Stone Mountain, Racing River, Toad River, Muncho Lake, BC

When you arrive from the east by Testa River, all the rivers and lakes get this jade-green, crytal-blue colour. Not so much too say except this word: beautiful! I hiked flowers pot trail and another one the next day by myself where I forgot my camera filter up the mountain ... So I went back up this mountain! Meeee! I am now ready to practice again telemark man! hihihi! The waterfalls at the bottom was a big treats! The view point was ....magic! Mmmm....Which place is not ''magic'' in BC??! I met very nice people around there, specially 2 Polish people who make me smile so much by their bears fear...! They couldn't understand why I was traveling without bear belt, bear spray and by my own...!

Tetsa River, BC

This area offer to us a great view point! I had a first heart attack! MY MOUNTAINS! Rockies ahead!!!! Houla the Houla! In bonus, ''fluffy snowy peaks''! Houla the houla my little buddha!!! Fantastic! The North Rockies doesn't look as those in the ''South''!

On my way to go up North, I had the chance to stopped by a ranch and general store where the lady in her seventy handmade cookies(!!!) and fresh cinnamon buns(!!!) unressistible for my always hungry belly . The old man , her husband name Cliff, an albertan with a big accent, arrived here with his father in 1942 to participate to the Alaska Highway construction. I asked him so much questions!!!He looked typic and offer me to horseback ridding!

-''Have you ever tried girl?!''

- euhhh yeah! 2 times where I'm from.

-'' So let's for one up the North Foothills Mountains girl''!

and her wife grabbed me : ''Before, let's have meal girl'' She gave me good treats handmade by her as any grandma will do! Mmmmm! I noticed when lonely girl traveling by their own up North, people seem to be even much nicier than usual and I would say I appreciate this and it's a real real pleasure to jump into their bubble and having conversations with them! They are special people from the North... I guess simply because it's quit unusual and asking you a lot of skills and independence with an adventurous gene to enjoy and appreciate the North as they do! I love them....equal with the Newfies! hihihihi! They eat meaty and fatty but I gonna tell you something, I ate sinced I left Montreal as a man who will go to cut the wood all day and I still didn't get a pound...Which is great for my belly who is always willing to eat!

Well, it was very funny this horseback ridding. I would admitt it asking you skills too and I liked it. First of all I forgot to mention that Northwest BC has their most rainiest summer season sinced 40 years. All is mud and they had some floods who gave them headaches ...specially with the Cassiar Highway which flooded...4 times! My horse didn't like the mud....! First, we entered into the wood covered by mud, then followed the Testa river, a very nice one, then took a narrow, in fact a typical hicking trail very steep to reach the top of the mountain! Mama! Fantastic! I had to did my first horse jump! While a big trunck blocked the narrow trail, my horse didn't want to go through first...even wanted to go back home...then 'tchichi said :''hey! you gonna go through this as Cliff 's horse did kapitch?!'' Kappitch ...of course it did! Cliff get down from his horse to give me a hand and then the horse decided at the same time to pass in action mode. While we jumped I caught with my leg Cliff and He did as in the cartoons! hihihihi! Cliff under his seventy years old is tough and called me for the rest of ride '' cow girl''! hihihi! Always to watch for the branches...! the view at the top of the mountain was marvellous, it was sunset time and we saw a deer.

Cliff explained to me that before to come here, only cariboos, mooses lived there. So, in 1942, to create a variety of meat pantry for people, they started to burn some part of the forest which brought to them later : deers, elks, wolves, hares....Cliff still continue to practice this every 2-3 years with a special permit from the BC Government.

The moon was almost full, clear sky to observe stars...I think this simple view missed me a lot, 'cause I always looked at it and speak about it and the sky! oups!

Then the next morning I had to drive my ''subaru horseback'' while hunter were going for a week in the woods with their horse to hunt!

Bears!

ok! I loooooove bears! They have always impress me, but I should say I am smart bear...not a Winny the Pooh one! Pure pleasure to explore their bearland, pure one! I met several people to talk about this animal'cause they were rangers or simply because they daily have to deal with them, blahblahblah....I could speak hours about bears, but I won't bother you with them!

I would mention that I 've seen few young back bears by the road enjoying berries and a fresh one just hit, so it was good to have a look very close. Later on my journey trip I met Natives pelling one and I can say they might be very skills with their frontal legs: it's look like a human arm! Meeeeeeee! Watch out! Natives sell the blackbears feet to Chinese community which is hungry for that! Jack Chief told me they cook the paws into a delicatessen dish and you couldn't figure out that's from this part of their body. Sorry, I don't know the name of the dish!

