Long Weekend in Sunshine Valley, BC
BY LYNN JACKART It
was a warm sunny day on Friday when we started out. Te winter had been long and it was pleasant to
travel Highway 1. Spring was in full bloom and the green fields, blue sky and snow- topped mountains were a wonderful sight.
We were towing our new trailer which we purchased from Traveland in Langley
BC, who gave us two free nights at a Holiday Trails Campground Resort. A new addition to the Holiday Trails Resort system is a campground in Sunshine Valley complete with rental cabins. Tis was our chance to test our new purchase and make sure the appliances, hot water and refrigerator etc., were in working order. We passed Hope and continued to Exit 177 where we entered Highway 3 (Hope-
Princeton) and 19-kms east of Hope we turned into Sunshine Valley (two hour drive from Vancouver). Tis village is located in the Cascade Mountains with an elevation of 2,200-ſt above sea level; approximately 75 families live in Sunshine Valley year round. Te weather was hot when we arrived but later in the day clouds moved in and
the weather started to cool. Tere were a few RVers in the campground but we noticed some had ATV’s, dirt bikes and toy hauler trailers. Tese campers were relegated to the last two rows of the campground, which has 110 pull-thru sites. Te ATVers are not allowed to drive through the campground and the last two rows are closer to the trails and roads they love to ride. Pretty soon we could hear ATV’s.
Tere were large adult ones and small ones for the children. Later, our son Paul and his family arrived with two ATV’s: one for Mom and Dad and one for the kids (5 & 6 yrs old). Tis was also their first trip to this campground. It was paradise for them: a short
Entering one of the Othello Tunnels.
distance to the trails and roads up into the mountains made riding excellent. Te children had little hills to ride up and small gullies to practice riding their machines. I noticed the girls had pink or purple ATVs and the boys had camouflaged ones. Wearing huge helmets and being watched very closely by their parents, everyone was having a great time.
24 RVT 143 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
May 2011
We took a side trip to the Othello-
Quintette Tunnels in the Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park. Tese amazing tunnels were built between 1911 and 1916 for the Kettle Valley Railway and were a huge feat of engineering, which is described along the path. Due to rockslides, washouts and snow, the railway was closed in 1959. We parked in the designated area and walked where the railway tracks used to be; it’s flat and wide. Te Coquihalla River runs alongside the tunnels and at this time of year it was a torrent. Te tunnels are dark so a flashlight would have been useful. Te kids loved the dark scary tunnels and watching the rushing water crash its way through the gorge. Sixteen kilometres east of Hope on
the way back to the campground on Highway 3 is the Hope Slide. Today a scenic stop, but on January 9, 1965 Johnson Peak broke away from the mountain and the largest landslide in Western Canada was hurled down the mountain. Te highway was covered for three kilometres; a few lives were lost and it buried a lake. Tis is a stark reminder of the power of Mother Nature. Sunshine Valley is steeped in history
from a fur trading stop, First Nations hunting and berry picking region, and of course gold seekers. During WW2 the valley was called Tashme, an internment camp used by the Canadian Government for approximately 2,400 Japanese people. Tis beautiful valley is nestled in the
mountains and has 100 kilometres of trails that wind up into the forests. Te small community hosts annual events in the winter for snowmobilers, snow- hoers, snow-sculpting and dogsled demonstrations. Summer is alive with hiking, canoeing, kayaking and biking. We enjoyed our stay in the
campground, and although it was cold and rainy the surrounding mountains were beautiful. Everything worked in our trailer, especially the furnace. On Monday morning we headed
home. As we approached the city the traffic noise seemed loud, but I know a valley where the air is fresh, mountains are green and the forest is quiet: a special place to remember. 4
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