August 06, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Merritt, Camping
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Aug1st 2011, our first trip to Davis lake. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I did try to find as much info on the Lake online, but it was very limited so, I took some pictures and wanted to write a little info on Davis Lake for any first timers like me visiting the Lake.
I was pleased that there were many sites and they were not right beside each other. We had a tent and a tent trailer and the sites we picked (#19 and #20) were completely flat. All sites appeared to be very level. There is a steel rim to build a fire in. Outhouses were cleaned and checked daily. The park attendance were very nice people. My son was quite disappointed that the fishing was not good that weekend. A few were caught by others (trolling with wedding band, willow leaf, and worm). There is a small boat launch area and its easy to get to. Swimming is good and the lake is refreshing.
One down fall of the campsite was that Davis Lake is a VERY POPULAR destination for dirt bikes and quads noisy all day, but campers were mindful at night.There seemed to be a wind everyday, but calmed just in time for the evening. I was also happy there were very little mosquitoes. I am new to this site so I will try and see if my beautiful pictures of the Lake can be uploaded.
You will enjoy your time at Davis Lake.
I am going to post more pics on YouTube if you would like to see all the
shots I took. It will give you a good idea of what the Lake is like.
ps.
I want to add, I mentioned the dirt bikes and
quads. There is a sign posted reminding off roaders to idle out of the
campsite and onto the many trails nearby. Most campers follow the rule,
but those who don't get a "shout out" by other campers to slow down.
They do stick to the trails that are off in the hills, but the getting
there can be noisy. We still had a great time and by day 2, the noise
didn't seem to be as prominent.
August 06, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Burns Lake, Sightseeing Tours
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I went for a walk just the other night down my drive way to look at all the beautiful sites. When I looked up at the sky I saw the colours of a fire in the night sky. With wonderous shades of yellow, orange, pink, and red. It look as the the sky was on fire. I look forward to more of my evening walks to watch the sky and view the colours that blend within it when the sun goes down.
August 06, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort Nelson, Fishing
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The fish are plentiful at Muncho Lake this summer, the weekend I went camping up there in June we caught between 10 and 15. You can fish on the lake all over, right of the shore or out in middle. The lodge sells tackle if you run out or forgot to bring extras.
If you want to get even more adventurous then fishing on the grand Muncho Lake, you could take a fly-in fishing trip at the Northern Rockies Lodge. There are over 70 little lakes and streams to choose from. You can catch Walleye, Northern Pike, Lake Trout, Arctic Grayling, Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden. They do day trips as well as overnight packages to their outpost log cabins.
To top off all the excitement of catching fish be sure to actually keep one or two and have them for dinner. They taste awesome just cooked in tin foil over the fire, throw some butter, lemon, onion, salt & pepper inside and it's ready to go. Nice and easy as well as delicious!
Happy fishing travellers, and if you are headed up the Alaska Highway be sure to make a stop at Muncho Lake, even if it's only for a few hours. It's gorgeous and well worth the stop.
August 04, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
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On July 30th, I attended BioBlitz in Smithers. This event, hosted by the BV Naturalists and the BV Research Centre, featured 24 hours of flora and fauna fun out at Twin Falls!
My friend and I arrived at BioBlitz to find a large crowd of people of all ages filling the parking lot of Twin Falls. There were local experts who were conducting different presentations throughout the day, and for each presentation, they needed help to gather samples. As we arrived, there was a group of kids heading off to hunt for insects, and there were a couple people returning to one of the tents with a frog in each hand. The researchers recorded the species of every plant and animal found to compare to past and present BioBlitz years. We attempted to find a frog to add to the list, but instead found a really cool jelly fungus! Well, we didn't know it was called that at the time - we were pretty sure we'd uncovered a new scientific discovery of an alien species! Apparently this year has been a great year for fungi growth, so the list of fungi was getting pretty long. My photo is of a HUGE mushroom that somebody had added to the collection - I'd never seen one this big before!
After looking at our jelly fungus under the microscope, we joined the fun at the art table. They had Foxtail plants that we used as paintbrushes and we placed juicy berries all over our pages before placing a board on top of the page and jumped on them to create "Squished Berry Art". I think the 7 year old next to me made a prettier picture than I did, but I still had fun making it!
At about 10pm, I returned to BioBlitz to see a demonstration about bats. The experts set up nets and used a neat sonar-detecting instrument to try to catch a bat or two and while we waited, the experts told me a bunch of neat facts about bats. Unfortunately bats don't like rain, so we didn't manage to catch any to look at, but I really enjoyed talking with the experts about their past research experiences and learning about the bats in our area (and we also ventured into talking about owls and other night-time animals).
