Conquering the Pacific Northwest: Life Along the Mighty Fraser

Leaving Merritt we headed west through the Indian reservations and we took a side road to the location of the Craigmont Mine. My maternal grandfather worked at this mine that appeared to be coming back to life after being shuttered for some years. Also memorializing the mine is a geocache, hidden by a tourism organization intending to highlight the history of British Columbia’s Gold Country. I think it comes as a surprise to many how much mining has contributed to the development of British Columbia, even though it does not hold the same significance to locals as, say, coal mining is significant to West Virginians. I digress.

We continued on to Spence’s Bridge where we met up with the Trans-Canada Highway we left behind the day before near Shushwap Lake. From here we follow the last miles of the Thompson River into Lytton, where we stopped to observe the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers. Here the clear blue Thompson flows into the slower, muddier Fraser.

The blue water of the Thompson giving into the muddy water of the Fraser River

Beyond Lytton, the Trans-Canada embarks through the treacherous Fraser Canyon, so narrow at points that the highway had to be built in the river that carved out the narrow passage.

Somehow we largely managed to miss the most egregious tourist traps on this journey, but we made an exception at the Hell’s Gate Airtram. Here gondola cars transport tourists from one side of the Fraser to the other in a treacherous narrows defined by deadly rapids that had always been present, but were made worse due to some dynamite-happy railroad builders. A bridge near the bottom of the narrow gorge with an open-grate deck tests the fortitude of the strongest stomachs. No worry, the fudge shop sells plenty of sweets to ease the skittishness.

The Fraser River emerging from Hell's Gate

Only moments down the highway is the equally impressive but far less popular Alexandra Bridge. Here we left my parents at the parking area and Chris and I descended the narrow road, the road pre-dating the Trans-Canada, to the bridge built in 1926 that has sat quietly watching traffic on the bridge that replaced it in 1964.

Imagining travel on the Cariboo Road at Alexandra Road

In Hope we stopped for lunch and we planned our final stop, the Othello Tunnels. Access to the Othello Tunnels is off the new road between Hope and Merritt, the Coquihalla, it’s a modern, four-lane superhighway. For as long as I can remember, I had seen the signs for the tunnels at the exit. Finally, I had the opportunity to see them. Mom, Chris, and I made the short hike to the series of tunnels and bridges navigating the narrow canyon formed by the Coquihalla River. This would be the last time I would see that crystal turquoise water I had seen so much of during the previous few days.

The Othello Tunnels traversing the Coquihalla Canyon

From here, we followed the Lougheed Highway toward Coquitlam and watched as the narrow canyons and harsh rapids that had defined the Fraser River all day gave way to a broad, navigable river lined on both sides by agriculture. This part of the trip was quiet and it was beginning to sink in that the grand, wild road trip was over. We could sleep in tomorrow! Although we planned to stay put, Chris and I did have a surprised lined up. The end of the road trip did not mark the end of the vacation.