* 5 is ‘Page 10 August 1988 Cassiar ee ree ae we oe ee ee ee ee ee ee Cassiar Country — iy Ee ea ur eas TEES SFr CELE EE Oe Bo ain eisai nga oor ininaling It is said that a man is as good as his word. I agree, but T add that a person’s public “deeds’’ give insight into character. Cassiar has been fortunate enough to be home to a man of good word and good deeds. This August edition of the Courier presents, Wayne Mayell. Delivered by Dr. R.T. Potter in Belleville, Ontario, Wayne was number two of four boys in the family. Raised in rural Ontario, Wayne remembers attending a one room school for seven years at March Hill. “There were eight grades, twenty students, an outhouse and a wood stove to heat the school,” recalls Wayne. He graduated from secondary school in Madoc, Ontario at age seventeen, then proceeded to continue his education at Loyalist College in Belleville, where he majored in chemistry. Three years later he graduated with a diploma as a chemical engineering technologist. The late sixties and ‘early seventies heralded a western migration of many Canadian young people from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Each came for, their own reason. Most headed “home” but for Wayne the lure of B.C.’s ski slopes was credit enough to make the trip. “I drove out west with a friend whom | had attended college with. We were driving a Ford Galaxy 500, and once we got to Vancouver the car went into a demolition derby!” laughs Wayne. Wayne’s first job out west was working for Grouse Mountain Resorts as a lift operator. He worked for them for about eight months. “I was a joe boy in the off season, cleaning toilets, servicing sewers, fun stuff like that,” says Wayne. Arriving in Vancouver in 1972 and getting a job with Grouse Mountain was fine, but Wayne moved on to the Shell refinery in Burnaby after applying for and getting a job as a process operator. Confinement to the city and shift work began to grate against this tural Ontario boy. “I was bored,” stated Wayne. “I didn’t like it so I started looking for work. I cut an ad out of the paper concerning Cassiar, then Manpower called with news of a job as assistant lab super. 1 flew up for the interview and moved to Cassiar on January 4th, 1974. The thing is I even took a cut in pay to move north!” By November of 1974, Wayne was a full fledged supervisor in the lab. In January 1984 he moved into personnel. He is now an “Employee Relations Super- visor” and deals with contract interpretation, handles discipline, grievance procedures and counsels other super- visors on these topics as well as being somewhat involved with housing. “When I came to Cassiar,” says Wayne, “I thought this is great, it’s small, not a city and perfect for all of the outdoor activities I enjoy.” To this statement I say “Amen”. Wayne is an accomplished hiker, canoeist, fisherman, downhill and cross country skier. He was president of the Ski Club in Cassiar from 1974 to 1978. “We took the ski hill and turned it around not only financially (by 1979 the “hill” had four or five thousand dollars in the black”) but also’ physically by building a new ski lift.” Originally the ski hill was a rope. towiand ‘private..."Twenty-five members each MME EEE EERE EE MEME MEYER EMERY EYE EH HE ERE EE EH e se by Lorraine Lanteigne had a key. “If you wanted to go skiing,” recalls Wayne “you took the key and started up the rope tow.” Wayne says that jade money built the ski hill. “Any money made from jade in those days went back into the com- munity. The ski hill and the theatre were the last two projects to get this money.” During the strike of 1978 everyone cooperated and volunteered to work on the ski hill. The union agreed that they would pay the picketers who volunteered on the ski hill. The company donated the equipment, the concrete, and steel forms. “Alf Guderjohn had major input into the ski hill,” states Wayne. “He viewed it as a real community effort.” After the Pommel Lift was built, Wayne felt his involvement was at an end. “We had eighty thousand dollars worth of equipment and I was not going to be responsible for it.” Five years with the ski club were encugh. The ski club turned the hill over to the Com- munity Club. “I dropped out of community life for awhile after this,” says Wayne. “I was burnt out. Sixteen hours a day on the ski hill was probably too much!” Involved in Schmoo Days since the beginning, Wayne and Christine (Christine Normand and Wayne have been together since 1979, Christine does state for the record that when she worked in the lab for Wayne she