Wells Grey Park

Bakerlite.co.uk

Canada - Wells Gray Park

We left our hosts, Barbara and Doug the following morning heading north along the sea to sky highway. Evocative name, but that's only the part of it; the lakes and mountains are making a big impression on my camera lens.

	The colour of the water tells you of its glacial origins
A string of beautiful lakes as we head for Pemberton.		Seeing this cameo view after a short walk from the road was just a 'wow' moment.
	zoomed in on the glacier. This is the Garibaldi Park. As the guidebook says, 'huge and unspoilt'.
A touch of High Noon as we leave the big mountains for some ranching country after Lillooet.

After Kamloops, we turn north again through Barriere, the small town that was devastated by fire early in this year of forest fires.

We drove past blackened firemen and gangs of chainsaw operatives taking breaks from their fire break duties. Mobile canteens feed and water those who take a breather from their duties.

The air was still thick with smoke although the fire had retreated from the town where some houses had been raised to the ground, whilst others nearby had been miraculously spared.

We also saw many hand painted notices saying 'Thank you firemen' and 'God bless you all'

Quite moving and bringing home the harsh reality of the news stories that we see in the comfort of our own homes, thousands of miles away.

We drive for many miles with smoke in the air. On that particular day there were 852 forest fires raging in Canada. Most occur naturally and are natures way of causing re generation of certain species.		The Larchpole Pine, for instance, requires a temperature of about 45 deg C to germinate its cones. This can only be attained in a fire.
Our overnight stop is at Clearwater on the edge of the Wells Gray Park where wilderness is even more extreme than mountains to the east. Many of the peaks have not even been climbed or named. A short trip took us to get just a taste of some of its treasures. These are the Helmcken Falls, two and a half times as high as Niagara.		Nearby, the Dawson Falls at 91 metres wide by18 metres high.
Back at our motel, the smoke gives a amber tinged sunset

breakfast in a diner (excellent quality and value) then onwards to Jasper