We woke up Saturday morning to an incredible sunrise on Ootsa Lake! Our alarm included lots of squabbling Canadian Geese and loons calling in the distance. It was perfect. We were so thankful to have such amazing weather.
After breakfast, we packed up camp and got back on the road. Nathan was so helpful in giving us directions on how to best navigate the backroads and get back onto the Yellowhead Highway. After a bad wildfire season, several nearby roads had been closed but thankfully he confirmed that his wife Gwyn had just driven them yesterday and knew the route we wanted to take was open.
An hour after departing Ootsa Lake, we were still on backroads making our way toward Vanderhoof. We passed a raging waterfall along the impressive Cheslatta River. Several other people were up early arriving to hike the Cheslatta Falls trail.
By the afternoon, we arrived in Prince George and made a stop at Deadfall Brewing. Without realizing it, we had stumbled upon the happening event in town that day. As we walked through the door we saw the room was packed, and wondered what the occasion was. Before we could ask, it became apparent through the blaring Taylor Swift music playing overhead and the tangible excitement of everyone packed in around tables pouring over containers of beads. We finally realized: everyone was making friendship bracelets and rocking out to Taylor Swift because it was Swiftie Saturday! This event drew everyone in – grandparents, parents, young kids, college students, friends – a range of all ages. The bartender knew there was limited seating and insisted we share a table with two of her students; she was sure they wouldn’t mind. We sat down an introduced ourselves to two women who were intently focused on their bracelet making, but excited to meet new faces. Both were exchange students attending the University of Northern British Columbia for the semester – Dana lives in New Zealand and Trinity lives in Australia. We talked for a while about school, travels, hobbies, and the coming winter. We also learned more about their experiences as exchange students in Prince George. One of the best things about travel is you never know who you will meet! As we departed, we thanked them both for letting us crash their table and wished them well.
Prince George concluded our time on the Yellowhead Highway and we would now start to make our way south toward Vancouver. After a few more hours driving, we reached Williams Lake. Tim found a fantastic campground on Desous Mountain and surprisingly we had the whole place to ourselves!
We concluded the day with a meal and enjoyed the warm campfire while admiring a sky full of stars. The Milky Way was distinctly visible and streaked across the sky. Our days in British Columbia are quickly dwindling and soon we’ll be back in the states. We have loved every minute in this beautiful province!