One would think visiting the Cariboo during the largest forest fire disaster to ever hit the province would be a big mistake. Yet, in the midst of burnout, both my own and the regions, the beauty of the Cariboo-Chilcotin landscape and the kindness of its residents made the experience one to remember.
I came into the Cariboo region via Prince George, after driving nearly 4000km from Whitehorse through the Yukon and a large portion of Alaska. A year prior Iâd decided I wanted to hike the Berg Lake Trail at Mount Robson and, after hearing how beautiful the Cariboo was from a guy who grew up there, Â it seemed a natural place to visit.
The cutest welcome mural Iâve ever seen!
My plan was to drive from Prince George to Quesnel, south to Williamâs Lake, across Highway 24 (The Fishing Highway) to Wells Gray Provincial Park, up to Mount Robson for my hike and back to Prince George. It would be the perfect end to an epic 3 week trip, but I didnât account for forest fires.
2017 was a devastating year for the region. Between April and November, more than 1300 fires burned over 1.2 million hectares of forest, displacing thousands of residents and costing the province 564 million dollars. It was officially the worst wildfire season in the history of British Columbia. Perfect time to visit, right?! đ
I watched the fire reports and DriveBCâs road closure maps for weeks. Many of the parks were closed which was a bummer, but highways were opening where I needed them to be. Â I almost decided to fly home early, but the lure of the mountains and conversations about the Cariboo tugged at me.
Flying into Prince George, I got to talking to the guy beside me about my travel plans. There are a lot of places one can go in Northern BC and he seemed a little perplexed at that my first stop was going to be Quesnel. What was I missing?
It wasnât until I left Prince George and made my way south, that I started to understand the mindset this man must have been in. Â He didnât realize he was talking to a country girl who grew up in a rural farming community; similar to what you experience as you drive south.
Iâm pretty sure my grandfather had that tractor.
To be quite honest, entering the Cariboo felt a little like coming home. Farmland, hay bales, pick up trucks, ATVâs. Find a country radio station on the dial and Iâd be fit right in. This was exactly the kind of place I needed.
The massive gold pan, pick and shovel at Quesnelâs city limits, pretty much confirmed stories Iâd heard about its strong connection to the Cariboo Gold Rush.
Welcome to Quesnel, the âGold Pan Cityâ.
You canât really visit here without recognizing that they take great pride in their heritage. Murals adorn building facades and references to famed prospector, Billy Barker, abound. The city is small, but the area has a lot to offer.
Mural like this are all through town. Loved this.Â
Quesnel sits at the confluence of the Quesnel and Fraser Rivers. I took a walk along the Riverfront Trail, which was lovely and calming. I could watch it running for hours.
The largest wood truss walking bridge in the world.Â
The city is surrounded by over 30 historic sites, it is home to the largest wood truss walking bridge in the world, the award-winning Barkerville Brewing Company and its backyard boasts some of the best fishing and wilderness adventure spots in Canada.
A quick drive outside of town youâll find Barkerville Historic Town and entrance to the world-renowned Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit. If you like hockey, thereâs quite a few former hockey greats living here too. My stay was going to be short, so I wanted to visit all of the above. And of course, my first stop had to be for a beer.
Welcome to Barkerville Brewing Company!
I first heard of Barkerville Brewing Company after watching an episode of Timber Kings while at my parents. I told myself that if I did make it to the area, Iâd make sure I visited. Luckily for me, it was one of the few places open while I stayed in Quesnel.
I envisioned a much larger brewery but, as they say, good things come in small packages. Â Ashley, the retail manager, gave me a warm welcome and set me up with a flight of their beers right away. This is definitely a favourite pastime when Iâm travelling and Barkerville beer is pretty awesome. I wished I could have sent some home!
Not a wit girl, but everything else was stellar!
Shortly after I arrived, a regular patron, Carl, came in and we hit it off. It was really nice to have some company and he was game to chit-chat about Quesnel, our mutual passion for wine and his beloved Saskatoon berry wine. He was a wealth of knowledge and joy to spend time with. Truth be told, some of my favourite moments in the Cariboo are from sitting bar side at the brewery.
Long live (and bring back) this delicious licorice stout!
Carl and I shared a mutual appreciation for Barkerville Brewing Co.âs licorice stout. Iâm a big fan out stout and this one was unlike anything Iâve ever had. Sadly, they had just discontinued it, but not before Carl and I were able to share a pint together.
I enjoyed my time at the Brewery so much that I ended up spending the better part of the afternoon there. Before I left I picked up some mementos and made sure to pay the bill to treat Carl for his company. I think it was a welcome surprise for him and that felt great.
If there is one thing that sticks out about my time in Quesnel, beside the huge tires on all the trucks in the grocery story parking lot (ha!), itâs the people. I canât count the number of people who said hello to me on my walks through town, or at Granvilleâs while grabbing a coffee. Itâs the kind of thing that makes a person want to return; which I plan to do next summer.
It came as no surprise to me when I returned from work a couple of months later to find a package from Carl with a special gift. Saskatoon berry wine, straight from the Cariboo!
