Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Provincial Park is by a 24-kilometer (15-mile) gravel road heading west from the middle of
Blue River. From the trailhead at the end of the road, it's a 2.5-kilometer (1.5-mile) walk to
Murtle Lake, the park's largest freshwater lake.
Accommodations and Camping
M Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing Resort (250/673-8381 or 800/661-9170,
www.wiegele.com , $146-300 s or d), the base for the renowned Mike Wiegele Heli Skiing
operation, is designed for the wintertime heli-skiing crowd, but it's open year-round. Mike
Wiegele was instrumental in the development of “fat boy” skis that helped revolutionize
powder skiing by making it easier for everyone. His resort has grown from humble be-
ginnings to a world-class facility, featured in many ski movies and the host of the annu-
al Powder 8 Championship. Wintertime visitors enjoy some of the world's most famous
powder skiing in the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains, then kick back each evening at the
upscale resort in Blue River. Accommodation is in large two- to six-room log chalets in
a private setting beside Lake Eleanor. In the off-season (Apr.-Nov.), the rooms are one of
British Columbia's best bargains: from $146 for a luxurious suite.
Glacier Mountain Lodge (250/673-2393 or 877/452-2686,
www.glaciermountainlodge.com , $105-229 s or d includes a light breakfast) is another styl-
ish Blue River accommodation, this one offering 35 well-appointed guest rooms and an in-
door hot tub.
The least expensive place to stay in town is Blue River Campground (250/673-8203
or 866/675-8203, www.bluerivercampground.ca , May-mid-Oct., camping $26-38, cabins
$50), which has a log cook shelter and canoe rentals. The campground is within walking
distance of Lake Eleanor.
VALEMOUNT AND BEYOND
North of Blue River, Highway 5 follows the North Thompson River through the Cariboo
Mountains to Valemount, 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the Yellowhead Highway. This
small town boasts two scenic golf courses, overnight horseback trips with Headwaters
Outfitting (250/566-4718, www.davehenry.com ), lots of fishing holes (ask for a brochure
at the information center), and mountain scenery all around. If you're passing through
between mid-August and late September, be sure to visit Swift Creek, below the informa-
tion center, where chinook salmon spawn after a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) journey from
the Pacific Ocean. At the south end of town is the spring-fed Cranberry Marsh, where you
can expect to see Canada geese, teal, ducks, and red-winged blackbirds. Park at the Best
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