heats. There is so much happening again with this event, such as, demolition heats, softball tournament, kids games, rock concert, country concert, famous beef out of the pit and onto a bun, and beer gardens, just to name a few. Trooper is playing on Saturday night and Aaron Pritchett and George Canyon are playing on Sunday night. So as many of the Smithers/Telkwa residents are saying......I must go now, I have a derby car to work on.
August 12, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Attractions
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I always enjoy my walks down Main Street in Smithers and, being in a small town, I always run into someone I know. Because of the mountainous backdrop this community has embraced an Alpine theme, which suits Smithers quite well. Smithers has been given the nickname of "BC's little Switzerland," and, if you walk down Main Street, you'll see why. There are many murals and statues within the town that tell stories of pioneer settlement, record-breaking hunting, local wildlife and solemn remembrance. One of our oldest statues is Alpine Al; he is located on Main Street and adds a lot of character to the area. Whether you are driving down Main Street or walking, this seven foot high statue with a ten foot long horn will grab your attention, so stop and take a picture or just admire him from a distance.
August 11, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Water Activity Tours
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The Bulkley River follows highway 16 for more than 160 km, and there are numerous locations where the river is accessible and which offer excellent fishing for both resident and see-run sport species. A few of my favorite spots are accessible right in town or close by. The spot I went to just the other day is located at the end of Main Street and has an incredible view. Although I didn't do any fishing on this river trip, the fishing in the Bulkley River can be great; besides rainbow trout and dolly varden, the Bulkley also offers outstanding fishing for steelhead, chinook salmon, and coho salmon. I enjoyed the view and the sound of the water flowing by, then took a short walk on a trail nearby to enjoy more sights and sounds of nature. If you come to Smithers, a trip to the river is a great way to spend some time fishing, swimming, having a picnic, or just enjoying the scenery.
August 09, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Air / Airports
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I took a trip to the Smithers Airport and admired their many displays. My favorite was the Grizzly bear weighing 1012 lbs with a chilling story behind this massive beast. This bear was finally captured in the fall of 2001. It is believed that this bear was responsible for killing upwards of 30 head of cattle in the Hungry Hill area, which is between Smithers and Houston. The killing of cattle took place over a three year period. Some of the cows killed weighed as much as 1500lbs. This bear managed to avoid capture from the snares and traps set for him for three years. He was able to trigger snares and grab the cow carcass without being caught on more then one occasion.....now thats a smart bear! He was finally caught by a cable leg hold snare. This snare, consisting of a spring-loaded cable anchored to a tree, captured the bear by the leg. As the conservation officers approached the bear cautiously, this bear managed to break the snare cable and charge at the officers. The bear was 24 meters from the officers and made it within 7 meters of them before being shot! Everyone was surprised of the size of this bear and it is suspected that he was able to break the snare cable due to the fact that he weakened it with his teeth. This is not a friendly story of Yogi and Boo Boo bears stealing picnic baskets but a real story of a uncommon predator in our area. Grizzly bears are usually hidden deeper in our forests and mountains, so no need to postpone your trip to Smithers, theres a good chance you wont run into one.
August 09, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Arts/Crafts
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There are about 10 beautifully painted murals on many of our unique, old, and new buildings in Smithers. The nice thing is they are all within walking distance of each other, so I spent an afternoon admiring the work of local artists and enjoyed the detail they put into these masterpieces. My favorite painting would have to be the Eagle in Flight; it is located on the corner of Main Street and First Ave. It is made up of purples and blues for the sky, with trees, and the eagle with its wings spread wide. This painting was created with the purpose of displaying a skewed perspective of an aspect of the Valley. The eagle is one of the amazing creatures native to Canada and commonly found in the Bulkley Valley. Other paintings include Poineers of the Bulkley Valley, Music of the Valley, and Northern Sunset, just to name a few. In the presented picture is our newest mural in town, it has snowboarders to represent our wonderful ski resort, a musician to represent music in the valley and our talented local musicians, and a fisherman to represent the great fishing our area has to offer. I grabbed a brochure from the Smithers visitor centre called, a Tour of the Murals in Smithers, and this allowed me to experience every painting, and plus it gave a brief description of each mural. If you are looking to enjoy some art, come to Smithers because its all over town.