couldn’t stand him. “He was always behind me watching what I was doing!”) both chuckle over the “Outhouse Races”. years in a row,” remembers Wayne. “We finally dropped out to give someone else a chance!” (Christine figures it was because they were afraid to lose!) Wayne also built all of the Schmoo’s Cassiar has ever seen. He and Christine have a great creative process, he supplies all the base and she creates the fantasy. One of these costumes, “Sweetums’’, still lives in the theatre, and no, he’s not a phantom, although Wayne remembers wearing the costume into the arena and sending the kids into a frightened panic! Many events have had the pleasure of Wayne’s involvement and/or appearance in costume. The Medieval Dinner held at the Arts & Crafts Centre (now the Ralf Voss Centre) was one of Wayne’s most enjoyable events. “We were a knight and lady. Christine and I and rep- resented “The House of Montague’’,’” Wayne says with asmile. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Always willing to laugh at himself Wayne was even a Can Can line star. “I was a blond and I wore colored underwear. I think that attracted attention!” Wayne was also a major contributor to the build- ing of the squash court. “Oh yeah,” he said humbly, “T helped build it with Joe Curry.” In 1975 Wayne and three others canoed the Nahanni River. “We practised around here first,” remem- bers Wayne. “We shot the culvert at Erickson, more-than once, but the rocks can be a little dangerous!” Canoeing the Cottonwood from the bridge to the Dease River was quite the journey. “We only made it about half way before we upset. There were six of us and three canoes. Two made it back to the road. The other four had no idea where they were. It was after midnight by the time we got back to Cassiar. The next day while searching we found them walking through the bush. All the gear had been lost and one canoe was totalled. This was the practice run for the Nahanni!” As a result of this venture the guys decided to put “spray skirts” on the canoes for “We were costume champions five the Nahanni which according to Wayne “was the best thing we ever did.” The ten day Nahanni River trip is a highlight of Wayne’s memories. However he cited the story of the trip’s end to me to show resourcefulness at its best. Due to bad weather canoes could not be tied to the pontoons. “At the end of the trip when B.C.-Yukon ot came to pick us up the pilot informed us that he couldn’t fit the canoes in the plane! We were about to be had in a sense because the wardens offered $25.00 to buy the canoes. We asked if the canoes were cut in half could we get them in? He looked a little surprised when we cut two sixteen foot fibreglass canoes in half! And, the thing was, we simply fibre glassed them back together at home!”? Wayne has canoed the Dease River several times, but for the last few years he has done little canoe- ing. His one claim to fame on the water however is that as far as he knows he is the first person to wind surf on Chain Lakes, and this far north. In fact, Wayne’s board is considered a collectors item now because of its mahogany boom and universal. Wayne has faded out of active community life. For now there will be no more sitting in on committees or being a member of an executive for him. He has served on many, including the Community Club, but now it’s time for his personal pursuits. Wayne’s roots stem from a country heritage and because of this he has become very interested in one of Christine’s hobbies. Gardening! Their back- yard attests to much time spent planning, planting and caring for a variety of vegetables. Tomatoes and green onions are Wayne’s favorite. Beans, peas, swiss chard potatoes, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, and zucchini are part of the long list. Everything is fresh! This year they are trying inca plus and ground cherries. As well Wayne is experimenting with hydro- ponic gardening. He has grown basil, tomatoes, and cayenne pepper. “I had to kill the cayenne after six months,” says Wayne. “It wouldn’t quit growing! I also grew tomatoes under the house all winter. We’ve been eating fresh tomatoes since February.” Always busy, Wayne enjoys learning about such a variety of things, one would wonder how he manages. The past two years he has become adept at making beer, rootbeer, gingerbeer, cola, and ice cream. He has also been taking a correspondence course in business management. “J like to cook,” says Wayne. is “stir fry” and I make a pretty wicked garlic butter. As a matter of fact, when I arrive at