2025 is the year! I am feeling the heartbeat of this amazing, stunning country that is mine. Now more than ever, I see and feel the joy that is around me. I am spending time in my own backyard. <\/p>\n
All within an hour's drive of my hometown, Smithers:<\/p>\n
Twin Falls, just nine kilometres from town, can still have me catching my breath. As my puppy sniffs the ground, I feel the ever-reaching grandeur of the tall, tall trees that have me looking way up. I sense that I am in an ecosystem of its own.<\/p>\n
These twin falls are a charming spot in nature that our efforts have complemented. Five camping sites for tents or a small RV are strategically and aesthetically in place to be a personal resting area. There are garbage containers and a pit toilet for our comfort. Though the road is paved it is narrow and winding.<\/p>\n
Only four kilometres off Hwy 16 is Helen Lake, which offers fun for the whole family. It is a forest service site that has been developed with a pit toilet and six campsites with picnic tables and fire rings. Leading off from the small beach area is a well-groomed path and at its end are benches and a dock. <\/p>\n
Rainbow and cutthroat trout can be caught by a patient fisher-person at the same time that a paddle-boarder or kayaker eases through the water. These outdoor adventurers add a feel of who we all are, as we all claim our moments. <\/p>\n
These moments are gaining in popularity. Helen Lake has overflow parking.<\/p>\n
Beyond the campsites at Helen Lake, Hidden Lake is just three kilometres up the road and offers a destination for hikers. As well, a person who loves exploring can check out the back roads and, at the end of one, find the head of the trail that goes into McQuarrie Lake.<\/p>\n
Yet another forest service campsite, within an hour of Smithers, is eight kilometres on the Telkwa River FSR (which is a left off of the Coalmine Rd). One of its four picnic table and firepit sites can be seen from the bridge.<\/p>\n
The Telkwa River sparkles on its downhill run and a beautiful, green back-eddy offers a spot for anglers to throw in a line or for a puppy to chase a stick. My little gal was on a leash).<\/p>\n