I expect the younger readers won’t get my reference to the 1970s hit song “Beyond Hope” by the band 6 Cylinder. I always think of that song when I drive the canyon route, and kinda miss stopping just off the Fraser Highway a few miles beyond Hope at the now long-gone Spuzzum Café that was mentioned in that song.
My friend Jo and I had, despite the heavy rains hitting Vancouver, attended the Vancouver Used Camera Sale on Oct. 20. The rain began near Chilliwack as we drove down on Saturday and didn’t stop until some time on Sunday after we left the sale. On our return home we decided the Coquihalla’s weather reports were inconsistent, and took the scenic Fraser Canyon Road instead.
I think most Fraser Canyon drivers on their way to or from Vancouver might take a quick tour of the many wooden sculptures — carved using chainsaws — that decorate the streets of Hope, or just keep on going without paying attention to the small road signs marking hiking trails along the road just before and after the town.
On this trip Jo and I were watching for things to photograph, and took the turnoff at a sign that said "Flood Falls Trail". Everything in the hillside forest was wet, and the sky was slightly overcast. However, the overcast wasn’t heavy, and after I set my camera at ISO1600 it was easy to bring out all the colours.
The trail was well-used and there was a lot of lichen hanging from branches and growing on all the trees and rocks. Everything was so green. The place was beautiful, and I kept calling to Jo to pose beside different large stumps and fungus-covered trees.
The walk along a stone-lined trail was easy and the environment was perfect for photographers.If it hadn’t started raining again, I am sure we would have stayed there for a long time. We did go to the falls, and I think I would like to stop there again sometime when it’s not raining.
I haven’t seen Jo’s photos yet. She was using a tripod, with a fixed 35mm lens, and was doing long exposures of the bubbling steam that flowed down from the waterfall.
The rain wasn’t as bad as it was on our way to Vancouver, and we drove around Hope and watched all the raingear-clad tourists holding out their cellphones to capture memories of the chainsaw-carved Rambo statue in the town centre’s Memorial Park.
The rest of our drive back to Kamloops and on to Pritchard wasn’t eventful, although it seemed like every time we slowed down to stop the rain started up again. Oh well, it was a nice drive through the Fraser Canyon in spite of the rain-filled sky and wet road.
The camera sale was packed with eager photographers who stayed a long time. I wonder how many people were there waiting out the constant rain. We didn’t go near any of the flooded areas and had a great time at the sale, meeting people and selling camera gear. Stopping for a walk and some photography along the Flood Falls Trail the next day capped off an excellent weekend.
Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.