June 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Hiking
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Have you ever wished you could travel through time? Well, wish no longer! While the future is still written in the stars, near Prince George you can take a trip back through time – way back.
To reach the launch pad for our epic journey throughout time, we travelled a scenic 113km east of Prince George on Highway 16, seeing moose and black bears along the way. With any luck, some of British Columbia’s magnificent wildlife will also flank your path to what has become known as “the Ancient Forest”. Inconspicuously nestled just off the highway is an ecological treasure – the world’s furthest inland rain forest, an astonishing 800km from the Pacific coast.
While I was sceptical about the existence of a rainforest just off the highway when standing in the parking lot, a rich, heavy, moisture-laden cocoon of forest air enveloped us as soon as we entered the Ancient Forest and unmistakably signified that we were indeed in a rain forest. And then you see them: the peaceful giants of the forest. These up to two thousand year old behemoths stand right next to the trail (think moderate gradients and sturdy footwear), and proudly boast their unfathomable circumference and height.
The scents and smells of the forest air are as rich as the ecological history embodied in the trees, and one follows the trail in a sense of silent amazement. When one of the brethren dies and falls, it returns its nutrients to the earth and thus its death spawns new life – allowing visitors to wander between fallen giants that are covered in and surrounded by fresh new growth.
Everything in the Ancient Forest is bigger – the trees, the ferns, and the awareness that as humans we are only privy to a snapshot of the cycle of life. As we made our way along the trail we reached Treebeard Falls, a picturesque cascade of clear, fresh water down a moderate rock face and further down the creek. After taking a little rest here and indulging in the timelessness of our surroundings, the trail took us gently back downhill and delivered us into the parking lot after a 90 minute hike.
Then, as you see the first car zip by on the highway, you know that as quickly as the cocoon of damp forest air recoiled when you left the Ancient Forest, you have arrived back in a different world in which time is measured in minutes, and minutes are considered precious. No longer are you in a world that counts time in centuries and millennia, and you can’t help but think that for the brethren of the Ancient Forest, your visit has come and gone in the blink of an eye.
So if you find yourself in the area, do be sure to make the time to visit these peaceful giants. By raising awareness of their ecological history and significance we can make sure that these behemoths, which have been around far longer than any one human, will have the opportunity to grace many more generations with their presence.
June 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Parks
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Connaught Hill Park is the highest point in the downtown Prince George area and offers visitors a pleasant 360-degree panorama of the downtown area. In the summer, the park bursts into bloom with well-manicured flower beds and is always a popular spot with visitors. I visited with some guests from overseas and they enjoyed the opportunity to take a stroll amid the flowers and take in the panorama of Prince George without having to leave the downtown area. Whether you go for 10 minutes or an hour, Connaught Hill Park makes for a nice stroll and a great photo opportunity.
Roam plenty and roam safely,
Your Traveller13
Photo credit: Flickr
June 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Whistler, Ziplining & Bungee Jumping
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Whistler offers once-in-a-lifetime chances to go ziptrekking with Ziptrek Ecotours. Experience the exhilaration of flying over a forest while being suspended high above the tumbling white-water river dividing Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Was truly, truly amazing. Take a look at this video from a UK visitor!
June 08, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince Rupert, Bear Watching
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Cruising a steady 24 knots, the bright yellow catamaran sped northwards in search of both the legendary grizzly bear and the majestic orca whales. Beads of rainwater streaked across the window, while heavy clouds broke over the piercing Coastal Mountains. This is the North Coast, one of the last few places on earth where grizzlies can be observed in the wild without compromising feeding, mating or behavioral patterns.
Encompassing a 44,300 hectare area of coastal western hemlock, old-growth cedars and rich salmon-bearing streams, the lush Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary was set aside for conservation in 1994 after a UN survey conducted here found an especially healthy and robust population of bears. With a massive range of anywhere between 70 to 200 square kilometers, imagining such a density of bears could only mean two things: access to both ample salmon stocks and plenty of sedge grass.
It was in this particular patch of sedge grass that I realized that these specimens were no more than spoiled-rotten kings of the forest. Munching away contently of a buffet of green, a rather large male glanced over at us quietly snapping photos from the railings. His coat soaked from the rain, he could not have appeared much happier while he dined on the protein-laden plant. When the salmon aren’t around, these bears can eat up to as much as 60 pounds of sedge grass a day. For other foods, these omnivores roam around the park’s three ecosystems – coastal western hemlock, mountain hemlock and alpine tundra consuming small rodents, clams, berries and other mammals along the way. A cough from the silenced crowd rolls the bear from his side, peering dumbfounded through the rain. His button nose twitching at us, he lumbers across the shoreline digging about for other things to eat. His reserved nature and regal entitlements signaled to me that humans are not a threat to these bears, provided everyone kept quiet and stayed on board – which we did!
The shrill cry from an eagle echoes across the inlet, promising excellent glimpses of the famed raptor. Earlier, dorsal fins of the orca sliced through the gray water as harp seals looked on from the rocks, soaking up what sun they can. Overall, a perfect day on the water: a total of four grizzlies, a small pod of orcas, a humpback whale, some seals and a half-dozen eagles rewarded eager sea-life enthusiasts on this beautiful day in June. Coming soon – more whales in August and September when the long-awaited salmon returns, transforming the area into a jungle of feeding frenzy.
Check in with Normand at the Prince Rupert Adventure Tours for tour and wildlife information. The company is a reputable guiding operation with enforced maritime conservation guidelines. The company offers affordable 2 hour to 6 hour tours for families, couples and backpackers alike all having a pretty good chance of seeing something.
