Smithers, B.C. Mark meets a Moose! Gorgeous Skiing at Hudson Bay Mt.

March 12th and 13th, 2019

The Jetta was loaded with summer tires, bins filled with teacher resources, and my belongings from over 6 months of residing in Burns Lake, B.C. One last, lengthy cuddle with Brat and a wave goodbye to the never ending freight trains passing beside the highway then we departed northwest on our next journey. The highway was clear, the weather sunny, and the snow pile levels had significantly receded in the past week or so. What a perfect day for traveling past Fort Telkwa through Bulkley-Nechako to Smithers, B.C.

In addition to my teaching, I have occupied my time up north trying new types of outdoor recreation and experiencing true “Canadian” winter conditions. I am grateful for all the amazing new friends and experiences here, but I had my fingers crossed to see a moose and a lynx while up here. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards this trip.

However… Apparently, Lynx and Moose were around! I just needed to be at the right place at the right time. On a local fb group these lovely photos were shared of Lynx in the Southside while I was in the area.

And… regarding the moose…After we arrived at the Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge (Ski and Stay packages available here) I wanted to watch the final episode of “The Bachelor”. Who would Colton Underwood choose to marry? Needless to say…Mark preferred to go for a nice long walk in the marshland trails near our hotel. Well…The result of the final Bachelor show was very disappointing as nobody got a rose and it was just endless drama. Meanwhile, Mark arrived back with a Cheshire cat grin and some amazing photos to accompany his story. He encountered a Moose eating new sprouts right near the trail in the marshland!!! Darn! I clearly made the wrong choice about activities tonight! 😦 We returned there the next evening at the same time but weren’t successful in sighting another Moose.

The following morning we boarded the free shuttle bus from town and headed up Hudson Bay Mountain for a day of powder or groomed trails, breathtaking views, and lengthy runs from the chairlift or 2 T bars to the lodge. The top elevation is 5,413 ft or 1,650m. The rentals worked effectively and I was so happy to see that after being so wobbly on X Country skis, I had maintained my downhill confidence.