BC Boat and Sportsman Show, Tradex, March, 2015

While Gilbert the hunting cockapoo guarded the Ford F350 truck, Laura and I attended the Abbotsford Tradex  BC Boat and Sportsman Show.  I’d seen it advertised in the BC Wildlife Association’s emails.  It really was worth the stop and the $16 admission.  A month or two back, we’d been to the big Vancouver Boat show at Rogers Arena.  It features yachts and speed boats and everything you could want from marinas and ocean boating.
This show was the place where fishing boats for lakes and streams were highlighted.  Not that the boats couldn’t be used on the ocean but mainly they were fishing boats rather than cruisers.
I did love seeing the Sea Doo’s again. If I win a lottery I will get one of the snowmobiles and a terrific high speed sea foo just for the fun.  The Can Am exhibit of ATV’s, Sea Doos, snowmobiles and Spyders  was my favourite.  I loved the snowmobile too.  Living in Vancouver there's no need for a snowmobile but I think if I ever visit Eastern Canada I really should take one with me if only to get from my car to the house I'm visiting.
The Ninebot robot electric 2 wheel riding machine I tried out was good for 30 km's on a charge and did 20 km's per hour. I'm not going to trade in my Harley Davidson today but I could see packing that in a saddlebag for getting about at one's destination.
There was all kinds of hunting gear, rifles, binoculars, boots and gear.  Italian Sporting Goods had a great exhibit. Every rod and reel known to man was displayed at several different booths.  Just an all round heavenly show.
Laura and I had hotdogs and just loved looking at all the mouth watering "good stuff".  Somehow we got away with only buying a long leather leash for Gilbert and some motorcycle suspenders for me.  We did compare my toy hauler with the heavy duty ones there. The Kenetreks boot were awesome but I ‘m still loving my relatively new Keens.
I almost got a another spotting scope. I have one but it’s buried itself into the bottom of my storage locker where it’s setting up a defensive perimeter to ensure I never find it again.  Of course once I buy a new one, these old ones things hiding in the storage locker get jealous, suddenly appear and make me feel like an idiot.
The best design exhibit was the Langley guys with all manner of solutions for carrying boats and ATV’s on the back of a truck.  Their prices were spectacular and I can easily see myself next winter calling them up to improve my truck’s hauling capacity.  Right now I ‘ve no more money for toys.  When we returned we saw that good dog Gilbert had guarded not just the truck but my new Ruger Mini 14 which I’d yet to fire.  That's the reason I have no money for more toys.  My birthday present to myself this year.
The original plan for the weekend had been boating but both Laura and I came down with the cough sinus flu so plans changed to going out to Harrison’s for hot springs and rest.  (And shooting the virgin new birthday present rifle.)  Stopping on the way at this Tradex show was a real bonus.
Great show!

