April 27, 2005

April 27, 2005

Hope to Hell's Gate, Fraser River Canyon, B.C. & return

DAY 314

 

Today was sunny and very warm. A perfect "June 18" day.

Joanne had read yesterday about the Hell's Gate Tram and decided we would go today. We started the morning with regular, daily chores, then unhitched, in preparation for spending the day exploring from Hope to Hell's Gate. The advertisement for the Hell's Gate Tram said dogs were welcome, so we took Bo along. What a big day for a little dog ! We drove through Hope, bought diesel, then headed north on Trans Canada Highway 1. Hell's gate is about 60 km. / 40 mi. north of Hope. The Trans Canada Highway leading north from Hope follows the Fraser River and its canyon, through the rugged, wild Canadian Rockies. The scenery was spectacular ! On one side of the Fraser River is the CPR rail line, built in 1885. On the other side of the Fraser is the CNR line, built in 1914. When we arrived at Hell's gate Tram we parked, then ate the picnic lunch Joanne had prepared and brought along. We boarded the tram for the trip 1000 feet down the canyon and across the Fraser River section known as Hell's Gate. The tram is the same as a gondola at a ski resort. When the CNR line was being built in 1914, the workers dynamited out a section of the mountain, creating a huge rockslide down into the river. This is what created Hell's Gate. The river is deeper and narrower here than anywhere else, so the water comes through here with immense turbulence. From the 1940's to the 1960's huge concrete fish ladders were built to allow the 2 million salmon a year that are trying to get upstream to spawn, to pass through Hell's Gate. Their inability to pass this turbulent section for 25 years almost depleted them. Once down at the lower tram station we walked around, exploring and taking photos. We crossed over the suspension bridge from one side of the Fraser River to the other, over Hell's Gate. Bo wouldn't step onto the open grate decking of the suspension bridge. I think it reminded him of the cattle grate he fell through in New Mexico. We carried him over the suspension bridge, in both directions. He was terrified ! Poor Bo. He thought we were going to fall down through the bridge to the water below. We wandered all around outside, then went inside to see an amazing, award winning film about salmon, and their spawning, called "Run, Salmon, Run". Watching films isn't exactly Bo's cup of tea. We visited the gift shop, the restaurant, the little general store, and the outdoor deck over the river. When we'd seen enough, we rode the tram back up to the upper level building at the highway.

We started driving back south towards Hope. Joanne had seen a small waterfall up on the mountain near the highway on the drive north to Hell's Gate, and we wanted to stop and see it on our way back. We saw the little waterfall, pulled over, and hiked into the forest, to the waterfall. It was a lovely place, and we decided to name it "Bo Falls". Continuing back south along the TCH 1, we stopped to take some photos of a couple of the tunnels through the mountains. There are 7 tunnels on the TCH 1 through the Rocky Mountains north of Hope. When they couldn't get the road around or over the mountain, they went through it ! We stopped again and hiked to the Alexandra Suspension Bridge, built in 1926 over the Fraser River. Another bridge with open grate decking, and again Bo wouldn't step on it. Another bridge to carry Bo over. We took more photos. The hike down the Fraser River Canyon to Alexandra Bridge was a lot easier than the hike back up. We drove back to Hope, admiring the play of the late afternoon sun light on the mountain sides.

Back at the trailer, we took Bo for an obedience training session, then I started work on the large amount of photos I shot today. While working on them, I barbecued a juicy, thick steak for supper. E-mail, accounting, journal, a bit of TV, goodnight !

DSK