2010 Adams River Sockeye Run

Sockeye By The Millions

An unbelievable experience! An experience of a life time! Out of this world! 


Words can not describe this spectacle of a show that nature displays. The 2010 Adam River Sockeye Run was a record run, and we had the incredible fortune to be able to be there and take it all in.






Can you imagine swimming around 400km against the current, not feeding during the whole journey and with only one purpose in mind, to make love and then die, what a way to go.

2010 Adams River Sockeye Run

Monashee Mountains, with its many creeks drains into Tumtum Lake, which drains in to Upper Adams River. Upper Adams River then drains into Adams Lake, 

Adams Lake

which dumps it's water in to the famous Adams River. Adams River in turn flows into Shuswap Lake.

View Adams River in a larger map

We stayed at a campground in Sorrento called Shuswap Lake Motel and Resort. A bit tight to get in and out with the 5th wheel and some traffic noise, but a really nice setting. Everything nice and clean. Power and water only.

Shuswap Lake Motel and Resort

Our campsite at Shuswap Lake Motel and Resort

The life cycle of the salmon is pretty incredible. Salmon are born in gravel beds in streams 20 to over 1000 km from the ocean. Eggs are laid and fertilized in the fall, the eggs then incubate over late fall and winter.

Salmon Eggs

Approximately a month after they have been laid in the gravel, eyes start to show in the eggs. This can happen as early as November - December. It is very important during this period that the water flow is not interrupted. This  period has the greatest mortality in the salmon's life cycle.


In late winter, the eggs hatch into what is called alevins. This is a tiny creatures with huge eyes attached to bright orange sacs and looks like an alien. 


View The Route Of The Sockeye Salmon in a larger map




Alevins grow rapidly under the gravel for up to four months. Apparently the orange yolk sacs contain a completely diet. The fish is completely protected being in the gravel bed.


Alevins turn into a fry in May - June sometime. At this time they are between 2-3cm long, and swim freely. Swimming freely also has its risks, larger fish now consider them good food. They then stay in the river or nearby lakes for up to a year or two. Each species behaves different. 

Anders watching the Sockeye Salmon in Adams River.

Next stage is a Smolt. Smolting is a change in their body which enables the fish to live in salt water and not absorb the salt. Once this process is finished, and the fish has turned into a smolt it is ready to begin its long swim down the river and into the ocean. 


Once in the ocean the salmon grows very fast and spend a few year here before returning to its place of birth.

Adams River and Hiuihill Creek Hike

We spent two wonderful days hiking along Adams River. The highlight was a small creek called Hiuihill Creek, just south of Adams Lake. 

Hiuihill Creek

This creek flows into Adams River. The creek was very shallow, and the fish were out of the water at times. It is a wonderful hike along the creek from both sides of the road.


At the mouth of Hiuihill Creek where it flows into Adams River we saw other species of Salmon.  From what we were told, some lake trouts come up the river feasting on Sockeye eggs. You will need at least 2-4 hours to hike the Hiuihill Creek, it is a moderate hike with incredible scenery. 

Sockeye Salmon in Adams River, just south of where Hiuihill Creek flows in.

Anders at the rapids by Adams River

Liz at the rapids by Adams River 

Our Friends Judy and Charlie

If you have a chance to take your family and friends here, please do so. It is something that is so incredible, I know this experience will stay with me forever. Not only that, I will return, just like the salmon.


More (tons of them) pictures in our Picasa Album , remember to click on slide show on the top left corner to get the big picture.

Salmon Run at Adams River, BC, Canada

Happy Traveling,


Liz and Anders

Kaslo BC, Over Vernon Bc to Sorrento, BC

Kaslo to Sorrento

First part of this trip is from Schroeder Point Resort just north of Kaslo to Fauquier ferry crossing



View Kaslo to Fauquier in a larger map






Early in the morning we left our campground at Schroeder Point traveling South, back to Kaslo.

SS Moyie, the oldest intact passenger Sternwheeler in the world, Kaslo BC

 We visited the SS Moyie, the world's oldest intact passenger sternwheeler which is a proud symbol of Kaslo's heritage. It now sits on the shore of Kootenay Lake right in Kaslo.

Dining room on the SS Moyie

The Chef preparing great meals

  At the SS Moyie we are thrown back  years when this ship was the transport and the connection to the outside world traveling the inside BC lakes and rivers ( 1898 to 1957). It is amazing the luxury and the hardships one can imagine on these voyages.


In the lower level of the SS Moyie, historical photos tell stories. 
As part of the museum there is also a prospector's cabin in the yard showing the sparse living conditions of pioneers.Leg hold traps, a cast-iron pan, a simple bed, an oil lamp.....I wonder if we could survive a week in summer, never mind in a severe BC winter.

Prospector's Cabin from around 1900

The Story of an Old Cabin

We looked right away for a Latte somewhere, to jolt us back to reality. But it was a Sunday morning and Kaslo was closed. We did a lovely walk-about through the old fashioned town with its clapboard buildings and old hotels, B&Bs,and country stores. 

Anders searching for a coffee.....

