Saddle Sore

We left Tuesday morning, September 23, for our jade mine trip. It was a beautiful day - as though it were tailor made for us. It had been raining off and on for close to a week prior to this. There as not a cloud in the sky as we pulled out on that chilly morning - ready for our adventure. About 30km up the road we stopped to visit some friends who were in but would be leaving before we came back through - Ron and John of MS Gold. We had tea and thawed our faces out then were on our way again. We made good time travelling, stopping at a few places to look around and have some lunch. We felt as though we were in the middle of nowhere with no one around for miles until we came around a corner onto two mining camps - one right after the other. Serengeti Resources and Alpha Gold. We did not drive into the first one, it was a little ways off the main trail, but drove right through the second one and were surprised to see more than half a dozen people working out in the middle of nowhere!

Continuing on, we made a quick stop at Dream Creek, where around ten years ago, a young couple started to set up a guiding operation. They built a cabin and a few other outbuildings. Part way through the winter, she left, he followed not much later and there it sat. It was burned down by someone a couple of years later and the only thing left there now is a hay shed. It's a beautiful setting in a valley with a creek running through - very "Legends of the Fall." We got into a little rougher road after that, lots of ruts and mud holes, a mining company had just brought a large loader through there and left the road in mucky shape. We trudged on, and thought we would go a little out of the way and make camp at Old Hogem, there used to be a town at this site on the Omineca River. We were surprised after going down a long trail off the main logging road to see an old Native woman greet us from her cabin. We went down there expecting to see an old ghost town (there was not much left) and found someone living there! She was very friendly and told us to go ahead and look around. There were a few buildings that may have originated with the trading post, but other than that, not much. Since there was someone living there, we decided not to camp there. On the way out - we lost a wheel on Tim's quad trailer and limped it to where we decided to camp, about 25km away, beside an old cutblock near the Fall River.

Heather and Paul are well equipped for camping so we did not have to bring much other than our cots and sleeping bags. The guys put up the wall tent, the girls unloaded the trailers and started to make our gourmet supper of hotdogs - and they have never tasted better! After a few hours by the fire, we retired to the tent and slept soundly, until the stove filled the tent with smoke. After that was cleared up we slumbered until morning. Following a pancake breakfast, and after letting the fog lift a little, we took off. Final destination: Jade Mine. We got a little lost and wound up on the right side of the base of the mountain when we should have been on the left, and after a 70km correction, were on our way again! There was a lot of beautiful scenery so we didn't mind too much.

After a bit of a rocky climb with the quads 3 km up a mountain, we pulled into the jade mine (inactive for many years) just to see a helicopter taking off. There is no work taking place there and all the fuel barrels are empty, so maybe he was working in the area and sightseeing like us. There are jade boulders everywhere, most with cuts made in them, to show the rock face and presumably check the quality of it. We assume the ones left there did not make the grade. We scavenged between the boulders looking for pieces with small cuts that we could take home and keep as souvenirs. There are still a few buildings up there, hundreds of empty fuel barrels, diesel generators, and other junk, remnants of a busier time. We explored up there for an hour or two, Heather and I going further up the trail a little ways to a little a lake that flows out right through a jade formation, it looked like the Emerald City in Oz. Prior to that the trail had changed from grey gravel to green gravel, almost like following the "green" brick road to there. We were a little tired and it had been a long day so we headed back to camp. On the way a bull moose ran up out of the trees and jogged in front of Tim's quad for a while - lucky for him we were not hunters!

It was back to camp after this as we were all tired. The wind had picked up a lot and so reinforcements were made to the tent pegs, I think Heather and I slept with one eye open though, for fear that the tent would topple on us. The next morning, the wind was gone and we packed up and headed out. On the way we stopped and watched a helicopter land and fuel up (in the middle of nowhere!!) then load some fuel barrels and take off. The rest of the way was pretty uneventful, only that when we arrived home the quads were running on fumes after our side trips and getting lost once. Round trip - around 340km.

Since I am not a blog expert yet - the pictures all posted at the top of the post - so, in no particular order, are the helicopter fueling and taking off, our camp, a jade boulder, the jade mine and our quad convoy.

Roughing It Out Here...

It seems as though the remote, isolated existence complete with very few amenities is not to be had. Don't get me wrong, I am not disappointed at all! Soon both cabins will have running water, Heather & Paul do already, and we are both wired for lights! What a treat the other night to have the lights come on when Paul started the generator! Here I had been reading by a dim solar light, and all of a sudden there was 100 watts of beautiful light there.

Paul's mom and Dad, Luc and Grace, affectionately known as Ma and Pa, spent the week here, leaving on Friday. While they were here we took a break from working and drove the quads to Germansen Landing, then north 11km or so. Total round trip was approximately 110km. We had heard about a 6000 square foot log home being built and thought we would go take a peek. When we got there, the locals that had been working there were all too happy to give us a tour. It is a beautiful home! In addition to seeing the house, we also had the opportunity to meet some wonderful new people. One of the ladies we met has chickens, and what a treat when two days after meeting her, she showed up at our doorsteps with fresh eggs! She doesn't live just down the road either - she came from 50km away! She and her friend look after the park (Omineca Provincial Park) "facilities" and were up this way checking them and stopped in for a visit.

