Whistler to Quesnel

I have been using an app that is supposed to use GPS to track and record our movement without any need for an internet connection. The map to the left shows the approximate route we took today. For some unknown reason it stopped recording shortly after leaving Pembroke. By the time I noticed, we were several km north, thus the gap in the track. It also occasionally drifts off the actual route but eventually returns the the real route. Never-the-less it provides some indication of where we traveled.

The most notable things today was the continually changing terrain as we moved from the rain forest into a much dryer central plateau, some of which is farmed, then into the rugged mountains. We passed two lakes with very different colouration. The first, Anderson Lake, a beautiful deep blue. The second, Seton Lake, a milky green colour resulting from glacial debris swept into the lake.

We eventually came to the Fraser River which we followed all the way to Quesnel with only slight deviations. We saw several birds of prey today but the only one I could capture was an Osprey that paused briefly overhead. We did pass a couple of deer but once again had only a fleeting glimpse with no chance for a photo.

We arrived in Quesnel to a greeting by many of its citizens.There were a couple of ladies in beauty pageant costumes and a fleet of classic cars. Apparently Quesnel actively solicited the Rocky Mountaineer to use the town as a stop over and celebrate its arrival every time. It was really a lovely experience.

Much of the area we saw today was part of the gold rush during the 1860s. There is no current visible evidence of that history but Quesnel displays what they claim is the worlds largest gold pan. I may get a shot of that tomorrow.