If you get a chance to attend next year's BioBlitz, it would definitely be a lot of fun! Whether you're interested in plants, fungi, mammals, insects, or birds, you'll be able to learn something new about the different ecosystems around Smithers!
August 04, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Museums
Having trouble spotting Northern BC's elusive wildlife? A trip to Adam's Igloo 8km west of Smithers on Hwy 16 will give you ample viewing opportunities of all the region's animals! Just look for the big white igloo alongside the highway!
I recently visited Adam's Igloo and was surprised at the huge variety of wildlife that is there! He has specimens of every animal from a bumblebee to the biggest moose I've ever seen! The animals are all displayed in a very natural looking setting, often interacting with each other against the beautifully painted mural backdrop. Be sure to look in every nook and cranny of the scenes, because there's sure to be some little animal poking out to say hello! I especially enjoyed the lynx that's trying to swat a bird out of the sky!
The museum is open 9am-7pm daily, but even if the open sign isn't on and the silver truck is in the driveway, feel free to ring the doorbell. If the owner's around, he'll happily let you in and tell you all about his collection!
August 04, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Fishing
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If you're travelling west of Smithers on Hwy 16, be sure to stop at the Toboggan Creek Fish Hatchery! I visited yesterday and was surprised at how much there is to see and learn.
The Toboggan Creek Fish Hatchery is located 13km west of Smithers. It was really easy to follow the big signs welcoming visitors to the site! The hatchery was established in order to increase the number of Coho and Spring salmon in the Bulkley River system, as well as monitor local salmon populations. Young salmon usually only have a 1% survival rate, but here at the hatchery, that increases to 96%!
I was greeted by the girl who usually provides free tours to visitors, but today she and the other few staff members were busy "clipping" young fish - this is how fishermen identify the hatchery's fish and can report the location where they caught the fish to help track the salmon's journey. It was really interesting to watch the clipping process and how quick but gentle the staff are when handling the fish! I viewed the swarms of young fish in the tanks inside the hatchery (the water flowing through these tanks actually comes from the stream outside) and checked out the large depiction of the salmon's life cycle on the wall. I then wandered outside to the trail along Toboggan Creek - this creek is so nice, I could have happily lounged on its banks for a couple of hours but it was time to hit the road once again.
I really enjoyed my visit to the hatchery and I think it would be interesting to visit at different times throughout the year to see all the different jobs they do. Make sure to drop by any time you're in the neighbourhood - the folks at the Toboggan Creek Fish Hatchery will happily welcome you!
August 04, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Dining
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Yesterday my co-worker and I went for an amazing lunch & cultural experience at Schimmels Fine Pasteries here on Main Street of Smithers! After ordering our lunch (and a cookie for the co-worker we left behind) we sat down to our table and enjoyed the lovely music, culture and food.
Schimmels isn't any ordinary bakery; they have the whole history of everything about Smithers. There is everything from facts about Switzerland to the information about farming in the valley. It was a great experience and we both learned so much about our area!
Not only did we leave a little more educated but we left with full and happy tummys. I can still smell the freshly baked breads, soups and the famous Shimmels cinnamon buns.
August 03, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Tumbler Ridge, Hiking
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Out of all of the hiking trails in Tumbler Ridge, the Boulder Gardens trail is probably one of the most interesting hikes. The well maintained gravel road the trail is situated on, makes it an accessible and easy destination to reach. As it is a circle route, you’re always bumping into something new along the trail, and the many side routes provide plenty of photo ops.
We rounded up a group that wished to brave the hike to the Boulder Gardens despite the large amounts of rain the area had been receiving. Luckily the rain decided to let up for a couple of hours that evening making for a drier hike than we had anticipated.
The landscape along the trail is quite fascinating. One side trip lead through a narrow chimney to a view site where some of the more adventurous hikers decided to spend some time climbing boulders. The next trip brought us to an area decorated with a number of lichen towers that are so high they are able to meet and even exceed the height of the tallest spruce trees. With towers so tall, it would have been surprising had we not wanted to explore this section of the trail more. As you can guess, more bouldering ensued. While both side trips were quite impressive, a lot of common sense and some careful footing is needed to attempt to scramble up any of the boulder areas.
Walking further down the trail took us to a beautiful tarn surrounded by the same kind of boulder terrain we had been hiking in. Here the trail became difficult to follow, however it is easy to figure out which direction to walk in as the foliage is thin and easy to maneuver around in this area.
Eventually the highest point of the trail is reached, where you are able to overlook Roman Mountain and the coal mine activity in the area. As the day’s light was beginning to fade on us, we were able to take in the artificial lights from the mine contrasted against the natural charm of the mountain.
