Waking at the first blush of morning, every member of our angling team dressed warmly and headed toward the main lodge at Moutcha Bay Resort. Fishing guides and resort guests collected breakfast sandwiches, boxed lunches and thermoses of hot coffee while enthusiastic marina and fish processing staff kept busy with their morning chores. In the background, staff had been hard at work since 4:30 a.m., shuttling enormous volumes of ice from processing plant to marina, then ferrying the ice down the dark docks and into each of the five guide boats.

The day before, our party arrived at Moutcha Bay Resort via the two-hour Sea-to-Tree route from Campbell River – one of the most scenic drives in Canada. Upon arrival, we were surprised to find an expansive, well-organized ecosystem in the wilderness, complete with full-service marina, rainforest campground, rustic lodge with a restaurant serving locally sourced fare, ocean-inspired spa and cozy waterfront yurts.

Moutcha Bay Resort is an adventurers’ playground, with plenty of luxurious amenities assuring a comfortable stay. In addition to fishing tours, the resort, operated by Nootka Marine Adventures, offers wildlife and heritage tours, sea kayaking adventures, kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals, a children’s playground and zipline, and communal barbecues. The area surrounding Nootka Sound is home to tranquil hiking and ATV trails, beautiful cave systems and historic villages, making this the perfect destination to reconnect with nature.

For weeks prior to arrival, we had waited and watched for an opportunity to target albacore tuna at this magical destination. Each day, the fishing guides at Nootka Marine Adventures updated their Terrafin satellite imaging, watching the sea surface temperature and chlorophyll chart patterns. Monitoring these patterns enables guides to predict contour lines (which represent changes in elevation or depth), even if cloud cover prevents sharp imagery on the day of departure.

The torpedo-shaped albacore tuna is a highly migratory species, able to travel at continuously high rates of speed. In fact, their annual migration begins far away from Vancouver Island, in the Pacific waters off the coast of Japan; their journey begins in the spring and ends in late summer, in the waters surrounding North America. On Vancouver Island, anglers have a six-week window, starting in the middle of August, to fish for albacore tuna – but you have to be diligent, and you have to be lucky.

Migrating albacore follow oceanic fronts where two water bodies meet. The fronts lure plankton, which in turn attract schooling anchovies, sardines and squid – and these, in turn, attract albacore tuna. Since it can be difficult to discern the exact location of oceanic fronts, anglers use SST software and search for markers to approximate a guess. If the markers are too far to reach by boat, there isn’t much to do except wait for the fast-moving tuna to come closer.

Using the Terrafin satellite imaging system, our fishing guides had searched daily for a green-blue chlorophyll colour break and warmer waters of 13 to 18 degrees Celsius within reach of Moutcha Bay and Nootka Marine Adventures’ other fishing resorts, Nootka Sound and Newton Cove. As soon as they sent us word that conditions were looking promising, we quickly packed and headed for Moutcha Bay.

Early this morning, guides were still closely watching their satellite images, as well as the weather report. Our fleet of guide boats would head far off-shore – up to 25 miles – seeking calm seas and good weather.

The fishing guides summoned bleary-eyed guests to their boats, double- and triple-checking that everyone had their lunch, water, sunglasses and sunscreen. The night before, they had specially converted the guide boats for our tuna fishing excursion. All the downriggers, bonkers, nets and rod holders used for salmon and halibut fishing were removed to make space. In went eight six-and-a-half-foot, medium weight rods in a Christmas tree pattern, with double-action, fast retrieval reels.

We hopped into the boats and, as the first rays of sunlight begin peeking out from the misty mountains framing Nootka Sound, we pulled away from the docks and headed toward the Pacific Ocean, buzzing with excitement.

For all albacore trips, several boats travel together in convoy to maximize safety, with a minimum of three boats per location at any given time. All the boats remain in visual and radio contact and, once offshore, they constantly update each other as they move, change direction or switch fishing spots. Our guides frequently reminded us that there’s zero room for negotiation when it comes to safety: if there’s any sign of bad weather, we’d be turning back.

