A group of travel writers were getting a chance to try out some truly Cariboo winter adventures recently.
Destination B.C. and Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association collaborated on bringing six travel writers from a range of places and publications to help share out what it's like to visit some of the area for winter adventure.
"I just had a great great great, awesome ski," reported Leigh McAdam, a writer from Calgary and one of the more experienced cross-country skiers up at Bull Mountain to visit the Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club trails.
"That's gorgeous," she said of the Williams Lake ski trails, noting they were "groomed to perfection."
Rachel Ifans, of Bath, England, and Heide Brandes, of Oklahoma City, United States, both were on their second day ever of the winter sport of nordic skiing.
"This was great, delightful," said Ifans, who described the area as "beautiful." She especially enjoyed the quiet of being in the winter forest.
Brandes, who said the nearest place for her to ski back home in Oklahoma would be New Mexico, but most would travel to Colorado to play in the snow. She said her prior experience with cross-country skiing was not as inviting.
"I don't ski, I'm a flat lander," she laughed, but both agreed they had a great time on the local trails.
The first stop on the group's itinerary after arriving in the Cariboo, was a stop at the Iron Horse Pub for lunch in Lone Butte, then an ice fishing experience with Lone Butte Fishing Adventures. The group tried ice fishing on Fawn Lake, where Ifans caught a burbot.
"The first time I'd fished, never mind ice fished," she shared.
"These guides were great guides," said Brandes.
They then enjoyed dinner at the Red Rock Grill in 100 Mile House.
"It's been fab, such a great trip," said Ifans, with two days still left in the jam-packed itinerary.
While these three writers were taking part in Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club hosted skiing for the day, the other half of the group was in Likely doing an eco-tour for a snowshoe hike to view wildlife. Their fellow writers hailed from Nashville, Portland and San Antonio, in the U.S.A. Only Kelsey Wilking of Nashville, Tennessee was brave enough to try the trails on Bull Mountain on Friday, Jan. 7, but her enthusiasm was palpable.
The group had also toured the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin and Williams Lake Visitor Centre.
"Fantastic," said Brandes of her group's experience there, learning about the area's history.
The writers were going to get to see some team roping, try their hand at curling, and then visit Barkeville and catch some of the Sled Dog Mail Run before they left the Cariboo.
Denise Skarra, the volunteer with the Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club who gave the visitors their introduction to the ski trails and lessons for the newer skiers, said the two days of positive feedback she received from the writers was wonderful.
"If that doesn't fill your cup, what does," she said.
