Dead salmon and pilot cars

Day 3 Tuesday 13^th

I have a few days to get over my jetlag and acclimatise gradually, staying with family of friends of mine in Pemberton, a small town with a stunning view of the snow capped mountains. This is the view from the deck of the house I am staying in:

With one of them I go out for the day to visit some beautiful waterfalls, followed by a trip  to Anderson Lake, passing through Indian settlements which look very dishevelled.

There are road works, and we have to wait for the pilot car which will guide us across the one lane along the road works. A first, as I have never followed a pilot car in my life. It must be the most boring job to just drive from one end to another all day long. Go, turn, go, turn, go etc. We pass a second settlement. A small clapboard catholic church is boarded up, its spire leaning at a peculiar angle resembling a drunken sailor. We are not buying back the land which was always ours, is painted in bold black letters on a board attached to the church. Everything here looks neglected, but the sun gives it a romantic aura.

Once at the lake we hope to enjoy the view and the cool water, but a horrible stench of rotting fish chases us away. The sand is littered with big putrefying fish, disgustingly purple and brown. They are even lying in the grass. Two women with a couple of young children are having a picnic on a wooden pier and do not seem to mind the sickening stench. When we ask them what has happened, they say this is normal and happens every year. As we do not know what happens every year, we ask them to explain, and they tell us that it is spawning season. The salmon spawn in the stony riverbed which opens out into the lake. After they have deposited their eggs, they die in the lake. We are chased away by the stench, and anyway, we foolishly did not bring any water or food with us and there is absolutely nothing in the way of cafes or restaurants there. It does not really help to get rid of my persistent headache, a normal phenomenon after a long flight.

On the way back we have the pleasure again of being escorted by a pilot car!

We do some shopping in Pemberton and arrive at the house together with our host. My companion begin to prepare the evening meal and we sit patiently waiting for friends from Winnipeg. They have started their trip on Saturday and are due to arrive here around 2 pm, but although we wait enjoying drinks on the deck, they only arrive towards supper time when my host has almost given up hope and is really hungry!

Churning waters below the Nairn Falls, Green River