Canadian Inside Passage to Prince Rupert

Canadian Inside Passage to Prince Rupert

Roadblock

August 24, 2001

Near sunset, on a remote road in British Columbia (BC), a blockage appeared in the middle of the road.  No sign of explanation, just a couple of saw horses and signs with diagonal markings and a light on top.  We were about a four-hour car drive from our motel in Prince Rupert; it had been raining most of the day and there was a chill in the mountain air.

We began to wonder out loud what in the world is this all about and what do we do now?  Then I remembered a fellow in another car that we met a mile or so back who waved a finger back and forth as he passed.  Now it made sense that he was telling us that we could not pass through this road.  We knew of no other road out of this remote place, but I remembered a sign for a Bed and Breakfast on the road behind us, so hopefully, we would not have to spend a cold night in the car while waiting for the road to open.

It had been a very interesting trip.  It started when a fellow with a thick, heavy mustache walked up beside me on the BC ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert on the Inside Passage.  He explained that an arm of the passage that I was observing led to the town of Kitimat.  At the far end of this arm and up the Douglas Channel was a large copper mine and the town that built up around it.  I had seen this friendly fellow on the ferry a couple times and we had exchanged greetings.  We chatted briefly.  I explained that we had left our motorhome and car at Port Hardy and walked on the ferry so we could see the famous Inside Passage and explore Prince Rupert.  I also told him that we were undecided about what to do when we were there.  Maybe we would take a bus inland and around to the town of Bella Coola, where we could catch another ferry back to Port Hardy.  He explained that he and his family were from Victoria on Vancouver Island and that they were on holiday to the Queen Charlotte Islands.  We wished each other a happy holiday (vacation in Canadese) and parted company.

The next day, at the Prince Rupert Visitor Center, we again met this same fellow.  He said that the ferry to the Queen Charlotte Islands did not leave till tomorrow and that they had decided to take a day trip to Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park.  Would we like to go with them?  We had already decided against the trip to Bella Coola, so it immediately seemed like a good idea and Pat agreed.  He outlined the trip on the map and it certainly appeared doable.  So we piled into their Chevy van, which was pulling a small trailer covered with a tarp.  A handsome wooden, homemade canoe perched on top of the roof.  Room was cleared on the seats for Pat and me and off we drove.  It rained off and on as we traveled up along the Skeena River --  known for its salmon.  The three kids, Erynn 6, Alicia 8 and Nicholas 10, all agreed to have lunch at A&W Root Beer in preference to McDonald’s and several other restaurants when we reached Terrace, BC about noon.  After lunch, we headed north and in a couple hours were at the lava beds. 

The whole family, including the parents, Marilyn and Mark, were delightful.  The kids were bright, happy and seemed to be well-adjusted.  They all seemed genuinely pleased that we had chosen to accompany them.  Mark drove and pointed out the most interesting features in the landscape as we traveled.  With his background in gardening and biology, Mark had many interesting comments about the flora, fauna, and geography of the region.  He had taken an MS degree in Japan and Marilyn had lived in Germany and had traveled extensively in Australia.  He had also once worked as a projectionist in a World Congress of Entomology in Canada, so we established a connection.

When we reached the park, we read that a volcanic eruption resulted in a large flow of lava that blocked the Tseax River and created Lava Lake.  The lava had continued to flow down the old river bed for miles, spreading out in flatter areas.  The old river appeared and disappeared as it continued to filter through the porous lava, but salmon could not pass through.  We took a couple of short hikes on trails through the lava fields, viewed fish in some ponds and observed a waterfall as it cascaded over the lava into a large pool.  Surrounding the lava fields were mountains capped with snow and glaciers.  The air was so clear that we could see minute details on the mountain peaks.  The rain stopped and we had some views of blue skies.  Pat and Erynn became instant friends and walked hand in hand down the trails.  Nicholas chatted about world events that he has read in the newspaper and gently hinted to his parents of his need for a new laptop.  Alicia’s life goal is to climb Mt. Everest.  Erynn told me a story about a polar bear that left candy in her backyard on Halloween.  “Erynn has quite an imagination,” her older sister Alicia explained.

With the approaching twilight, Mark decided it was time to head home.  As we left the park about 7:30 PM, we came upon the roadblock.  In a flash, we all knew what had happened.  On the highway into the lava bed area earlier that day, we had passed a warning sign along the road.  We had interpreted it to mean that the road was closed from 7 AM till 4 PM.  Apparently, we had misread the sign which must have read,  “closed from 7 PM to 4 AM.”  Since the road was not closed at the time, we reasoned that there was no need to worry and we passed through.  There was no evidence of any activity by the construction crew as we passed through the muddy, potholed construction area and we promptly forgot about it.  

But now, as we sat facing the road barriers, we had several options: 1. We could remove the barriers and drive till we found someone who could give us advice, 2. We could walk the road behind the barriers for the same reason, 3. We could try to find another route out, 4. The Pawluks could remove the tent from the trailer and camp in the park, 4.  Pat and I could either sleep in the car or in the Bed and Breakfast.  We chose to walk first.  It was a “guy” thing to go out and save everyone, so Mark, Nicholas and I took off walking.  Far in a distance ahead, we could hear the sounds of heavy equipment at work.  At each bend in the road, we made the decision to continue even though the sound of the equipment did not seem to be growing much louder.  Then, with considerable relief, we saw headlights approaching from the construction area. 

The foreman of the construction crew drove up in his pickup truck and Mark explained our predicament.  The foreman said that this must be our lucky day.  Normally, we would just have to wait until after 4 AM, when the road would be open again.  But there had been an emergency “hydro” (electrical) problem in an Indian village, the hydro trucks were coming in a few minutes and the foreman had agreed to let them through.  Although the little adventure was fun, the prospect of spending a cold night in a car was not terribly appealing.  We were relieved when the foreman told us that we could pass through with the hydro trucks.

Within a few minutes, the hydro trucks appeared and we followed them to the construction area, where the road was being widened along Lava Lake.  High above the road was a large Caterpillar with a bucket on the end of a long arm, digging out a path on the steep bank for itself so it could pick up and dump logs, boulders, and soil down the slope onto the road.  To widen the road below, it was necessary to cut away much of the hill above the road.  The road was blocked with all this stuff.  A fellow with a chainsaw was busy cutting trees which also fell down the hill.  We waited and watched for a few minutes till the Caterpillar descended and swiftly cleared the road of debris so we could pass.  He moved the bucket side to side in a sweeping motion to make a path through the debris.  When the road was clear, we were motioned to pass.  We traveled rapidly down the road behind the hydro trucks, but could not keep up with them.  Maybe they were late for dinner or something.  

We stopped at the warning sign to read it more clearly.   It clearly said “. . . closure from 7 PM to 4 AM, Monday thru Thursday,” and today was Wednesday.  We had no excuse, but it turned out OK.  Mark and Marilyn took turns driving in the rain, the kids slept and we arrived back in Prince Rupert about midnight. 

It had been a good day with pleasant, interesting company and a visit to a beautiful area of British Columbia.  We had a bit of  “gentle adventure” and maybe we have learned to read the warning signs more carefully.  Maybe!

 

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