Stillwater
Lake - Tweedsmuir Park Wilderness Camp
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Rainforest
Grizzly Trail
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Bella Coola Grizzly Tours offers Wildlife Viewing/Hiking trips into
our Stillwater Lake Wilderness base camp and beyond from April
- November. We have acquired 160 acres of Private Property at
the head of Stillwater Lake/Tweedsmuir Provincial Park from the
Edwards family that we now utilize as our Wilderness Basecamp
and departure point for more remote hiking adventures into Tweedsmuir
Park.
On a typical Wildlife Tour we depart our main base camp in Bella
Coola and drive East in our 4x4 Crewcab Tour vehicles up the Valley
to the base of the Hill where we turn South on the old Tote Road.
The old road runs alongside the Atnarko Salmon Spawning River
and offers beautiful views of the river and wildlife. From the
safety of the 5 passenger Crewcab we view the Bears and Wildlife
feeding on the Salmon along the River. As well we will take short
guided hikes in to natural viewpoints on the river as we slowly
travel along the old Tote road.
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Waterfall
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We
will naturally encounter many species of Wildlife and Raptors
while cruising along the edge of the river and clients will have
many photo opportunities. At the end of the Tote Road we park
the 4x4 rigs and gear up for our Mountain Hike into Stillwater
Lake. Hikers should be equipped with hiking boots with ankle support.
You will need to have your own personal backpack with you as well
with your own personal gear from this point on.
We
cross the Hotnarko River suspension bridge and start out on the
old mountain trail that leads us up the Atnarko River into Stillwater
Lake. The trail crosses some steep rock slide areas and then winds
its way through the valley bottom of old growth Douglas Fir and
Western Red Cedar. It is not uncommon to see Grizzly Bears in
this spawning area and we proceed cautiously while the guide points
out the culturally modified cedar trees and the large grizzly
tracks in the moss.
After
crossing the Atnarko river suspension bridge and viewing the fish
underneath we relax for a while on the shores of Stillwater Lake
and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The Lake is fairly warm in the
Summer and some people like to have a swim in the Lake to cool
down after the hike in. Once everyone is rested and had lunch
we will board our 25 foot 10 passenger Canoe for the paddle up
to the headwaters of Stillwater Lake to our Wilderness Basecamp.
Our
Stillwater Lake basecamp can accommodate up to 8 guests at a time.
We have a very nice recently finished rustic two level framed
Lodge on the old Edwards Homestead at the head of Stillwater Lake.
The homestead and trail network was hand built by Stanley Edwards
and the hand built trail network in this wilderness area is something
to behold. There is no electricity here other than a small Honda
gas generator for lights and the basics. We like to keep the machinery
noise at an absolute minimum so not to spook the wildlife that
lives here too.
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Native
Pictograph
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Satellite
phones are our only means of communication to the outside world.
Access to this camp is only by walking in on the trail or Helicopter
or Floatplane. We do have a very good supply of gravity feed creek
water for drinking and bathing. No flush toilets here but we do
have nice sanitary outhouses. We also have a very good supply
of propane fired hot showers in the shower house that go over
very well after a long day of hiking.
Wildlife including Grizzly Bears, Moose, Mountain Goat, Deer and
Migratory Birds including Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese and Ducks
can all be viewed from this pristine location. The Atnarko River
runs right through the property and the many different species
of Trout and Salmon are easily seen in the shallow river from
our canoes. The lake and river waters lend themselves perfectly
to canoe use as they are shallow and not subject to any rough
water making it safe and desirable for the family and kids to
explore. Transport Canada Approved Lifejackets are supplied for
all our guests.
From
the Stillwater Base Camp we adventure out to:
Bella
Coola
Grizzly Tours Inc.
