Yesterday, we traveled from Lac La Hache to Prince George. We are camped in the small owner/operated Hartway RV Park. Monday, Today, May 13, 2019, was our first full day. After making a stop at the Visitor's Center in downtown Prince George, we went over all the hiking options in the area. We decided to pay a visit to L.C. Gunn Park to take in the views high above Prince George along the Fraser Cutbanks Trail. Nothing says hiking like a trailhead selfie!
The L.C. Gunn Park was named after Luther Colins Gunn, a survey engineer for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. The Fraser Cutbanks Trail was developed in 1995 as a result of a lease agreement with BC Rail. The trail takes you from the east end of the Yellowhead Bridge (Highway 16 East), through L.C. Gunn Park then south along the cutbanks for a distance of 3 km to the Simon Fraser Bridge on Highway 97. Here is our first look down upon the Fraser River. Prince George is in the background.
The origins of the City of Prince George can be traced to a fur trading post founded in 1807 by Simon Fraser on traditional Lheidli T'enneh territory. Agricultural settlement around the trading post (named Fort George) began in the early 1900s when the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (later CN Rail) entered the region. The railway arrived in 1914 and construction started on the town that would eventually become the City of Prince George on March 6, 1915.
Back in the present, we continued our hike. When we weren't hanging over the edge of the cutbank, we were meandering through a fir forest.
We had numerous chances to take in different views of the city. Here we are looking down on the Lheidli Tenneh Memorial Park.
Spring is just starting to blossom up here. There are still piles of snow in our campground. We happened to spot this beauty just off trail.
At times, the trail skirted along the narrow edge of a sandy cliff with the railroad tracks and river far, far below.
In order to reach the highest point along the trail, we had to climb almost 100 meters straight up!
Our rewards were these amazing views of Prince George. Below is the Simon Fraser Bridge which allows Highway 97 to cross the Fraser River, which we followed just yesterday in our motorhome!
Below is a panoramic view of the Fraser River as it flows pasted Prince George. The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia starting at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for 854 miles into the Strait of Georgia at the City of Vancouver. It is the 11th longest river in Canada. As we head north, we will be leaving the Fraser River, but we'll be back again in the fall.
Here is Kathy doing her best not to look scared of the sheer drop-off as she clutches a nearby saskatoon berry bush.
As we made our way back to the trailhead, several robins joined us. They were content to bob up the trail ahead of us. One by one, they left. However, this little birdy decided to keep us company for over a quarter mile before giving up and returning to the rest of the flock.
As we hiked back, we were faced with a steep decent. In order to avoid the straight downhill, we decided to take a side trail. As it turns out, our side trail was even steeper than the main trail.
However, we did discover a geocache along the way. We had to do a little bushwhacking to find it. Below, Kathy poses with her prize!
We realized we didn't come prepared. We had nothing to offer in exchange for one of the goodies hidden in the geocache by other seekers. So, we left our calling card and made a decision to make sure our day packs are properly outfitted for the next geocache we find.
As with all good trails, this one had to come to an end. However, it's always good to end a hike with a smiley face!
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