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Trans
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BRITISH COLUMBIA / Southern
Route (5) I am the
Yellowhead Thompson
Nicola Regional District The
communities of Blue River, Avola, Vavenby,
Clearwater, Little Fort, Barriere, McLure, Bridge
Lake, and Rayleigh are on the route south,
following the North Thompson River, a major
tributary of the Fraser. It is "Nature's Highway"
for spawning Chinook, Coho, Sockeye and Pink
salmon, as they battle the current, arriving by the
millions. Mountain Whitefish, Dolly Varden, Rainbo,
and Steelhead attract anglers from across North
America and beyond. The river's drainage area
encompasses over 50,000-sq. km. Recently the
Thompson-Nicola Regional District produced an Award
Winning brochure that's available free and features
tourism and economic profiles of all population
centres in the district. One of the first such
communities heading south on the Trans Canada
Yellowhead Highway is Blue River, situated at the
edge of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Trans
Canada Yellowhea.d Highway parallels the Thompson
River system all the way via Kamloops to Hope where
it meets with the Fraser. Blue
River Jewel of the
Yellowhead. The picturesque town of Blue River is
located near Wells Grey Provincial Park, at the
North Thompson Valley's most northerly point.
Recreational opportunities abound here in one of
the world's most pristine natural environments, as
the Blue River community is surrounded by a
wilderness backcountry of lakes, rivers, streams,
forests and mountain majesty. Small wonder so many
travellers love to stop here, take a roll of photos
and smell the flowers. Clearwater Gateway to
Wells Gray Provincial Park. Clearwater, once mainly
a forestry community, is gaining its rightful place
as a hub for eco and adventure tourism, appealing
to travelers from around the world who seek a true
wilderness experience. The name "Clear Water
"&endash; is an apt description for the river,
which flows through the town. Many make Blue River
as their base for trips to Wells Grey Provincial
Park, with its spectacular Helmcken Falls and many
other natural attractions. Barriere The
community of Barriere is less than one hour's drive
from Kamloops at the North Thompson River Valley's
southern extremity. Apart from its magnificent
scenery and many outdoor attractions, Barriere's
leadership has put a strong focus on attracting new
business enterprises thanks to its quality of life.
While relatively small, it has the amenities of a
much larger centre, in terms of services and
shopping. Kamloops "Where the
waters meet " ( Tk'emlups -) is what the Shuswap
people called Kamloops, which was a First Nations
gathering place for centuries, as illustrated at
the Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park. The North
and South Thompson, are a natural setting for
amenities galore, including hikes, biking,
horseback riding, water sports and river cruises.
Did you mention fishing? Most avid anglers speak
with awe about the legendary Kamloops trout.
Kamloops Wildlife Park is world-class, featuring 65
species of animals, and Kenna Cartwright Park is
one of Canada's largest municipal parks in Canada.
Five 18-hole championship courses attract leading
names from the world of golf. Sun Peaks Four-Season
Resort continues to attract skiers and lovers of
winter sports. Hub of
Activity: Kamloops traditional "crossroads"
position was further enhanced by the fur trade, and
later when the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived,
running a set of tracks down the centre of main
street. To salute that glorious era, a 2141 Steam
Locomotive is on display. Rocky Mountaineer Rail
Tours spends the night here, unloading upscale
tourists from the USA, Japan and Europe. The Trans
Canada Yellowhead Highway's route (5) via
Coquihalla Pass is a recent spoke in Kamloops'
wheel as a transportation hub. Destination resorts
and high adventure tourism in the Thompson Nicola
region have blossomed, thanks to great highway and
railway connections, plus enhanced airport
services. Ranching
began here with a flourish, making Kamloops the
heart of the BC's cattle industry. The conditions
were ideal - sunshine, nourishing grasslands and
plenty of water from the area's 200 lakes and clear
running rivers. In recent years the Kamloops Cattle
Drive has drawn participants from near and far. Did
you know that Douglas Lake Ranch, an area
attraction, is the largest working cattle ranch in
Canada? The Downtown Farmers Market offers a
colourful array of fresh local produce and
handicrafts. Another site to check out is the Rocky
Mountain Rangers Military Museum. Kamloops is home
of the University College of the Cariboo, with its
Applied Industrial Technology centre. For cultural
activities, visitors will enjoy the Western Canada
Theatre, Kamloops Art Gallery and a variety of
other venues. Forestry is still a main pillar of
the local economy. Spirit of
Enterprise: There must be something special in the
air, drinking water or soil of Kamloops," my
colleague commented, "Three friends and a cousin
moved here for a career change decades ago, sank
their roots, and never left. All became highly
successful in separate endeavours. My family will
never forget our great decade of travel fun in and
around Kamloops and the Shuswap Lakes." Adams River
Salmon Run One of the
High Country most amazing spectacles occurs on the
Adams River near Chase, with the world's most
productive sockeye salmon run. Merritt Country
Music Capital. The Merritt Mountain Music Festival
has paid off year after year with a string of
successful venues, and putting the town on the map.
