Bella Coola – Bears, bush, and backcountry bliss

Aug 28th – Sept 6th, 2021

Participants: Haley Foladare, Tom Curran and Cassandra Elphinstone

All summer Haley and I had been discussing a road trip to Bella Coola. I have wanted to see Bella Coola for more than a decade. My parents planned a trip there when I was about 10 years old and it was cancelled as the ferry we boarded in Port Hardy got a hole in it before we left the harbour. There was a 10 acre, river front property about 10km out of town that I had been debating buying to build a cabin on since March. As the end of the summer approached, we decided to make the trip happen. The wildfire risk in the interior had been decreasing with the rain and the weather forecast did not look to be as rainy as it sometimes gets in Bella Coola.

Sat 28

Day 1: Leaving Vancouver

Tom made it clear early on, “This cannot be a road trip since I hate road trips.”  Although we had 12 hours of driving ahead of us, we also had a seven day backpacking trip planned so we decided we would not call it a “road” trip. After leaving Vancouver around noon, we were in 150 Mile House for dinner. As it started to get dark, we looked through the map book for nearby Rec Sites on Highway 20. Mcintyre Lake seemed like a reasonable stop.  We camped in one of three tent spots on the lake. The drier grasslands and pine forests were a change from the lush rainforests on the coast.

Sun 29

Day 2: Hike to Nusatsum Meadows (Mosquito Pass) – Trail Summit Camp 

We got up at 6:00am and after a quick breakfast began driving again at 7am. In Williams Lake, Tom had downloaded the one Bivouac trip report we could find about Nusatsum Meadows/Mosquito Pass. Other than Sam Mackoy’s recent trail report, Don Funk’s report from the early 2000’s was the only report about a trip farther into the Nusatsum Range. Don described the bugs in the pass as the worst bugs he had ever seen. I may have neglected to mention this when proposing the trip to Tom and Haley. Nusatsum Meadows sounds so much better than Mosquito Pass…

After driving through more of the endless dry landscape of the Chilcotin Plateau with beautiful icefields in the distance, we reached “The Hill” leading down 1500m into the Bella Coola Valley. The steep gravel “Freedom” road was built by the community in Bella Coola in the 1950s and resembles the new Meager South Connector road leading to the Harrison Hut. Once in the valley we drove down through lush cedar forests towards the ocean and we headed up the Nusatsum FSR. After two hours of faff (hair braiding, deciding what to bring, etc.), we left the car at 4pm. Cassandra told Haley that it would be excessive to bring rain pants, because on long trips you just sit in your tent when it is raining. Haley wasn’t so sure about this but went along with it anyways, keen for a lighter pack. 

The trail was 6km and 1200m elevation gain to the first place we could camp. Travel was slow going up the steep trail with 7 day packs. As it started to get dark, I began to regret that we had not spent the evening car camping and waited to head up in the morning.  Tom went ahead to see what the going was like. As we were getting ready to put on headlamps, Tom came back and offered to carry Haley’s pack for a kilometer or two. We continued steadily upwards. By the time we reached easier walking in subalpine heather meadows, it was completely dark. We slowly searched for flagging tape marking the route, wishing for the VOC’s reflective trail markers. As we continued up we did find the occasional flat spots that we could have pitched a tent on but pushed on hoping we would find water at the pass. 

As the route started to go up more steeply again and with less than a kilometer to the pass, we told Haley she could drop her pack and we would come retrieve it once we had reached camp. We were all exhausted when we reached the pass at 11pm. I dropped my pack, passed my warm jackets to Haley, and raced back down the route feeling unusually light without a pack.

I started down talking/singing just in case there were bears around. Everyone I mentioned Bella Coola to had mentioned bears. Alone in the dark was not how I wanted to meet my first bear in Bella Coola.  At first I remembered exactly where to go but in the dark I quickly lost sight of the flagging. Luckily I had the GPS track we had followed up and Tom had made a waypoint where we had left the pack. I bushwhacked through some trees and then saw the reflective patches on the pack in the heather on the other side.   Before long I was back at camp. Tom and Haley had made dinner. We ate, forced all our food into 3 bear bags, and fell asleep.

Mon 30

Day 3: A bit of rain on the way to Space Point Lake 

We woke up around 8am. The mountains were all hidden in the clouds. We decided to do a short hike – moving camp about 3km to Space Point Lake.  We saw a beautiful set of about 5 lakes which Tom insisted on swimming in. The walking was easy along heather meadow benches. 