Downtown Kaslo, BC

Nice old homes and Commercial  Buildings

Beautiful Old Hotel

We took Hwy. 31A out of town toward Nakusp. The roads are windy but good.






A Step Back in Time with our visit to Sandon BC


About 10km before New Denver we decide to explore the ghost town of Sandon. The gravel road is very narrow and goes up steep into the mountains.

Main Street in Sandon BC around 1890

The museum was open the last weekend for the season. Very interesting, this mining town once had over 5000 people living there. In its heydays, around 1890, Sandon was known as the Monte Carlo of North America with its 29 hotels, 28 saloons, 2 churches, a schoolhouse, theatre and Opera houses, etc. And naturally it attracted mostly men seeking a fortune in the incredible rich silver-lead ore deposits, gamblers, land speculators, ladies of the night, millionaires.......Sandon was also the first BC municipality serviced by Hydro electrical utility. The main Street was built right over the Carpenter Creek running through town because of the limited building land available. The town was twice destroyed, once by fire in 1900 and in 1955 by a wash-out.

Two railways served Sandon for a while

Today Sandon is a Ghost town

Carpenter Creek where the main street of Sandon once stood

Life was hard and short

The Sandon Historical Society is preserving the history of the old mining town

Sandon was known as the Monte Carlo of North America

Hotels, Saloons, and Brothels fleurished

 The sad history is that during WWII about a 1000 Japanese/Canadian internees were housed in the old buildings under the provisions of the War Measures' Act. One can hardly imagine how they must have felt in this cold, shady valley away from the homes on the West coast.

Sandon is now a ghost town and about 4 people live year around there. The Museum Society is working hard to keep the old history alive. It is a great place to visit to get an idea about the diverse BC history

Beautiful Slocan area

We continued our journey through New Denver and Rosebery on Slocan Lake, now following Hwy. # 6 to Nakusp. In New Denver there is the  Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre. It is dedicated to the history of the 23,000 Japanese Canadians that were interned by the Canadian Government. We did not stop, maybe next time. 


Nakusp is a beautiful town of about 2000 people on Upper Arrow Lake which is part of the Columbia River system. Nakusp is famous for its hot springs. But again, maybe next time. We pick up some food and drive South on Hwy.#6 toward the ferry crossing at Fauquier.

Lunch stop on Sadis Bay on Upper Arrow Lake

Liz with the Monashee Mountain across Arrow Lake

The road winds along the narrow Arrow Lake for about 60 km, it is a beautiful drive, not much traffic. Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes are really just widened portions of the Columbia River as it travels south to the US border. The Selkirk Mountains are to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Very few people live around here.This is the beautiful boonies. 


Fauquier to Sorrento




View Fauquier Ferry Crossing to Sorrento in a larger map


Again the ferry from Fauquier to Needles is free, it is a cable ferry.

Free ferry crossing from Fauquier to Needles over Lower Arrow Lake

It's a Cable Ferry

Needles is now just a ferry terminal. The town was flooded in 1960 when the water reservoir just north of Castlegar was created with the Hugh Keenleyside Dam.

Lower Arrow Lake is really the dammed Columbia River

Dutch Cheese?
From Needles to Lumby it is about a 100km drive. The countryside is beautiful, we enjoy our ride. As we approach Lumby, we feel like coming back to civilization, farms, homes, people.... Black and white cows: Anders hits the breaks, there is someone selling cheese right from the farm. Triple Island Farm with its Dutch owners were just licensed here to make cheese this year. We go in and a nice young man with a good Dutch accent serves us. The choices are Goudas. We buy $ 10.00 worth and sit in the truck and taste it. Yummy: Anders went back to get way more. Apparently the Tuijtel Family already ships all over BC.

Camping in Vernon BC

We stay overnight in Vernon BC. Next morning we head north on Hwy.# 97A Armstrong and Enderby. This area is known for its dairy farms.

From Vernon BC to Enderby BC with lots of Dairy Farms

We turn onto Hwy.# 97B toward Salmon Arm. Our goal is to meet up with Judy and Charlie at the Adams River to observe this years huge Salmon Run. We reserved a campsite at the Shuswap Lake Motel and Resort at 1185 Passchendaele Road in Sorrento, BC.

Sorrento BC campsite

It's a nice site, even though we get some highway noise. From here its about a 15 minute drive to the Adams River salmon run site. That's on the program next day.


There are more pictures in our Picasa Web Album.


Cheers,


Liz and Anders

From Waterton National Park to Frank Slide to Kaslo.

Waterton National Park - Frank Slide - Kaslo

The time has come to leave Waterton National Park. It is truly a spectacular place. Next time you are in Southern Alberta, make a point to visit, you will not be disappointed.

                                       View Waterton National Park to Frank Slide to Kaslo in a larger map

Frank Slide

We head out and set our sites on the town of Frank where Canada's most deadly slide happened "Frank Slide". "The town of Frank is in Southern Alberta on #3 highway about 24km from the British Columbia border.

In 1903 part of the village of Frank was covered by a rock slide.

Don't miss the Interpretive Centre, it is very interesting and so is the view from up there.

