Day 6......Nimpo lake and the Montarko Canyon

Nimpo Lake has turned out to be just the place we needed for a bit of R&R. We both slept in and after breakfast Mum's pulse started to get irregular and she needed to sleep and rest for the day. My head cold got steadly worse as the day progressed.

Yesterday when we were at the "have everything store" the lady asked me if we had anything to do and gave me a map of how to get to their own "mini" grand canyon......she said with an odd smile.

So while Mum slept I drove back to Anhim and followed the map. The road went off into the forest and after about 15 minutes I realised that if anything were to happen out here that no one would find me for days.There was no human habitation or sign of human around. I passed a herd of wild horses running through the forest and watched as they settled down to graze and let the baby sleep. Then on to the canyon. The map said go to the 19km marker and of course there was none so I drove back and measured out the distance from the 17th marker. A small "road" led off to the left and became progressively worse until it ended at a gate (for what reason a gate I have no idea). By this stage I had the creepy willies and looked around only to see through the trees a rocky canyon. Since there was no one anywhere to help I got out my trusty bear spray and camera stuff and walked through the trees to the canyon rim. The silence was total and I could hear the blood rushing through my ears. The smell was sweet with dusty Pine and Juniper..which grows all over the ground. This canyon must have formed as the ice sheets melted across the Canadian Shield after the last ice age since the river that runs through it now wouldn't have a hope of creating it in a million years (I suppose). There were no birds or sounds of any life until a little striped squirrel scurried past me. There was a waterfall on the left that must be pretty big in the Spring runoff. I sat at the canyon for about an hour feeling the aloneness of the Chilcotin wilderness hoping that at least a cougar would come by. 

The trip back was less eerie since by now I was a seasoned outdoorsman and unafraid of the wilds. I decided to stop back in at Anhim to fill up at Grandma's petrol station where I got to chatting to the girl about the weather and her very cute Blueheeler cross Border Collie that was very bright and already herding yearlings ......she hoped he would help her round the ranch when he got bigger. These people live such a different life from most other folks.

This place gives you the sense of the hugeness that is Canada/ British Columbia. Trees, lakes and mountains just go on forever with a tiny smattering of people only here and there hugging the road.

I got back to Nimpo and Mum had recovered so we made a fire and chatted about things that are going on in my life right now. As the afternoon went on the light outside got warmer reflecting off the clouds onto the lake and it was time to take the quintessential Canadian wilderness pictures of lakes and trees and small boats.

We made a nice pasta with garlic and olive oil and a salad and went to bed early.