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I’m back in British Columbia to sample the Fraser River during the most dynamic time of year: the spring freshet.
After three fast-paced days of sampling and filtering, our expedition has finally come to an end. On Monday we finally got into the Fraser River, thanks to Metro Port Vancouver, who once again offered the services of theirPort Fraser patrol boat in the delta.
Yesterday was perhaps our most exciting day. We had the opportunity to take a small plane flight over the lower portion of the Fraser valley.
In between our sampling stops over the past few days, we have had the opportunity to take in some of the natural beauty of the zone through which the Fraser climbs up from its flat northern peneplain, through the Rocky Mountain trench, and almost to its source high in the Rockies.
A wise man named Eddie Izzard once said “I’m covered in bees!” I think we can all relate to this scenario after today’s sampling experience, during which we were attacked by hordes of ravenous mosquitoes.
Since leaving Lillooet, we’ve made two big detours on two long days of driving to sample tributaries off the beaten track. Since Highway 97 leaves the Fraser for long stretches between Lillooet and Prince George, getting to our sampling sites sometimes involves considerable travel on gravel roads into somewhat remote areas.
The real highlight of the day was driving through the Chilcotin canyon. The area looks completely different from what we saw on our last two visits.
Since the last post, we’ve covered quite a bit of ground. After finishing our Hope station yesterday morning, we hit the road for Lytton, stopping at Hell’s Gate on the way.