Erickson’s Longest Day of the Year party I have lots of friends!” Wayne was on Cassiar’s Mine Rescue team for three years. He is now an avid cross country skier. Dur- ing his vacations he enjoys travel. “I don’t like to go ' anywhere congested,” says Wayne. He has driven to Newfoundland and back, just to name one venture. At this time in his life Wayne says he is “into himself”. “The first half of my time here I was involved in group activities. Now I have become involved in my hobbies,” says Wayne, with a look of satisfaction. Always a supportive citizen however, Wayne steps forward when he sees there is a need. The Ptarmigan Players needed someone to manage their stage and props for their Oz production. Wayne and Christine had assisted already by building some sets, Wayne also took on the job on his own accord, totally organizing it all. “They needed my help!”” Wayne says in a simple matter of fact manner. From the rural Ontario boy who had snakes, raccoons, groundhogs, bumble bees, squirrels and chip- munks for pets, to a mature man who in a selfless manner has done so much for our community, one can only imagine what else he will master in the future. He has accomplished much! Volunteers and contributors such as Wayne make -4 éommunity a’ superior place to live.’ Cassiar ‘Country “salutés' Wayne Mayell. 7)’ ” “My specialty “Jody, the least experienced of the .three packhorses, INFORMATION@) SECOND OF SIX FEATURE ARTICLES ON CAMPING AND PARKS IN B.C. Route Camping - A Special Form of Wandering _ By: Karl Bruhn Every summer a special brand of modern-day explorer takes to B.C.’s highways and byways. Travelling in everything from ultra modern campers and trailers to ordinary family vehicles with tents lashed to roof tacks, these campers turned explorers are marked by a dogged determination to see beyond the next bend of the trail and over the horizon to the land beyond. They are the spiritual heirs of those who first explored the pathless western wilds, sharing the same foot-loose spirit of adventure and warm fireside camaraderie. This special form of wandering, known as route camping, requires few skills beyond careful. attention to vehicle maintenance, a good sense of organization’ and a healthy dose of wanderlust. Anyone who has _Spent a night or two camping out is a potential candidate for route camping. The main difference between single destination camping trips and route camping lies in the ability to organize things so that packing and unpacking at each stop is accomplished with a minimum of fuss and bother. 5 It makes sense to put a little forethought into how the vehicle or RV is packed. A system is needed so that those items required first, or at various times during the day (such as the ice chest), are easiest to get at. Rain gear, for instance, might be stowed loose on top of the load in the trunk. The tool box and tire- changing equipment should also be readily available. Nothing causes tempers to flare quicker than to have to unload every item of equipment in the trunk to get at the one tool needed for a five-minute repair job. Once a system is developed, make a priority packing list and stick to it. The less time spent setting up and taking down camp at each stop, the more time for fishing, For JoAnne Nelson, project geologist working with the Canada - British Columbia Mineral Development Agreement, the past has come alive in an unusual way. In June 1987, the UBC grad was assigned to map rock outcrops and to interpret the geology in an area between Cassiar and the B.C. - Yukon border. Linking this project with the past was the mode of transportation: in place of the more conventional helicopters and four-wheel drive vehicles, horses would be used to carry food and equipment. Packhorses were common in mineral exploration and mapping well into the late 1950s. However, with the introduction of the helicopter, their popularity declined sharply. By the mid-1960s the packhorse had been relegated to the dust heap of history, a subject for nostalgia, at least as far as geologists were concerned. Nelson’s decision to use packhorses was based, not on sentiment, but on cold logic. Replacing choppers with pack animals would realize economies of nearly 50 percent even though helicopters were used to establish a chain of caches at the start of the field season. Fur- thermore, horses can operate in bad weather and require minimal care. Able to forage in the lush meadows com- mon to northwestern British Columbia, they are entirely self-sufficient. A bonus is their deterrent effect on