Sipping coffee and watching the sun break over the mountains, we traveled westward through the tranquil waters of Nootka Sound, drifting past thick rainforests and rocky shorelines. Eventually, we reached the open ocean. By the time we neared our waypoint of 25 miles offshore, it was 8 a.m. and the sun was dazzlingly bright.

The scenery was like nothing I’d ever experienced. On all sides, the Pacific Ocean stretched languorously; far behind us, Vancouver Island was a distant mountainscape. The water was a radiant tropical blue. Seabirds soared overhead while large albatross and shearwaters searched for a meal. It felt like we were in another world.

Mellow swells lifted and dropped the boats while our guides discussed their plans and searched the water for signs of baitfish. Occasionally, scratchy communication emitted through the radio.

Suddenly, someone noticed surface activity off the portside bow – perhaps tuna? Our excitement mounted when we saw a super-pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins chasing our wake. The sheer size of their group was astounding. It became clear to me that we were but mere visitors in their deep-sea domain.

Over the radio, the guides discussed which lures to start with. We were using Zuker’s bullet head surface lures and cedar plugs barbless tuna hooks, and Rapala divers. We had 60-pound test Dacron line and 120-pound leader. We were prepared to receive fish, with an ice-filled fish well and a large cooler containing salted ice slurry. Once we were geared up, we began trolling at a sprightly seven knots using our main engines.

It happened quickly. Suddenly, the water’s surface was teeming with albacore tuna. Several fish leapt straight out of the water at incredible speed, spiraling like a thrown football. Our guide turned us in their direction, trimming the engines to shoot more froth on the surface and create a disturbance. We alerted our companion boats, and they closed in.

Over the radio, we heard that another group 60 metres away had hooked up on a double-header. We turned our boat and aimed straight across their stern.

Albacore have a baitfish mentality. If you can keep their feeding frenzy going, they’ll bite for longer. Coho and spring salmon sometimes behave similarly, but nowhere near the same extreme. The closer the boats move together and get other boats to hook up, the higher the likelihood we’d keep the school active. One or two boats will have a difficult time maintaining the action and staying on top of the school; the more boats you can work with, the better.

We were coming up on the other boats, swiftly trolling at seven knots with thick propeller wash and bouncing lures, knowing the fracas would attract the albacore. All eight lines streamed out behind us. Albacore have large eyes with huge, teaspoon-sized pupils, enabling them to see for hundreds of feet, and we were hoping the fish far below the surface would spot us and swim up to investigate.

One of us got a bite, and we all jumped into action. The first fish smashed the lure and was rapidly followed by two more hookups – a triple-header! Our guide quickly drew the throttle down to three knots and removed the other lines to minimize mayhem; we were all hollering with excitement as we began retrieving the fish. They swim incredibly fast, and I immediately saw how an energetic albacore could easily spool a 200-yard line.

Our guide had advised us to prepare for triple- and quadruple-headers, but none of us really appreciated how intense it would be. While madly reeling in the first two lines, we adjusted the drag on the third reel, just enough to keep the fish running without breaking the line. Our guide directed the boat to stay on top of the action and took over the third rod.

As the fish came closer, we began to notice their vibrant colours: purple, yellow, green and aqua, flashing under the water’s surface. They shimmered in the sunlight and moved like silver bullets. We kept the boat drifting while retrieving the tuna to avoid tangles or thrown hooks. Once they were close enough, our guide yanked them out with a gaff and, in one swift movement, dispatched and bled them with an incision to the gills. Without ever touching the deck, the tuna was immediately placed in the salt-ice slurry to cool.

Tuna are a warm-blooded pelagic fish. During the intense sprint of a hook-up, their bodies warm quickly. Once aboard, it’s imperative to get them into the ice slurry to preserve their meat quality. After cooling the fish for 15 minutes, we stacked them with salted ice in our fish well and repeated.

Nootka Marine Adventures’ trips average around 15 to 20 albacore per boat – on a good day, up to 40. Albacore is a sustainable fishery with suggested daily limits of 20 albacore per license to maintain fish stocks; however, once the fish well was full, it was time to head home.