June 08, 2010 | Tips from Us >
West Vancouver, Hiking
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The snow line is dropping, which means hiking season on the coast has begun. First hike of the year for me was up to Eagle Ridge bluffs in West Vancouver. The trailhead is in Nelson Canyon Park (take Exit 4 to Westport Rd).
The route starts by following the TransCanada Trail, but then branches off to the Whyte Lake Trail. Whyte Lake itself is small, but has an awesome log barge that will be put to good use in summer. We stopped to chat with a family fishing for trout in the lake (they'd caught three).
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the outhouse. Why? Because it’s swanky (or as swanky as an outhouse can be). It’s like a mini log cabin. A must-use.
Whyte Lake Trail hooks up with the Baden Powell Trail, which leads to Eagle Ridge bluffs. It was windy up top, so we had a quick lunch (which was eyed quite carefully by the resident raven), and then headed back down.
Total time for the trip was 5 hours (3 up, 2 down), and most of the route is in the woods. The forest floor was thick with ferns, mossy trees stretched overload, and fallen trees or man-made boardwalks crossed over streams. One huge boulder field mid-route and the bluffs themselves add an element of scrambling.
After the trip, my hiking partner and I commented on the number of families out on the trail – so cool! It's great to see kids out enjoying nature, especially nature in their own backyard.
June 08, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Kelowna, Boating & Sailing
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During a trip through the Thompson Okanagan in British Columbia,
I took the jet boat for a rip on Lake Okanagan. It's a great summer
time place to go boating and make a splash!
June 08, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Museums
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Recently I visited the Railway and Forestry Museum in Prince George. Located only a few minutes from downtown (and appropriately right by the railyards!), it makes for a great excursion on a nice day.
I started by looking around the exhibits in the main building, and then proceeded to the outdoor area. There, you can visit a great number of different locomotives, railway vehicles, and train cars (including exotic ones such as the Royal Car that carried Prince Charles and Lady Diana on their travels in Canada). The forestry aspect of the museum should also not be missed, with a great variety of equipment on display.
The outdoor area is quite large and does not feel crowded even on a busy day, and for kids there is a miniature train that runs around the perimeter (including through a decommissioned beehive burner), leaving from the miniature train station at the main building.
Overall it's a fun place to visit, especially for those with kids or with a general interest in trains and forestry.
Roam plenty and roam safely!
Your Traveller13
June 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Revelstoke, Hiking
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Just outside of Revelstoke I had the great pleasure of hiking in the "Meadows in the Sky". A scenic parkway winds its way up from Highway 1 to Balsam Lake, scaling a vertical distance of over 1000m on the way. When we visited (during the height of summer), we could already see the different flowers in bloom along the road as we drove further up the mountain.
Once at the top we visited the "Icebox" (a spot that is shaded in such a way that snow persists year-round), and then began hiking. It was quite extraordinary to see the alpine meadows explode into bloom during their short growing season.
On a clear day the views down into the valley are spectacular, and we took a moderately strenous hike to an alpine lake. Those brave enough can jump in for a dip, but most people just take the opportunity to breathe the clear mountain air, relax for a moment, and take in the spectacular surroundings. The beauty of the Meadows in the Sky is fleeting, so if you find yourself in the Revelstoke area in July or August, I highly recommend taking a hike in this alpine flower garden.
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June 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Parks
Have you ever wanted to gain an overview of Canada's diverse flora without having to travel through the entire country? Now you can! Goodsir Nature Park, located just north of Prince George, offers you the opportunity to experience over 200 kinds of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers from all over the country - all within about 3kms of nature trails.
The park was designed and developed by Jim Good, who has had a lifelong interest in trees and flowers and developed the park on his own property. When we arrived, we were greeted by Jim himself, who first showed us around his plant museum.
Covered floor to ceiling (no exaggeration) with exhibits and pictures, this small museum was a great introduction to the various ecological zones and biological diversity of Canada. We then went on a guided tour of the park, seeing all kinds of trees, shrubs and flowers on our way. During the summer the view changes almost daily as different flowers bloom, and with a bit of luck one might also see bears, moose or deer along the way. And for those interested, the park also includes a small gift shop where one can purchase recordings of the natural environment or beautiful photographs of the plants in the park.
Goodsir Nature Park is a quite unique experience, and anyone interested in flowers and trees would most certainly enjoy a visit there.
June 07, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Sightseeing Tours
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Last Saturday my girlfriend and I packed up the Volkswagen and headed to Prince George for the day, a trip I had made 1000's of times before but this trip however turned out to be a little special.
We left Smithers at 6am so we could have plenty of time in the city before returning the same day. We arrived just before 10 am without experiencing anything out of the ordinary, like clock work we passed through Telkwa, Houston, Burns Lake, the Fraser Lakes and Vanderhoof, everything like it usually was. We spent the day in PG but like all things in life its never the destination but always the journey.
We headed out of the city at 6pm and began the 368 km journey home again. For those of you who aren't from the north as the sunlight begins to fade and you are staring at the beautiful sunset your eyes really should be on the sides of the road...
One owl, one bald eagle, one hawk, 8 deer, one bull moose and one mother black bear with a massive litter of cubs... WOW! If you have ever driven into Smithers at sunset you know how beautiful it is to see the sun at the peak of Hudson Bay Mountain, but after starting to see all the wildlife the sunset was the last thing on my mind.
So for those of you who are planning a trip up north remember that the views on the side of the road can be just as spectacular as those of the sun setting over the firey orange mountain tops...