bears, which associate a horse’s scent with hunters. Thus, it was with satisfaction and confidence that JoAnne Nelson surveyed her field party that spring of 1987. In addition to herself and three highly qualified geologists, John Bradford, Kim Green and Henry Marsden, it would include veteran outfitter Graham Overton, his stallion and saddle horse, King, three pack mares, Robin, Pigeon and Jody, and two colts. With the excep- tion of Jody and the colts, all could boast years of bush experience. Prospects appeared favorable. There were, however, serious drawbacks. The area north of Cassiar hardly qualifies as good horse country. Boulder-strewn hills rising 500 metres or more, swamp and thick brush pose formidable obstacles to any form of travel. Moreover, a fully loaded packhorse requires four feet of lateral clearance. Cutting trails through tightly spaced, stunted trees and extricating horses from bog holes became part. of a. daily routine. « * hiking, watching wildlife, or just plain feet-up relaxation. Good maps and route planning are other essentials. While the chances of getting lost on today’s well-posted major routes are slim, much of the joy of route camping lies in the anticipation built up during the planning stage of the trip. Do not rely on highway maps commonly available at service stations as they rarely depict sideroads and give no indication of topography. A series of six maps covering all of B.C. in the 1:600,000 scale with landforms overprint is available from MAPS B.C. (553 Superior Street, Victoria, B.C.), Ministry of Environment and Parks, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C., V8V 1X5. These excellent maps show most side and backroads and will suggest many interesting side trips to areas which might otherwise be missed altogether. Provincial parks are also clearly shown as are lake and stream net- works. Government Agents will order these maps on request. As well, the Ministry of Environment and Parks has produced a valuable series of brochures giving detailed information on provincial parks province-wide, everything from tourist-oriented historic parks to fly- in or hike-in wilderness parks and day-use picnic stops. The essence of route camping vacations -- motor touring by day, camping by night - lies in the peace and solitude found in ever more elusive out-of-the-way campsites and lonely woodland lakes. Rarely is this ideal of the motoring/camping holiday attained, yet most outdoor recreation in B.C. remains concentrated in the well-travelled southern half of the province while the vast wild lands of the north remain virtually empty and unexplored. This despite greatly improved road networks and extensive park development. Only in northern B.C. -- north of the Peace River country in the east; north of Hazelton/Kitwanga in the west - can true wilderness be reached from the soft front seat of the family vehicle or RV. The ideal of peaceful, uncrowded campsites, fish-a-cast angling and mile upon mile of untrammeled forest lands is found NELSON, HORSES HIT THE CASSIAR TRAILS was mired twice on the second day out. On each oc- _icasion she was unloaded, then patiently ‘coaxed onto ‘solid ground. A typical day would begin early, usually at 6:00 or 6:30 a.m. While Graham rounded up the horses, the others cooked breakfast and broke camp. Breakfast over, the three packhorses were pre- pared for the day’s work. Loading a horse requires skill and judgment. First a pack saddle is cinched to the horse’s back. Two panniers each weighing between 23 and 27 kilograms are then hitched to the sides of , the saddle and a third placed on top. The weight must be precisely distributed to avoid unbalancing the horse. Finally, a canvas tarp is stretched over the whole load and secured by a single length of rope tied in a cat’s - craddle - like configuration called a diamond hitch. Loading invariably brought out the worst in the horses. Robin, the senior packhorse, would occas- sionally bite and kick. A highpitched neighing registered Pigeon’s protest while the colts seized every opportunity to nibble at pack straps, suckle mares and generally get in the way. Even the normally staid King proved a nuisance whenever the urge to nuzzle the mares over- came his sense of propriety. Only Jody, a beginner, behaved in a manner befitting a professional packhorse. Once the horses were loaded, the day’s work could begin. While one of the geologists helped Graham cut trail and navigate, the others traversed the surrounding country, mapping geological features. If all went ac- cording to