Bear Hunting near Similkameen River

I got away late from the office despite best intentions. I so wanted to miss the Friday rush hour traffic. Did enjoy an episode of CBC Kennedy Ideas.  I didn’t want to set up my tent in the dark.
It’s a new tent though.  Murphy’s Law insists I set up a new tent in the pitch dark.  Thank God for head lights.  
I really did enjoy the drive through Manning Park.  Dusk is very beautiful there.  I was thankful too to fuel up at the Princeton station.  Motels were calling my name.  But I stuck to plan. Almost went over a cliff when I took the wrong logging road turn off.  It had rained and I was on this wet muddy trail in the dark of night, slipping about with my Ford F350 diesel carrying the Yamaha Kodiac 450 ATV on the back.  What I wanted was the clearing by Willis Creek.  I’d seen guys camping there in the fall.  After I got turned around in the tight mud with an overhanging cliff to focus my attention I got to the right logging road.  Sure enough there was the Willis Creek clearing.  Even the game poles were still there.  I could hear frogs so there must have been water near by.  Gilbert probably knew. Once he was out of the truck he was casing the whole area.  I don’t think a branch or leaf wasn’t peed on.
My Mountain Equipment Coop “Fury” is a 4 season tent.  It’s colour coded to help set up.  I couldn’t tell the red from the orange or the light grey from dark.  Thankfully I had a picture.  With the picture as a guide I got it set up in no time.  Air mattresses, Sleeping bag and blanket for Gilbert. He decided when we were in the tent he preferred to sleep on me.
Because I’d drunk too much coffee and had an energy drink on the way up,  I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned all the rest of the night, the few hours of it.  Dawn comes early and Gilbert was sitting by my head wanting out.  I let him.  Then followed. The mosquitoes were bad.  The water the frogs were in was a swamp.  A big male moose was waist deep in this pond swamp merrily eating.  Gilbert growled low and stayed near me.  I packed up the tent.  It was starting to rain. The mosquitos were bad. I had difficulty finding the mosquito spray.  I wasn’t going to boil coffee in the rain with mosquitos.  Fresca would have to do.
I loaded up.  Gilbert finally got up the courage to bark when the moose exited the water and headed into the forest. I think my closing the door startled the moose but Gilbert thinks it was his very very low growling and the piece de resistance was the bark.
I drove through the woods in the rain on the logging road.  I saw a coyote.  But no bear.
9 am I found my way to the great little restaurant in the gas station in the Gold Mine town of Hedley.  Coffee was fabulous.  Indoor toilet too!  Then Sausage, eggs and pancakes. More coffee.  The waitress was terrific. I told her about Gilberts’ encounter with the moose.  She laughed.  She gave me the burger paddy I’d ordered for Gilbert on the way out. I headed out to Stem winder Provincial Park. I had the ATV off the truck, a life threatening experience every time, and all set up when the pleasant park lady told me ATV’s weren’t allowed in the provincial park.  So I loaded up the ATV, another life threatening experience, and headed out to the back woods where I unloaded the ATV.
Gilbert and I headed on the ATV back into the mountains.  We got so high the temperature dropped seriously.  I got some nice pictures of the value and river way below.  A herd of cattle were interested in us.  I had cell connection on the top of the mountain so uploaded a selfie to Facebook then headed down into the valley looking for warm.  I found a clearing and killed a can and bottle with the Winchester Model 70 Coyote Light 300 Winmag.  Dead accurate.  If I saw a bear anywhere out to 400 meters I was going to get him. Lots of scat around. Lots of elk scat too. But no actual bear.
I saw an owl and lots of gophers and marmots.  Then on the way back in the evening I saw grouse. I let Gilbert chase one and he was in heaven, doing instinctual high speed circles looking for more after the one had flown.
Now I’m beside the Similkameen River in a pretty casual campground.  I’ve got the tent set up. Took only minutes in the light.  Great tent.  Then I got the Biolite Stove and fried up some pan frying steaks.  These I just put in a fire starter and twigs and could see that if I wanted to tend the stove I could completely charge the phone in time.  Right now I’m in the truck enjoying the diesel generator which is charging the phone and this computer.  I’ve no wifi connection but it’s warm in here and no mosquitos.
Time to go to bed though. Great night and day.  Love the outdoors and wilderness.
Addendum: Didn’t get a bear. Maybe I should call trips I don’t shoot something, “camping’. “Getting something” is the icing on the cake of hunting. Everything is an adventure.  Expeditionary. Wilderness.  Had a great time.  Haven’t tented since motorcycle trip to Sturges last summer.  Hunting again in fall but will be having the luxury of the Energy Toyhauler then.  Looking forward to the fall moose hunt with this new Winchester Coyote Light 300 swm rifle and the Yamaha Kodiac 450 ATV.  

 

BC Boat and Sportsman Show, BC Hunting Show

This was a great outdoorsman event at Abbottsford Tradex. Amazing variety of outdoors contributors, boats, 4 wheel drive vehicles, all the angling and fly fishing accessories, fishing and hunting guides, destinations, carvings, leatherwork, cooking gear, waterproof equipment, bows, rifles, tents, RV's, telescopes, binoculars, Yamaha, Italian Hunting Store, Steveston Marina and all the organizations like BC Wildlife Federation. BOW, Being an Outdoors Woman, program was highlighted too.

The signage to the Tradex continues to be confusing but we found it despite arriving on the motorcycle in heavy rain. I was thankful to an East Indian woman in a gas station and my GPS unit on my iPhone. I triangulated all the information I had to go on and arrived at Tradex to really enjoy hot coffee and all the presentations and booths.

Laura and I loved the Tradex show but the rain had only become heavier when we left with early afternoon darkness from the low overhanging clouds. Soon my visor was fogged and dripping rain. I lifted it till semis passing sprayed my glasses with dirt forcing us off the freeway. Hard driving with pelting rain. We drove to Fort Langley, stopping for an expresso, cleaning visor and glasses and reconnoitering back woods trails with gps and map, finally taking the #10 to King George then over the Patella Bridge to follow Kingsway back to Vancouver, cold and very wet.

Laura and I felt we'd not only visitted the outdoors show but participated in the full outdoors experience. Thank god for the hot Chinese home delivery food and a hot shower at the end of the ride!