Interest in albacore tuna fishing along Vancouver Island’s west coast has grown exponentially over the last few years – in fact, it’s become a top to-do on many angling bucket lists. Novice and seasoned fishers alike are welcome to join a professionally guided fishing experience with Nootka Marine Adventures, which offers excursions out of all three resorts. The trips are ideal for multi-day fishing packages, allowing visitors plenty of time to cruise the water while indulging in the full resort experience. Find more information at www.nootkamarineadventures.com.

 

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Lighthouses are iconic in BC, and each tells a different story. Check out our list of five beautiful pieces of BC history that you will want to see.

Green Island Lighthouse

The Green Island Lighthouse is located in Chatham Sound, about 40 kilometres northwest of Prince Rupert. This is BC’s northernmost lighthouse.

The lighthouse that stands here today was constructed in 1956, replacing the original structure built in 1906.

The Klondike Gold Rush in 1897 meant an increase in the amount of marine traffic to this region, and the lighthouse was built in 1906 after a number of shipwrecks occurred.

The Green Island Lighthouse was recognized as a historical lighthouse in 2015.

Pachena Point Lighthouse

The Pachena Point Lighthouse is located on Vancouver Island, about 13 kilometres south of Bamfield in Pacific Rim National Park, and it sits about 200 feet above the ocean.

This lighthouse opened in 1908 and was just one of several built along Vancouver Island’s western coastline in an attempt to reduce the number of shipwrecks that occurred here. In 1906, an American passenger ship sunk in this area, and that promoted the BC government to build Pachena Point Lighthouse.

This lighthouse was recognized as a heritage building in 1991.

Point Atkinson Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada

The Point Atkinson Lighthouse sits on Burrard Inlet in West Vancouver, and was constructed in 1912. This was the first of three lighthouses built to serve the port of Vancouver and protect the city’s growing international shipping trade, replacing a wooden structure built in 1875.

The Point Atkinson Lighthouse was formally recognized as a national historic site in 1974.

Triple Island Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada

The Triple Island Lighthouse stands on a rocky islet near Prince Rupert, and was completed in 1920. Its location means its highly visible to marine traffic, and was built to aid ships using the Inside Passage to Alaska, as well as ships navigating to Prince Rupert.

This lighthouse was custom designed for its unique location, designed by Col. W. A. Anderson of the Department of Marine and Fisheries.

The Triple Island Lighthouse was recognized as a national historic site in 1974.

Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada

The Fisgard Lighthouse was the first permanent lighthouse on Canada’s Pacific coast, completed in 1860. It resides in Colwood, on Fisagard Island on the east side of the entrance to Esquimault Harbour, north of the Juan de Fuca Strait.

The Fisgard Lighthouse was formally recognized as a national historic site in 1958 and is comprised of a two-storey light keeper’s residence with an attached light tower.

Stay tuned as we look at more beautiful lighthouses along BC’s coast.

The post 5 Stunning Lighthouses To See In BC appeared first on My Nelson Now.

British Columbia experienced several gold rushes throughout the latter half of the 1800s – some large, some small. With the influx of miners and their families, as well as entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the miners’ new prosperity, new towns sprung up across the province. Some of these towns boomed, while others only lasted as long as the prospectors remained in the area.

Fraser Canyon Gold Rush

Victoria

The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush was the first major gold rush B.C. experienced. It began in 1857, just as the gold rush in California was winding down. Miners and their families traveled from far and wide to try their hand at panning for gold in the north. Those heading to the colony of British Columbia were legally obligated to enter through Victoria. This restriction was an immigration control put in place by governor James Douglas. At the time, Victoria was a small town of about 500. Within a month, about 30,000 people had flooded in.

Today, Victoria is the capital of B.C. and home to over 78,000 people.

Yale

With miners staking their claims along the Fraser Canyon region, the town of Yale boomed. During its heyday, Yale was named the largest town north of San Francisco and west of Chicago, with a peak population of about 16,000. It was also known for its lawlessness and violence.

Originally known as Fort Yale, the town was the epicenter for the Fraser Canyon War and McGowan’s War during the gold rush era, which threatened the British monarchy’s hold on the new colony from Americans.