plan, Graham Overton and his horse train would arrive at the rendezvous by late afernoon, in plenty of time to pitch camp and start dinner. The geological party generally remained in the field until 6:00 p.m. Smoke from campfires or the sound of horse bells served as homing beacons for tired geologists who at this point had: but one thought on their minds, supper. ‘For anyone who worked in the bush, food is of paramount importance. Its quality and abundance usually have a decisive impact on morale. A bad cook can spoil an entire season and remain the object of scorn for years afterwards. Notwithstanding the limitations im- posed by a single propane stove and a scarcity of fresh fruity and vegetables, ‘meals «’Were.“ generally. thought ‘ ajeossful.’ The’ praotice. of “dividing “eboRing ‘chores oe i a oe ee ee a ee ce a eal a & Cassiar Courier August 1988 Page 11 at virtually every stop. Highways, a mix of pavement and wide, good-surface gravels, are virtually empty. While roadside camping is not, as elsewhere, restricted to organized areas, provincial parks make the most sense as many are located close to good fishing, provide simple but necessary amenities and offer the security of neighbours and Parks patrols. Parks are also usually located near some area of outstanding natural beauty. Perhaps the most adventuresome northern route- camping trip is a circle tour known as the Golden Circle. Covering some 1,798 miles (2,877 km) requiring a mini- mum of eight/nine days, the route takes in the Bulkley Valley with its totem poles and Ksan Ngar Hazelton, the fantastic parks and fishing of the Stewart-Cassiar district, a portion of the Alaska Highway, the more settled charms of the Peace River Country and the Hart Highway. Provincial parks such as far-flung Spatsizi and Tatlatui, glacial landscaped Boya Lake, grayling- filled Muncho Lake and Liard River Hotsprings, to name only a very few, are strewn along the route. For more information on route camping in the north, write the North by Northwest Tourism Associa- tion, P.O. Box 1030, Smithers, B.C., VOJ 2NO, and the Peace River Alaska Highway Tourist Association, Box 6850, Fort St. John, B.C., V1J 433. For information on northern provincial parks write the Ministry of Environ- ment and Parks, Regional Director, Parks and Outdoor Recreation, 1011 Fourth Avenue, Prince George, B.C., V2L 3H9. CONTACT: Rick Howie, Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Ministry of Environment and Parks, Victoria, (604) 387-4341 impression. Menus had an international flavor; cheese fondue, curries, pasta and chili rellenos were the order of the day rather than the exception. Horses had to make do with plainer fare consisting of native vegetation sup- plemented by a daily ration of oats. As well as being a treat, oats provide the high nutritional values required by working horses and discourage straying. The remainder of the evening |\was filled with conversation, star gazing and sipping endless cups of tea, as well as more serious pursuits such as tending horses and writing reports. Field data collected during the day were now plotted onto mylai transparencies superimposed on airphotos. Using the 1:25 000 air- photos and producing a final map at a scale of 1:50 000 increases accuracy by a factor of 2. Paperwork completed, the day was rounded off with more tea or a night cap. Before turning in, Graham Overton hobbled King and the mares to prevent their straying. The horses occupied the late evening and early morning hours resting and grazing. By 10:00 or 10:30 p.m., the camp was sound asleep. Most nights passed uneventfully. The horses keptaforaging bears away, and, apart from the tinkle of horse bells or the occasional cry of a wolf or hoot of an owl, nothing disturbed the silence. And so the days followed one another with- out incident. Two and four-legged creatures settled into a comfortable routine that seldom varied. The highlights that summer were the discovery of two small but rich silver occurrences. However, of far greater significance, the field party achieved its primary objec- tive, to map geological features and elucidate mineral potential. Virtually all future mineral exploration and development within the study area would depend, to some degree, on geological reports and maps derived from data compiled by JoAnne Nelson and her crew. This field project was one of 81 funded under the five-year, $10 million joint federal - provincial mineral development agreement signed in 1985. printed with permission from _*- The Northern Sentinel, Kitimat, B.C.