The Frank Slide happened at 4:10 in the morning on the 29th of April 1903. The side of Turtle Mountain let go and 82 million tonnes of limestone came down. At least 70-90 people perished.

Liz at the interpretive Centre

Frank Slide in 1903

The size of the Frank Slide is immense;  500 ft (150 m) deep, 1,400 ft (425 m) high and 3280 ft (1000 m) wide. The slide was like and avalanche of rocks and  took under 100 seconds, covering an area of 1.2 square miles or 3 square kilometers.

Frank Slide covering an area of 3 square kilometers

The cause of the slide was probably a combination of things. Turtle Mountain's unstable structure, the coal mining that was going on in the mountain, and the severe weather conditions.

Anders looks with amazement at Frank Slide

Turtle Mountain is still not very stable and is monitored for what more then likely will be another slide. It almost gives you an uncomfortable feeling. Liz's words, "get me out of here". You should not miss this part of Canadian History, it is really worth seeing.

Like in many disasters there are some miracles, and the Frank Slide also had a few, like the 17 coal miners managing to dig themselves out 14 hours after the slide, was one of them. For lots more information check out the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre website.

Liz said: "Get me out of here"

Crowsnest Pass

We get back in the truck and head west toward the Crowsnest pass and the British Columbia border beyond. Wonderful country to drive through. The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass has lots to offer and is like a mini recreation capital of South Western Alberta. Here we fuel up and give everything a good check up.

Searching the web where the name Crowsnest came from, I have not found a direct answer. It looks like it did come from the Crow First Nations. One story is that the Crow Natives had been steeling some horses from the Blackfoot First Nation. The Crow were hiding out in the pass (nest) and the Blackfoot found them in their nest or hiding spot and massacred them.

We are back in British Columbia, just outside Sparwood.

The Kootenay First Nation or the Ktunaxa name for the pass is "Yakyaqanqat" or "way through the mountains". They used the route long before the Europeans came, it was their way across the mountains to hunt buffalo or bison on the plains.

Some people think the name actually originated because of all the crows that are nesting in the trees in the region. Not sure if we ever will find out.

Sparwood, BC.

Next stop is Sparwood, in British Columbia. Sparwood is a small coal mining town that is going through a transition from a wealthy mining community to a community mix of retirement, recreation and tourism. Sparwood just like Crowsnest is recreation mecca.

Wow, that's a big truck. Makes my Dodge Ram look pretty small.

Sure would love to drive one ....

Sparwood has lots of attractions, like the largest truck in the world...... Liz sure got excited checking it out :)

Liz, just so excited, yeah sure.....

For more information on Sparwood, check out the "District of Sparwood" website.

Creston

It was time for some serious driving. Driving through some incredible country, we wish we could stop at every town and city but we do have a deadline.... sort of.  We drive through Fernie, following number 3 Highway into Cranbrook and finally we pull into Creston.

On the way to Creston, BC

We camped at Pair-A-Dice RV Park & Campground. We get a great pull-through site with full hook up. This campground is top notch, everything is clean and tidy. Liz put up a couple of loads of laundry, cleanest laundry room around. Would definitely stay here again.

Creston and the surrounding Creston Valley, 1740 ft above sea level, is such a beautiful and quaint place. This little town of 5000 people is right in the heart of the Kootenays, surrounded by the majestic Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges. To the south is the USA and Idaho and to the north is the southern part of Kootenay Lake.

Creston Valley

Picking up some farm fresh eggs

Farming is a big part in the Creston Valley and more then 25,000 acres or 101 square kilometers have been reclaimed and protected by dykes. We only think that the Netherlands have dykes.... not so. But then again, 27% of the Netherlands are below sea level with one point being 23 ft below sea level.... Did someone say the sea levels were rising?

We took a small tour around the valley, picked up some farm fresh eggs and some fresh bread and we were set for the evening.

Kaslo

The following morning we got off to a late start, but we had lots of time. Our target this time was a campground just north of Kaslo, on the west side of Kootneay Lake

                                                                        View Creston to Kaslo in a larger map

We loved the scenic drive north along Kootneay Lake even in the rain. The ferry ride across the Kootenay Lake from Kootenay Bay to Balfour is free and very scenic. Once across the lake we continued north along the west-side of the lake. The road on both sides of the lake is in good condition but it is not a road to break speed records on. It winds along the lake: take it slow and enjoy the scenery.

The Purcell Mountains are hiding on the other side of Kootenay Lake

Kootenay Lake

Our end destination for the day was Schroeder Creek Resort just north of Kaslo. This part of the road is really windy, we are driving slow and Liz had white knuckles looking over the edges down to the water.

Arriving in Kaslo

Schroeder Creek Resort, north of Kaslo on Highway 31

Anders checking out the boats in the marina

We arrived just after lunch at Schroder Creek Resort and got a site with full hook up. This resort has a lot of people that come here year after year. Fishing and happy hour must be popular. Some visitors even have decks built around their trailers. The resort also has a marina.

We have of course pictures in our Picasa Webalbum, you can scroll through the pictures or watch the slide show.

Next blog, is "Kaslo to Vernon"

Cheers,

Liz and Anders