Best Places to See in BC - Kitmat Sitka Spruce

I can't get enough of the old growth trees in 

British Columbia.

Standing at the foot of this gigantic 500 yr old 

Sitka Spruce tree in Kitimat, BC

was totally awe inspiring.

This tree is the oldest known living organism

in the Kitimat Valley.

It was registered at the largest living

sitka spruce tree in BC in 1983.

It measures 50.3 meters (165 feet -- really!) tall

and 3.4 meters in diameter.

You have to imagine what this tree has seen

and been through in it's lifetime.

The age of quiet and solitude, explorers to

British Columbia, storms and unbearable 

weather changes, then dodging the cut of chainsaws

and logging. 

The feel of the bark under you fingers is rough and

textured, weather worn and vibrant.

Full of life and living.

I can only imagine what the next 

500 years will bring her.

 

Best Places to See in BC - Stuart Lake Pictographs

On the eastern side of Stuart Lake 

in British Columbia, Canada

are some pretty amazing pictographs.

I was lucky enough to have an idea where to

look for them from some very nice

people from the Murray Ridge

Nordic Ski Club.

Situated on a rock face of the cliffs overlooking

Stuart Lake, you can well

understand how this location

must have had some significance

the people from our past.

Not only is it beautiful and serene

but must have been rich in wildlife

and fish from Stuart Lake.

Another British Columbia moment

that I treasure.

Best Places to See in BC - Stuart Lake

Stuart Lake is one of the prettiest lakes I have 

visited in BC. Both the

Fort St. James National Historic Site

 and the town of Fort St. James

are situated on the lake near the outlet of Stuart River.

Stuart Lake is 66 kms long and 10 km wide.

In the winter months the cross country skiing

track is put in on the lake by the Murray Ridge

Nordic Ski Club.

You can ski for miles on the lake with the sun

shining on the pristine landscape,

the air crisp and clean,

and views of the distant hills and mountains

as a backdrop. Stunning to say the least.

I can't wait to see Stuart Lake in the summertime.

Best Places to See in BC - Nisga'a Lava Fields

British Columbia has some of the most

diverse landscapes on earth.

The Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park

is located in the Nass Valley region in

northwestern BC.

Because the Nisga'a do not have a written history,

the volcanic explosion is estimated to have occured

between 1750 and 1775.

This park is quite impressive, both in size (18,000 sq kms)

and in the sheer beauty of destruction.

The lava flow changed the coures of the 

Nass and Tseax Rivers, 

dammed a stream to make what is now Lava Lake,

 and killed approximately 2,000 people.

Today the park contains waterfalls, lakes, pools

and some very impressive lava features

including lava tubes, tree molds, cinder cones and caves.

Definitely a place to put on your Must Visit

List in British Columbia.

Best Places to See in BC - Fort St. James National Historic Site

One of the most fascinating places

I have visited recently in British Columbia

is the Fort St. James National Historic Site.

The fort was founded in 1806 by Simon Fraser,

the intrepid explorer, for the Northwest Company

which was later to become 

The Hudson's Bay Company.

Fort St. James has the largest

display of original wooden buildings

in Canada.

Though the tours of the site

are not operating in the winter months,

 the site itself is beyond beautiful.

Situated on the shores of Stuart Lake,

you can only imagine what the original settlers

must have thought of this paradise.

Though life would have been difficult

in this remote area, the scenery and wild life

would have well made up for it.

I spent several hours wandering

the pathways of these beautiful 

old buildings on a sunny winter day.

Visions of bygone days danced in

front of me along the pathways,

  doorways and windows

warped with time and memories.

Best Places to See in BC - Dawson Creek

One of the best places to explore in BC

is Dawson Creek, Mile 0

of the Alaska Highway.

Named in honor after Dr. George Mercer Dawson, 

Dawson Creek is also

known as the capital of the Peace River District.

The 16 foot tall iron statue of a surveyor was

created by Karl Mattson from scap metal

he found on nearby farms.

True in dress and equipment to surveryors

from the 1942 era, this surveyor 

points north along the route of 

the Alaska Highway.

The pioneer spirit of the North

is alive and well here in northwestern BC.

Things to Do in British Columbia -- Enjoy the Weather

You just can't beat British Columbia

in the sunshine. 

Clear skies and temperatures in the mid 20's C

today.

Doing any activity outside is a pure joy,

from sight seeing the local mountains,

taking a nature walk, 

or sitting in the shade enjoying 

the back yard garden.

Whatever you choose to do in 

British Columbia, this

weather can bring you pure joy

and some pretty impressive vistas.

Things to Do in British Columbia - Milky Way Viewing

British Columbia offers us some pretty spectacular

dark nights to view the Milky Way.

The crisp clear winter skies are great for

amazing star gazing, it's almost unimaginalble

how many stars are really out there.

Always best to have some back up when

trying to photograph the winter night skies,

lots of patience, hot chocolate and boot warmers come to mind.

