Smithers

Most of today was a completely grey day with a flat, steely sky. We drove through completely green mountains – a lovely combination of the bright green of the aspens just leafing out and the black spruce. The drive reminded me a bit of the Connecticut River Valley in Northern Massachusetts. By midafternoon we began to see the snowy tops of the Coast Mountains. The dandelions are worth mentioning: I have never seen such large (2-3 inches across), lush ones. They are everywhere; they turn the alfalfa fields to a sea of yellow.

After lunch we left Route 16 in Smithers and drove a few miles on paved and gravel roads to the Twin Falls Recreation Area for a walk up to the falls – “a spot not to be missed (Milepost*).” Fortunately the sun came out so it was lovely. We then back tracked a bit to Tyhee Lake Provincial Park for the night – 59 sites by the lake with huge sites currently about 15% occupied. Dinner was steak, grilled asparagus, rice, and a salad.

*For those who are unfamiliar with it, The Milepost; is a yearly publication that details the sites and amenities along routes through Alaska and Western Canada. The details are very specific; “PG 228 (367.9 km) PR 219.7 (353.2 km) Stoplight. Forest District Office to the north” means we are at a stoplight 228 miles past Prince George with 219.7 miles to go to Prince Rupert — the Forest Service Office is to the right. Other entries tell you of steep grades, turns for places of interest, fuel stops. It’s a must for driving in this area, but it is important to spend more time looking out the window than ticking off the miles.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)