A Perfect Day Up The Mountain.

   Casey is a regular Hotspringlodge lurker and commenter and came up this week for his bi-annual camping trip to the hot spring, so I fueled up the quads and took him up the mountain behind for an afternoon adventure, I figured the conditions up top were going to be just right. 

The first part of the route up is usually in bad enough shape, but it was a little challenging after the Fall/Winter storms we've had, with wash-outs, steep rocky climbs and canyons eroded where run-off had charged down the road. 

I'm not sure if poor Casey had quite that much adventure in mind when I invited him out for 'a little scoot up the mountain', and he must have wondered where I was taking him and if I was trying to kill him off in the process.

 Before we hit the snow, we entered an inversion, and it was considerably warmer up there than it was down in the valley bottom, and jackets were rolled-up and strapped to the rack.

I figured on seeing wolf or cougar tracks up there for sure, but the only sign we crossed were a pair of week old elk tracks, or moose maybe, it was hard to tell, neither of which are numerous out in this country.

About a 1000 meters, looking towards Garibaldi Park boundry.

 We stood around up there for the longest time, just taking it all in. It was glorious. The window was just right, it was the perfect day. It was warm, there was hardly a cloud in the sky, and the Hondas rode on top of the crust, my favorite riding conditions. We should have packed a lunch and had a fire. I should have packed a chain-saw too, as there were several wind-falls we had to prop up enough to get under.

I should have taken more pictures too, but I think I was having too much fun.

A Card From The Hot Springs 1865

   I was a little bored earlier today, hiding-out inside from the rain thinking I should probably do a post, and was digging around in a file cabinet out here in the shop for ideas and came across some files of items I've collected over the years relating to the historic hot spring. I love history.
One item caught my eye, a re-print, from the BC Archives, of an advertisement placed in 1865 by the then proprietor of the hot springs. 

The roadhouse business had been pretty lousy since they opened up the Fraser Canyon and all traffic to the gold-fields was taking that route. The then proprietor, an Irishman, placed this advertisement in the British Columbian June 29 1865 in the hopes of drumming up some paying customers.
I'll just type it out verbatim, and save trying to think something up.

So, penned 150 years ago, not far from where I sit and type this, the words of William Stein....

                                         

                                                          St. Agnes Well

                                              A Card From The Hot Springs

   In response to many inquiries from rheumatic invalids and for the information of persons in delicate health, I would state the Hot Spring water is pronounced by Voyageurs to be similar to those of Aix de Chappelle in Germany, so noted for the cure of rheumatism, and the resort of invalids in general.

I can positively state that this water will cure the most obstinate case of Rheumatism in six weeks. The temperature of the water is 128 degrees, and it's ingredients are salt, sulphur, magnesia and a little iron. 

Our accommodations, though not first class, will be found clean and comfortable, and we promise you our table shall be supplied with the best our market affords.

   To the ladies whose health may necessiate a trip to the Springs, my wife will use every effort to make them as comfortable as possible.

Fare per Stages, or Dietz and Nelson Express, From Douglas to the Springs is $5.00

BOARD and LODGING at the Springs , $15 per week.

                                                                                        W.E. Stein, Proprietor

                                                                                        Hot Springs, Douglas Portage,
                                                                                        June 4, 1865

   He didn't receive much of a response, and ran the advertisement again July and August. 

You probably had to be in pretty good shape to survive the trip here back in those days, which probably didn't help in attracting anyone considered 'invalid'. But I have to agree with him on the healing qualities of the hot spring water, and the local In-SHUCK-ch folks out here have known that for centuries. 

I've written about the original Hotspring House before on here somewhere, about Stein and some hot spring tourists, back in the early whiteman days, it was called Hotspring House 1859-1866

Here's the link to the story if you haven't seen it....

http://hotspringlodge.blogspot.ca/2013/02/hot-spring-house-1859-1866.html 

                                        

The Year Sofar In Pictorial.

    

Up at the intake-pond, the screens stayed free of ice during the cold weather and had no power issues.

Everything was going along just fine until the middle of the month, then it began to rain like hell.

It came down on the snow pack and turned the intake-pond into a nightmare.

You know the old story...

Only spent about five days on the back-up generator, which wasn't so bad for the Winter, so far.

In between power outages I bounced into town one Friday where Josh and I played to a packed Legion Hall, opening for Dakota Pearl and kicking-off the Pemberton Winterfest and I think it was the probably the most fun I've had all year.

Spring on the way...

The snow washed away by the beginning of February, and I figured an early Spring was here and began to dream up all kinds of projects for this year.

Then it snowed again, it didn't last long, more heavy rains washed it all away once more.

Second time lucky maybe.

I think we got the nasty part of Winter over with now, and looking forward to getting busy out there.