Sun Valley RV Resort

Laura joined joined us Friday morning. I’d gone through my hunting gear that week so was already to load the truck before she arrived.  All I needed to do was throw her bags in the back with my bow and rifle while Madigan was ecstatic to see his beloved. It was 1030 when we left.  At Chilliwack Storage we loaded the camper and hitched up the trailer and Honda 420  Rancher.  Leaving Chilliwach we saw the Canadian Tire Store had moved when we stopped to fuel up at Essa.  In Hope we made our last stop at the excellent Buy Low Grocery Store, our favourite provisioning stop.  We also made a Macdonald Stop for burgers for all three of us.  Then a half hour later we were at the Sun Valley RV Resort.

It was a beautiful day , warm with sunshine and blue sky.

I’d just hooked up the Camper and unloaded the ATV when a Sun Valley official said we couldn’t have an ATV in that site.  I was surly and tired at the prospect of moving.  He did inform me after looking at the computer I’d failed to tick ‘have ATV’ box in reservation. I’d thought I’d phoned and made the reservation but apparently I’d done it on line.  He was gracious however saying I could part the ATV or move my camp.  We opted to move the camp. Not really much effort.  The result was actually an improvement, an end lot beside a delightful combined family of four adults and as many children under four.  A little mud covered boy  was playing a with plastic golf clubs in the site when I parked the ATV. 

“I’m bringing my camper and trailer here next as managerment has moved us here.”

“Do you want to keep the boy.  He comes  with the site,” the beautiful mother asked.  I laughed and said, “I could trade your Tiger Woods for my dog.”  The mother picked up her child as I returned to collect Laura, Madigan and the camper.  

“This is really better, “ Laura said when I had the water, electricity , sewer hose hooked up and we had settled in.  “We only have lovely parents and children on one side of us and forest on the other side.”  Laura works all week with people and loves a break from the maddening crowds.

The fellow came by and I apologized for my grumpiness earlier.  “Sorry I complained about having to move,” I said.  

“Not at all, ‘ he said, “But we were full up so had a challenge to juggle sites so you were in the ATV section of the park. We try to accommodate customers as best we can but keep the two parts of the campground separate.’  I presumed it was because people without ATV’s didn’t want their children at risk while people with ATV’s had their children driving them down the lanes.  

I was just thankful I’d not gone full commando when he said we couldn’t be in the first site but simply objected only to have a better solution present itself thanks to the good will of the Sun Valley folk.  It even appeared that it was my fault.  

I’d hooked up the Starlink Wi Fi router so could attend the on line meeting 8 am next morning.  I thought how that event could have gone when I was younger, when I was drinking, or when I was hung over. I seem to recall some similiar episode with shouting and walking out, grudges and resentments and by comparison everyone was civil and a lovely solution followed.  It was like Hound of Heaven.  Sun Valley was wanting a solution as much as I but they were also obliged to consider the hundreds of other adults and children here along with their safety.  It’s a marvellous resort with swimming pools, hot tubs, many activities and access to the ATV trails along the river and the forest service road.  Wilderness a couple of hour direct drive from Vancouver if provisioning isn’t involved. There’s even a resort store that carries all the necessaries in addition to ice cream cone stand and liquor licensed outlet.  

That first night we were early to bed.  I love the quiet and smell of fresh air. The rains earlier in the week had cleared the smoke from the arson caused forest fires.  I was pleased that finally arsonists were being caught and the lies of last year were being challenged.  Australia seemed to me first to report a dozen eco terrorist arsons. Now Canada had caust several, one woman having set 30 fires.  In the past we’d had to contend with lightening strikes and accidental human fires from cigarettes and campfires left smouldering. Now we had environmentalists wanting everyone to jump on their climate change crazy train and eco terrorists wanting to expedite the New World Order. 

The resort had a rule you can only start up ATV’s after 9 and must be in before 9.  After the on line meeting I made toast and poached eggs for Laura and I with more fresh ground Kickng Horse expresso coffee.  It was 10:30 am when I finally headed off with Madigan.  Sun shining. Blue sky. Warm. It’s always the best of times the Labor Day long weekend.  BC country is God’s country.  I’ve rarely shot anything these weekends but so enjoyed nature and the end of summer.  The scent of autumn was in the early morning air but the foliage hadn’t yet begun to change colour.  I moseyed along the mountain trails beside the rushing mountain creek.  Other ATV’s passed me but I just enjoyed looking about going 10 km hr.  Taking a trail off the main FSR I came to the end where someone had hung out gong for target practice.  It only took 2 bullseye shots with the Ruger 30 06 to know it was sited in still for last year.  

