Partially sunny, mild temperature, a few minutes of rain mid-afternoon.
This morning we went for a walk around the Burns Lake municipal park adjacent to the municipal campground, and I did an exercise session utilizing the fitness machines around the park's perimeter trail. We left the campground, drove to the nearby municipal sani-dump station, emptied our grey and black waste holding tanks, and refilled with freshwater. We went to the Visitor Information Centre and I used their free Wi-Fi to finish posting my weekly journal to my blog. We left Burns Lake around noon. Thank you very much, town of Burns Lake.
We headed north out of town on Babine Lake Road, intending to check out another few Forest Service remote wilderness campgrounds. Our first stop was Division Lake Forest Service Recreation Site. T'was okay ... small campground, some campers there. Next was Pinkut Lake Forest Service Recreation Site. We liked Pinkut Lake and will probably return to camp there tomorrow night. Last stop, and our destination for today, was Augier Lake Forest Service Recreation Site. There was only one other camper at Augier Lake and they were at the far end of the campground. We selected a secluded lakeshore site and settled in. What a lovely place !
After we went for a long, leisurely walk around the remote wilderness campground
I tossed a fishing line into the lake, and prepared a campfire. HEY ... caught two Rainbow Trout ! WOO-HOO ... supper for tomorrow ! While Joanne prepared a salad, mashed potatoes, and sautéed Morel mushrooms inside the camper I grilled two marinated steaks over the campfire. The lovely taste of the Morel mushrooms did not come through as well when they were mixed with mashed potatoes as they did when mixed into a creamy pasta dish. Oh, well ... live and learn !
Joanne went for a leisurely, solitary walk along the shoreline / beach. She tripped.
< stifling a snicker > Fell in the lake ! < snickering > What can I say ? !
Monday ; Augier Lake to Pinkut Lake FSRS
Overcast, windy, cold.
Caught another Rainbow Trout in Augier Lake this morning, a bit larger than yesterday's two fish. We left the Augier Lake Forest Service Recreation Site remote wilderness campground this morning and travelled fifteen km. back to Pinkut Lake Forest Service Recreation Site remote wilderness campground. There was one other camper there, at the opposite end of the campground from where we selected a site. We had lunch,
I napped, then went outside to fish. Joanne, Ozzie, and Emma all opted to stay inside the camper, with the catalytic infrared heater on ! I did a bit of preventive maintenance on the truck. I certainly am eager for the arrival of the remaining valve extender products I ordered from Amazon quite awhile ago.
Caught a Rainbow Trout in Pinkut Lake. Oh, boy ... four fish equals two suppers. Two fish for tonight and two into the freezer.
Late in the afternoon we went for a hike in the woods. BRRRRR ... too cold ! I lit a campfire and while Joanne prepared a salad and Teriyaki noodle side dish I butterflied, seasoned and grilled two Rainbow Trout over the campfire. Very good ! Had never prepared them that way before. After supper we sat briefly around the campfire, but ... BRRRRR ... too cold to stay outside, even with a fire.
Saw a bear as we drove from Augier Lake to Pinkut Lake this morning.
Tuesday ; Pinkut Lake to Ootsa Lake
Sunny and mild for most of the day, cloudy and cool with intermittent drizzle in the evening.
Caught another Rainbow Trout in Pinkut Lake this morning.
Left Pinkut Lake Forest Service Recreation Site this morning and drove back on Augier Lake Road and Babine Lake Road to the town of Burns Lake ... again ! We certainly are getting our money's worth out of the town of Burns Lake. HA HA HA ! And we'll back again in another couple of days for even more free services !
When we arrived at the municipal sani-dump station there was a motorhome parked at the dump. The ( American ) owner was gone shopping at the nearby home building supply store. I was livid ! And when he returned ... I told him what an inconsiderate asshole I thought he was. And yes, yes ... I used those exact words. I was even more indignant when he was leaving and I noticed the Escapees ( RV Club ) decal on his rig. Yeah ... way to embody the club's credo of "caring and sharing" ... asshole !
We dumped our grey and black waste holding tanks, and refilled with freshwater. We drove over to the Visitor Information Centre and I once again used their free Wi-Fi to check e-mail. We drove to the car wash in town that had one bay with a very tall door to allow entry to logging trucks, and washed the truck and camper. YUCK ! We drove to the municipal park, and walked with Ozzie around the perimeter path with all the fitness machines, and I did an exercise session. We went inside the camper and had a late lunch.
After lunch we were just getting ready to depart for Prince George when Joanne announced that ... on impulse ... she decided she wanted to go and see Ootsa Lake, and its free campground offered by Rio Tinto, which I think is an aluminum mining company operating in Northern BC. They operate a power generating station where Ootsa Lake dumps into the Nechako River. The power generating station was developed by Alcan ( predecessor to Rio Tinto ? ) in 1952, to provide electricity to their aluminum smelter at Kitimat. Well ... if she can go see Ootsa Lake, then I want to see Takysie Lake, on the way to Ootsa Lake. Okay ... deal struck !
