I was invited by the Bella Coola Valley Arts Council to give an art show, a slide show, and a writer’s workshop last weekend.  It was a lot of fun – I even made some money, too!

It was sunny when I set off.  Range cows are beginning to gather along Highway 20: they will be rounded up for the winter soon.  Here are some hanging around the Anahim Lake Courthouse.

Further along highway 20 I saw a somewhat shy black bear.

Soon I reached the top of The Hill, the famous part of Highway 20 that drops down into the Bella Coola Valley.

A little lower down it clings to the side of a cliff

The Bella Coola Valley is about 50 miles long.  The Arts Council events were held at Hagensborg, which is lower down, but I first visited Katie and Dennis who stayed in my cabin a week or so ago.  Their house used to be the residence of the owner of the founder of the Tweedsmuir Lodge.  It is 75 years’ old this year.

From the yard, if it is fine, there is a wonderful view of Mt Stupendous, so named because Alexander McKenzie described a “Stupendous Mountain” as he hiked down into the valley on his 4-year journey to the Pacific Ocean over 200 years ago (beating Lewis and Clarke in the States by about 20 years.)

The whole valley is filled with spectacular mountains.  Here is Nusatsum, supposedly and Indian Chief lying on his back (head to the right.)  In this shot it looks as though he has a comfy bed of cloud.