Smoke on the Water...

If we needed a soundtrack for the first leg of our road trip, then Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple) Eclipse (Pink Floyd) and Highway to Hell (AC/DC) would have had to be on it for reasons that will become clear. 

But first, a quiz question. where do British Columbians go on a hot August Sunday? Give up? Well based on our experience the answer is the village of Harrison Hot Springs. Overlooking Harrison Lake, this resort village is a beautiful spot but when we arrived late afternoon in our hire car the place was heaving. It was like Windermere on a bank holiday! Beyond the crowds the views were rather lovely, with snow still sitting on mountains in the distance, but we also got a first glimpse of the forest fires that have badly affected British Columbia this summer. 

Harrison Lake with a forest fire visible in the middle distance

After checking into our hotel we walked along the lake front and learnt a little about the history of the place, The hot springs were 'discovered' in the 19th century although were already well known to First Nations tribes. Eventually a resort hotel was built and the current village grew around it. The sasquatch legend is also strong in the area - as I found in the village centre.

Getting acquainted with the locals

We ate that evening at a lakeside pub watching float planes carry water to try and contain the forest fire.The tiny planes seemed to be battling against the odds as they carried out their work and we appreciated just how challenging it must be to deal with this type of event in such a large expanse of wilderness.

Monday 21st August was a significant day in North America. Much of the USA was due to experience a total solar eclipse. Harrison Hot Springs wasn't due to experience 'totality' but the waiter at our breakfast cafe, (Chuck and Kitty's Country Diner) explained we should see 90% of the eclipse. After an excellent breakfast we walked along the shore enjoying the solitude - the crowds of the previous day had departed. I spotted a woodpecker and we found the hot springs. All morning the light was strange - partly because of the eclipse and partly because the forest fire had mingled with early morning mist to create a haze or smoke on the water.

A woodpecker by Harrison Lake

Harrison Lake

Our hotel

Smoke on the water

The eclipse reached its peak around 10.15am and we borrowed some eclipse glasses for a quick look at the sun...and a man had used cereal boxes outside the hotel lobby to create a pinhole projector and gathered quite a crowd. His daughter was playing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' on her iPhone - on repeat - which was enough to drive me to the car to set off on the next long drive.
At first our journey travelled through conifer covered mountains but we then turned north and the landscape started to change. We were following the Fraser River through Fraser River Canyon and the steep rock walls and fast flowing waters below, coupled with a winding road made for very dramatic views. There was a feel of the wild west - even the buildings looked as though they could have come straight out of a movie set.

We followed the Fraser River for 30 miles, the road twisting and turning, offering up spectacular views, until we reached ‘Hells Gate’. Here we parked up and found a gondola/cable car that takes passengers 550 feet down and across the Fraser River - which at this point travels at 30km per hour. The railroad also runs through the gorge and we saw the Rocky Mountaineer train slow down whilst we were there, presumably so passengers could take photos.

Descending to Hells Gate

The gondola over the Fraser River 

Spot Mrs B.....

Once disembarked from the gondola we explored the little tourist attraction, crossing the suspension bridge and through some informative exhibitions learnt more about the history of Hells Gate. Apparently the creation of the railway led to some fishy business. Too much dynamite resulted in rocks blocking the river bed – preventing salmon returning to their spawning grounds. In 1940 giant fish ladders were constructed – at various heights because the river levels fluctuate so much. This was more of an economic rather than environmental decision and a joint US/ Canadian project – as salmon fishing is big business.

There were also museum displays on the construction of the railroad and the gold rush. There was of course a gift shop and ice cream parlour – and running around were squirrels and relatively tame chipmunks. All in all Hells Gate turned out to be better than expected!

As we drove further north the landscape became arid, desert like and we passed through Cache Creek and saw cattle ranches and more ‘wild west’ scenery. The hills were pastel shades and rather beautiful in the late afternoon sun.

Eventually after a long drive we reached our stop for the night in Kamloops, checked into a lovely heritage hotel and then headed to a brew pub for food and beer. I tried a pilsner style beer – called ‘Fascist Dictator’ - which turned out to be an excellent choice!

This is what a fascist dictator looks like

We only had one night in Kamloops, a railway hub as reflected in the street art so didn’t get to see to much of the city and spent the next morning washing clothes in a laundromat. This travelling lark isn’t all wildlife and scenery!

Kamloops street art

After the tumble drier had  done its business we hit the road again and pointed the car in the direction of the Okanagan Valley – home to many, many wineries. For some reason I was looking forward to our next stop.