Harrison Hots Springs Town

Harrison’s Hot Spring’s is the truest little jewel of a destination. It’s so close to Vancouver. It’s tranquil and serene. A  holy place  with a healing hot springs and the most beautiful lake. I’ve been coming here for decades.  ‘Taking the waters’, is what they say. The natives did this thousands of years before we came along.

I’ve always loved hot springs.  BC is full of them. There are several in the mountains around Harrison’s which I hiked to when I was younger.  One I remember up Bear Creek way.  The water at the Resort itself is my favourite. Though it may well be the ‘decor’.  Lovely rock emplacements, beautiful folk in the latest bathing suits and bikini’s in the adult section with children happily splashing on the shallow side. There’s a spa in the centre where I’ve loved the massages and have gifted girlfriends facials.  

I used to dine and dance  a lot at the Copper Room. It always had the best fare, great chef,  and the best dance bands on the Friday nights. 

The main public swimming pool is the very same water. It’s equally healing and functional but without the ambience of lighting and decor.
This year the Harrison Arts Festival was a delight.

The lake is pristine. I’ve canoed on it and boated on it and swam in it. I love the pure chill waters.  I love the view all around of white capped mountains.  

I’ve loved the hotels and restaurant’s here. This morning I’m having ‘Suzy’s famed ‘all in one’ breakfast sandwich. The German meals are a favourite. I loved the Beach Hotel. I’ve loved dining in the main resort but last night John’s Fish and Chips (Korean fare), hit the spot.   Muddy Waters is up town coffee and pastry.  There’s a diner on the main drag I’ve loved for years. Especially favourite place when I rode the motorcycle up with the girl on the back, parked in front of the diner and enjoyed my meal looking out on the lake keeping an eye on the Harley.  I’ve never had anyone try to steal my Harley but when I can I just like to look at it. A Harley is a thing of beauty too.

For years I came up here in the fall and stayed at the Bungalow Cabins making that my basecamp for hunting.I’d bring a truck or enduro motorcycle or quad and leave each morning early to head up to the end of the lake then back into the mountains.  I never shot a deer or a bear here .Saw so many. Hunted here dozens and dozens of times. Climbed and hiked mountains. Shot ruffed grouse and blue grouse but never any big game.  The joy was in the doing of the thing. I loved climbing mountains and stalking and sitting meditating in ambush watching coyotes, lynch and bobcats. 

Hunting is a past time. I never thought in terms of ‘the kill’.  I read magazine articles by those who’ve never done anything rural, their pen reeking urban parking lot writing. They lived in their heads, closed minded, plastic, neon, ridiculing, and rediculous. They miss the experience, the depth.

I’m a hunter. My father and brother were hunters. My grandfather and ancestors were hunters. It’s a proud tradition. It’s what we are. Omnivore.  It’s a zen. It’s a predator and prey thing. It’s not masculine or feminine. The women in my ancestry hunted and fought as well.  More often they gardened and fished but we all lived to the fullest.  We ate what moved to survived. Later we farmed and ranched.

Today the hunters and fishermen of Canada are the greatest conservationists. We are the unsung heroes.  The city critics and loud mouth activists are talkers but we’ve devoted ourselves to the welfare and sustainability of the wildlife and fish and forests and streams of this great land.  It’s our work and money that are the backbone of conservation and stewardship of the wild.  Yet, we are vilified like good parents.  The teen age media mentality so kitch.

We joke among ourselves that an ounce of venison costs us thousands of dollars . The same for fish.  All the money goes back into the habitat.  We take so little.  It humbles us too like nothing else to consider the work that our forebears did just to eat.  We are blessed today.

I’ve this wonderful camper and I’m sitting here on top of my Ford F-350 truck in Glencoe RV. They have running water and electricity and sewage connected to my place. It’s very much roughing it. I’ve not watched the tv but I am using the wifi.  

I’ve already this morning taken Gilbert for his second walk around the duck pond. The artisans are setting up for the craft market.  I’ve had my Suzy sandwich and now will have another cup of Ethiopian Sidona Coffee. I get the green beans, roast them myself, grind them and then make them here on the stove top expresso machine. Slightly decadent.  I plan to read for a bit. I’ve Kindle on my Ipad.  Gilbert’s had a snack and is having his first morning nap.  

The air here is so exquisite.  I love taking big breaths. Meditating this morning was heavenly.  

I love Harrison’s!!!!