Robson Valley, British Columbia – April 2000

Well, I suppose it’s a pretty good time to start briefing you guys on British Columbia’s special little gem of the Rockies. Spring is in the air and it’s time to pick up, brush off the dust of winter, and start looking around at what there is to do in the beautiful, natural, and dynamic Robson Valley.

Of course I should start with telling all of you who don’t know where the Robson Valley is…where exactly it is. Probably the best map that I’ve found yet on the web is at National Geographic. I could also just tell you to go to the McBride website…but that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun as this map is! The satellite map at the National Geographic site really shows you how surrounded we are by the incredible, majestic beauty of the Rocky and Cariboo Mountains, which form part of the world-famous Rocky Mountain Trench.

Now I can tell you why you should be planning on getting here.

The Robson Valley is a year-round veritable beehive of activity. In the winter the snowbunnies around here are skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dogsledding, and snowboarding. And in the warmer months – starting right about now, even while there’s still a little snow on the ground – everyone starts packing up and packing away all that warm ‘n’ fuzzy winter gear in trade for bike helmets (B.C. law, by the way, if you’re considering doing the cycling thing), hiking boots, running shoes, canoes, and yes, even swim suits. Actually, just today I talked to someone who’d been hang-gliding already! So when spring fever hits, it HITS HARD!!

So, you ask – what is there to do in the Robson Valley in April?

Well, you might try stopping in at the McBride Secondary School to catch a glimpse of The Pucks, brought to you by the dedicated and ever-toiling Roundhouse Theatre Society, on Saturday, April 1 at 8pm. These guys are a wild, eccentric blend of fantastic music and “April foolery,” and were the Roundhouse’s debut guests way back in 1994.

If you’re into taking a course while you’re here – just to get in with the locals, if nothing else – then the Canoe Robson Educational Development Association (CREDA) is offering courses in entrepreneurship, organic gardening (this one’s bound to be great – presented to you by Dunster’s very own resident garden-guru, Pete Amyoony), basic house framing (a great skill to have if you’ll be around for awhile!), and various other very useful life-skills…which are a really good thing to have when you’re out in the country and two hours from the nearest big city.

Of course, if you’re just planning on hanging around and fending for yourself for awhile, you can always head off on one of the many local trails around…if you feel like braving the muck and mud of a British Columbian spring in full swing!

Next month, when the weather and landscape are a little more hospitable for outdoor activities, I’ll go into more detail about where to go, what to see, and how to get there. So stay posted.

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