Dennis Begin
Simon Fraser recorded in his journal that the river made a sharp turn to the west, or now called Hope. Fraser was also disappointed in that he was not on the Columbia River. Explorer David Thompson, the Great Mapmaker, named this river the Fraser River. Love this photo in the smokey haze.
Words by Dennis Begin
On May 28, 1808, Simon Fraser and 23 men left Fort George [Prince George] in four canoes and paddled south for 837 km (520 mi) on what Fraser thought was the Columbia River. Despite warnings from the First Nations people that the river was treacherous and nearly impassable, Fraser was determined to reach the Pacific Ocean. The descent of the Fraser River was relatively easy until they reached the Fraser Canyon. The canyon is 68 km (42 mi) from Lytton to Yale and wedged in between the Cascade and Coastal Mountains. As Fraser recorded "….we have encountered the gates of Hell." Other fur traders had referred to Hell's Gate as "…certain death." Simon Fraser, of course, survived the canyon, the hostile Musqueam Indians and returned to Fort George in 35 days. Although Fraser was disappointed with his accomplishment, he had explored the river which now bears his name.
Hell's Gate
Hell's Gate in the Fraser Canyon is the major tourist attraction along the Trans-Canada Highway. Here the steep canyon walls close in on the river, forcing 800 million liters of water per minute through a narrow 33 metre gorge. A descending gondola or airtram drops 157 m (515 ft) down to a Visitor Centre (Observation Deck) on the west bank. The Visitor Centre has a small museum, gift shop, restaurant, and other amenities. An alternative to the airtram is to walk across the suspension bridge and experience the wind and noise of the river rushing below you. Along the canyon walls are salmon fishways (ladders), which allow spawning salmon to successfully bypass the rapids. Simon Fraser may have been the first European to navigate the Fraser Canyon but he was not the first person. The First Nations had well-established paths along the river that were used as trading routes. At Hell's Gate, his two native guides led Fraser and his men along the cliffs using rope ladders, now referred to as Simon's Wall.
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Hell's Gate Gondola [Airtram].
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Hell's Gate Observation Deck [Visitor Center].
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Hell's Gate Suspension Bridge.
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Fraser Canon looking north with Fishways [ladders] in bottom left of photo.
Lytton
Simon Fraser named this First Nations village ‘Camchin or Kumsheen', meaning ‘meeting place.' The name ‘Lytton' would come later. Lytton is also known as ‘Where Two Great Rivers Meet,' or where the Thompson River flows into the Fraser River. The Nlaka'pamux, Skuppah, Nicomen, Siska and Kanaka Indian Bands have lived along these two rivers for 10,000 years.
A major attraction near Lytton is the Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park. The Stein Valley is both an important spiritual place as well as a wilderness area used for camping and backcountry hiking. For RV'ers, just east of Lytton is the Skihist Provincial Park Campground.
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At Lytton, the Thompson River [dark blue water] joins up with the Fraser River.
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Fraser River just north of Lytton.
Cariboo Wagon Road, 1861- 1865
If Simon Fraser felt the canyon was not suitable as a fur trade route, others saw the river as an opportunity. American gold prospectors discovered gold in places like Emery Creek and Boston Bar in 1858. The rush was on, resulting in the discovery of gold in the Cariboo. Governor James Douglas, wanting to keep the territory from the Americans, constructed a 644 km (400 mi) road from Yale to Barkerville. This historic road along the Fraser River was used by camels, oxen, mules, and horses, transporting both men and supplies while opening up the interior of the colony.
Boston Bar and North Bend
The name Boston Bar comes from American gold prospectors and ships from Boston. A bar refers to a sandbar that was panned for gold. These two little villages are 26 miles 42 km.] north of Yale. For RV'ers, there are two parks, the Canyon Alpine RV Park and Anderson Creek Campground. Next door to Anderson Creek is the Tuckkwiowhum Village, a traditional Nlaka'pamux Heritage Site.
Dennis Begin
Tuckkwiowhum Village near Boston Bar.
Yale
At one time Yale was the largest city north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. Up to 30,000 people passed through Yale on the way to the gold fields. The village has also been the hub for the Cariboo Wagon Road, sternwheelers, railroads, and the Yale Convention that eventually led B.C. into Confederation in 1873. Only a few original buildings remain in Yale, including the Creighton House Museum, The Tea House and a mockup of the gold rush Tent City.
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Historical Yale with original Creighton House and now a museum and The Tent City.
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Fraser Canyon north of Yale with C.P. Railroad.
Railroads
Next to follow was the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) in the 1880's and the Canadian Northern Railroad in 1911, now called the Canadian National Railroad. Both railroads traverse the rugged canyon, using both sides of the river. Although the two railroads are competitors, it was necessary to cooperate in this narrow canyon. All westbound trains use the C.N. tracks and all eastbound trains use the C.P. tracks. At the Cisco Bridges south of Lytton, the C.N. Bridge passes over the top of the C.P. Bridge. The rail lines also accommodate the Rocky Mountaineer, a passenger train from Vancouver to Banff.
Roads
The next development in transportation was the automobile. Roads were built from 1905 to 1925 but they were narrow and rough. It would not be until the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962 that a decent paved road existed. Highway #1 follows the old Cariboo Wagon Road on the west side of the Fraser and then crosses to the east side, using the Alexander Bridge just north of Spuzzaum. In order to straighten the road and make it safer, seven tunnels from Yale to Boston Bar were cut through the mountains. The tunnels range from 57 to 610 m (187 to 2,000 ft), with China Bar being the longest. There are historical stops along the highway, like the Jackass Mountain Summit that commemorates mules who fell to their death.
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China Bar Tunnel, the longest tunnel at 2,000 feet [610 metres].
Whitewater Rafting
The latest means of travel through the canyon are pontoon boats, paddle or power. There are four companies in Lytton that offer excursions on the Thompson, the Nahatlatch and the Fraser Rivers. The pontoon rafts have to deal with rapids, whirlpools, boils and eddies, as well as the terrifying Hell's Gate.
The Fraser Canyon is a destination in itself. Simon Fraser was correct in believing that the Fraser Canyon was both "spectacular and frightening" at the same time.
Drive with caution, there is much to see.