Situated along the Fraser River, immediately south of the Fraser Canyon, meant Yale was the ideal location to begin the Cariboo Wagon Road – this road ran from Yale to Barkerville. Because of Yale’s unique position and role as a point of transportation, the town prospered for another 20 years after the gold rush ended.

Port Douglas

Port Douglas is situated on the east mouth of the Lillooet River and was the second major settlement on mainland BC, after Yale, during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.

Stretching from Port Douglas to Lillooet is the Douglas Road, a mixed route between land and water. During the peak of the gold rush, thousands of people set up shop in Port Douglas and many mainland companies started here.

After the gold rush ended, the population of Port Douglas dwindled quickly and today there is nothing left.

Lillooet

Lillooet has an extensive history when it comes to gold mining. The town was one of the main centres of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.

After the gold rush ended, Royal Engineers came in to survey the town and changed the layout to what you see today. Main Street was tied into the original Cariboo Wagon Road, until construction began on the modern-day Cariboo Wagon Road that leads from Yale to Barkerville via Ashcroft. Residents of Lillooet, however, still consider their town Mile 0 of the original wagon road and there is a monument in town to commemorate this.

Gold mining still continues in the Lillooet area today, as well as prospecting for copper, silver and jade. The Golden Cache Mine, located on Cayoosh Creek west of Lillooet, is thought to hold one of the richest veins of gold, but a lack of results ended any investment in the mine.

Ghost towns of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush

Other towns were established during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, but they are now vacant and considered ghost towns. These include Fort Berens, Bralorne (a town that later struck it rich from 1932 to 1971, mining three million ounces of gold), Barkley Valley, Derby, Hill’s Bar and Parsonville.

Cariboo Gold Rush

Barkerville

Barkerville was the epicenter of the Cariboo Gold Rush, which began in 1861 as a spin-off from the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. Gold was first discovered in 1859 on the Horsefly River, along with other strikes made on Keithley Creek and Antler Creek in 1860. These strikes were made known in 1861, and further strikes along Williams Creek in 1865 pushed the Cariboo Gold Rush into full swing.

Barkerville was named for Billy Barker, of England, whose claim during the gold rush proved to be the richest, and eventually the most famous. His claim would yield 37,500 ounces of gold.

The town’s population seemed to grow overnight, thanks to word of Billy’s discovery. Before the completion of the Cariboo Wagon Road, would-be miners had to haul their supplies in – either on their backs or by pack train. This meant any supplies that could be purchased in town came with a high price tag.

At the peak of the gold rush, in the 1860s, Barkerville had about 5,000 residents. At first, the town was made up of makeshift cabins and tents, but it soon grew to be a tried-and-true community with a school, general stores and other businesses.

In 1997, the BC government set about restoring the town to its former glory and Barkerville became a tourist attraction. Now referred to as Barkerville Historic Town, tourists can see what life was like during the heydays of the gold rush.

Richfield

Richfield was established in 1862 and named for the gold claim found near Williams Creek, by miner Bill Cunningham.

As word of the gold discovery spread, people can from far and wide to try their hand at panning for gold in Richfield. Soon the town grew to include several saloons, a jail, a courthouse and a church, as well as a bank, a hotel, a post office and other stores.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much more gold to be found in Richfield and soon miners packed up and moved onto other destinations. Today, Richfield is a ghost town.

Quesnel

Once known as Quesnellemouth, to distinguish the town from Quesnel Forks, another 60 miles up the Fraser River, what is now known as Quesnel was the commercial centre for the Cariboo Gold Rush. The town was situated along the Cariboo Wagon Road.

Today, the city of Quesnel is home to over 10,000 residents.

Quesnel Forks

Established in 1860, Quesnel Forks was the supply centre for the Cariboo Gold Rush. Over 2,000 miners a year passed through the town between 1860 and 1862, with about 100 permanent residents. When the Cariboo Wagon Road was completed, miners could bypass Quesnel Forks and Barkerville became the new centre for gold mining activity.

The population had dwindled by the 1870s, but a core group of Chinese miners and businessmen remained and set up a community. The town wasn’t completely abandoned until the 1950s.

Today, tourists can explore Quesnel Forks and see restored pioneer buildings, as well as the historic cemetery.

