Day 18: Lakes and Risky Business

Today the sun was shining, it was cool and brisk outside and the journey was set to continue. I said goodbye to my new friends, Nicole, Dani and Shirly and to the best BnB ever. What a great stay it was. Today I'm heading off to Shepherd's Inn by Charlie Lake. It was quite a long haul so at 7:30 AM I was all packed off and ready to go.

After a long chat with my beautiful wife Ronit about the plan for the next 7 days, we decided she will help me plan the leg through the USA since she'll be joining in for the fun. This is helpful as in the meantime I'll be in the wilds of the Yukon with spotty service, and I may make it up to Northern Alberta and take a dip into British Columbia as well.

Today I took some risks - 3 to be precise. All for the photos. I walked/climbed/crawled across barriers in 3 separate locations. If anyone can guess which of the following are the spots where I was living quite dangerously then you get a prize!

Jarvis Lake

The first stop of the day was Jarvis Lake. What can I say? Absolutely no disappointments here. I was stunned. Stunned! I said that twice on purpose, that's just how incredible it was. I pulled the car up to the water's edge of the dock like always. This spot reminded me a bit of Lake Pyramid.

The water of the lake was perfectly still, and the reflections were breathtaking. I could also see far off on the west side of the lake was a big Fire and Rescue chopper. I guess it's used to carry people to safety or to help with putting out fires.

Moon Creek

Next, I was headed to Moon Creek. The route there was full of wildlife. As I was driving I didn't capture most of them, but this one fellow was giving me the eye, and we had a bit of a staring contest before I moved on again.

At the small viewing area of Moon Creek, I met Richard and Denise from Cranbrook, BC and their friends Eric and Odette. Guess where they are headed? Alaska!!!

The four are travelling together RV style. They too are on a bucket list trip. Their goal is to see all of Canada, so I told them about my blog to check out some of the cool hidden trails to visit.

As we enjoyed the beautiful view of the creek we continued to chat. How serendipitous that I'd take a small hidden trail, spur of the moment, and found 2 giant camper trailers that are both on their way to Alaska.

Both couples are retired and have always wanted to go to Alaska, so are making the drive up and back down together. Sadly, as much as I wanted to do the same journey, I just don't have the time to make it there and back. They promised that when they get to Alaska they will send me photos and I can add the picture to the blog so that you all will get a glimpse of some hidden trails of Alaska. In the meantime, Steele and I are off to other trails.

Pierre Grey Lake

My next visit was to Pierre Grey Lake where I found a small trail next to the lake with a picnic table. I whipped out the Jackery and Nespresso, plus a sandwich and had a nice lunch break with a tasty Macchiato.

Nearby, there were 2 dingy boats with motors and fishing equipment sitting there completely unattended. I left them both a postcard for the blog. Figured it might be fun for them to have a read and see their very own boats make it onto today's post.

I also met Jason, his lovely daughter Adeline and her friend Brandy nearby. I learned that the trio are from Vernon, BC and that Jason had just come from playing Rugby. I told Jason to stay safe and strong, Rugby is a rough game after all and we ain't kids anymore. He is my hero though! That someone in my generation is still playing rugby is very impressive.

I continued along the lake and saw a few canoes in the water. A father and son team were racing around the lake and fishing. I had a "remote" chat with one of the canoers, Tom, from his spot in the lake in his canoe as I watched from the shore.

Eventually, he joined me back on dry land and told me he is originally from Nova Scotia, but after the kids flew the nest, he and his wife bought a trailer and roam around seeing the sites.

On my way back to the car, I saw a super cute dog and you know the motto. Must stop for dogs!! I met Carolyn, the dog's owner, and Luna herself, the super-friendly yellow lab. Carolyn is from Grand Prairie and told me this lake was her late husband's favourite, so she has a soft spot for coming back to visit this spot.

Sulfur Gates

Next, I arrived at the Sulfer Gates, which is a beautiful spot. I know, I know, beautiful is the most common word in all these blog posts, but let me tell you, I could spend hours in each of these places just absorbing the beauty around.

This site required a small 1-mile hike, so off I went. On the way, I met Chris and Monique, plus their 2 cute dogs Pickle and Seargent! The couple are originally from New Brunswick but moved to Edmonton to be closer to this gorgeous area. They told me they were married in Banff and are just touring around the area for now.

I asked the couple where they think the most beautiful place is and their answer was Maurine Lake. I've added it to my notes, and we will go there on my next trip! They also mentioned the “forget me not pond” near Calgary as well as Brad Creek and Elbow Falls. We said our goodbyes and I watched as Monique and Chris climbed up to the edge of the cliff! Such daredevils! It looks super risky, but they had great balance. Just look at them out there.

After watching her and Chris doing all their risky poses, it inspired me to take a few risks myself. All for the blog! (Ok I gave away one of the 3 answers to the question above). My heart was racing as I hung onto the cliffs for dear life.

There I was at the edge of the cliff, past the "Do not cross gate" sign, but the pictures were simply stunning. So thanks to Chris and Monique for giving me the courage to push boundaries. Also, at least they were nearby so if something went horribly wrong they would know and I wouldn't just be a mysterious disappearance like Malaysia flights that no one ever found. definitely didn't want that to happen to me!

