We have a few days to explore before our Banff National Park reservations, so we stayed two extra nights at our next stop in Smithers, B.C. Smithers was named after Sir Alfred Smithers, the chairman of Grand Trunk Pacific Railway who had selected the location as one of their stops in 1913. This is when Europeans first settled in the area and met the First Nations tribes who had been there for thousands of years.
Smithers was a great small town (population 5,378 in 2021). The Buckley River flows alongside the city campground and Greg was able to fish for trout, successfully catching two. We had great trails right behind our campsite for Helen and my early Murphy walks and lots of trails in the surrounding mountains for hiking. The feature photo is from one of those gorgeous hikes.
The hike on our first day was up to an overlook with great views of the Buckley Valley and the town of Smithers. Unfortunately, Dave twisted his ankle on the way down (luckily, we were near the end). Once back to the RV, we followed the RICE prescription: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevate for 48 hours. And thanks to Terri Lenas suggesting an Epsom Salt soak and Helen providing a dish pan, Dave also soaked his ankle. But before we could start RICE, we stopped at Smithers Brewery to quench our thirst. It was quite a hike up to the top (and the views were worth it), so we were thirsty. (Yes, we did bring water but it was a good excuse to stop by the brewery). Going down was fun the hill was so much faster. 😊 The trail goes through several ranches and the ranchers are awesome to let hikers walk through their property and we ensured to close the gates on our way through.
The next day we headed over to Paul’s Bakery. Paul Sikkes moved to Smithers, BC from Holland in 1958 and opened the bakery. It is still family owned and operated, now to the fourth generation of Sikkes. There was a huge selection from donuts, pastries, cookies, bars, breakfast goodies, breads, and yes, (I know you were wondering) cinnamon rolls! I just had to try one (plus several scrumptious looking donuts). All 4 of us tried the cinnamon rolls and gave them a big thumbs up. I ranked them up in the top tier. They were loaded with cinnamon throughout, not too doughy, and just the right amount of cream cheese frosting. The donuts were delicious as well.
After we enjoyed our delectable treats, and Greg enjoyed another few hours of fishing, we headed off to our next hike. Dave stayed home to nurse his ankle and Murphy stayed with him for moral support. This hike was rated as one of the best in the area, up to a crater lake, high up in the surrounding mountains. The hike started at Hudson Bay Mountain ski area (at 4,400 ft elevation) and we hiked another 1,100 feet up to the snow-fed icy cold lake. It was quite a rocky climb. The hike took us beyond the tree line and into a prairie (where it was quite windy) and over to the crater. Beautiful! We read that it was very popular to swim in the lake. I was not too keen on going in that icy cold water, but you never know. Can you find us in the picture below?
You are right, that was not the three of us. A group of firefighters from Ontario had just finished their deployment for a nearby forest fire and had the afternoon off. They were great to chat with. Such great kids and boy, were they in great shape. One of them even started to climb to the top of the ridge above the lake and he made it. As we left, there were several others in the group starting the climb to the top of the crater. Oh, to be young again! And, Helen & Greg spied huckleberries on the hike. We enjoyed several handfuls throughout the hike. There were so many great photos on this hike (and I left a lot out!). Click on the first one and you can scroll through easily.
It was time to do laundry, and the facility also had showers, and a car/truck/RV wash. Score! Dave washed the truck while I did laundry and we stopped by on our way out to wash the RV. She was very dirty.
Our final stop for this blog was a quick overnight in Vanderhoof, BC, also named for an employee of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Herbert Vanderhoof worked in the development arm of the railway and he laid out the town site. There was a nice trail along the river next to our city campground and one around the city park. And, wouldn’t you know it? We found a bakery in town. Bakkerij Lobelle is a Belgian bakery. Delicious cookies and donuts! And, guess who we ran into while at the bakery? Indy! Remember, the cyclist we met (along with Cassie & Tim) in Stewart? It was so great to see him and catch up. He stayed an extra night at their last stop so he is was a day behind Cassie & Tim. He may catch them today though.
I would be remiss if I did not share the results of our taste tests of the Ketchup-flavored snacks that we shared in our last blog, bought in Prince Rubert. Well…let’s just say I do not think we will be buying them again. We all liked the cracker of the Crispers, but eating a ketchup flavored crisp was well…just okay. Perhaps, if we were raised on them, it would be better. When we bought them, the clerk said all the employees there love them, but she isn’t too keen on them and she is a native.
We have arrived in Prince George, a city with a population over 77,000. I think I am having sensory overload. It has been so long since we’ve been in a larger city. We will update you on our city adventures on the next blog. We hope you are having or had a terrific Labor Day Weekend (Canada celebrates Labour Day too!).
So good to hike again after rainy Prince Rubert Brenda, Sunny skies at last Dave, and why won’t you let me swim in that river (the current wasn’t that strong) Murphy.
Will in winter FL be as cool as your summer in Alaska and Canada ?
Your journey is incredible! Thanks for taking us on your ride! OK, what made the crater for “Crater Lake”?
Love all you guys!
Hi Annie! I tried to find out what caused the “crater” in the lake, but all I could find was info about Crater Lake in Oregon. So, it remains a mystery.