Two Hours at 120 Miles-per-Hour

After a failed attempt just 48-hours earlier, the weather in all 3 regions finally cooperated to make it possible to move GGCN from Vancouver to Kamloops.

The flight took me from the Coastal Rainforest of the BC Coast, through the Alpine and Subalpine Fraser Canyon, and finally into the Arid Grasslands of the Interior Dessert.

I passed just South of Hatzik Lake (above) about 10 minutes into the flight. Another 10 minutes took me along the Sand Bars of the Fraser (below) just North of Chilliwack.

Just North of Chilliwack, I could see the snowy Coastal Mountains ahead.

Once into the Canyon it got cold fast! The outside air-temperature gauge was showing -20 Degrees! The cabin heater was able to keep up - but just barely.

The first 1/3 of the trip, from the Fraser Sand Bars and well into the Fraser Canyon.

The picture below is the last bit of the Fraser Valley as I approch the canyon entrance. Just to my left (about a mile away) is a place called Harrison Hot Springs - favourite winter destination for Vancouverites.

Just South of Harrison Hot Springs, looking East into the Fraser Canyon

The other side of this mountain, just at the Canyon entrance, was green. Not a spec of snow!

Once I was a little ways North of Hope, the canyon wasn't quite as snowy. But it was still a cold -20.

At Lytton, the Thompson and Fraser rivers come together. Continuing North up the Fraser would take me into BC's North. I turned East into the Thompson River Canyon. The terrain and environment changes instantly as if passing a magic barrier into another place.

Only 30 seconds ago, in the Fraser Canyon, it was green and snowy. Instantly different in the Thompson River Canyon.

Not far along the Thompson River, the valley widens into high-altitude arid grasslands of the BC Interior.

Final Approach along the semi-frozen Kamloops Lake. You can see the runway up ahead.

The ice and snow formations along the lake were a pretty spectacular sight.

Final 1/3 of the flight, arriving in Kamloops.