We headed south on Hwy. 35 to Francois Lake, then took the free ferry across Francois Lake to Southbank ... on the southern shore of Francois Lake. We continued south until we found the Takysie Lake Forest Service Recreation Site. Very nice ! I want to spend tomorrow there. We continued south until we found our way to the Ootsa Lake / Nechako Reservoir Spillway ( power generating station ). There was a very nice ... and free ... campground there, many sites along the lake's edge, and some further back in the forest. A couple of water spigots. Lots of free firewood. WOO-HOO !
We chose a secluded site back in the woods. Joanne took Ozzie for an off leash walk, and to bring some firewood back to our site. On their way back, Ozzie thought the empty site next to ours was where we had parked. He rushed into the campsite ahead of Joanne, and then was very upset because he thought that I had driven away with the camper, leaving him and Joanne behind. Poor Ozzie ! Dog logic !
I chopped firewood, loaded enough into the truck for tomorrow night's campfire, lit a campfire, then cooked chicken legs and vegetables in foil over the fire. We sat around the campfire for awhile after supper, but by 8:30 PM were feeling too cold to remain outdoors. I "made" a "hot rock" for Joanne to warm her cold hands. Then brought another one inside the camper and put it in Emma's bed. She didn't seem impressed.
How nice to be able to do hard work like chopping firewood without suffering angina pain.
Wednesday ; Ootsa Lake to Takysie Lake FSRS
Mix of sun and clouds, cool, windy.
This morning we refilled our freshwater tank at the Rio Tinto campground on Ootsa Lake, then departed. We drove west along the shoreline of Ootsa Lake until we found the Ootsa Landing Forest Service Recreation Site and checked it out. We drove south back towards Francois Lake until we reached Takysie Lake Forest Service Recreation Site, our destination for today. We had lunch, then I napped with Ozzie. After napping
I walked down to the dock on the lake and fished for a few hours. I caught four very nice Rainbow Trout, and lost a few others as I tried to lift them out of the lake and onto the dock. HMPH ... should have used a net ! For two of the three hours that I was fishing, the fish seemed very interested in feeding. Then, suddenly ... POOF ... they were gone, or not hungry any more.
On this trip I have been trying something different in my "harvesting" of fish. I have been immediately killing, gutting, and cleaning the fish I have caught, in the lake, at the water's edge, and tossing the offal out into the lake. Today as I was lying over the edge of the dock, cleaning the last, and nicest, Rainbow Trout that I caught ... < sigh > ...
I dropped it into the lake just as I was finished cleaning it. I lunged for it, plunging my arm into the water up to my shoulder, but ... I failed to grab it ! DARN !
I lit a campfire. Joanne made a couple of foil wrapped packages of a meat loaf type dish, with vegetables, and I cooked them over the campfire. We ate our salads outside at the picnic table, but it was too cold and windy, so we ate the rest of supper inside the camper. And it seemed too cold and windy to return to the campfire after supper. BRRRRR !
This entire trip has been too cold !
Thursday ; Takysie Lake to Burns Lake to Prince George
Mix of sun and clouds, occasional light rain, mild temperature.
Today was mostly a day of "urban" chores, and driving. Late this morning we left the Takysie Lake Forest Service remote wilderness campground and drove north back to the town of Burns Lake, including crossing Francois Lake from the south side to the north side on the free ferry. As we arrived at the Francois Lake south side ferry terminal, and pulled up to the back of the line in vehicle lane 2, lane 1 was already loading onto the ferry. Good timing ! Saw a small Brown Bear as we were driving, probably a yearling.
First stop in Burns Lake was the municipal sani-dump station to dump our black and grey waste holding tanks, and refill the freshwater tank. Then to the adjacent home building supplies store to refill a propane tank ... again. We blew through that tank of propane pretty quickly, using the catalytic infrared heater as much as we have been !
I dropped Joanne off at the grocery store to buy groceries, and I drove to the Visitor Information Centre to use their free Wi-Fi to check e-mail, to drop off a book at their free book exchange, and to return some phone calls. When I was done there I returned to the grocery store and helped Joanne finish the grocery shopping.
While Joanne prepared a very late lunch for us in the camper parked in the grocery store parking lot I took our five gallon water jug to be refilled at a nearby water refill business. After lunch we drove to the car wash and washed the truck ... again. Last stop in town was the BG Fuel Bar to refill the truck with diesel.
We left Burns Lake around 4:30 PM heading east on Yellowhead Hwy. 16. We arrived in Prince George about three hours later. We stopped at the shopping mall area on the west side of town and shopped at Dollarama for groceries and supplies, then I went to Canadian Tire to buy some fishing floats. We pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot and Joanne made supper while I worked on the computer in the camper, using the nearby McDonald's free Wi-Fi signal which reached our camper in the parking lot. After supper Joanne went into Wal-Mart to do more grocery and supplies shopping.
