I’d decided also to take my West Marine inflatable kayak along. I had the Honda 2000 generator too. Bear season was open for rifle and deer season for bow. I had Winchester 300 Coyote and the Excalibur crossbow. It was the opening of bow hunting season on Sunday. We’d planned a travel day going and returning with Sat. Sunday and Monday for outdoor adventure.
Laura travels light with an Eagle Creek carry on luggage and colourful sack. I have the cammo duffle bag and Harley Davidson bag that together carry gear and clothes. Gilbert likes to use these to sleep on high up in the back seat as we drive along the highway≥
I keep my Adventurer Camper at the unbreatable Chilliwack RV Storage. From Burnaby to there it was only a couple of hour drive despite highway construction. We’d stopped at Abbotsford’s great Canoe and Kayak Store to buy another paddle for the kayak.
Laura and I are getting better at positioning and loading the Camper. It’s less anxiety provoking and really a good feeling when a second bouse was on the back of the truck as we pulled away heading north.
It started a cloudy stormy rainy day but miraculously the sun came out as we drove from Chilliwack to Hope. The corn fields were ripe. The glorious evergreens began to replace the farm lands as we ascended out of the Fraser valley floor. At Hope we took the #1 highway that splits offf from #3 to Princeton through Manning Park and Coquahalla, the high country freeway. I stopped at DQ and got us all DQ hamburgers with cheese, Gilbert just likes the paddy. I’ve taken to having mine without the sauce driving. No need to change shirts.
Laura and I recalled the spring summer and fall I left my Forest River trailer in Boston Bar coming up weekends. The road has all the old railway tunnels. Sailor, Alexandra and Hell’s Gate.. We always remember the time riding the Harley together home we’d hit the road fault entering the tunnel, We’d become airborne forever going from light into the dark at 120 km per hour, only able to pray before we hit down in total darkness passing safely on. The truck and camper are the latest in a series of travel camping arrangements. We like it the best today. Every possible camping vehicle combination was on the road north with us, some carrying bikes, quads or pulling trailers or boats. There was a recreational exodus north.
At the rest stop with the fenced off leash dog park blind Gilbert loves I changed from jeans to shorts. We used our own toilet and just loved the high country sunshine and heat. I’m always ecstatic once we come out of the lowland to the high country sage and tumble weed country.
A herd of goats greeted us in Lytton. It was 10 years before when we were in a car with tent in the trunk that we passed a similar herd of mountain goats on the highway and walking about the town. There were young with therm and they all looked healthy and robust.
The views of the river winding through the high country tumble weed hills were spectacular.
At Cache Creek we stopped at the Grubstake Store we’d visited in past years. A lovely oriental couple have really outfitted it well for campers and fishermen. We found everything we wanted and now had a fully stocked camper. We even had Hagen Dash ice cream bars to enhance our glamping experience.
Lots of nostalgia passing through Clinton. Laura reminisced about walking here when Faith was still a baby her mommy’s tummy. Now she’s a going concern. It was here I shot my first moose with Bill Mewhort 30 years before. We hunted mulies in the high hills back in those days,climbing high up the mountain before dawn to meet the game as they left the rivers and lakes.
It was temping to stop there. But I was in exploring mode. I’d bow hunted Hundred Mile House with Tom seeing lots of deer though not shooting any. Laura and I loved Hundred Mile House having stayed here several years before and even considered it as a possible place to live.
Now here we are in the municipal campground. The 100 mile House RV Motel and Park were full. Not needing hook up it was just nice to park after a long scenic day of driving. Sandwiches sufficed for dinner. Gilbert loved the new dog sniffs and walks.
On my iPad I read a kindle western before falling asleep a little after Laura who’d been reading about a woman pilot in the war. Gilbert cried in the night to be let up on the bed but settled when I shhhhd him. He’s jealous I get to sleep with his favourite person and he’s left down on the floor in his own dog bed. Life isn’t fair.
There was promise of aurora borealis but the sky was cloudy so we didn’t see the night display. The fresh cool air was a delight.
Waking this morning in the pine smelling outdoors by a running stream was heaven.
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