From here the trail began to descend through a valley that provided us with even more views, caves, and bouldering opportunities. Though we had to pick up our pace to beat the setting sun, the rest of the hike was equally enjoyable.
August 02, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
Hey everyone! Today was an awesome day as I headed down to the Richmond Go Karts track (the outdoor one) for some high-octane, turbo charged, fuel injected fun. Ok, maybe the karts weren’t THAT big, but they were an absolute blast to zip around in and kept my friend Jake and I busy for several hours. Read on to hear our epic battle versus the 7-year-old terrorist! What a day!
I’ve definitely filmed a lot of fun stuff in my life, but shooting shotgun while screeching around corners, burning though straightaways, and weaving around other karts was easily one of the best! The Richmond Go Kart track offers a huge outdoor paved course complete with straightaways, hairpin turns, and windy sections to fulfill your need for speed. They have single and double nine horse power karts and offer races with up to 25 people. (rough estimate from what I saw!)
The facility was well maintained, had a concession, plenty of sitting and spectating areas, and the karts were all in good working condition. The general demographic was young families, though you get a few older guys out there, too. What a great way to spend a sunny afternoon in Richmond!
One of the funny occurrences was our epic battle/race to the death with an aggressive 7 year old that found we had a camera and made it his new mission to drive us off the road. It was hilarious and awesome! He would slow down and wait for us and then cut us off and do all manner of things that would get you thrown in jail on an actual street. Luckily, thanks to Jake’s superior kart driving skills and my relentless taunts of victory we managed to survive the round and get some great footage to boot. Hey little dude, just wait till round 2! =p
Jake and I really had a great time out there. The karts handled well and the course was interesting and well laid out. If you’re looking for a great way to spend a sunny day head down to the Richmond Go Kart Track and burn some rubber!
August 02, 2011 | Tips from Us >
North Vancouver, Hiking
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Ah, long weekends: that precious commodity that we BC'ers get to enjoy just 10 times a year. The BC Day long weekend is one of the best in Vancouver, as the weather usually cooperates. And this year was no exception. With the sun out and not a cloud in the sky, we decided we had to get out and celebrate BC Day the proper way - in the great outdoors. And so, with our sneakers on and water bottles full, we headed over the bridge for a hike in
North Vancouver.
Situated at the base of the North shore mountains, North Van really is the urban adventurer's paradise - snowboarding all winter, and hiking and mountain biking galore in the sunny summer months. And best of all, it's less than half an hour from the downtown core.
Our BC Day route started at the Pipeline Bridge (accessible from Riverside Drive). We jumped onto the Baden Powell trail, with the plan to head towards Lynn Canyon Park and the suspension bridge, up to Rice Lake, and back down the Twin Bridges trail.
After a difficult (but gorgeous) climb up on the Baden Powell trail, we crossed Lilloet Road and headed down the side of Lynn Canyon. The trail is quite steep in parts here, so tread carefully! At the bottom of the canyon, there are neat wooden walkways to keep your feet high and dry from the marshy ground. At this point, it's hard to believe you're only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver - moss-covered trees tower around you, and it's wonderfully quiet, save for the sound of birds and running water. Although this was the toughest part of our hike, it was my favourite (and the least crowded). If you're up for a bit of a challenge, I'd highly recommend it.
After we crossed the canyon (on a bridge over deep, rushing glacier water that was an amazing green colour), we climbed back up the other side of the canyon. At this point, the Baden Powell trail meets up with Lynn Canyon Park and the suspension bridge. Being a holiday Monday, it was
very busy. But we got to enjoy some fresh blackberries from a farmer's booth in the parking lot, so it was worth it :)
After we made our way across the suspension bridge (still gives me butterflies), we climbed up a bit further to the Rice Lake loop. We didn't walk around the lake (just took a peek), but there is a nice easy trail around that takes under an hour.
At this point we got onto the Twin Bridges trail, which runs alongside the Seymour River. The gentle downward slope of this section was a nice break after the steep ups-and-downs of the Baden Powell trail earlier. We finally made our way back to the Pipeline Bridge entrance in just over 3 hours.
The great thing about the North Shore trails is that the trails are all inter-connected, and there are lots of points of access (many with parking), so you can adjust the length and difficulty of your route easily. For example, to cut about an hour and the heavy climbing off of the route we did, skip the Baden Powell section and park at Lynn Canyon Park. Here, cross the suspension bridge and walk up and around Rice Lake. Or, for a nice easy walk in the woods, you could park in the lot at the top of Lilloet Road and just do the loop around Rice Lake. Lots of options!
Happy hiking!