Alexandria

Set on the shores of the Fraser River, Alexandria was once a fort for the Hudson’s Bay Company. With the discovery of gold and the Cariboo Gold Rush in full swing, Alexandria grew to a large tent community for miners. Eventually, road-builder Gustavus Blin Wright launched his sternwheeler from Alexandria, which would take passengers and supplies up the Fraser River to Quesnel. From the town of Quesnel, travelers could then take the road on to Barkerville.

Horsefly

Previously known as Harper’s Camp, the town of Horsefly is home to the first major gold discovery of the Cariboo Gold Rush, along the Horsefly River. As miners invaded the area, searching for their own riches, Horsefly grew to include hotels, a store and a post office.

Today, Horsefly is a tourist destination and includes many modern amenities, such as stores, a museum and restaurants.

Stanley

The town of Stanley was established when gold was found in nearby Lightning Creek, during the Cariboo Gold Rush. If you take Highway 26 east of Quesnel, after about 45 minutes you’ll pass by Stanley Road – the community was once located along this road.

In the late 1800s, Stanley’s population surpassed Barkerville. But, as the gold dwindled, so did the town’s population. Today, there is nothing left except an old building that used to be the Lightning Hotel.

Ghost towns of the Cariboo Gold Rush

Other small towns that sprang up during the Cariboo Gold Rush, and were then abandoned when the gold was all mined, included Bullion, Keithley Creek and Antler Creek.

Gold In BC

In addition to the major gold rushes – Fraser Canyon and Cariboo – BC experienced several other, smaller gold rushes and towns sprung up as a result of the influx of miners to these areas. These towns are now abandoned.

Fisherville was established during the Wild Horse Creek Gold Rush. At its peak, the town was home to about 5,000 residents and several businesses.

Big Bend and Mica were established during the Big Bend Gold Rush.

The town of Blackfoot was set up during the Similkameen Gold Rush, as well as the town of Hedley.

Cassiar, McDame and Dease Lake were established during the Cassiar Gold Rush.

The Omineca Gold Rush saw the establishment of Dunkeld, Germansen’s Landing, Hogem, Howellton, New Hogem and Omineca City.

Granite Creek was erected during the Tulameen Gold Rush. At its peak in 1886, the town was home to about 2,000 residents.

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Located on the unceded and traditional territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh) and Coast Salish peoples, I’ve walked the trails in Stanley Park hundreds of times. I’ve visited in all four seasons and explored by foot, by bike and horse-drawn carriage. As I grew older, I watched the park evolve from a manicured place where animals were caged in a zoo, into a rewilded place where beavers and coyotes coexist with the city. I thought I knew the park, but my recent Talking Trees Tour with Candace Campo, co-owner of Talaysay Tours, made me realize I’d barely experienced the landscape.

Indigenous-led tourism can be a tricky thing to define. A recent survey indicated most people really don’t know what it is—and assume it’s a passive look at the past; like visiting a museum or watching a cultural performance. What I’ve learned is that it’s more like an invitation to go deeper—in the case of Stanley Park it means leaving the popular perimeter trails and using all your senses to see the park through a different lens.

It was a drizzly day when my daughter and I met Candace, a member of the shíshálh Nation. With Talaysay, her mission is to educate and inspire people by sharing the rich Indigenous history, traditions and beliefs of the Nations who once lived in Stanley Park. So we wandered into the woods, stopping near Beaver Lake, where she welcomed us as guests to the land and told us about a place that long predates its 1888 colonial-founding.

As we walked, Candace talked about the places where villages had stood, children played and communities had thrived. She explained how the landscape shaped the culture and how people were able to live in balance with their surroundings.

Winding our way through the quiet internal trails she told us about traditional spiritual practices and showed us the many uses of plants like skunk cabbage, salmon berries and licorice fern. At one stop she taught us how to peel the young shoot of a salmon berry bush and snack on a treat that tasted of sweet spring.

Along the way we visited some of the parks’ largest trees including an ancient Douglas fir, a grove of huge cedars and a truly massive broadleaf maple, which according the B.C. Big Tree Registry is the largest in the province (if not Canada). Candace says this isn’t surprising, the traditional sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) place name for Vancouver is K’emk’emelay, meaning place of broadleaf maple tree.