When she was finished Wal-Martin' we left the Wal-Mart parking lot and drove to the casino at the junction of Yellowhead Hwy. 16 ( east / west ) and Hwy. 97
( north / south ) where we had planned to boondock overnight ... as we have done before. When we arrived at the casino we discovered ... HMPH ... overnight RV parking is no longer allowed. So ... HMPH ... we drove back to Wal-Mart and spent the night parked in their parking lot. Along with MANY other RV's. Despite the "no RV overnight parking" signage. It was obvious from the contents of the parking lots that the casino is enforcing that rule and Wal-Mart is not. Thank you, Wal-Mart.
Friday ; Prince George to LaSalle Lake FSRS
Mostly sunny, mild, a few drops of rain around suppertime.
This morning we left the Prince George Wal-Mart parking lot and drove to Superstore.
I refilled the truck with diesel at the Superstore Fuel Bar, then we went inside the store to replenish groceries. After grocery shopping we went back to the Wal-Mart shopping mall area and had lunch at McDonald's. Because ... Joanne was adamant that we use up some McDonald's coupons that we had that expired today ... < rolling my eyes >.
After lunch we refilled the camper's freshwater tank at a Husky service station then headed east on Yellowhead Hwy. 16 which crosses right through downtown Prince George. Once downtown we found our way to Surplus Herby's where I wanted to shop for three items. HMPH ... only got one of the three. And the Prince George Surplus Herby's was nowhere near as much fun as the Williams Lake store. From Surplus Herby's we continued east through and out of town on Yellowhead Hwy. 16.
Saw a large, muscular looking Brown Bear on the side of the road. We did a U-turn to go back and take a second look at it, unsure of whether it was a large Brown Bear, or a Grizzly. We checked out Willow River North Forest Service Recreation Site and Purden Lake Provincial Park. We stopped at a roadside rest area beside a fast flowing small river, name unknown, and I fly fished for about half an hour. We stopped for the night at LaSalle Lake Forest Service Recreation Site. We are now at the western edge of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
LaSalle Lake remote wilderness campground is apparently not remote enough ! There were about a dozen campsites, and most were occupied, including one very loud family with children, generator, and chain saw. Ah, yes ... the weekend is upon us ! We settled into a site, I lit a campfire, and cooked supper over it. After supper we went for a leisurely walk with Ozzie around the campground loop. This Forest Service "remote wilderness campground" was more "upscale" than most, more like a provincial park campground quality.
Saturday ; LaSalle Lake to Yellowjacket Creek FSRS on Kinbasket Lake
Sunny and mild. Well ! It's about time !
Saw a young moose, and a young deer while driving today.
Late this morning we left LaSalle Lake "remote wilderness" campground ... just in time. Multiple noisy families with many children and uncontrolled large dogs were arriving. We continued eastbound on Yellowhead Hwy. 16. We checked out multiple rest areas located on small rivers that looked like they would be ideal for fly fishing in a couple of months, but right now the rivers are running too fast and high.
We stopped in the small village of McBride, a quaint, old, railroad town. The impressive train station is still functioning, and houses the Visitor Information Centre. When I went into the Visitor Information Centre to ask where could I find a water spigot to refill our freshwater tank I was directed to a water faucet on the front of the train station building. HA HA HA ... how convenient. After refilling the water tank, and chatting with some tourists from Trinidad who were waiting for the arrival of the Via Rail passenger train ... they were taking the train to nearby Jasper, Alberta ... we ate lunch in the camper, parked at the municipal park across the street from the train station.
We continued east on Yellowhead Hwy. 16. We checked out the Forest Service Recreation Site at Beaver River Falls. It was completely filled with members of a whitewater rafting club on a weekend outing. We continued east on Yellowhead Hwy. 16 until we reached Tete Jaune Cache where we turned south onto Hwy. 5 and crossed the mighty Fraser River. At Valemount we stopped at the Visitor Information Centre and I used their free Wi-Fi to check e-mail. We drove around the small town checking all the service stations for water spigots to use to refill our freshwater tank tomorrow morning. Found a sani-dump station at the Shell station.
From Valemount we headed east on Cedarside Road, then Canoe East Forest Service Road towards Kinbasket Lake, to check out three Forest Service Recreation Site remote wilderness campgrounds between twenty and twenty-five kilometres from Valemount. It was a poor condition gravel road most of the way. First campground was Yellowjacket Creek, second was Horse Creek campground, third and final was Canoe Reach Marina campground. After checking out all three we returned to take a site at the first, Yellowjacket Creek FSRS on Kinbasket Lake.
We settled into a site, rested, walked around with Ozzie, and walked around with Emma. I lit a campfire and cooked Super Deluxe Dan-O-Cheeseburgers for supper. HA HA HA ! For the first time in the two weeks that we have been travelling we were able to sit around a campfire in the evening without being bothered by cold, rain,
and / or bugs.
DSK
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