The epic land of the Tsilhqot'in!

June 29

Sunday

Woke up at 5:36, cursing being awake, cursing having to pee, and wanting to barf from the smell of quickly thawing cheezy dogs. Dragged myself across the whole park, running by the time I got there to the can, so glad it was unlocked, clean, and equipped.

Went and got ice to re-fridgerate the stinky dogs, checked fluids in the ole truck, then rolled back to the park where I slept. I wanted to go back to sleep but all I could think of was bathing and setting up my truck for the road trip ahead. Had a thorough washing in the sink, changing out of my smelly clothes. Then made coffee and sat still, looking through my maps and reading about places to go. Eventually decided to park on the main street where the girls would see me and walk around to take pictures. Thrift store rip offs and great history. The woman at the museum asked me if I was pregnant then gave me extra attention, telling me stories about the images on the walls cos she felt like a dick I hope. I'm feeling done with being overweigty. Clinton stores were pretty cool, the old junk one with all the farm stuff out front has all kinds of good things inside, the other good one is at the opposite end of town and had beautiful things as well. In between was the museum. Bought postcards for everyone, saw a japanese glass float that I want badly, and a book that would be a funny present. 

 

The girls came, we walked a bit then hit the road, getting to Williams Lake in no time. Gas up n CanTire for pallets to burn and my new hatchet, or my hand-axe as call it. She's a light lil black beauty! Up the leaving hill, down the Fraser River valley, up to the Chilcotin plateau, and across we go. We tried to get to the hot springs at Riske Creek, but couldn`t find the access road, so we decided to head for Farwell Canyon. Off the highway, into the yellow rolling hills, into the adventure country and the canyon of epicness!!

It looks as though you are about to drive over the edge of the world, into the sky. We stopped to hike across the bluff and stare down into the valley below, awed by the vastness of the land, the grandiose feeling of standing on top of the world. Then begin to snake downhill. The hoodoos came up on our one side, and we stopped at the bridge crossing the Chilcotin River to stare at them, partly because we thought there was a roadblock on the other side. When we stopped at the Chilcotin Lodge to ask where the access road was to the Riske Creek hot springs, the naysaying German lady told us no no no, private property, springs are not impressive, the canyon is kind of off limits, you might be able to camp there, you might not bla blah blahhh. So we were a little spooked and thought we`d get the boot. But instead we found an amazing abandoned homesite with leftover cabin remains and awesome riverbanks and birds doing weird and lovely things. We burnt up all our pallets over the next two nights and had a nice rest and got too much sun. Epic.

summer solstice

Wow, out of internet for two weeks! In this day and age? Welcome to the wild west coast, where you can count on nothing and everything to stay the same. Then I had my reading break, and of course I disappeared into the wilds of the Chilcotin Plateau- also no internet there. 
I had a heavy two weeks without the internet in Bella Bella. Lots of action, lots of busy time, little solo or alone or down time to think reflect and write. By the time it came to my vacation days I was all wound up tightly and ready to spin out. So I did that. A few nights to myself, some good drives, some solid sleeps in my camper. Some sun, some nice dinners with myself, and then some more driving. Ye gods, I love the driving.

flying to Bella Bella!

Garden!

The crazy lovely view

These are more pink here than anywhere.

Mooin the funny little dog friend

Flying to Bella Bella. With headphones on!

More view... so pretty!

Friday was payday and summer solstice so what that meant was lets go to the marina pub to dance! I met too many people whose names I'll not remember and I danced to songs I didn't know just to dance. And people were too nice to me. At one point, when I first sat down and was looking all nervous and sober, everyone went for a smoke all at once. One of them came back for me, put her hand on my shoulder and said, come on outside with us please. So I did, and they stumbled muttering you, no you, then offered me a paper bag of fireball. I squealed with delight as Id been so wanting to start my evening off with that but didn't want to look like such a lush in front of new friends, and they laughed cos they were afraid to offer it to me... aren't we all so funny...