August 04, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Beaches & Swimming
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Tyhee Lake Provincial Park is situated in the beautiful Bulkley River Valley.....in Telkwa where the two rivers meet. There is a comforatable grassy field to relax on, right before the sandy beach which decends into the glistening water. As I enjoy the sun I looked to the west, and saw the Telkwa and Bulkley Ranges of the Hazelton Mountians. Looking to the east is the beautiful Babine Range of the Skeena Mountians. We decided to take a walk on the many trails that connect the campsite to the lake, this is through a forest consisting primarily of trembling aspen. One of these trails lead us to the viewing platform, located near the boat launch, and provides a lookout over a marsh that harbours numerous species of birds, mammals, small reptiles and fish. The present name, Tyhee, means fish in the native Gitxsan language; there are native cutthroat and stocked rainbow trout which a licence is required to fish. With so much to do I never get board at Tyhee Lake, it is one of my favorite summer time destinations. Kids can enjoy the adventure playground in the day use area, many people enjoy conoeing, and a boat launch allows for water skiing and boating activities adjacent to the swimming area. Although Tyhee Lake is fun during summer, it can be great for winter time fun as well; popualar winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skating and ice fishing. Come check out this popular beach and dip your toes in the refreshing water.
August 04, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Professional & Spectator Sports
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People came from all over Northern BC and brought their dirt bikes to race at the Smithers Moto Cross Track. The track was full of campers and trucks which had families and kids pouring out of the campers excited and ready to race! Kids as young as 4 were out there on little 50cc bikes, they were the cutest to watch. I was the 30 second girl who started all the races and I raced my bike with only one wipeout. Stopping for lunch and grabbing a yummy burger was a very needed break after I used a lot of my energy to ride. I re-fueled my body and then my bike for my next race. Everyone had a great time, and the Smithers track is worth checking out, only 15 minutes east of town with a beautiful mountain view.
July 15, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Outdoor Activity Tours
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The Village of Telkwa is just minutes from Smithers, it is where the Telkwa and Bulkley rivers meet. The backroads this area has to offer are full of adventures like hiking, biking, wildlife sightings, camping, fishing, and snowmobiling in the winter. A few days ago, we traveled through, starting on Coalmine Road and driving up Hydro Hill for an amazing view over-looking the valley and mountians. The presented picture is taken from the top of Hydro Hill. As we continued, we drove to a campsite located on the Telkwa river, and let the dogs out for a swim and drink. The sound was peaceful as the river flowed by us but it was time to carry on our way. We drove by the Telkwa Caribou Herd Recovery Project zone. There was once an abundance of Caribou in our area, but they now face extinction here. This area is protected from the public with a locked gate, in hopes of increasing the Caribou population again. We carried on our way and made it to our final destination, "the Microwave". This area is known by snowmobilers as a place that gets lots of powder in the winter, ideal to play and carve up the snow. Visiting in summertime means it was nice and sunny, so we parked the truck and walked up the mountian while enjoying the views. With this area full of hills, mountains, trees, and flowing water, I'm happy to call Telkwa home, where stepping out of the town and into the wilderness is just minutes away.
July 09, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Professional & Spectator Sports
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One way I enjoy some time with my family is at the Smithers Dirt Bike track, and I'm always pleased to see many other families doing the same. I love how this track is suitable for all skill levels; though usable by beginners, just adding some speed makes the track a challenge. I like to time myself, then try beat my last lap time by accelerating harder. With many sharp corners and jumps, I always leave the track feeling like I had a good workout. I love to dig my tires into the dirt, but when I get tired I sit on the viewing bleachers to watch the local talent. Smithers also holds CMRC (Canadian Motocross Racing Corporation) races; the next one will be July 28th and 29th. People come from all over to participate and watch these races, and I'll be there racing as Alpine Alice. I am also volunteering my time to make sure everyone has a fun and safe experience.
June 24, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Sightseeing Tours
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During our local Fam Tour on June 6, we enjoyed the road less traveled. The Telkwa High road is a back road with amazing views; it was once our area's old wagon road, and it stretches from Moricetown to Telkwa. We started our back road adventure in Moricetown, the site of the oldest Wet'suwet'en settlement in the Bulkley Valley. As we passed the Moricetown Canyon I watched the roaring river flow over the many jagged rocks below. I kept an eye out for any of the plethora of animals in the area as we drove on, because there is a good chance of seeing wildlife on the Telkwa High Road... and, sure enough, we spotted a bear! Past country bakeries and farms, I continued to enjoy these backroad wonders. Towards the end of our tour we turned onto a dirt road up to the Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park, a world-renowned fossil bed and the site of the world's earliest known salmonid fossil. We continued on our way past the beautiful Tyhee Lake Provincial campgrounds and swimming area, which lead us onto the highway in Telkwa, where we were on our way back to our Alpine themed town of Smithers. The Circle Tour, as it is known, led us from Moricetown to Telkwa, then back to our hometown, a simple trip turned into a wonder, because it's not the destination, but rather the journey to it, that is the real adventure. Stop staring at the yellow line and enjoy the road less traveled!