Space Point Lake was beautiful with a glacier melting into it. The weather got progressively worse as the day went on. As we got to camp and set up the tents it began to rain. We took a short nap and it was still raining so we cooked right next to our tent. In the alpine I was not too worried about bears but I did wonder about cooking next to the tent. So far on the trip we had not seen a single bug (no mosquitoes or flies at all). Maybe that is what you get coming prepared with multiple bug nets.

Tues 31

Day 4: Bushwhack  to Monster Pass

Overnight it snowed, coating all the mountains in a beautiful white dusting when it cleared in the morning. We decided to head down into the valley along some heather benches, through what looked like peaceful green meadows and up to Monster Pass. As we headed down the heather benches quickly became thick old growth forest we were climbing through. When we reached the “peaceful green meadows” I learned that they were full of willow shrubs taller than us. On the far side of the “meadows” the open area that looked like it led easily into the alpine was actually an avalanche path, scattered with enormous fallen trees. After bushwhacking for a number of hours we came out on a scree slope.

Avalanches clearly frequently came down the scree slope causing numerous fallen trees. This made climbing out onto the scree complicated. After dumping my pack, I came back to grab Haley’s pack which she tossed to me. However, when the pack landed I heard a short hiss and then felt a strange burning in the back of my nose and throat. I have never carried bear spray on a trip. After learning that polar bears happily chew through multiple cans of bear spray, I have always hesitated to bring it along – thinking it was more likely to bother the people on the trip. This trip though I made an exception. Bears flock to the Bella Coola valley in September to fish and I wanted to be ready for a close encounter. We had a second can of bear spray so we left the partially emptied can on a rock (since the safety clip was missing) and carried on up the pass.

As we got closer, the rocky cliffs around the pass grew but luckily there was a way on benches to the top. The views over the pass were spectacular. From here, we could see the other side of the Nusatsum Divide. Enormous glaciers surrounded multiple jagged peaks. I had never before seen such a rugged and wild place in BC – on the drive back we noted that it made the Tantalus range look mellow. The pass where we dumped our packs did not have any obvious water source. Tom found a reasonably sized puddle 30m below though so we set up camp. That evening we watched the clouds clear for a beautiful sunset. All night we heard rock fall coming down from the peaks above but felt reasonably safe in the pass with no immediate overhead hazard. . 

Wed 1 Sept

Day 5: Day trip up Monster Peak

First we wandered down the scree to Monster Lake. We searched the slope across from us for a way to gain the ridge going up to Monster Peak. This was Haley’s first week-long trip and she was keen for a more relaxing day while Tom wanted to summit something while we were in this beautiful remote pass. After telling Haley we should be back by about 6pm we set off for a snow slope leading up to the ridge.

It was either this option or climbing up some steep wet rock which Tom was not keen for. As we approached the snow I was not sure it would connect, but it was the route Don Funk had described. Parts were too steep to reliably self arrest on and the run out was very steep rocky scree. However, enough of the snow had melted that Tom and I could climb up the rock next to the snow. Fairly quickly it went all the way up to the ridge. The top was exposed loose rock that had been all under snow when Don Funk had described the route.

The rest of the way to the summit was pleasant ridge walking and easy scrambling. Before long, we were on the summit admiring all the jagged peaks that surrounded us in every direction. We spent a short while enjoying the summit before heading down to meet Haley. 

Back at the lake, we went for a quick swim enjoying the first bluebird day of the trip. At camp, we feasted on some of the smoked gouda and triscuits that Haley had packed. Packing for a 7 day trip for the first time is difficult to get the amounts of food exactly right. By this point in the trip Haley had realized she was not going to get through all her food. Tom and I were happy to help her eat, giving some variety to our meal plan.

That night we checked the weather to decide what to do for the next few days.  Rain was supposedly coming on Saturday so we decided to head into the valley one day early. My tooth was also bothering me. It had hurt for a couple days after eating some popcorn on the drive up. However, now my gum had swelled up and I was spitting out blood. Getting back to the car a day earlier did not seem like the worst idea.

Thurs 2

Day 6: Return to Trail Summit Camp

In the morning, we packed up camp slowly. I was sad to be leaving the pass. From Monster Peak the day before, it had looked potentially possible to do a horseshoe traverse under the spectacular peaks we had looked across at and come out on the trail up Mount Stupendous. However, this was more than we were up for this week.

I had forgotten my gaiters down by the lake that we had swam in and Tom offered to run down and get them while Haley and I started down from the pass. We wandered down the scree slowly enjoying the sunny day and dreading the bush we would enter at the bottom. At the base of the scree, we stopped for lunch and picked up the bear spray bottle (wrapping it in some toilet paper and sticking it in 2 ziplocks). Tom joined us not long after, having retrieved the gaiters and enjoyed a swim in Monster Lk.

