The Stewart-Cassiar Highway did not disappoint! We crossed the border from Yukon into British Columbia 3km down the highway. Not even an hour later, we pulled over to admire a mama bear and two cubs chowing down on berries. The fall colors and scenic views were incredible. We also passed extensive burn scars from recent fires that had closed the highway just a month ago. The smell of smoldering forest still lingered in the air and fields of charred land flanked the road for miles.
As the afternoon wore on, we were growing tired but luckily nearing our stop for the evening – the Sawmill Point Recreation site on the north end of Dease Lake. About an hour and a half away, we passed a beautiful campground at Tā Chʼilā Provincial Park (formerly Boya Lake) but opted to go a little farther and stick with our original plan to continue to Sawmill.
By 6pm Tuesday evening, we passed through several small communities including Good Hope Lake and Jade City before finally reaching the Sawmill Point Recreation site. It was a long and narrow dirt road, ultimately leading down to the northeastern shore of Dease Lake. As we approached the last stretch of road leading to the campground, a giant spruce tree lay across the road blocking our path. Great.
All I could think about was how we should have stopped at the Tā Chʼilā Provincial Park we had scouted out earlier. We could have already set up camp, had dinner, and be soaking up the last light of the day in front of a campfire. Instead, here we were staring down a massive tree in the way and feeling tired, hungry, and defeated! The other campground was 90 minutes behind us and sunset was 30 minutes out. Total bummer! My first reaction was to turn around and find a different spot to camp for the night. Instead, Tim embraced the challenge at hand and insisted we “take a closer look” before deciding to turn around. Next thing I know, he pulled out a saw and hatchet from our toolbox and started analyzing the best way to clear the path so we could continue into the campground.
After chopping off some branches and sawing the tree in two places, we were able to clear a small path just wide enough for the car to pass through. It took all of the strength from both of us pulling together to drag the dense trunk to the side of the road. Who knew the Sawmill Point Recreation Site would actually live up to its name! Well it turns out the hard work was worth it. The campsite was beautiful – right on the lake! It was now 7:30pm and the last glow of light for the day illuminated the fall foliage along the lakeshore. Tim was thrilled to have conquered the tree, and luckily I snapped a picture capturing his elation in that moment. It’s a new favorite. What joy!
Oh, and I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere about persistence, overcoming obstacles, and using every available tool at hand to eliminate roadblocks – literally and figuratively. I hope one day in the future I look back on “tree day” and remember these important lessons.