#bralorne

bralorne, BC.

a collection of images from 10 days in bralorne, bc in february 2011.

No history of British Columbia is complete without mentioning Gold.  Since 1850, there have been over a dozen different gold rushes throughout the Province. The lure of gold led to a mass influx of European and Chinese prospectors a generation before British Columbia became a Canadian Province.  One of these areas is the Bridge River Valley. Knowing almost nothing about this area, I decided to do a day trip and see what I could find.

I decided that the best way to get there was to drive to Pemberton and enter the valley via the Hurley Forest Service Road. This road has a reputation as it is a seasonal road, and is best accessed by 4x4. It climbs into the mountains from  Pemberton Meadows. The switchbacks are rough at the best of times, with a corrugated surface mixed with potholes and exposed rocks. Once you have reached the top of the pass, you are treated to one spectacular view after another. 

Once you get into the Bridge River Valley you will find a series of lakes which are formed from 3 BC Hydro Dams along the Bridge River. Gold Bridge is the commercial center of the area. Here you can refuel and restock at the General Store. The Motel looks very comfy.

About 10 Km up the road is Bralorne. This community was settled by gold miners and you will find a museum where you can pan for gold and see a lot of old equipment. The community have also put together a labyrinth. Once completed, you are to put a dollar into the middle rock circle.

After leaving Gold Bridge, I decided to have some lunch. I turned into what looked like a work camp and found a very well maintained monument to gold prospectors who have lost their lives over the years. After signing  the guestbook I noticed a fellow waving at me. I waved back and headed his way to say hello. 

Albert is a spry octogenarian who has had a placer claim in at this site since 1992. I decided to sit and have lunch with him. He regaled me with stories of his dealings with the Byzantine rules of free mining in British Columbia. It turns out this camp was erected in the 1980's to mine gold and after a couple of years the company had raised enough money to close the camp and move to South America. He comes up to his claim as often as he can to search for gold, grow garlic and keep the rats from nesting under the barracks. 

After saying goodbye to Albert I was back the road with Carpenter Lake to my right,  its glacial waters are an iridescent green and , on this day, calm. Carpenter Lake Road is vulnerable to slides, so much so that there are excavators strategically paced at all the trouble spots. The surface gracefully transitions from asphalt to gravel and is a pleasure to drive.

Carpenter Lake is formed by Terzaghi Dam. I drove around the dam to find a roughed out tunnel. This road will take you to Seton Portage. I will check Seton Portage out on another day. 

As you come out of the valley, you enter Xwisten First Nation.  You can book a tour of the fishing grounds and archaeological sites, or you can just stop in for a bannock hot dog or burger. I selected the salmon bannock burger and left very happy. There is something special about bannock. 

After coming out of the Valley you enter Lillooet. From there you can continue North to Cache Creek or East to Lytton. You can even head West to return to Pemberton along the Duffey Lake Road.

For more information on the area http://www.bcadventure.com/murphys/gold/river.htm