A Circle Route Home

We pulled out of the Lewis Ranch on Tuesday morning, Shaunna had already left for work, and Mike was out to wave goodbye as we rolled down their driveway about 8:00AM. The other Mike and Janice were nowhere to be seen so we will have to go back and say goodbye to them next year. We had a great visit, told lots of stories and maybe even a fish story or two.

We stopped in Burns Lake at the free community dump station, emptied what needed emptying filled the fresh water tank, and then picked up fuel and a few groceries to tide us over. When we got back to Prince George we turned right and headed down through the Cariboo to a nice little provincial park, Ten Mile Lake, just north of Quesnel. We actually found a double site and settled in for a couple of nights before heading on south.

Thursday morning we pulled up stakes and continued on south until we hit the Trans-Canada highway at Cache Creek, after fueling up we headed for Ashcroft and the long climb out of the Thompson River valley up towards Logan Lake. The Lions in Logan Lake have a free dump along the highway just west of town with potable water available as well. We turned north there and headed to Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park where rumour had it that the legendary Wandering Willy was known to be a frequent visitor.

Wandering Willy battening down the hatches

We knew he was in residence when the park operator met us at the gate with a personal greeting, I think Willy had spilled the beans that we were coming this way.

It is a nice little spot, quiet and out of the way with two nice lakes there, Tunkwa and Leighton Lakes. There must be fish in both of them as the fishing boats and floats were out there thick as bugs on a bumper.

Tunkwa Lake

We spent four nights there, debating politics with Bill and enjoying three beautiful days, the last one was a little wet but still warm.

Eventually we needed to head home as Brenda had a doctors appointment to attend.

The ride home was certainly eventful as a lady near Blind Bay got herself out of control and ended up slamming into our truck and then into our fifth wheel before flipping herself on her side. Both the truck and the trailer sustained major damage, and will be spending some time in their respective body shops before they are back on the trail. Most importantly though, we, and the other lady survived the incident with just a few stories to tell. Hers might not be nearly as good as mine though as she didn't even recall hitting me. Not that we are hard to miss, we are only about 60 feet long, 14 feet high and weigh about 26,000 lbs when we are loaded. We can fix the tin, although it might affect our southerly migration this year.

Tunkwa Lake Sunset

Lewis Ranch - Road Trip

It was time to get the dust blown off our rig and see a little country and we have some friends who have flown the coop here in Alberta and moved over to the middle of B.C., so we thought we had better check out their new digs.

Lewis Ranch

Not to shabby, Mike and Shaunna, they have a beautiful ranch property along Francois Lake south of Burns Lake, BC.

It is a little long for a drive by visit so we headed out last Wednesday morning, overnighted just east of McBride, BC and arrived at their place, at Colleymount, mid-afternoon on Thursday, and proceeded to chat away the afternoon and evening catching up on things since they left Alberta last spring.

Friday Mike and I wandered the place and that only confirmed for me what a beautiful spot they have found.

Saturday we took a ride across the Lake on the ferry and slipped down to Takysie Lake and then onto Ootsa Lake, on the Nechako Reservoir and Wisteria for a look around.

Someone's Unfinished Dream near Wisteria

Sunday Brenda wanted to get out on the water and Shaunna needed her fishing fix so we headed out onto the lake for a little piscatorial action. We only took one rod along and that was more than enough with Shaunna landing 5 Rainbows in about 40 minutes, then it was back to fire up the smoker.

Our hosts, Mike and Shaunna Lewis

Later Sunday afternoon, Mike's sister Janice and her husband another Mike arrived for a visit. Great folks and we sure had a lot of common experiences, acquaintances and it seems like Mike Searle and I had traveled a lot of the same trails over the past half century or so, so there was lots of tall tale telling and who know we might have even improved a few of those old stories.

Story telling, "it's the God's honest truth"

Monday was another day of story telling, eating and drinking, and laughing. Mike Squared, the two Mikes, spent a while tuning up Mike Searle's new crossbow so he was ready for the season when it opens.

Only one of three "marksmen" in that group

All in all it was a great visit with great old friends and great new friends, we can hardly wait to get back there again. This morning we pulled up stakes with our fridge stuffed with smoked fish and our hearts fuller and wandered our way down to Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park just out of Quesnel, BC. We are hoping to stumble across another old friend on our way back to Dogpound North over the next week or so.

Sunrise on the Lewis Ranch, Colleymount, BC