Best Places to See in BC, 20 Mile Bay, Harrison Lake

Harrison Lake is one of the best lakes to see in British Columbia.
She is
37 miles long and 5.6 miles wide.
Every square inch of this enchanting lake
has her own special beauty to offer.
On my journey to discover and explore
Port Douglas, I stopped for some nature bonding time
at 20 Mile Bay. The views up the Harrison Lake
are enchanting and constantly changing. Loons greeted my
quiet contemplation of lake life, and a family
of Canada Geese were teaching their young ones
the art of bungee jumping off logs along the water, without
the aid of a bungee. No babies were hurt in the process, but
I can only image the heart stopping first leap of faith from dry
land into the big wide world of water.
It was very hard to tear myself away from this peaceful and
soul renewing bay.
But other adventures awaited me.

Best Places to See in BC, Harrison Lake

My journey to photograph the Gold Rush history of
British Columbia has led me to places that
I knew little of.
Take Harrison Lake.
I have known it from my various trips to the Harrison Hot Springs
community. But I had just barely explored her
incredible grace and beauty until traveling along
the entire west side from Harrison Hot Springs to
Port Douglas.
Not for the faint of heart or those without four wheel
drive vehicles, the road literally turns into creek beds
in some sections.
The views are totally stunning.
The wildlife is abundant and unfettered by the
few of us that venture into their peaceful and sublime space.
There are so many waterfalls and plants, mountain vistas
and peace waiting to be experienced here that I need another lifetime
to explore and savor it fully.
For now,
I have touched the spirit of this land along the great Harrison Lake.

Exploring the Gold Rush Trail - Lillooet, BC

Lillooet, BC, is considered to be
Mile 0 of the Cariboo Wagon Trail.
I had originally assumed that the Gold Rush
Trail started somewhere near Hope or Lytton, or
perhaps even New Westminster.
Certainly there are names that you could associate with the Trail
in all of those cities, Cariboo Road, Prospect Point
and Smugglers Cove being amongst them.
History is full of twists and turns and
convolutions that need sorting out in ones mind to
make sense of the big picture.
I now come to think of the Gold Rush in
British Columbia as the "Gold Rush Adventure."

The actual Gold Rush in B.C. started in 1858, the Cariboo
Wagon Trail was constructed by the Royal Engineers from
1861 onwards.

Many hope filled prospectors landed in Victoria, New Westminster, or any number
of way points along the way.
They needed to find provisions and supplies to make
the arduous journey into the gold fields of Barkerville, and these
cities met their needs.

Lillooet became the first major stopping point
for the prospectors on their journeys to the gold fields.
Water navigation was possible to ports like
Yale and Port Douglas, after that, it was
the overland routes.

It seems that the actual "Gold Rush Trail"
is not was I have originally perceived it to be.
The "Trail" is actually several different routes,
pathways, wagon tracks, and roads to adventure that
the original prospectors used.

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