LILLOOET 4x4 STYLE

After a lovely weekend in Tofino I arrived at work on Tuesday to find out that I was being sent to Lillooet BC to complete some environmental investigations for a client ON THURSDAY!! I had already booked those days with work that was due soon, but apparently that was bumped! If you have never been, Lillooet (phenically speaking lil-ooooo-ette) is located at the intersection of the Duffy Lake Highway and the # 12 between Pemberton and Litton BC, about 4 hours away.

It was one day of meet and greet and one day of drilling. Okay. No problem. A friend at work helped me to prep for the adventure and off I was at 7:30am Thursday. I had read the road conditons on DRIVEBC.CA (you see the signs all over the highway claiming they provide all the current road conditions and below the claim is the web site address but never the phone number, a tad inconvenient when you are already on the road!), anyway, the #12 had falling rock and slides and the Duffy Lake had compact ice.

Day 1
Hmmm. Tough choices. I decided to take the Sea to Sky which connects to the Duffy Lake as I had not travelled that way for a while and needed to stop at Canadian Tire anyway and I knew there was one in Squamish, okay decision made. Everything was going smoothly to just before Whistler where it started snowing, no problem, I drive a 4x4 and I had had the forethought to engage the 4x4 at the Canadian Tire stop (they are good at getting you thinking about your vehicle's treatment when you wander the isles lost like I did for a bit). Besdies the snow wasn't sticking so I continued along thinking about winter and snow and christmas. All lovely thoughts though Whistler, Pemberton and the first nations reserve with the cows loose and grazing in the ditches just off what was now the connection to the Duffy Lake Highway. Ha! I love my truck!

About this time I noticed I was now climbing, oh this was the part I had forgotten. The Duffy Lake takes you up and over the mountains in a pass much like Kicking Horse pass in Alberta. I was remembering that time I drove that route last: the park rangers had closed off the down hill portion of the pass heading west (my direction) and were only letting one car at a time over the crest and down, much like when you are at the waterslides. I also began to notice that there was starting to be much more snow and as I thought I had better start paying more attention, just as my truck started fishtailing and sliding all over the road!!! Luckily I was the only one there and I did not get into any trouble, but the rest of the pass you can believe i was white knuckling it driving in 2nd gear for about 45 minutes!!! However I was of sound enough mind to grab a snap of the fun!



Eventually I started the decline and the snow dissapated and I was almost there, in Lillooet. I arrived safe and sound, and completed the chores neccessary for day one. It was particularly windy and cold and I was frozen by the end of the day. I found my hotel, had a hot bath, and ran into a collegue who works out of the Kelowna office and we found a great little greek restaurant in town (well, greek, western and italian kind of combo). By the time I made it to bed I just fell asleep as I hit the pillow.

Day 2
Arrived at site in the dark to meet with my drilling team and discuss the plans for the day. Halfway through the first hole the Drill breaks down, down and out for a couple of hours while the cold winds of Hell blowing through Lillooet made us keep moving regardless. We eventually got things going but now knew that we were in for a second day, I wasn't coming home till Saturday. By the time the day was done my teeth were litteraly chattering, my lips were numb and I was shivering such that I could barely write, you can tell it in my field notes. All in all a good day as despite the issues the crew kept a positive attitude and it did not rain on us. We left the site at 4:30 in the dark and I went straight to my hotel and tried to warm up, 1/2 hour shower and bath and then under the covers to warm up to the CSI marathon. I had to order dinner from the hotel diner and pick it up across the parking lot and I was debating whether I really wanted that food. Hunger won out, unfortunatly, as the food ended up not being worth the trip.

Day 3
Met on site at 7:00 got everything done by 12:30 and headed home, the smart way, along the #12 and the #1, affectionaly called "the canyon". A route I have taken almost every year of my life for as long as I can remember. There was sunshine, no snow, no rain and amazing vistas with mountains, waterfalls, rockfaces, pines, hemlocks, firs, tammaracks, aspen, cottonwoods! AWESOME! It definitly forced me to remember just how majestic our province is. If you haven't been that way for a while it is a good trip to occupy the kids too as there are 7 tunnels you drive through and it keeps thm on the lookout and counting, at least it worked on my cousin and I every summer! (Our gramma was crafty!)

I highly recommend on your next day when you are wondering what to do, at least taking the #1 as far as a little cafe called The Hope Creek Cafe, just outside of Hope before Yale for a deli sandwich made with fresh made bread, fresh meats and cheese, hmm one of the best I have had in a very long time! The views right now are worth it with the snow just covering the peaks while the rest of the mountain is purple and green and the rivers are full. Oh Baby, such sweet talk!

I got home at 4:30 and all in all quite the trip, as usual. And as some of my friends might know, I love taking pictures from a moving vehicle 'cause you have to be ready and quick and sometimes its crap but every now and agin you "get it", check out the ones on our site for a little view of what I saw.

LILLOOET