Driving out I was delighted to see a young man, late teens early twenties dressed in cammo with a compound bow and bird tipped arrows. We chatted on the trail.  When I left he trail I saw his black ranger parked on the side of the road.  I continued on up past the old ski lift where I met another couple of friendly ATV folk on the trail.

“Is that a Honda?” The fellow asked.

“Yes,” I said , the ‘420 tracker ‘ I said misnaming my Rancher ATV.  

“She has the 550 Honda Rubicon and this is the 700 Yamaha”.  I shared how I’d had a Yamaha and a bigger Honda but was downsizeing and for hunting the 420 was more than enough.  ‘We’re looking for grouse. The dog wants me to shoot one so he can fetch it.” 

‘I saw 6 up by the lake,” he said.  They told me about the lake. Another ATV fellow earlier had asked if the path we were on led to the lake.  I’d said I didn’t know. I’d only found rivers when I’d been here the week before. Now there really was a lake.  I’d follow them up thinking a lake meant beach and imagining a cool swim in a hot afternoon.  The lake turned out to be more of a pond with logs fallen in it, no beach and not the best swimming hole.  Still it was a destination.  Definitely a place for deer. 

“I saw the grouse at dusk,” the fellow had said. 

“Grouse come out at 10 to noon and 5 to dusk .  Deer come out at dawn and dusk. “ It was only 1230 then so I thought maybe I’d see a grouse yet.  I also checked out the satelite phone making contact with Laura back at camp letting her know I was by the ‘lake’.  

I’d only been gone a few hours before we rolled back into Camp.  It was hot. I barbecued smokies and we sat at the picnic tables with canned coke and simply enjoyed smokies with mustard.  We were all alone there the families with kids being off at the pool. When we walked Madigan about the park we saw the pool was full of children.  I’d thought of using the hot tub but instead enjoyed lying outside on the deck chair reading Peking by Anthony Grey, the history fiction epic  of a missionary in the time of Mao and WWII.

That night I barbecued pork chops and zucchini.  Laura and I talked about people we knew on face book.  We both enjoyed Baiba’s travels in Europe and we sad to learn that Jimmy Buffet had died. His music was such a part of my sailing south to the Sea of Cortez.  

“they called his music, tropical music’, Laura commented reading one of the tributes. The best was the tribute by Paul McCartney. My favourite song of his was Changes of Latitude, Changes of Atitude, which I learned to play in La Paz.  Margaritaville, and Come Monday were also part of his ‘8’ he played every concert for the sake of his fans, 8 songs being his most famous.  Laura’s daughter Shannon had had a panic attack and we all commiserated .  My nephew Allan and Meagan had gone to England presumably for a visit having lived there a couple of years.  Graeme and Adell were building a cottage from what had been the boat shed, at least enclosing it for evenings along the lake protected from wind and mosquitos.  Andrew and Tanya were were out shopping with the great nephews.  Facebook, despite Zuckenberg’s reactionary politics, still served to keep family and our friends in recovery connected.  Laura and I both love Joan’s pictures and her afternoon dances at Lulu’s.  I love Rob’s adventures with motorcycle and welding.  

We went to bed early last night but woke at 6 am. Laura and I’ve had a coffee. Madigan has had a walk about the camper.  Laura and he have gone back to bed. I could do that too or make some more coffee and maybe fry up some bacon for bacon sandwiches.  I hope to get out and look for grouse in an hour or so.  Tight schedule.  So many demands. I could just read on the lawn chair or go up and sit in the hot tub too.  I’m here for the grouse but its not written in stone.  I’m actually glad I can’t start up the ATV before 9 am. Next week gun hunting begins and I suppose I’ll have to head off at dawn if I hope to shoot a deer this year.  It’s all exercise too.  

Thank you God for this day, for Laura and Madigan, family and friends. Help us know thy will and give us the power to carry it out. Help be know you more deeply. Thank you for all the blessings, the health and mobility to do this , the camper, truck and ATV, the equipment and all that goes into these adventures and the decades of preparation and knowledge, the learning and experience.  Thank you for Dad taking us hunting prairie chickens when I was a child.  Out here I always remember fondly the weekends hunting with my father and brother, mom back at the tent or later camper making up breakfast when we returned.  I was truly blessed to have such remarkable loving parents as a child.  Thank you Jesus.