The second place Iâd heard a lot about what Barkerville Historic Town. Iâd seen pictures and it looked so beautifully restored I wanted to check it out.
Barkerville owes its name to William âBillyâ Barker, a famed prospector who hit gold in August of 1862 near where the town sits. Â Officially declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1926, it is now home to over 125 buildings, museums, displays and shops and restaurants that make up Barkerville.
Barkerville Historic Town. A must visit in the area!
As soon as you walk out of the admission doors, you do feel a bit like youâre stepping back in time. The old church is wonderfully restored, horse-drawn stage coaches pass by carrying tourists and actors dressed in costume perform live scenes right in front of you.
The inside of the buildings hold old memorabilia and antiques. You can pan for gold or buy objects at the blacksmith shop, send a letter home from the post office, or have your picture taken in vintage costumes. If youâre a bit adventurous, you can even stay overnight a hotel or bed and breakfast in the middle of the town.
With a little imagination itâs easy to picture it brimming with miners and workers of the time.Notably the largest living-history museum in North America, Barkerville is definitely worth a visit if youâre in the area.
Outside one of the buildings in Baskerville. Loved the pop of yellow!
From Barkerville, I wanted to check out Bowron Lakes Provincial Park, famous for its 5 lake canoe circuit. Â The drive there was a fun twisty-turny adventure through the interior, trees hugging the roads on either side. I loved the lushness of this area, though it was strange to think that swaths of the region were facing massive destruction.
Enroute to Bowron Lakes. I didnât get far into the park, but the drive was beautiful.
I was a bit disappointed upon arrival, as I expected something more like my home park, Algonquin. What I did come to accept is that the beauty of Bowron Lake requires a bit more effort, and as such, with a great deal of excitement, I intend to return to complete the full circuit in summer of 2019.
Good morning and goodbye, Quesnel. Weâll see each other again soon.
Having completed the few things on my bucket list, I decided to hit the road a bit earlier. The morning I left, I winds must have picked up, bringing with it hazy skies filled with smoke. It made for a beautiful moody sunrise as I headed south on Highway 97.
Felt like the Kawarthas, just south of Quesnel.
Areas between Quesnel and Williams Lake reminded me a great deal of my home region in the Kawartha. The Cariboo-Chilcotin area has such a diverse range of landscapes, it was truly a joy to drive through it.
Loved this view on Highway 97.
I honestly hadnât researched a great deal about the landscape, so every bend in the road seemed to offer some kind of new picture worthy moment or scenic vista. Iâd love to take a drive through here again, when I have more time.
Welcome to a very smokey, Williams Lake.
The more south I went the more think the smoke appeared. Never did I ever feel in danger, but it was evident that Williams Lake on the precipice of the danger zone. In the weeks prior, this city did face evacuation orders. It was the only place I actually witnessed fire ravaged tree trees from the roadside.
On the outskirts of town, I had the pleasure of seeing 5 deer running out of that charred forest and across the road. I couldnât help but feel a bit sad for them. It was clear their homes had been destroyed and they were seeking refuge. Highway 97 was not ideal.
Mountains have their allure, but country-side does too.Â
Lac-La-Hache, about 45 minutes south of Williams Lake, was probably my favourite spot along Highway 97. I so wished my Dad was with me through this stretch.
Canada or Italy? Surreal beauty in Lac-La-Hache.
The land flattened out and it turned into some stunning farming landscapes. At times, I felt as though I could actually be driving through southern Italy. So incredibly pretty. Â I will be back to explore this area one day, for certain, as itâs never quite left my mind.
My dad would have been in his glory here.
It was after this stretch that the smoke got really bad again. To the point that I eventually closed off my carâs external air vent to re-circulate air inside. You could actually start to taste it in the air. Iâm sure residents here are used to that smell, but I certainly wasnât.
 In order to get to Mount Robson, I needed access to BCâs Highway 24, to cut across the region. Luckily, authorities had opened this stretch the week prior, though I couldnât go any further south of the junction where it met Highway 97 .  I was pretty relieved to make it without any disruptions.
Highway 24 is also known as, âThe Fishing Highwayâ. I was interested to learn it follows the same route once used by fur traders, then supported the transport of over 100,000 gold seekers and is now an important road for logging, ranching and tourism.
Known as âThe Fishing Highwayâ, due to it providing access to over 100 fresh water lakes, itâs a beautiful stretch to drive through. The road itself is higher than I expected, so youâre not driving alongside many of the lakes, but there are some lovely view points along the way.
 The drive across Highway 27 takes about an hour and a half, after which you come to another famous park called Wells Gray, just outside of Clearwater.  Known as Canadaâs âWaterfall Parkâ, it is home to over 39 waterfalls and counting â including this oneâŚ
Thatâs probably a good place for me to leave this post, but stay tuned for more on this stunning park, and why it made me believe that dinosaurs could actually have lived here.
        Cariboo-Chilcotin: Burnt out in the Land without Limits One would think visiting the Cariboo during the largest forest fire disaster to ever hit the province would be a big mistake.
