CAMPING IN CANADA TRAVEL BY RIVER AND LAKE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21404, 21 February 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

CAMPING IN CANADA TRAVEL BY RIVER AND LAKE

(By M. Stramberg)

Th«[ Christmas vacation is a short one for Canadian school children, tor it is in the summer months of July and August that they enjoy their long holidays in the sunshine, juit as the New Zealand children cto at Christmas time. Many New Zealand children think of Canada M 8 land of ice and snow, but the Wtaatt of British Columbia, in western Canada, is very similar to that of, Canterbury. many of our school Mend*, went motoring with their parents over the border to the waited States—to Seattle, San Jrancisco or Los Angeles, and even W Modco and Salt Lake City (some Of the Mormons), we were Senerally content to go camping among the rivers, lakes and mountains of British Columbia. We generally contrived to leave New Westminster on a Friday morning, for we Were then able to visit the city mar«t where the farmers of the feral* Wvmc Valley disposed of their

***** As our launch was moored S»Jw Fraser river > J ust below the ™rfcet, we had not far to carry our FPPUe?. Perhaps you would like » at on top of the cabin and come tEM *S °" r little cam P amongst tair,^L timbers below the moun--s£2dS Se. lost gold mines are the wharf at New WestJgf« <a city that in the very the temporary capita?^!? 11 we make the^L brid £ e wl »ch forms part of CoJtmSf.r 1 1 h i§bway from British hffH* t0 *£ e United states - Be - S^J? 3 w\ have left numerous ffif i£ mber) mills - and the canBritkh hm 6 ,_ s . ome of the famous ■•Sfa ♦K?2? nbla salmon is Packed, ce» t £ 6 distance we can just disked. L¥ mdu temple on L^u SJ M ,? pa P er mi U on the STm^ 131 ?* gradually I s she P asses th e fcSK d f ur ° £ the Britis h «arto,ff thl 6011 ?" above the cair n S&iSB!. !? ot where the Royai landed in British Col*a So rm«i erand Wgher up stream W V each the Pi tt i^^lft g J£ banks great •HS w»2? bobb . in g U P and down WKnT t0 be float£d ***£ to£S\£° the mms : hi s h ea i mountains «,^, e: L had never be «n ""-wox the taU gianta. Here and

there we pass a copper mine still working, or a dilapidated silver mine. From time to time, we relieve each other at the steering wheel, taking care to keep a good look-out for any stray floating logs across our path. We halt at the lower camp—really a little house on a raft moored to the side of the river—which we use during the duckhunting season. Then we switch on an old gramophone and dance while the coffee is percolating, and then after a light luncheon we chug on again. At last we are on the lake:—there is the first logging camp—a few little houses near the water's edge and a little white schoolhouse. Now we are passing a "district" consisting of two houses on rafts moored to the side of the lake (they are furnished like any working man's home), and may be towed along the lake whenever the family feels like moving. We are getting nearer our destination, for

in the distance is Penitentiary Island, where, in the early days, the prisoners used to be sent. The island is now thickly wooded and over-run with wild goats. Two of the girls are becoming excited, for they have sighted their own two islands which are called after their Christian names. Those girls really own an island each up in the lake. It has been an all-day journey and we are ready for tea. On-the journey, we have made up the four berths in which we will sleep out on the lake when the launch is not required elsewhere. Far away we hear the cry of a loon, and before us a shaggy grey head appears and then another and another—seals that will occasionally follow us when we are swimming, or will bob up unexpectedly beside our rowing boats. All round us are ,n;gn mountains, some still tipped with snow, and over that glacier we may see a bright plnkness at night-time, which we have been told is the light from the midnight sun in Alaska. There is the old skidway, once used by the loggers, up which we will tramp in search of luscious huckleberries, salal berries, blueberries, salmon berries and black caps for our pies; there is our little stream, where we go gold fossicking; it is also our water supply an 4 refrigerator," There is the

track, which, if we like to follow, will lead us up to' the cougar country—but we only liked to once. To our right is where the bear came down and nosed our supplies last year; far away to the left are the mountains, up which we blazed our way with tomahawks, in true pioneering fashion, to the icy cold lake on the top of the mountain, where we found comfortable old cedar rafts once used by loggers. To-day, we shall eat of our city supplies, but to-morrow we shall go trawling on the lake or following one of the larger creeks for mile's into the mountains fishing for salmon trout. Next week, perhaps, we shall have venison steak —if the game warden does not come chugging along in his launch. There will be camp fires at night, and bathes in the lake at midnight when the tide is warmer. Towards the end of our stay, we will have our gala night, when our guests will include Norwegians, Swedes, Icelanders, Germans, Britishers born in Mexico, Canadians. Australians, and New Zealanders. Our guests will depart in all sorts of strange craft when the first streak of dawn appears in the sky.