Last weekend after visiting my mother on a Saturday I was going to do nothing and hang around home. While I was driving back home after visiting her I was thinking that this particular weekend might be the best weather of this summer. It was going to be hot and sunny. If I did not take advantage of the weather I might not run across another weekend this good, especially since we had such a wet spring and wet start to summer. I also had the following Monday off so I definitely should do something.
When I got home I threw some clothes in a bag and headed to McLure, British Columbia to get to this spot: 51.040752, -120.240020
I have crossed every ferry still operating in Alberta and Saskatchewan and I am trying to do the same in British Columbia. They have to be inland ferries, British Columbia has ferries that go from the coast to Vancouver Island and the USA. Those are not on the list. After leaving just after four in the afternoon on Saturday I made it as far as Valemount, British Columbia. The town was pretty booked up for hotel rooms. My first choice was sold out, I got the last room in my second choice. For some reason I did not expect hotels to be this busy this summer.
The next day I made to to the ferry. I turned off Highway 5 onto McLure Ferry Road. This is a popular spot. People from Kamloops drive up to make the crossing and drive home on the other side which is paved. It was hot, about 36 Celsius, soon to be 38. The ferry has a motor to get it started, then it shut off after what seemed to be only a minute, and the current and a paddle operated by the ferryman takes you to the other side. It only holds two cars. Westsyde Road on the other side is one of those windy twisting roads that is perfect for a slow drive. I got to Kamloops, got gas, headed home, and immediately took a wrong turn and had to backtrack to get back onto the right highway to get home. Kamloops is a big place and it has been over thirty years since I have been there. I stayed overnight in Hinton, Alberta and made it home Monday. A little too much driving crammed into three days.
There where a couple working small ferries, much like the one in your photo, when I was a kid. Sadly they are no more.
ReplyDeleteIt was worth the drive though. Not many ferries left and those that are seem to be too overly commercial and not half as much fun.
ReplyDeleteThat's ferry dedication!
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