As we were eating, a number of massive boulders rolled down from above, crashing through the scree field we had just been in. Dust covered the whole mountain side. Had we been an hour later, we would have been wandering right through that area during the rockfall. Haley and I had worn our helmets since I was worried a bit about the overhead hazard. However, I am not sure they would have done much based on the fridge-sized boulders that came down. I was reminded again how unfamiliar and rugged these mountains felt. 

We descend back into the bush. We spent the next 4 hours climbing over logs, wading through swamps, crossing creeks and swimming through salix. Eventually we reached a deep creek. Tom balanced across a log but Haley and I took our boots off, enjoying the cold water. On the far side it seemed like a good opportunity for a swim. Covered in spider webs and pine needles, the cool water felt amazing.

Then we were back in the bush, climbing up to Space Point Lake. We continued from there to the lakes Tom had swam in earlier. The sunny weather and beautiful views convinced us to swim again. After the swim we warmed up by hiking back to our first camp on the ridge looking out over the Bella Coola Valley across from the shoulder of Nusatsum Peak. We enjoyed the views and sunset that evening knowing the rain was coming. 

 

Fri 3

Day 7: Heading down into the valley

Having taken our time the day before to get to camp, we had gotten water in the dark. Although Tom had purified it the night before, in the morning we found a small black wriggling worm in one of the Nalgenes. We had drunk a lot of water already… It looked a bit like a leach. We poured out the rest of the water we had and decided to fill up elsewhere.

We hiked down the trail in some light showers. The route was extremely well flagged in the daylight and we enjoyed the easy walking through heather meadows. The trail from the meadows to the car switchbacked along some steep forest making me very glad there was a trail to follow after spending most of the rest of the trip without a trail.

Back at the car we decided to drive up the Nusatsum FSR to Odegaard Falls. There was a small Rec Site on the road that we thought about camping at but decided to continue on to Purgatory Lookout. When we arrived a piece of the glacier across the valley broke off and we watched the snow and ice bounce down the mountain side. The glaciers and peaks are enormous and wild here. 

We spent the evening sorting through our garbage and food.  The zipper on the inner part of my tent had broken the night before so Tom and I decided we would sleep in the car. It rained a lot overnight. In the middle of the night I heard a rustling sound inside the car. Tom spotted a mouse eating sunflower seeds under the front seat. Tom attempted to evict the mouse with a tire iron as the tool of persuasion. A couple hours later I felt something on my hair. I opened the door and swatted it off my pillow. It landed outside in the rain. I felt a bit bad forcing it out but I imagine it would prefer that to coming to the city with us.

Sat 4

Day 8: Not a “road” trip

After driving into town for some hot drinks, searching for a dentist (my tooth still hurt but they were all closed on the weekend) and visiting the wharf, we decided to go see some of the properties I was interested in. The main property that I had wanted to come see sold two days before we had left for the trip. The other property I had been thinking about had also just sold. Both had been for sale since at least January so I considered this rather bad luck. Either way, we decided to go see the third property on the list. It was next to the airport. 37 acres of river front land with “road access”.

When we were within 200m of the property, the main road ended. There was a much narrower “road” that continued in the right direction.  I looked at it and said we cannot drive any further, let’s walk. Once we got out of the car the “road” looked potentially feasible but a bit narrow and winding. Tom decided to try. I told him it was best to drive if possible, as the property was quite far. The first part was alright but the next turn was too narrow to make it around. We tried to back the car up and then slowly angle it right but it would not fit. The road was also too narrow to turn around and the slope we had just come from looked too narrow and steep to back up. Tom backed up once more to angle the car but ended up off the “road” with one wheel no longer even touching the ground. We tried to go forward but the tires just spun out. We were stuck.

Tom and I pushed while Haley gently pushed on the gas but the car was not budging. A woman called down to us from the main road. “That’s not a road you know”. Tom went up to talk to her and found out that she used to own the property and lived next door. She said she would go get one of the neighbors with an ATV to pull us out. At this moment I felt a lot like a city person.

Carl, her neighbor, showed up quickly with his ATV. He shook his head at the predicament we were in and went to get a ratchet strap. Slowly he pulled us back onto the track with his ATV. A couple times we had to dig out the tires. He asked what the tool I was using was called as it worked well. An ice axe… After quite a bit of work the car was back on the track. Now we just had to back it up the narrow steep “road”. With some directions from us, Tom managed to drive it up without hitting anything. We offered to buy Carl some beer but he said he was just glad he could help. Everyone we met in Bella Coola was amazingly kind.

