Hotmail
Beyond the pavement
It was true. Within a few minutes, the tour boat and its circus left, and the whine of the outboard faded into the distance. Ned and I had the pick of the dozen or so campsites. Sometimes too much choice isn't a good thing, and since every campsite was great, it took us fully 15 minutes to choose one.
With our camp set, we walked up the trail to the falls. Silty water cascaded some 40 or 50 feet over the falls. Blueberries abounded, and the few mosquitoes couldn't dislodge the feeling that this was indeed paradise. We fell asleep that night listening to the falls and wrapped in the glow of the dying fire. The next day we had to start back, though we could have spent another day or two exploring the area and basking in the sun on the beach.
As we paddled back to civilization, we began to see people, especially after running the short, easy section of the Clearwater River down to Clearwater Lake. It was near Labor Day, and crowds were gathering for the end-of-summer holiday. Our vacation was drawing to an end, and nothing could compare with the solitude and grandeur that lulled us to sleep at our camp at Rainbow Falls.
Getting There: From Vancouver, B.C., take the Trans-Canada Highway 1 east to Hope. From there, you can take the Coquilla Toll Road 5 to Kamloops, or opt for the more scenic Fraser Canyon, continuing on Highway 1 to Cache Creek and then to Kamloops. From Kamloops, drive north on Highway 5 to Clearwater. From there, take the Clearwater Valley Road to the boat launch on Clearwater Lake (about 42 miles, the last 16 of which are well-graded gravel).
Logistics: There are 33 tent sites on Clearwater Lake in eight campgrounds. Azure Lake has 21 sites in four separate areas. All of the campgrounds have pit toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, tent pads, and food caches. Ivor Creek Campground on Clearwater Lake and Osprey Campground on Azure Lake are reserved for paddlers only. No advanced reservations for camping are necessary. A fee of $5 per boat per day is required for all campers. For more details, log on to http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks . The complete distance from the boat launch on Clearwater Lake to Rainbow Falls on Azure Lake and back is about 64 miles. The return trip can be done in four days by strong paddlers in settled weather, but five days to a week is recommended. Both black and grizzly bears are common in Wells Gray Park, but encounters are rare. Nevertheless, it is recommended that you take a can of bear spray.
Lodging: There are a half dozen moderately priced motels in Clearwater and several lodges on the Clearwater Valley Road, including the famous Helmcken Falls Lodge. For more information, contact the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce at (250) 674-2646 or ntvalley.com/clearwaterchamber.
While You're There: On the Clearwater Valley Road you won't want to miss the short hikes to both Dawson Falls and Helmcken Falls. At the latter, the Murtle River drops 462 feet, making it the fourth-highest waterfall in Canada. Most of the large mammals inhabit Wells Gray Park, including moose, deer, caribou, wolves, lynx, and mountain lions. There are also beavers, otters, marten, eagles and ospreys, as well as waterfowl such as scoters, mallards and mergansers. Most of the larger animals are very elusive. We did see one mountain goat on the slopes below Mount Huntley.
Outfitters/Resources: Clearwater Lake Tours offers boat tours and water taxi services on both Clearwater and Azure Lakes, as well as canoe rentals. Call (250) 674-2121. Canoe Trips British Columbia, by Jack Wainwright, published by Wainbay Enterprises, is a good guide.
Erich Volkstorf is a freelance writer and photographer in Seattle.
More Travel on MSNBC.com |
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM FAMILY |
 Family Section Front |
| Add Family headlines to your news reader: |
Resource guide