Enjoying the view to the Coquihalla Canyon near Hope, BC
They say some of the best things in life are free. This is certainly the case with the Othello Tunnels Rail Trail. The trail is part of the Coquihalla National Provincial Park and it is located just outside Hope, BC. Hope, for those of you not familiar with it, is called Hollywood North since many movies have been filmed here. When you are in the Hope area and look at the rugged beauty around you, you see why action scenes in movies like the 80s Rambo where filmed here.
On my first visit to the tunnels my husband tricked me into believing we had to crawl though some caves filled with bats to get to the other side of the park. I was ready for it, camera in hand and all. I felt a little disappointed when I found out it was not the case but once I passed the first tunnel and saw the scenery that surrounded us my disappointment vanished.
The Coquihalla rapid waters roaring below me
The Othello Tunnels were part of the former Kettle Valley Railway
that passed through Southern BC. So they are big enough to fit a big,
steaming train. The Kettle Valley is said to be one of the most
expensive railways to have ever been built in the world. Its
construction took from 1911 to 1918 and it is said many workers, many of
them of Asian origin, died in the blasts that cut through the canyon
rock. This part of the Kettle Railway was declared out of service in
1959. The trail-tracks have been removed and now visitors can enjoy the 2 kilometers-hike that goes through the 5 tunnels (called the Quintette Tunnels). The tunnels are dark so it is a good idea to bring a flashlight but you will be OK without one because the tunnels are not all that long. The best part of the trail is the bridges; pause and enjoy the views of the Coquihalla river canyon that they offer. If you look close you could even see some fish jumping around in the roaring river waters.
There are picnics tables near the parking lot are and next to the river and also pit toilets. Keep in mind the trail is closed during Winter time, from November to March, due to the increase chance of rock slides so plan your visit accordingly. Check out people's opinions of the park on TripAdvisorhere.
This video offers more views of the scenery surrounding the Othello Tunnels.
A sign a couple of blocks from our home reminding us that we share the space with these furry animals
The very first week I was in Canada,there was a bear sightingalert in the community we were living at the time. A couple of people had spotted a black bear and authorities quickly let us all know. I remember how bad I wanted to go walking to a nearby convenience store with the hope of snapping a picture of the visitor but I chickened out remembering I had no idea of what to do if I did indeed came close to it.
In the town where I live now, we have to be careful not to leave our food garbage out so some black bear does not pay us a home visit. The garbage truck only comes by once a week so this is a bit challenging at best. Especially because I always want to get rid of trash right away. But I love knowing that bears are so close. It gives me the feeling I am living in a less spoiled land.
Bears in BC says the black bear population in the province is growing. Well, that is great news! It is currently anywhere between 120,000 to 160,000. Grizzly bears have smaller population numbers though. There are between 10,000 to 13,000 in BC but this is understandable since they are bigger and need more living space. Canada needs to protect its forests so bears have enough space. But they also need to make sure there is enough fish for them because when fish is scarce they turn to garbage and go to neighborhoods looking for food. This gets them killed too many times so it is important to avoid luring them in and not leave food garbage outside in the wrong kind of containers.
I'm still a little scared of coming across a black bear. Although my husband says he is not afraid of black bears at all but of grizzly bears who are more unpredictable (and bigger!). But gosh would I love to see one close enough to get a good picture!
If you want to know what to do in case you come across a not-hug-able teddy bear check my school's advice here.
