I’ve learned that every visitor to Canada wants to see a bear. They just don’t want to see one when they’re walking on a lonely trail through the woods.

We’re on the second day of our eco-retreat in the back woods near Hope BC.  I’m not sure if it was the warning from our host about bears, cougars and lynx, or the waivers we both had to sign on arrival accepting full responsibility if we are eaten, dismembered or just badly frightened by said wildlife, but Nanette has developed an uncharacteristic aversion to ‘the paths less travelled’.

It first showed yesterday afternoon when I suggested we try the short hike to the riverside ‘beach’ we’d heard about.  We had only walked about fifteen minutes along the rough bush trail when my companion called a halt.  Ok, there may have been a few suspicious paw prints beside the track, and some unusual noises from ‘somewhere’ in the trees, but …

So, here we are, sitting on the cabin porch, chilling out after a latish brunch.  We find ourselves quoting lines from the famous Australian movie ‘The Castle’.  “Feel the serenity”, says Nanette as the silent river below us ‘just keeps rolling along’.  “Ah, progress”, say I when the sounds of a one hundred and fifty carriage freight train boom and echo from the hidden track on the other side of the gorge.

As pleasant as this is, we can’t just sit around all day. “Maybe we can go and see that old bridge this afternoon”, I suggest. “It’s only about half an hour away, and the tourist guide says it has incredible views of the Fraser Canyon.”

Fast forward two hours:

We’re sitting in the Alexander Bridge carpark.  Nanette is not impressed. Ok, so we got distracted by a road sign advertising a gondola ride down to the river at the aptly named Hell’s Gate. Drove the extra twenty miles – only to find it was closed.  Came back to see the old bridge.  Did our best Dora the Explorer impression “down the steep path through bear country – follow the dirt road” only to be confronted with a ‘Extreme Danger! – No Trespassing!’ sign at the final step where we need to “- cross the freight train track then follow the forest path to the bridge”.

I sense it’s time for desperate measures.  “How about we stop at that little General Store café for dinner on the way back? And – er – we could go to look at the craft market in Hope tomorrow morning.”

Final update:

• The drive from Hope to Hell’s Gate is actually one of the prettiest roads we’ve travelled, with steep cliff sides above and below the road and lovely views of the gorge.
• The café was closed – but we found an old-school highway diner with good food and great service.
• We did get to the markets.
• We didn’t see a bear.