Marble Canyon and Cache Creek

Desert, ranch lands, and rivers

TLDR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This is a long overdue and incomplete list. My emergency contacts Mike Cassidy and Dan Royal for staying in contact with me via satellite device (inReach) in the backcountry and sending motivation and Taylor Swift updates. You all for such nice comments and messages of support the past couple weeks. Ice Fishermen Collin and Rob for chatting with me at Crown Lake and giving me a fresh Kokanee (landlocked salmon) that became my best camping dinner yet. Mojo for stopping and chatting with me today and giving me a joint for the road. Bill for letting me camp in the Cache Creek campground for free.

Lillooet to Marble Canyon

Lilloet — “Guaranteed Rugged”. I escaped with all my belongings. No theft at the shelter 👍

I ran up the Fraser River, the largest river in British Columbia. The Fraser River Valley extends as far south as Bellingham.

Wait a second… am I in the desert now? What happened to the Pacific Northwest?

Someone left skittles and canned pear halves on the side of the road for me! Those pear halves were dangerously good.

60 kilometers to Cache Creek!

Nice! I ran almost 50k and felt great all day. Right as I was pulling into my campsite, a truck that passed me turned around and charged right at me blowing diesel fumes. It stopped right in front of me totally blocking my path and I exclaimed “Oh Fuck!” The people in the truck just started at me. Then they finally pulled up and asked if I stole their stuff. I recognized the lady in the passenger seat from the night before when I went to the wrong building looking for the shelter. She had given me an ominous look and told me her building wasn’t the shelter.

I said to the guy I’m sorry your stuff got stolen but I didn’t take anything. I asked if he wanted to look through my stuff. Then he said “stay away from my job sites!” I said ok and repeated his words back to him. He sped off.

This poor idiot with his ego to protect. How am I supposed to know what his job sites are? Easy solution though, I can just stay on public land which makes up 95% of British Columbia. I wish I could say I was scared but I just survived a week traversing a mountain pass, a night in a homeless shelter, and literally had just run 49 kilometers…

After getting to the campground at Marble Canyon Provincial Park, I met much friendlier folks Rob and Collin ice fishing. They gave me a Kokanee and let me fill my pot with water from their ice hole. Collin has driven across Canada five times and was excited to read the blog for a new perspective. Kokanee are a landlocked freshwater sockeye salmon.

Sunset on the lake.

My best camping dinner yet. Soupy coconut white rice (cuz I overestimated the water), seaweed, and salmon… so kinda like sushi. Truly fresh healthy wild salmon was distressingly tasty. I cooked it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and couldn’t believe there were no other spices. The fish itself is packed with flavor and umami.

Marble Canyon to Cache Creek

Another scenery change! From desert to pine forests and pastures.

Old log cabin.

A nice man stopped and gave me snacks: Gatorade, Reeses, and potato chips. He hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, so he recognizes a thru hiker when he sees one. I’m kicking myself for not getting his name.

Just 10 minutes later, my new friend Collin stopped on his way back from a fishing derby up north. Rob got fifth place. He brought a healthier snack: bananas and gave me a boost telling me I was just 11 kilometers from the taco stand.

Got horse?

Mojo stopped to say hi and gave me a joint for the road.

Welcome to cache creek.

How nice— a trash can just for tourists. Also the first trash can I saw all day.

Amazing taco stand in interior BC, who would’ve guessed. Thanks for the heads up Christina and Collin!

When I got to the Cache Creek campground, I asked the owner named Rob if I could get a tent site for the next. He said he was terribly sorry but there are no washrooms right now. I said that wouldn’t be a problem, I’d been wild camping all week. He said there were motels down the street and was worried I’d be cold. I told him this is the warmest night I’ve had in over a week. He said he didn’t have a problem with me camping but wished he could offer me more. He asked if I wanted the wifi, and I said yes— that’s more luxurious than heat for me.