The Blackbear, 10 000 live in Yukon Forest compare 30 000 humans, is the smallest member of the bear family and it is the more agile and powerful than any human. They can smell you very far away ( I don't know if it's true: I heard 4km!)run fast as horse (around 65km/h!) and doesn't matter for them running down the hill...they are already shapped as a ball! They like too much human and their rubbish. I met a man that is friend had been trapped by night while they were tenting in the far away nowhere land, recovering from a big party...2 in a tent...one drunk ''murdered'' by Mr. Bear and him, undrunk, never touched by the bear at first. Bears like as human when the meat marinated I guess... He safed his life by killing the bear. I found my life very quiet and safe when I hear that kind of story.

The grizzly bears, twice bigger than a black one, populated around by 7000 members in Yukon forest don't really expect to meet human on their way which is much easier for us to survive when we ''face'' one. Northern bears are fragile. For example, their lifespan is approximately 20 years and the female grizzly bear will be about 8 years old when she will produce her first litter(2) and it will take another 4 years before she has cubs again. Half of those cubs will die a natural death before they reach maturity. Grizzly bears have been known to kill and eat blackbears, horses too! They can ''tear'' ( off or out???) a car!

Bears are more intelligent than human maybe or ''evolute''faster than human technique to keep them away...and also ''impredictible''. The gun which is suppose to put them away from a specific place such as up north the 60 parallel and those places where games are important....They reported this summer in few places that the bears instead to running out, ran through the gun direction in a very aggressive way! Meeeeee! I consider the '' bear belt'' as a ''lunch time advertiser'', a paget for them!

okay, enough bears talking for today...But I vote to create a group to sue Berlin Zoo about Knut!!!! We have many seals to send to him instead those croissants and cakes gave as its ''diet''...a shame! And pictured as an international news!!!! Meeeeeeeee! What's happening in Germany??!!! After that , we can understand why once a while some Japanese have the great idea to spread some honey on their kids cheek and invite Mr. grizzly to lick it! And the couple had the ''brilliant'' idea to pictured and video tapped at the same time this ''magic '' event... This NorthWest Territory Ranger met to Liard has difficulty to end his story 'cause he has to watched the tape...oups...

Peace River county

As I wrote, by it's wilderness and because I am traveling my own alone when the low tourism season is on, it's sometime difficult to hike as I would like to do ...but the road trip itself is brilliant! So okay! I stopped to Chetwyndfor their chainsaw carving exhibition.It is surprising what they can do with this instrument! Today, this event is international: the 2007 winner is Japanese! Hope he won't advise japanese buses about Chetwynd and road number 29 which is the most beautful road that I've seen sinced I drove the ''Sea to Sky'' Highway between Vancouver and Whisler. The Peace River is beautiful and large, surounded by low mountains as those found around Okanagan Valley, but it's green here!

Tumble Ridge and Monkman Provincial Parc, BC

In the quiet town located at the foot of the rockies mountain named Tumble Ridge, they discovered down rapids in flat bed creek 3 groups of dinosaur footprints which is able to us to observe while we are hiking by the river. So, it's not just something just related with Alberta dino! This place, is the site of BC's most important dinosaur fossil discoverie.

Monkman PP is nestled in the hart ranges of the central rockies and Foothills. Extensive alpine meadows, jagged moutain peaks, forested valley ( but many pine beetle problem), tons of waterfalls and clear alpine lakes are all significant natural features that are found in this surprising and very wild provincial park.

It was suppose to become the third most important national park after Jasper until the government decide to jumpinto WWII. Then , they put away forever the project. This park is so wild that they recommend 1 adult / 2kids, they advise you '' 45 km unpaved road mainly drive by timbers'', ''do not expect crowds, traffic jams, shopping malls or folks''! They were right! I stopped by one the most beautiful waterfalls in the province name Kinuseo Falls ( 10 m higher than Niagara. well, I have no idea the high, but it was very impressive!).

This park is known to be one of the bears (black and grizzlys) cottages. As I wanted to get a campsite, I saw a rubbish ranger's yard, who made me realized that I will be the only one practicing the camping while the garbages were already out of the bearproof containers...So,I decided to find another site, my own by the unpaved road, but I gonna tell you that, when you are not used to hear just your noises produce by your belly, blood circulation and breathe, it's freaking! It was the most horrible night 'cause it was windy and once a while a small rain appeared..Haaaaaaaargh! You are always nervous... thinking...''oh! there is a wild animal by the car''...mama!!!!!! ( bears can tear cars!) unless you realize the animal is...you!

