June 24, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Hiking
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Its truly amazing to acknowledge how easy it is to jump in the vehicle and drive 30 minutes through switchbacks, trees, and mountainous terrain, ending up nearly above the clouds. Smithers B.C. is my hometown and the possibilities in the "Super Natural" outdoors that I call home are close to endless.
It was a clear and warm Monday this week and I was curious about the conditions on the Crater Lake hiking trail. I work at the Smithers Visitor Info Centre and I took the initiative to check it out on my day off. I wanted to know the conditions so my advice to the tourists was accurate. My girlfriend and I made way for the alpine valley.
Not even 20 minutes into our hike we ran into some tourists from Victoria B.C. who appeared to be lost. They just so happened to pull out their Crater Lake pamphlet and asked about the hike. It was the perfect opportunity to give them advice and also have them follow behind us. They were so happy to have ran into us up there.
As we walked passed the tree line we decided to stop for a break and eat some lunch. We had a great conversation and the tourists also had a pair of binoculars to gaze the view with. The hike was a bit pre-season but nonetheless it was well worth it. It also made me proud to have provided the guests from Victoria with my local knowledge of the area.
As we made it to Crater Lake the tourists commented with "This is definitely the highlight of our trip" and they thanked us kindly. Locals are the ambassadors of their towns and my girlfriend and I are lucky to be from a place where we can make visitors love the area we live in.
[Editor's note: Learn more about hiking in Smithers
here.]