Bella Coola - Chilcotin Plateau

Months, if not years, could be spent roaming around between Williams Lake and Bella Coola in British Columbia.  The area in between makes up the Chilcotin Plateau which could keep one busy for many months without ever getting to the end of the road.  Having been to this area before I knew I'd be going back after my last visit a few years ago.  It's an outdoor mecca with scenic views, glaciers, photo opportunities, great hiking, fishing, climbing, canoeing, wildlife (black/grizzly bear, wolf, cougar, eagle & moose can be found) and most importantly, few people. Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is in the valley and offers 2.5 million acres of true wilderness.  Due west of Williams Lake, the Bella Coola valley is a 284-mile one-way drive to where the road ends at the coast.  About 50 of these miles are dirt and take you over Heckman Pass which has a 15% grade in places, numerous switchbacks, and steep drops. Kind of road where you pay attention to what you're doing. No road access was available until 1953 when some of the local residents put the road in without government help.  Will probably never be paved as the grade would be too steep with pavement.  Little ice or frost on a paved surface with this grade and you'd play hell getting something stopped. Locals say that in the winter they can rough the road up with a grader which allows one to drive over it even if it's covered in ice. Once you drive this road you'll appreciate the effort that went into its construction.  My main reason for coming back up here, other than the sheer beauty of the area, was to photograph Grizzly Bears. During the fall Salmon run the bears congregate on the Atnarko river to fatten up for the winter.  With a little patience, bear viewing is almost guaranteed this time of the year.

Crossing the Fraser River just west of Williams Lake.

Quick stop at an old cemetery on a First Nation Reservation.

Fraser River.

Drone shot of the road leading to Heckman Pass.

The Chilcotin Plateau and Bella Coola Valley is literally crawling with bears.  One needs to keep their head on a swivel when in certain areas.  I had a sow with a cub walk within 20 feet of me before realizing she was there.   Vigilance, common sense, and as a last resort, bear spray, are some things you want to bring with you.  I love to watch Grizzlies do what bears do in their natural surroundings.  I would get on the river at daybreak and many days, not leave till dark.  If you're into viewing & photographing bears it's pretty good here.

 Sow with cub feeding on salmon.

 Boar male.

 

Big Boar male who was missing his left ear.

There aren't many side roads you can take once over the pass and into the Bella Coola Valley.  The ones that are there are more suited to a four-wheel drive, which the Chinook is not.  Not being the sharpest tack in the box I attempted to take the Chinook a couple of places I shouldn't have.  A road leading up to one of the waterfalls is about 15 miles in.  As I'm sitting looking at the sign around the 12-mile mark I'm telling myself this is not a good idea.   I even got out and walked it and as I'm walking back to the rig was telling myself not to try it.  I didn't listen and got after it.  I didn't make it.  Halfway up one of the steeper sections things went south and I began to spin which brought me to a quick standstill.  I ended up backing up for almost a mile before being able to turn around.  Note to self..... a class B van, minus four-wheel drive, is not suited for off road travel.  I'm going to end up turning the Chinook into a piece of junk if I keep taking it off-road.   The backing up part was not fun.

Got a couple of drone shots near camp that night. Bella Coola River in the background.

 View in the Bella Coola Valley.

 Floaters on the Atnarko River.

 Bouldering in the valley.

Many hiking opportunities.

Ended up spending four days in the valley before climbing back over the pass to the Chilcotin Plateau where I drove back into Choelquoit and Chilko Lake in Nemiah Valley. More bears, wildlife, and scenery.  Heard wolves at night but no sightings.

Choelquoit Lake 

Looking for pavement before the approaching storm hits.

 Petey running cows off the road. These trips couldn't be completed without Petey!

Camp for the night.

I had planned to do a loop back in Nemiah Valley as I'd been in here before but the road I was looking for washed out and was impassable.  Only way back out was the way I'd come in.  Getting dark, I pulled into a wilderness lodge to inquire about another option and ended up staying the night.  I met Hans and his girlfriend who were both from Switzerland.  They cater to Europeans coming over looking for a rustic wilderness experience.  A small area for camping, rustic cabins and a small community lodge/kitchen.  Everything on solar power.  He offers horseback trips into the backcountry along with boat tours of Chilko Lake and river. Was fun to stay overnight and have breakfast with the group the following morning.  Hans was looking after a ranch on the Chilko River not far from his place and let me have access to see some more, you guessed it, Grizzlies.

 Hans and his girlfriend preparing breakfast.

Group feed.

Was another great "roam about" in a beautiful area.  The area even puts a smile on Han's pig!

  

Northwestern Washington

Cape Flattery

I've been idle for awhile with the roaming about but Friday night we decided to load up the Chinook and leave within the hour for the northwesternmost point in the continental United States, Cape Flattery. The cape is located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca where it meets the Pacific Ocean.  It is a vast headland of sea stacks, deep narrow coves, and rugged beauty.  With the late departure, we didn't make our final destination and opted to do a little boondock camping on a forest service road that provided access to a tree farm of some sort.  The gate was unlocked so we drove in about a mile or so and found a flat spot down a side road leading back in the trees.  Little bit of a scare the following morning as I heard a truck coming in and went by us out on the main gravel road.  I could see the markings on the truck and it was a government vehicle.  My first thought was, I hope like hell he didn't lock that gate.  Thirty minutes later as I roll up on the gate it's pulled across the road.  Uh oh, this is not good.  Luckily he'd closed it but didn't lock it. Could have been a long day trying to get out of there because the road going back in the direction we'd come was really not suited for the Chinook. 

A full moon was rising once we stopped so I set up the tripod and took a few shots before calling it a night.

   View from the point looking out at Tatoosh Island.  Has a decommissioned lighthouse on it that was built in 1854.  The island was named after a chief of the Makah Tribe, Chief Tatooche.

Second night out the camping spot we ended up taking didn't provide the solitude of our first night camp.  The Makah Indian Tribe owns the land along the coast here and boondock camping is sparse and heavily frowned upon by the Makah tribe.  We ended staying in one of their campgrounds which consist of a huge field that you simply drive in, pick a level spot and call it good.  $20 per night but they do provide showers and restrooms.  It was crowded as the weather along the coast was exceptionally good which brought out the campers and surfers.  I normally detest staying in places like this but it wasn't all that bad for one night.  We strolled around looking at all the different rigs, hiked the campground beach and later that afternoon hiked the trail going to Shi Shi Beach.

Petey making new friends.

 Hike to Shi Shi Beach.

Following day we were up early and heading back down the coast.  Plan was to drive back home but a wrong turn somewhere and we were headed further south down the coastline so what the hell......we'll stay out one more night and do some exploring and hiking before finding another spot to camp. 

We drove into Lake Quinault looking for a spot to camp and ended up staying in one of their established campgrounds.  A small campground located directly on the lake with numerous hiking trails nearby.  Hung out, did some more hiking and had an expensive pizza from the general store that night.  The lodge on the lake is worth checking out.  It was built in 1926 and is located within the Olympic National Park. Lots of old photographs and historic writings about the area can be viewed in the lodge.  Franklin Roosevelt stayed here in the early 30's.

Historic Quinault Lodge

Large chess set in the lodge lobby.

Beach area at the lodge.

Petey getting in some backroad exploration.

Great swimming spot off one of the many trails.

If you haven't been out to this area it is worth checking out.  I'm sure we'll be back as there is just so much to see out on the Olympic Peninsula.  I'll be headed up to Bella Coola in British Columbia the first two weeks in Sept.  Hopefully, to run into lots of grizzlies as they'll be feeding on the Salmon run soon.