Cut Bank River

At this point, I told myself, NO MORE STOPS, because I was running out of time and needed to get to my hotel for the night. However, I saw something called the cut bank flats and was curious, so had to investigate. It was just down a pretty short loose gravel road which led to a lovely flowing river.

This is where I met John. John was just enjoying a quiet lunch break (until I arrived that is). He told me he is from Grand Prairie and works in the area in construction. I thought to myself, how lucky John I to be able to come to a place like this, sit on the tailgate and just have a nice quiet lunch break.

As I did with Monique and Chris, I asked John what his favorite spot was and where he thinks the most beautiful place is. His answer for favorite spot was Kakwa Falls, which I have now added to my "to do" list for tomorrow. As for most beautiful, he voted for Banff and Jasper. I learned John is not a big city fan at all, and wouldn't even say yes to a free mansion in the big city. He said that Albertans love nature and they wouldn't leave it for anything.

Pioneer Museum

Still not done with the stops, I decided to do a quick drop into the Pioneer Museum. I wasn't sure what to expect but was intrigued by such a small museum in the middle of the countryside. I got out of the car and got a large whiff of smoke. In the distance, I could see the grey plumes and knew the fire was not far off.

I entered the museum and realized I was the only one there! I just walked in and toured around. They had some displays like a clothes-washing device made in Winnipeg and an old-school dental chair! I took a photo for my Winnies! You're welcome 😉

Swan Lake

I pulled into an area called Swan Lake, planning to drive up to the shore via the boat ramp, however, it was closed off with huge cement blocks. It seems the government had put them there to deter the people from entering the lake with their boats.

Despite that, I did see boats in the water so I continued to investigate and further along and saw that the people had found a way! It seems they had made their very own boat ramp. So I parked my car at the man-made boat ramp and took some pictures of the lovely scenery.

Kiskatinaw River Bridge

I was really trying to get to the hotel now, but I kept getting sidetracked along the way. I drove over such a nice bridge with a breathtaking view off to the right and had to stop. I walked along the bridge for a bit just admiring the view and snapping photos.

The next siren song came as I drove down from the British Colombia high area to Lake Charlie. Suddenly the view was so panoramic and gorgeous. I tried to take a quick photo while driving but it wasn't working. So I found a safe place to stop and walked back up the road to try and capture the greatness around me.

Lake Charlie

My last stop of the day brought me to Lake Charlie, where I made another boat friend. Jack was on his boat fishing and we managed to have a shouting conversation from a few hundred meters away.

After we chatted for a bit I told him to pose for a photo and my incredible Samsung S23 Ultra with its 100x Zoom managed to get a clear picture of Jack from afar!

Shepards Inn

At long last, I had arrived at the hotel. It was love at first sight; small, quaint, and clean. The rooms were oh so very comfortable and there was also a small restaurant attached to the hotel. The location was completely relaxing with gorgeous views.

Rachel at the front desk told me that there was just fires only a mile away from the Inn. One mile guys!! They were all apparently evacuated to Fort John (the town nearby). She emailed me a few photos and wow! I guess my timing is good to have missed it. I'm glad I wasn't here when the evacuation took place, and I just hope in the next few days I don't run into any fires!!

Walmart to the Rescue

So once again the internet at the hotel was not quite fast enough to upload all the amazing photos from the day for the blog. So I did the 25-minute drive into Fort Johnson in search of fast internet.

I made it to the local Walmart where while I was uploading photos I met Raj and Guru who are both from India. The two saw my car and asked if I was really from Texas, so I explained what I was doing on my trip. They told me they had moved here in 2018 and are studying Business Management. They both love it here in Fort Johnson. They love the small-town charm, the friendliness of the locals, and of course the gorgeous scenery in the area, particularly by Charlie Lake.

I learned that they are both single and I told them I would post their photo on the blog and let the ladies out there in British Colombia know that there are 2 very handsome, smart, well-mannered gentlemen here in Fort Johnson! Also, Raj and Guru, what was that aftershave you were wearing?? Let me know in the comments, it was very nice.

The photos had uploaded, but now I needed to work a bit on my laptop and there were no outlets anywhere! Sadly, my laptop battery only lasts 60 minutes and I was running out of juice. I drove over to the nearby McDonald's and set up at a corner table. Using the Jackery I borrowed from Eric Jackson (IN-COM's support executive), I had a working station to work on the blog!

After sitting there for a while, the smell was getting to me. You can't just sit at McDonald's and not be tempted to order something. Plus, all I've had to eat during the last few days is sandwiches and eggs. So I figured I deserved a treat. I ordered a chicken sandwich and iced coffee. My kids Raz and Hila are probably totally shocked as this is their dad's first McDonald's in 61 years (I am 61 years old, so this is my first time!). It was soooo good! I can definitely get the appeal now.

I'm back at the hotel ready for a restful night and still a bit scared of these fires! Hopefully, it'll be another safe day tomorrow with no fire risks, but maybe some more daredevil moves. 😉

See you tomorrow!

-Shlomo