Ningunsaw Nonesuch

In Terrace, B.C. now. Just came in for the day to do some shopping and Kyle and I will be driving back to the cabins tomorrow. We left Cache Creek on Monday, the 20th of April and drove as far as Smithers, B.C. before getting a motel for the night. On the 21st, we drove the last 250 miles up to the homestead place to find that there was still a lot of snow covering the logging road that would take us to within a half-mile of the cabins. We had to leave the truck and hike in about three and a half miles. The weather has been absolutely beautiful. Temperatures to 70 F during the day and down just below freezing at night. The snow is melting rapidly and we made one trip a day, packing in supplies and stuff. The worst part of the hike is getting up out of the valley. It is like climbing 40 flights of stairs, except there aren't any stairs, just a steep and somewhat slippery hillside.

We did make a trip into Stewart last Saturday. Stayed with a friend overnite and drove back the next day. We have been eating oatmeal porridge with raisins for breakfast, some bannock and peanut butter and jam for lunch, and suppers have included rice, macaroni, cheese, sausage, beans, more rice and more macaroni.

We have started to get the garden area dried out, by opening the dam which our flat-tailed furry friends had built. They tried to rebuild or repair for a few days, working at night while we slept, but for the last few days the beavers haven't worked. Saw one otter one morning. A few crocus are blooming in the yard now. This whole area is very slow for economic activity now. Most sawmills are down and not much mining going on now either. Lots of robins and ducks are back now. Leaves are just coming out on the gooseberry bushes.

Lots of work to do. A few big, dumb, slow mosquitos are out already. The bears are just coming out of hibernation now. Lots of deep snow especially around Meziadin Lake. Usually it is all gone in the Ningunsaw valley by mid or late April, but there is still some there now.

Now we can drive the truck in to the top of the hill, but we still have that hill to climb, but now we can make a round trip to the truck in about an hour, rather than three or four.