The Harrison Beach

 

This body of water is the lagoon so it is much warmer than the glacier lake
on the other side. You can see snow tipped mountains behind the buildings.
 

Surrounded by mountain ranges with snowy peaks from all sides.
By visiting places like Harrison Hot Springs we learn a bit of history like the significance of the the mountain
behind it, The Cheam Mountain and its' Pilalt people, otherwise known as the goat people.
They continue to fight against logging and continuous projects to build tourist resorts and golf courses to save the
mountain goat territories. They used mountain goat fur, found on branches, to weave blankets. These blankets were highly valued in Indian ceremonies and the women who made them held high status and power in the tribe.
The Cheam Indian Band is represented by the Sto:lo Nation, Sto:lo meaning River.
In 1858 gold was discovered on the Fraser and miners over ran the area killing the local Indians and blasting mines which destroyed the salmon runs. Mercury poisoning caused many Indian people, who depended on fishing to survive, to get sick.
We read about such stories but not in much detail, only from the government point of view.
Then looking at all this beauty, one wonders, what is the difference if the Indians destroy their land or if BC or Canada does it? The end result is the same.
Territory is cut up and destroyed, fish disappear and someone gets rich as a result.
In the end it is not about saving land and the planet but who ends up with the money.
So.......who fights to preserve this land of God, land of the bear and mountain goat, deer and weasel?

 

This is the glacier lake side. It is very big and very deep.
You don't want to get into trouble out there.

 

Closer view of the Snow on the other side of the glacier in 96 degree C weather
If you never saw this you'd never believe the mountains to be so high so as to be still frozen up there.
 It also breaks your heart to think that a forest fire, could destroy all this beauty. Going down country
roads between all these tall trees, one could see how there could be no escape from fire, should one start here.

 

Something for the kids to play on. The water is colder here.
This is also where they had boats and jet ski boats for rent.
But they were too expensive to think about.
You have a road running along side the lake.
Young people follow it to find cliffs to jump off of into the water below.
Also some like to go between the trees and set up tents where it is a lot more private.
You have the occasional bear as can be imagined. lol
BBQ'd food smells are prevalent out here and people come in droves to relax
and enjoy exactly what we came out here for.

One day like this, feels like a week's holiday.
The locals make you feel very welcome .
It might be a place you never came to before but it feels like home.
:)
xoxoxoxox