By the time our walk was over, Stanley Park seemed different to me; wilder and more ancient, as well as more resilient and generous. What I learned is that while Indigenous teachings are timeless—the lessons are powerfully modern: when we take too much without thought or gratitude, we get out of sync with the natural world, and ourselves. But when we stop—and take time to learn, and laugh and go deeper, the balance starts to return.

Talaysay Tours offers a variety of tours in Stanley Park, the North Shore and on the Sunshine Coast:
Phone: 604-628-8555

BC has dozens of Indigenous Tourism options.
Here are some of our picks:

Klahoose Wilderness Resort: Desolation Sound (Sunshine Coast)

This new Indigenous destination resort in Desolation Sound offers an intimate and all-inclusive experience including daily wildlife viewing, bear viewing and immersive cultural tours. A stay here reflects the welcoming spirit and cultural traditions of the Klahoose First Nation, while honouring the environment. Given its seclusion, the resort is easy to access by water or air with weekly boat transfers from Lund, BC or air connection from Vancouver.
Phone: 250-935-8539

Takaya Tours: North Vancouver

Cultural walking tours, kayak rentals and cultural canoe tours. Learn about the rich history of Say Nuth Khaw Yum (Indian Arm) and discover the traditional village sites of the Tsleil-Waututh People.
Phone: 604-904-7410

Wya Point Resort: Ucluelet

Visitors to the west coast can experience the hospitality of the Ucluelet First Nations with a stay on their traditional territory. Options include luxurious lodge accommodations, yurts, tent and RV camping. While there, be sure to take a surfing lesson with an Indigenous instructor at Wya Point Surf Shop.
Phone: 250-726-2625

Sea Wolf Adventures: Port McNeill

This unique wildlife tour offers up the stories behind the scenery. Visitors rave about seeing grizzlies, whales and other wildlife through the eyes of gracious Indigenous hosts. Tours are full-day by zodiac.
Phone: 250-902-9653

Quaaout Lodge & Spa at Talking Rock Golf Resort: Chase

Situated on the south shore of Little Shuswap Lake the lodge offers luxury lodging, fresh local dining as well as cultural walking tours and introductions to Secwepemc traditions including smudges, dreamcatcher making and rock painting.
Phone: 250-679-3090

Moccasin Trails: Kelowna/Kamloops

Tour the waters and lands that Indigenous people have lived in since time immemorial. Guided canoe and walking tours will introduce you to the rich history of the Shuswap and Okanagan Indigenous territories with local Knowledge Keepers.
Phone: 250-319-4902

For more ideas check in with Indigenous Tourism BC and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, to see who is open and receiving visitors.

This article was originally featured in BC Mag’s Fall 2021 issue and on BCMag.com on July 5, 2021.

 

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Art Hikes & Whimsical Walks

When the art gallery is found in a wooded grove

“Here they are!” Maia called. And there, grazing by a small creek was Echo, in all their woodsy finery.

Created by artist Nickie Lewis, Echo was the first of the dozen, or so, fanciful sculptures that she built in Robert Burnaby Park. Created out of twigs, twine and other natural materials, the large and small sculptures are scattered throughout the woods of the 48-hectare public park in East Burnaby. So natural in appearance, the creatures look like they grew in place. Some blend in so perfectly that we almost bumped into the dragon.

On her Instagram feed, Lewis says she was inspired to create the forest sculptures after COVID-19 shut down the events she regularly exhibited her artwork at. Luckily for fans of her playful landscape art, Lewis also provides a google map to help you locate the sculptures—because it turns out the nearly 100 year old suburban park is filled with trails that crisscross a surprisingly large, forested creek ravine.

Landscape art often tends to occur fairly organically. Oftentimes it’s a collective effort based on something that catches people’s imaginations like Vancouver Island’s Shoe Tree, which began in 1989 when Holberg resident Tracey Anonson tossed a pair of shoes up into an old cedar snag. The famous tree now bears hundreds of shoes left by passing travellers.

