British Columbia’s Central Coast

It’s our last morning at Tweedsmuir during prime bear watching season and so far, no bears. So, we’ve set our alarms and are heading down the path to one of the lodge’s two wildlife viewing stations. We climb a treehouse-like structure overlooking the Atnarko River in an area that doubles as a virtual bear playground during salmon season; it’s a mere 200 to 300 yards from the lodge’s nine private A-frame chalets.

We meet up with several other guests there and soon it’s a full house. But after another 20 minutes and no sightings, it’s looking like it’s time to leave. But as I’m adjusting my camera I notice one of the other guests motioning upstream. I spy a black head bobbing in the water then bouncing onto the opposite shore. A big male grizzly bear shakes off the water and saunters out of sight. We hear a loud crunch of breaking branches then the bear reemerges and alternates between pacing the sand and frolicking in the water. We’re ecstatic!

Life at Tweedsmuir

Such are the precious moments that come with a stay at Tweedsmuir.  Located 70 minutes by air north of Vancouver, the lodge and the surrounding Bella Coola Valley are remote; but if you’re seeking a quintessential bear viewing opportunity, this region is more than worth the trek. Situated amid 60 acres of private land within British Columbia’s largest protected park, Tweedsmuir Provincial Park has rightly become a mecca for bear watchers. With a backdrop of Mount Stupendous, its collection of chalets is positioned in a semi-circle around a grass and clover lawn (not coincidental as clover is a favorite snack of both cubs and their mamas).  Originally built in 1929 as a hunting and fishing lodge, about ten years ago Tweedsmuir Park Lodge began to focus on its “grizzly proclivity” and was designated a “Window to the Wilderness”. The assembly of wild life here for viewing also includes bald eagles, mountain goats, wolves, cougars, moose and black bears, too.  But it’s the grizzlies that draw the crowds.

Why and when does this area abound with bears? From late August to mid-October the rivers are chockful of returning salmon (five species come back to the Bella Coola River to spawn:  Sockeye, Coho, Chum, Pink and Chinook). This translates to delicious feasting for grizzlies looking for a bountiful buffet on which to beef up for the coming winter. And because the bears are focused on fishing it’s prime-time viewing.

Soft Adventure at Its Finest

So, as this is soft adventure at its finest we step into a boat and head out with the lodge’s fishing specialist. With respect to our attire of waders and wading boots, our guide assures us: “Dress cool and you’ll catch more fish.” And we do – two salmon and one rainbow trout! Rounding out our short visit to the region we’ve opted for a guided tour and a rafting and nature walk. The tour winds along Highway 20, where we cross creeks and rivers (strong potential for bear sightings) and make our way to the tiny town of Bella Coola. Here the airport is so small that if the Tweedsmuir shuttle is late the plane will wait, though not without a scolding from the pilot. After an alfresco lunch we walk the woods on a Petroglyph Tour (hint: fossilized rock formations) with resident culturalist guide Clyde Young. The grounds in this area are considered sacred by the Nuxalk first nations people and through song and stories we get a peek into the indigenous culture.

Then it’s off in the water again. We begin with a slow float that culminates with a hike along Kettle Pond Trail (one of the region’s many marked paths). It’s an easy 1.25-mile trek dramatically marked by a large boulder at the beginning supposedly left by a glacier. The trail is dotted with ancient Douglas-firs and is complete with bear’s day beds, claw marks on trees, tufts of bear fur and fresh bear prints.

When we again reach the tiny airport later in the day we’re planning our return. Tweedsmuir offers an array of packages accommodating pretty much every interest including heli-skiing in winter (helicopters leave right from the lawn), bird watching in summer, and in fall (of course), the bears.  We’ll be back!

www.bellacoola.ca