The miles we put on during our day trip were good practice for the trip we will take on Tuesday. We will leave in the morning and drive close to 100km on the quads before making camp. The next day we will continue on to the old jade mine (on Mount Ogden) in the area as well as look for an old ghost town (Old Hogem) from the mining days of the late 1800's/early 1900's. We are leaving well prepared as there was a light dusting of snow this morning on Mount Germansen, just across the lake from us. We have our meals all planned and lots of warm clothing packed. We will spend two nights and return home Thursday.

All arrangements have also been made for the boys to begin trapping this fall and winter as well. I am not sure exactly when they will start, but they have signed on with the local guide/outfitter to trap his line for the winter.

Today we are busy moving old vehicles up the hill and out of sight. There was a "few" trucks, vans and a boat acting as yard ornaments here. Most have been hauled up the hill, tucked neatly out of sight in an already existing parking lot. Only the boat remains, and may continue to, as we are not sure how to move it without a boat trailer and the little cabin cruiser is in rough shape already! Work continues and everyday things look a little better. We are told we had better work fast as winter arrives up where we are by about mid October. That doesn't give us much time! We are also planning a trip out to see family and restock groceries for the winter at the beginning of October. It hardly seems like we have been here almost two months! Until next time!

Mail Day!

Today is mail day. The one day of the week when mail gets brought out the the edges of the earth. The store is closed each Wednesday until 1:00, then all of us come down out of the hills to gather our mail. It really is quite interesting, and so nice to meet others who live out here. There are people who live out here year round, and have been here for many years, as well as miners who are just here for the season - and come in for social purposes, because they know there will be many gathered for a visit.

Conversations can be very interesting, as today the topic in the little log store turned to the Sasquatch. An old miner out there that we know told us early last week that he thinks he saw a Sasquatch near the lake cabin where we are (just last week...), that whatever it was, was "definitely not a black bear, and too tall to be a grizzly." A little scary, but I need more proof before I get really alarmed. Two hunters on the Manson River (30 minutes or so from here) supposedly saw one going up a bank near where they were camped a few years back. Secondhand information, and of course, no camera was present. The third story to relay was told firsthand, and one that made me feel a little eerie. The gentleman was about 15 minutes from where we are now, and alone, (he even said that he knows these things always happen when you're alone.) He had to get out of his truck for some reason, and instantly he felt like he was being watched. He could even sense from which direction. He started looking in that direction, and whatever was watching him took off through the trees, crashing and breaking limbs on it's way. By the sounds of the footfalls, it was only a two legged creature. He says when asked if he has ever seen a Sasquatch, his answer is "No, but one has seen me."

Last night the lake was as calm as can be. We sat on the deck and listened to the loons. They were across the lake diving, calling and taking off (they need a long "runway"). It was so quiet here it sounded as if they were only feet away. If that is not a stress reliever, I don't know what would be. I am looking forward to taking my hot chocolate out there tonight and hoping that there is a repeat performance.

Work is progressing on the cabin. Since arriving here on Friday we have built a little back deck, cleaned up a bunch of garbage, re-insulated most of the old roof (should finish that by tomorrow), repaired the front deck, set up the solar panels, built a set of log steps up to the front deck, raked up and hauled away years of fallen pine needles, repaired the outhouse, outlined a rock path to the outhouse, set up solar lights, and baked bread in the outdoor oven. I know there is more, but they have slipped my mind... I am looking very forward to "shoes off day" which I hope will come early next week. The day when all the floors are painted, the rugs are set out, and I can walk around with no fear of getting dirty socks!

We have had to start picking bottles...

It's true. We have had to start picking bottles. Not for the reason you might think - the money situation is still OK. It is for litter reasons. There is a group of people who live another 80 km or so down this road, and the closest liquor store for them is at Manson Creek, which is a total of about 130km from their point of origin. Lately, they are restless and have been making many trips, perhaps because winter is coming and once it does, this road will be snowed in for many months. While I'm sure the business is appreciated on the Manson Creek end, what is not appreciated is the high number of bottles and cans, mostly Budweiser, that they are discarding on the road. Also being left behind are chip bags and chocolate bar wrappers. Either way - it was getting a little disheartening to drive by this all the time, so we decided to start picking bottles. So far, we have gotten over $20.00 worth, and even found a few antiques! Those were obviously discarded many years ago, but these were a little treat after rounding up all the recent throwaways. I found a "White Rock Cola" can (several, actually, only one in really good condition) from 1944-45, and a "Canada Dry" bottle from 1956. These will likely be given to my Dad to display with his collection of antique cans and bottles. So far, our financial situation has not dictated this as a measure to survive, but who knows - come spring maybe we will be hoping for their littering!