Some of these collective efforts are discouraged: Teapot Hill near Chilliwack is a good example—the teapot collection on the trail has at times grown out of control; creating litter and threatening to the rare species of orchid that grow here.

Other community efforts are officially sanctioned. Train Wreck hike in Whistler was so popular that the once off-limits site is now connected to the Sea To Sky Trail with a suspension bridge that crosses the Cheakamus River. The trail brings visitors to the colourfully painted box cars, which have sat in the forest since 1956 and frequently get refurbished by passing graffiti artists. Much the way an art gallery changes its displays.

I first became transfixed by this kind of outdoor gallery when visiting the Wacky Woods near my mum’s home on Vancouver Island. Though the artist George Sawchuk has since passed on and his whimsical gallery has been reclaimed by the forest, it made me realize that art could occur anywhere and turned just about every hike into a scavenger hunt.

Since then, I’ve set off to explore these quirky galleries as often as possible. There’s something about the combination of free, scavenger hunt, rogue art and the out of doors that I find irresistible.

Additional Outdoor Galleries:

(If you know of something in your community—please add it to the comments)

Spirit Trail Walk, Harrison Hot Springs: A local artist created clay masks for the trees in this enchanted feeling woods where it seems “the trees had individual personalities.” The one-kilometre trail is flat and easy.

Driftwood Sculptures, Campbell River: Artist Alex Witcombe crafts driftwood creatures from wood he finds on the beach. The remarkable sculptures add extra enticement to explore the town’s waterfront.

Hide and Seek, Kaslo: Hikers in Kaslo can join a game of hide and seek searching for eight sculptures (seven kids and one adult) found hiding along the 3.2-kilometre Kaslo River Trail. Created by the Koots Artist Collective the sculptures are a new addition to the trail.

Fairy Forest, Redwood Park Surrey: Five kilometres of trails wind through meadows and several forested groves containing over 50 species of trees that were planted by two early Surrey pioneers. Keep an eye out for the extensive fairy village and its shy inhabitants.

This article was originally featured in BC Mag’s Summer 2021 issue and on BCMag.com on April 12, 2021.

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Cloudberry

Cloudberries have a somewhat sour taste to them, and they’re high in vitamin C. When the berries are ripe, they’re a salmon colour, with long stems and broad leaves with five lobes. Unripe berries will be hard and more of a red colour. Cloudberries can be found in peat bogs and peat forests.

Crowberry

The crowberry looks similar to a blueberry, and it has a glossy black colour on the outside and the berries are about a third-of-an-inch in size. These berries are modest in flavour, but that flavour will intensify as you cook them or with freezing. You’ll find crowberries in shady, dry areas, muskeg and forests.

White mulberry

Mulberries are a wonderful fruit for picking and eating, or you can bake with them. The berries are juicy and sweet, and they ripen around midsummer. In BC, you’ll find white mulberries and they grow on a bush or small tree.

Salal

As you get closer to the coast, you’ll find more salal. These berries have a mild, sweet flavour, and they’re good for drying. You’ll often find salal in thickets.

Salmonberry

Growing in wet, coastal forests, the salmonberry is right at home in BC. The ripe berries are a yellow-red colour with a mild, sweet flavour. Even the young shoots of this plant are edible, making them a top pick for survivalists.

Thimbleberry

With no thorns, the thimbleberry is easy to find and pick, and it provides a nice flavour. This berry grows in the foothills and mountain regions, and even the young shoots can be peeled and eaten raw.

Next time you’re out camping or hiking, see if you can find some delicious berries to add to your dinner plate.

This article was originally featured on BCMag.com on May 2nd, 2019.

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The province of British Columbia is teeming with hot springs, just waiting to help you set your worries adrift. But if a traditional spa or resort isn’t exactly up your alley, try some of these natural hot springs – the adventure is getting there, and the reward is a natural hot spring and the beautiful scenery around you.

For these trips, it’s likely you’ll be camping overnight or staying for the whole day. Don’t forget to plan accordingly.

Ahousat hot springs

Where: The Ahousat hot springs are situated on the shores of Matilda Inlet, on the south side of Flores Island, in Gibson Marine Provincial Park.

