Friday, June 08, 2007

You can get to heaven in a boat


B and I have a summer weekend special place. The kind of "happy place" you go to in your mind when the dentist is drilling, when you're walking home from work in the dark at 4:30 on a November evening, or when cold rain is dripping down your collar on Groundhog day.

We were there last weekend, for the first time this year. It will be repeated as often this summer as time and weather will permit. And providing B has not already made other weekend plans. (But if you are a regular reader, you know how I can get B to change his plans.)

I'll take you on a tour. Follow me. First we rush home from work on Friday afternoon and drive 20 minutes to launch our boat in a side channel of the Pitt River.



Then it takes about 20 more minutes to get to Pitt Lake. From here on there are no roads, it's boat access only. The stress and cares of our everyday life start to blow away behind us.



We arrive at one of of several small secluded beaches that dot this 20 km long lake. There are 4 or 5 spots that we go to, depending on tides (this lake is one of few lakes in the world affected by tides from the nearby ocean) and the weather.



A glass of wine by the camp fire as the sun sets dissolves all trace of stress:



For the rest of the weekend we play, read, and nap:





And we hike up to a waterfall, picking salmon berries on the way.





Have you ever seen a five star hotel this inviting? I don't think so:



Sunday afternoon, we head home sun kissed and happy, rejuvenated by the mountains, water, and solitude.



A busy Canada Goose and her family accompanies us the last 100 metres to the boat ramp.



Hope you enjoyed the tour. Thanks for coming along.

17 comments:

Dumdad said...

Wonderful! Great photos and thanks for the virtual tour - I feel virtually relaxed already.
Being a Cancerian, I love all things water and do indeed, in moments of stress or unhappiness, escape to the sea in my head.

Diana said...

Yes! I DID love the tour. I can see why you love to go there. We're off to a lake for some fishing tomorrow morning. Not quite as nice as your weekend, but better than nothing.

Ian Lidster said...

Wonderful tour that took me back to a childhood place, since Pitt Lake was a favorite destination of my mothers.
May you make many trips there throughout the summer, and since I know you know how to be 'persuasive' I am confident that you will.
Ian

Cerulean Bill said...

I'm a guy who thinks that roughing it means slow room service..and even I liked your descriptions. Nicely done.

Voyager said...

DD, The sound of lapping water right by your ear is guaranteed to nurture your soul.

Diana, What kind of fish do you catch? Yummy ones?

Ian, If you're ever over in the big smoke, let me know, we can take a day trip up to Pitt lake.

Bill, glad you stopped by. And I do get room service when we are camping. My lovely man brings me tea to the tent in the morning.

jmb said...

Voyager, those were wonderful photos. What a beautiful spot that is, no wonder you love it. Not the place for the rain we've been having, however. May there never be a five star hotel in that place!

CS said...

Just gorgeous. Water is healing, I"m convinced of it. I'm six days away from a large body of water myself (the Atlantic, in my case) and always feel like it's a glimpse of heaven.

Mike Minzes said...

I'm here to tell you that YES you can get to heaven in a boat, as you can plainly see by your pictures

-0-0-

Jazz said...

Wow! That's gorgeous.

Big Brother said...

Beautiful pictures, beautiful place also. We'll have to go there one day.

Rozanne said...

Gorgeous, of course!

(I hope there were no nasty banana slug encounters.)

The salmonberries are ripe here, too. I've actually never seen them as red as the ones you photographed until I was at the Oregon Coast a few days ago. I ate one, and, wow, was it puckeringly tart!!! I've eaten them before when they're more orange than red and found them to be rather insipid, but never tart like that. They are pretty, though, but I'm not in a hurry to eat anymore of them.

Voyager said...

JMB, I agree, I hope that lake never gets developed.

CS, I never sleep so well as when water is just a few steps away.

Mike, The amazing thing about this little piece of heaven is that it is only an hour or so away from our front door, taking in to account both the truck and the boat ride.

Jazz and brother-of-Jazz, You have many gorgeous lakes in La Belle Province. Warmer too!

Rozanne, We get the big bland yellow ones, and the smaller tart red ones, sometimes growing right next to each other. As for the banana slugs, I have learned to put my toothbrush away every time I use it.

V.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

What splendor! I have always wanted to visit Vancouver, and your wonderful photos have made the urge stronger than ever.

It sounds like a perfect weekend in every way. I couldn't agree more about a 5-Star hotel not comparing to the natural beauty around you.

Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

God, that was amazing. What a wonderful weekend place. I, too, dream of taking off for a long time. I hope to get a small RV van thingie.

Anonymous said...

What is got interested in this post is not the description of the post but the excellent photographs taken.

regards

Once upon a lifetime in kerala

Alda said...

FABULOUS!! I totally envy you! Such beautiful scenery - that waterfall is amazing.

Voyager said...

HISF, If you ever do come to Vancouver, let me know. I've already promised Ian a trip to Pitt Lake, we could make it a Blogger pals adventure.

Rhea, travel dreams are the best. I sense in you a kindred wanderlust spirit.

Anon in Kerala, Now that's a place on my wish list!

Alda, It is beautiful. But so are so many places on this earth. I am often in awe of your photos of Niceland.