Car safely parked back on the main road we wandered down the ATV track we had tried to drive. Before long we were on the main part of the property. We wandered off the track into the old growth cedar forest. The old trees were covered with old man’s beard lichen and moss. We walked through the bush heading for the river. As we went, we spread out. Eventually Tom called over to us – “Let’s stick together!”. The response he got was a loud growl directly in front of him and the sound of cracking branches. I have never heard a bear growl before. I have heard them snap their jaws, huff, sniff and be silent. The sound this bear made was something you would expect out of a movie. We got together and backed up out of the forest. Back on the “road” I suggested we wander up the track to see if it led to the river and the remnants of the old house that had flooded in 2010. Another hundred meters up the road though and we heard the bear huffing in the bushes. I guess it was not the right time to view riverfront properties in Bella Coola. I was glad we had the bear spray but did not want to use it.

Back at the car, we decided to drive to find gas and a place to camp before it got dark. On the way back to the main highway, we saw another bear in the river. It was fishing and watched us calmly for a bit before sticking its head back into the river.

Earlier that morning, we had googled campgrounds. We were happy to pay for camping. Particularly if it meant having running water and a toilet to use after a week in the backcountry. However, we had quickly discovered that all the campgrounds in the Bella Coola valley are closed to tent campers in September and October due to bears…. I began to wonder if we should have been camping for the last week, or running around a riverfront property. Not much we could do about that now though.

After a short discussion, we started calling motels/inns to ask about vacancy. I could not remember the last time I had stayed in a motel. It was the Saturday of the long weekend so we were not really expecting a room to be available.  However, we tried calling since the thought of tenting when: (a) no campgrounds were open due to bears, (b) we had been growled at twice by a bear that afternoon, and (c) it was supposed to rain heavily was not pleasant. There were no vacancies. We decided we could drive back to the Rec Site we had camped at the night before. It was at least a ways from the river… As we drove out of town though we tried one more inn. A quick check and we discovered it had a room for us. Showers, a hot dinner not cooked on a camp stove, and solid walls around us to sleep felt so good. It poured rain all night.

Sun 5

Day 9: More property viewing

The next morning the inn had internet so I emailed a friend of mine, Tom Smith (a past RCMP officer and retired judge who had worked at Alexandra Fiord on Ellesmere Island in the 1960s).  He lives near Williams Lake and although we had talked to each other over the phone about Ellesmere, we had never met in person. Almost immediately he wrote back to us inviting us to come stay and see his place that evening.

We spent the morning driving around to a few more properties, more hesitant this time to wander too far off the main roads. Afterwards, we went to see the Belarko bear viewing platform. We were escorted onto the platform by the park rangers. Surrounded by a barbed wire electric fence it felt very secure. Eventually we saw a small bear wandering along the riverbank. It was a long way off. All the tourists got their cameras out to take pictures. We decided to start the long drive back.

The drive up “The Hill” was a bit unnerving with traffic flying down the gravel road at you and cliffs off the side but we made it. The rest of the drive to Williams Lake was uneventful. After a quick dinner we set off for Tom Smith’s place.

Tom and his wife had built their log cabin decades ago after living out of a trailer for a few years on their 75 acre property. They were so inspiring to talk to about cabin building. Tom told stories from his time up north, including his overland crossing of Ellesmere by dog sled. Memories came rushing back to me of my time at Alexandra Fiord. We admired the polar bear skin, narwhal tusk and Inuit sculptures Tom had. Tom C. and I got to stay in a guest room that reminded me in some small ways of the buildings on Ellesmere.

Mon 6

Day 10: Dreaming of building a cabin

We spent the morning exploring their property. They served us breakfast and lunch which was a wonderful, delicious change to our camp food. Tom took us around to see a bear den just next to their house that a black bear had used for the last two winters. He took us around to their boat house where he had several boats including two wooden kayaks he had built himself. Their house looked out over a lake. They showed us their dock and fire prevention system. Before long it was time to leave and they sent us off with fresh vegetables from their garden. The whole drive home I kept thinking how interesting it was to see all the different perspectives and ways of living outside the city. Tom Smith had inspired me to keep looking for a remote and wild property of my own. 

Ideas for this trip came from: https://bellacoolatrails.ca/alpine .

Thank you to all the volunteers who worked on the trail into Nusatsum Meadows!