The next day, I hiked to Jade trail which is an interesting one to do: there are 2 natural caves to go in! Few marshs operated by ''beavers on duty'' , so sometime the pounds look strange and the jade-green water pounds are really nice to look. There are several kinds of mushrooms along the trail...but whinch one is good??? I should carry with me an european for that!

Dawson Creek, BC

Dawson Creek has it's own climate who give more opportunity to practice good agriculture. In anticipation of the extension of the extension of the Northern Alberta Railway System, they put buildings on rolling log skids ( some of them for 10 miles! don't forget: bush!) and, by horses hauled the existing town and other rural establishments to the railway terminus. Their fertile land appealed to settlers and....8 grains elevators were built! Mainly canola. By the way, canola oil is derived from the word canadian oil.

WWII changed the North forever. It helps to develop the country and at the same time to give a break to native about rough and long trails. Dawson Creek is the Mile Zero of Alaska Highway which is designated as one of the major international Historical Civil Engineering Landmark. This ''ALCAN'' project was a response , in 1942, by the american army to the perceived threat of Japan. The army sent 10 000 soldiers (at that time, Dawson was a sleepy little village of 600 habitants!) , included a branch of 4000 US black soldier not to use to deal with cold weather as they use to have at that time, but used to work 20 hours/day (yeap...) plus 16 000 civilians. 2450 km later, after fighted 8 mountains chains, muskegs, mosquitos, terrible floads, after to build 133 major bridges and more than 3000 culverts, the rough trail connected Dawson Creek , BC to Delta Junction, Alaska and then later Fairbank...in eight months, 12 days! Crazy, hein?! This route is very funny to drive and scenic too! You can observe in a easy way wilderness, its fauna and don't tell to anybody: no Japanese buses around! hihihihi! The road at this time of the year getting very quiet which is good ...it gave you the impression they built it for you!

I did nothing there...just to read about their history, observe the crazy sky at night. Once a while it's nice to sit and doing nothing!

British Columbia

Astonishing grandeur of MY (!) BC! Here is my main dish for this road trip! My therapy! The best TiVi Channel on this planet, in my opinion! This is the only thing in my life where I can say and feel confortable with this kind of ''possession''! Sinced that I am a kid this part of Canada fascinated me and , even after 4 times in 4 differents part of the country, I am still excited as a kid going to meet Santa Clauss! Wherever I go in BC and whenever , I feel home. It's a huuuuuuuge and funny adventurous playground which is much better than Quebec! I like their ''law''. I mean, no fences by the road or the hiking trail you taking while you just beside a precipice. Just too bad for you is you ''flip over'' the invisible fence. Thanks to visit us and come again!!! Affected by the cold ?! Hep! There is no cold, just bad clothes! So let's geared! hahaha! ok, I should admitt at this time of the year, it's hard in the morning to convinced your body that the best place should be out of your minus 10 sleeping bag and same thing when you have to convinced your toe that's time now for bathtime...Meeee! As soon you get out from the water, you have this impression to have a ''seal skin''. Bah, I guess the cold killed one shot all suspicious bacteria running on your body!

I stopped to count all animals and birds seen. I would say one thing about cariboos: they act in a very strange way ...close to say stupid!

This is the first time that I have the opportunity to explore the Northwest part of the province. Basicly, it's populated by 200 000 people ( 50 000 jobs in the forestry, others in gas,oil and minerals mainly). Sinced few years, people getting upset around the Peace River Valley for their main economy and the global warming. the natural insect ''moutain pine beetle'' is under control population and is now at the level ''epidemic''. This beetle kill the pine in a year and it's turn all red...so watch out for the ''forest fire'' ! I saw many parts affected to Moncho Lake area. It gives you the impression to watch red maple trees through moutains...oups! Under normal condition, this beetle reduce its population when the territory has several days of -60celcius(!) at wintertime...but as I wrote, the global warming transformed all this into ''good canadian folks''. they have may be 3 consecutive days ( Peace River county) around -43celcius, that's it. Other things: people who live from furs economy having several problems to get a good price. The market went down 'cause many animals don't produce anymore their natural ''sheeeeeene'', protection of oil against the coldnest. Buyers looking mainly further up the 60 parallel.