Surrounding Merritt are endless grasslands that
have made the town a prime ranching centre. Located
in the Nicola Valley, Merritt's trading area
embraces Quilchena, Douglas Lake, Aspen Grove,
Lower and Upper Nicola Lakes, Monck and
Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Parks. The Nicola
Valley Pro Rodeo and Fall Fair is held every
September on Labour Day weekend. Sports and outdoor
enthusiasts will enjoy fishing, hiking,
cross-country skiing, baseball, hockey, and
horseback riding and cycling. Merritt is home of
the University College of the Cariboo's Nicola
Valley Institute of Technology. Hope Remember the
rugged countryside where Rambo (Sylvester Stallone)
led the law on a merry chase up and down the
mountain slopes, between crevices and intimidating
rock faces. That action movie was filmed in Hope
and vicinity. What an ideal setting - the
snowcapped Cascade Mountains, the mighty Fraser
River flowing by, still bursting with energy from
its trip through Fraser Canyon. Close to Hope, are
the five Othello or Quintette Tunnels. Now a
popular historic site, the railway tunnels were
designed to bypass the Coquihalla Canyon. The
trestles have been converted to walkways in what is
now a provincial park. Hope was once a hub of the
Kettle Valley Railroad &endash; whose route has
become a favourite trip for hikers and railroad
buffs. From Hope, you can visit Bridal Veil Falls -
in the other direction is Hell's Gate with its
popular Sky Tram Speaking of
action, one can fish, hike, rent a mountain bike or
skis, try their luck at panning gold, enjoy rock
climbing, hang gliding, golfing, and white-water
rafting. Hope has many attractions including
chain-saw wood sculptures, an historic railway
station, arts gallery and museum. Except at peak
tourism season, there's an abundance of reasonably
priced hotels, and motels for an overnight stay or
a longer vacation. From Hope,
it's a pleasant drive through the Fraser Valley to
Vancouver, Canada's third largest city, and an hour
north of the United States border. For those going
on to the USA, the border crossing at Sumas,
Washington is about 3 hours drive from Seattle.
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From
my crossroads high in the Rocky Mountains of
eastern British Columbia I reach the Pacific Ocean
via two scenic, but separate routes. I was here (as
a trail) at the hamlet of Tete Jaune Cache, near
Mount Robson, when fur traders, voyageurs and
explorers came west, opening new horizons. I was
here when surveyors toiled against the clock and
oncoming winter, as coolies from faraway China
arrived to lay tracks for the railways and stayed
to create a Garden of Eden in the Fraser Valley's
fertile soil. Heading south from the junction I
parallel Wells Gray Provincial Park. Known as "the
Waterfall Park," it is a 5,000 sq. km wilderness
area with waterfalls, wildflower trails, ski trails
and lakes for kayaks and canoeing. Its spectacular
Helmcken Falls are the fourth highest in Canada and
its five wilderness lakes fulfill your dreams of
canoeing in a most beautiful mountain setting.
Imagine the scene- just turn on the soft music of
ripples on the lake, or Chopin's Waltz of the
Flowers.