Gold Nuggets Along the Gold Rush Trail

GOLD NUGGETS ALONG THE GOLD RUSH TRAIL

August 2022

It is a blazing hot August summer month on the west coast of Canada as I embark on my annual road trip to Cariboo country in the central part of the province of British Columbia.

The scenic journey is very familiar to me as I used to live in the Upper Fraser Canyon, in a hamlet called North Bend. It is a place filled with nostalgic memories that sit with me as though it was only yesterday that the moving van filled with most of my worldly childhood possessions, entered the one and only aerial ferry to cross the mighty Fraser River to start the journey along the Trans Canada Highway to the coast.

Whenever I am in that region, a wealth of flashbacks consume my thoughts — good ones and not so good, along with imaginary possibilities of resettling there as though nothing has changed. The truth is everything has changed and there is no going back, but the memories are like gold nuggets — they retain priority status in my personal archives. 

I drive deliberately slowly along the Gold Rush Trail section of the Trans Canada, as I continue to head north to my intended destination, Sulphurous Lake, deep in the heart of the Cariboo Chilcotin where a part of my family enjoys a golden nugget lakeside second home.

Being off the grid for three whole days might seem like a withdrawal experience, but the effort to adjust is no big deal. I arrive late in the afternoon and sit back with an ice cold cider in hand and a few salty potato chips, as the family gathers to catch up on the news. We all look forward to a roast beef dip dinner, supplemented with golden nugget cheese and onion buns or fresh hoagies from the one and only bakery and coffee shop located in the small town of Ashcroft. It has become my go-to place for a driving break, gas tank fill up, a delicious café mocha and fresh baking. 

To make that stop even more rich, I go to the local Fields Store — a store that used to be well known to all British Columbians in every region of the province until it became victim to big box commerce and a mother company no longer willing to give it much hope. It is a mini department store with clothing, bedding, gardening tools, kitchenware and some food items. The prices are reasonable and even more reasonable when on sale. I go in them with no particular need in mind, but almost always come out of them with incredible deals. This visit was no exception in Ashcroft, 100 Mile House and Hope. 

The weather at Sulphurous Lake was exceptional. Warm sunshine. No flies. No mosquitos. No wildlife. My sister and I went kayaking, the peddling type, at a good pace along the calm, quiet pristine waters for a fair distance for over an hour. It was effortless and relaxing, and especially cool to engage in short conversations with a couple of others out on the water at the same time. 

The next day we drove into town to gather provisions and for me to enjoy a specialty coffee at the Chartreuse Moose café and to explore the commerce, like I always do, trying very hard to support local merchants. It always amazes me that stores in smaller towns can survive as long as they do, but there must be something about that success that flies over my head because I really don’t understand it. It might be something like the success of the Gold Rush. Those people kept digging and digging, searching and searching with grit and determination telling themselves and future generations — when there is a will, there is a way; every nugget matters and every effort matters? Don’t give up.

By afternoon we are back at the Lake. The temperature is high and the lake awaits. The time is right for floating on fancy tube floats. I gather the essentials and place them on the dock. I stand and look at the float on the shoreline and decipher how exactly to get my body into it without falling into the water. It does take a few tries but I finally succeed, reach over to the dock for my water bottle, snack bag and suntan lotion.  I lotion up. Eat some almonds. Drink some water. Then I am ready to float away. Family members join in for a while and then I turn to realize they have had enough, and I am still relaxed and not ready to give up just yet.  The sun hadn’t finished rebronzing my previously tanned skin! 

Life in the Cariboo Chilcotin is not hustling; it is not bustling. There are things to do and you do them or you don’t do them. It is a different pace; a different lifestyle. Although it isn’t a lifestyle for me, I do enjoy it for short stints and always look forward to the next summer trip.

As I make my way back down the Gold Rush Trail, I again stop in Ashcroft for a stretch, gas and treat. I take a moment and stand on the main drag and imagine horses and buggies, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and western movies. The difference is this street is not a movie set. This is how it is and it has been like this or something like this since the beginning of its creation. The gold rush revolution created this town and virtually every town on this trip. 

The gold rushers came and many left; those that stayed, built up the settlements, procreated and learned how to live happily ever after for themselves and for future generations. The pioneers set the groundwork. The history is amazing. The results are astounding, and whether I am standing on the main drag of Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Clinton, Lytton, Boston Bar, Yale or Hope — the gold nuggets are aplenty and their value need not be measured in dollars. Every one of those places is rich: rich in spirit, determination and pride.

As I leave the gold rush imprint, I head towards another regular diversion on this annual trip. I stop by the vacation home of the mother of a high school friend of mine. I make this arrangement before hand and always look forward to the visit with Karen, Mark and Mrs. Turner. They are so warm, welcoming and loving, and it is a great way to top up the journey.

The home is on a high ridge overlooking Cultus Lake. It is a popular recreational centre and can get very busy; but, the home is a good distance from the public beach, activities centre and campground. The view from the long deck is spectacular. The strong iced margaritas are definitely thirst quenching and although having two affected my balance a wee bit, I did not freak out. It would be okay because I would not be driving until the next morning.  We all enjoyed the afternoon, evening and following morning, and I am already looking forward to next year! 

Someone in a movie once said something like “life is like a box of chocolates” — I exercise creative licence by saying life is like a box full of gold nuggets. We just need to stand still once in a while and figure it out.