What you need to know: The natural spring flows up into a concrete tank and is clear and tasteless with a maximum temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. A non-maintained path connects the hot springs to the sandy beaches of Whitesand Cove.

Hot springs at Kitimat

Where: Kitimat, in northern BC, has three natural hot springs within 100 kilometres of the city centre. However, they are not easy to get to. All of the hot springs are located on the shores of the ocean, and are only accessible by boat or float plane. The Weewanie hot springs are closest to Kitimat, about 38 kilometres away in Ursula Channel. The Bishop Bay hot springs are about 80 kilometres away from town, in Devastation Channel.

What you need to know: Once you’re there, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful wilderness during your relaxing soak, and you might be able to spot whales and seals out in the ocean waters. Tie up your boat and hike in to find three pools, a picnic area, tenting platforms and bathrooms. The Shearwater hot springs are the furthest away from town. All three hot springs are located in Haisla First Nations territory, but are open for public use.

Stikine hot springs

Where: Choquette Hot Springs Provincial Park is situated near the Stikine River. The park is located about 120 kilometres southwest of the town of Telegraph Creek and can only be accessed by boat or helicopter.

What you need to know: You’ll find several hot springs that flow out of the granite rocks.

Hot Springs Cove

Where: Hot Springs Cove is truly a unique and beautiful destination, located in Maquinna Provincial Park, about 27 nautical miles from Tofino. Tour and charter companies take guests by boat or float plane and then it’s an easy 30-minute walk down a cedar trail to the springs.

What you need to know: There is a succession of pools, which gradually cool down as you get closer to the ocean – starting around 109 degrees Celsius and getting down to about 50 degrees.

Keyhole hot springs

Where: Keyhole hot springs, sometimes referred to as Pebble Creek hot springs, sits about 100 kilometres from Whistler. Most of that 100-kilometre journey is down logging roads, but they are easy to manage for most vehicles. The Lillooet River Trail, built in 2014, is the new route into Keyhole hot springs, and is about two kilometres long and moderately challenging as the trail contains some rugged terrain.

What you need to know: Once at the hot springs, there are four pools with temperatures ranging from warm to too-hot-to-handle. With the ice-cold river flowing just beyond the pools, you can jump in and cool off.

Watch Brayden Hall’s drone footage of Keyhole Hot Springs below. See more of his amazing work on Youtube and Instagram.

Lakelse hot springs

Where: The Lakelse hot springs, also known as the Mount Layton hot springs, are a group of hot springs located in the Kalum-Kitimat valley, about 30 kilometres south of Terrace and situated on the eastern shore of Lakelse Lake.

What you need to know: The hot water seeps through the faults in the valley, which may have been the source for the Tseax Cone eruption 250 years ago.

Lussier hot springs

Where: The Lussier hot springs are undeveloped, natural hot springs within Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park.

What you need to know: The springs are made up of rock pools with gravel bottoms, with the hottest pool reaching about 43 degrees Celsius. The water cools down as it flows through the rest of the pools towards the Lussier River.

Meager Creek hot springs

Where: Meager Creek is located about 95 kilometres northwest of Pemberton and is notable for its large surface hot springs, known as the Meager Creek hot springs.

What you need to know: Official access to the pools closed several years ago after an avalanche, but visitors still come in via trails.

Ramsay hot springs

Where: Ramsay hot springs are located in the Clayoquot Sound region in the west coast of Vancouver Island, to the west of Sydney Inlet and within the Maquinna Marine Provincial Park.

What you need to know: The pools are accessible only by boat or float plane, but they are open all year round.

Prophet River hot springs

Where: Prophet River Hotsprings Provincial Park is situated along the shores of Prophet River, and home to natural hot springs. The park is located about 60 kilometres west of the Alaska Highway and about 250 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John.

What you need to know: The wonderful pools are not accessible by road – would be bathers would need to hike or ride in on horses, or come by helicopter.

This article was originally featured in BC Mag’s Summer 2021 issue and on BCMag.com on January 4th, 2017.

The post 10 Out-Of-The-Way Hot Springs appeared first on My Nelson Now.