This particular shot was done near

Tumbler Ridge, BC at -19C.

A lot of hopping around to keep warm was

 done for this one, plus a promise

to an upgrade in the winter mittens department.

To gaze in awe at the night skies is well 

worth the effort here or anywhere 

the skies allow your mind to wander

to infinity and back.

Things to Do in British Columbia - Bird Watching

The most striking thing about the Spotted Towhee

are their red eyes.

They like to live in scattered shrubs 

and thickets which abound here in British Columbia.

I get to spend a lot of time in nature

and these birds are always a joy to be around.

Though Towhee's are considered resident birds in British Columbia, 

their distinctive call heralds the beginning of

spring for me, of new life around us 

and life yet to come.

I wait anxiously for the their first brood

to make their appearance.

Best Places to See in BC - Kiskatinaw Bridge

Kiskatinaw Bridge, Alaska Highway, British Columbia

 The Kiskatinaw Bridge is located before the Mile 21 marker 

along the old Alaska Highway

in British Columbia.

The Kiskatinaw Bridge was the first curved wooden bridge

built in Canada

and is still in use today.

Built in 1942-43 it stands

30 meters (100) feet above the Kiskatinaw River, 

a tributary of the Peace River.

It curves 9 degrees along its length and is 162.5 meters (534 feet) long.

Quite the view from the bridge deck, the river meanders

its way gently through the rolling hills

below bringing to mind wandering dinosaurs

in ages past. 

Best Places to See in BC - Gitwangak Battle Hill

Gitwangak Battle Hill 

National Historic Site of Canada

(formerly known as Kitwanga Fort)

is located in northwestern 

British Columbia along highway

37 - the Stewart-Cassier highway.

Built in the 1700's by the

Gitwangak First Nations people 

the hill was used as a fortified

location for homes and

a site to launch raids against 

the Nass River and coastal peoples.

The indigenous trading routes of British Columiba

included the Grease Trails, named after

the small fish called eulachon

which run in the Nass and Skeena Rivers.

The fish were boiled to extract their oil and

were traded with other Native groups

that did not have spawning rivers in their

territories.

Best Places to See in BC - The Alaska Highway

Mile "0" of the Alaska Highway begins

in Dawson Creek, BC.

Construction started on the highway during World War II

to connect Alaska to the United States through Canada.

Completed in 1942, it stretched 2,700 km. 

Due to reconstruction and repair today the highway is actually

2,232 km and ends in Delta Junction, Alaska.

The first 987 km (613 miles)

are constructed through British Columbia.

You can still find historic mile postings along the highway

and the Canadian metric system has warranted the change to

signposts being in kilometers. Most residents along the highway

refer to their location as "mile x along the highway".

The history of the Alaska Highway is one of heroism and

  determination. I visited the 

There is a fascintaing

display of old photographs taken from the road building era at the

Dawson Creek Art Gallery.

The Alaska Highway should be on everyone's

"must visit while in BC" list.

Best Places to See in BC - Tumbler Ridge

One of the most interesting places to visit in British Columbia

is Tumbler Ridge.

Today Tumbler Ridge is best known for its coal mining

endeavors,however, it also has a rich history of dinosaurs

and ancient peoples.

The largest concentration of accessible dinosaur footprints 

in British Columbia is here at Cabin Pool.

In 2003 the Peace Region Palaeontology 

Research Centre was established to further 

study the areas rich finds of various

dinosaur bones in beds and some of the

oldest dinosaur bones in Canada.

Unfortunately the day I was there the Dinosaur

Museum was inexplicably closed, but I did

get to see some pretty amazing dinosaur prints

on display in front of the building.

As you drive through this area you can well imagine the

dinosaurs slowly wandering through the softly rolling hills

and plateaus leaving traces of their lives behind as they made their

way to water to drink. I did look up at the skies a few times

to see if I could spot anything large and unexplained

flying overhead. Perhaps it was only my imagination,

but this area feels like it reaches into the past right 

before you eyes. Centuries are perhaps a few

mere days past.

Best Places to See in BC - Peace River Foothills

The rolling hills of the Peace River District

in British Columbia, Canada are

magical in both their beauty and history.

The headwaters of the Peace River

today start at the WAC Bennett Dam on

the eastern arm of Williston Lake.

The Peace River was historically used 

as a travel route for the First Nations people

and then by the fur traders of British Columbia.

Today, the Peace River is the heart of a diverse ecosystem

that supports many threatened and endangered species.

Country Lanes of British Columbia

I've always found peace and contentment

 in the country. Life seems to slow down

and become somehow normal in

the enveloping quietness.

There is always a scene to capture here, 

always time to stop and listen

to the creak of frost slowly 

settling into the timeless weathered fences

along rural lanes.

 Far off cries of chattering blue jays

  echo haunting memories

of summer days long past.