Caught a beautiful flight home on Thursday. Sunny and clear. The light shone off the ripples in the narrows between the islands. The forests rose and fell like a crumpled blanket, and as we passed over a lake on one of them, I watched its still surface crinkle up with some wind that came up on it. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Flying over a narrow gap, looking straight down, I thought I saw a boat with a smoke stack spouting out a plume of smoke before I realized it was a whale. Awed the whole way home.

Rested a night in Bella Coola then called in for work. Got my camper sorted I hope, with rubber foot wiping door mats underneath it, what an ordeal getting that propped up and wiggled out from under and back into. Left at 5:11, from Saloomt. The hill was nothing at all going up. I hit gravel, and slowly pulled the truck up up up. The drop is fantastic. The view tremendous. The smell of forest made me jump inside. The gravel road number twenty is the best gravel road I've ever traveled. I had no trouble going eighty, and cruised along the ways, not much later I was at the top, and beaming down the road to the place I camped on the way in, Dean Lake. I had to pee like mad. I pulled the truck right up to the pit toilet, and glad I did since as I got out of my truck, a mad swarm of large mosquitos whirled around me. I ran to the back, grabbed the tp out of the camper sink, and without stopping my motion, ran into the little green room. When I got back into my truck, I spent ten minutes tracking down the last of them who were buzzing around the cab, the dumb ones who didn't leave when I opened the windows to swat them out humanely. Murderous swarms!

No way was I gonna sleep up here, then, and steered my truck back out to the highway, waddling over the roots and a cattlegrate. The first several towns came quickly and I decided to try to make it to Williams Lake. As I drove on, and on, and on, the country alternating between incredible and boring, I set my mind on Redstone for gas. I've decided Redstone is the most beautiful valley I've ever seen. 

 

When I got to Redstone, I didn't stop. I don't know why I didn't stop, I just didn't pull into the place. I didn't even hit the brakes. I was at half a tank, I wasn't sure at all that that would take me into Williams Lake, and I wanted to sit and stare at Redstone valley from up there in the parking lot. But I didn't even slow down..

And then I was at a quarter tank, with three pages of map to cross still. And as I came to the next beautiful valley, their gas stations were shut, each of them, well, all three of them, dark buildings in the dusk. I still had a quarter tank, though, and as I got to the last page of map, I still had that quarter tank. I stopped at ten for a pee and a salad, and thats when the eyes started to burn, the darkness really fell, the traffic coming at me began to blind me a little, and I started getting REALLY nervous that I wasn't going to make it to Willams Lake as the needle pitched suddenly way below a quarter and closer to the empty side, the way it does. 

But I had passed the last town on the map, no way in hell was I turning around, so I pushed it for the big bridge over the Fraser River, looking forward to coasting down the hill to it.

I think that hill is bigger than 'the hill' to Bella Coola, and I definitely forgot how long long long the one back up the valley on the other side was. As I climbed, my eyes were pinned to the needle on the empty line, recalling that there is no reserve on this tank. Twenty minutes, still going up. I turn off the stereo to listen to the engine, as it is definitely going to expire any second. Not ten seconds later, it dies, I yank the wheel to pull it off the road and it stalls there. I am prepared for this, and I grab my light, pull the jerry can out of the back, and pour it into the gas hole, feeling all puffed up and like a pro. As I get back up to speed, I pass the Welcome To Williams Lake sign, and begin the twist back down into town. Still not sure how far five bucks'll take me though, so the first stop is the gasbar. Then the WalMart to sleep cause I am bagged! I sit in the back and eat salad part two, have a few sips of whiskey, then pass the fuck out with my earplugs all snugged in. Great sleep...

Today a bumblebee came into my cab. I leaned over and let it out of the window. Then I saw a fox, trotting alongside the road with a rabbit in her mouth. Pretty things.

A bumblebee is supposed to mean community, opportunity, and selfless service.

The fox I've already looked up, it's about finding a way through difficult times, or finding a creative solution to a problem.