Tag Archives: Trapper Rick’s

Trapper Rick’s Boat Pool 1 of 3

Grizzly approaching

The extra day in camp we cross Knight Inlet through Thompson Sound to the Kakweikan River and spend it with Trapper Rick.  This river is located on the BC mainland and we travel by road to the river which we cross before a short walk to Rick’s cabin. We arrived at the “boat pool” to cross and were stopped by a grizzly bear. Rick is kneeling down on a three meter bank that over looks the river as a grizzly makes its way up river toward us….

 

 

 

Extra Lodge Day

walk to TrappersFrom the scenic walk along the edge of the river to the view from the deck of Trapper Rick’s cabin the extra day at the lodge with the Trapper is hard to explain. The best explanation was one I got this summer from a guest. He said it is what city people idealized it would be like to live in the woods and enjoy nature without the interruption of job and neighbours.  Maybe a little of Thoreau’s walden pond was part of the explanation.

Trappers deck

Extra Day In Camp

Trapper's cabin

If you choose the extra day in camp we cross Knight Inlet pass through Thompson Sound to the Kakweikan River and spend a day with Trapper Rick.  This wild river is located on the BC mainland and we travel by old logging roads to the river we cross then a fifteen-minute hike to Rick’s cabin. The above photo is of Rick’s cabin while the lower photo shows the view from the cabin’s deck. Looking down the river past the falls there are good spots to fish for salmon or trout if you are interested the only caution is that you may be sharing the area with other fishers (not people but grizzlies). This past season was a good one for sharing and many guests obtained excellent photos of Rick’s bears.

Cabin View

 

 

 

 

 

Spin-fishing with Trapper Rick

River Fishing

On that extra day’s stay at the Lodge we visit Rick on the Kakweikan River. Travelling over old logging roads to a river crossing we then have a short hike to Rick’s cabin, which overlooks a set of falls. At the falls there are salmon that leap the falls or use the fish ladder to bypass the falls. The salmon gather below the falls and at the peak of the run grizzly bears come to feed. This is an opportunity to fish on the river and catch pink or coho salmon as well as trout. Many guest say they have no interest in fishing but once they see the pristine river full of salmon they say they will try for a few minutes which turns into an hour or more. We have the time and the day is yours so enjoy it.

 

 

Traffic jam at Trapper Rick’s

Grizzly blocking road

On your extra day in camp we cross Knight Inlet pass through Thompson Sound to the Kakweikan River and spend a day with Trapper Rick.  This river located on the BC mainland is accessible only by boat. From the dock we travel by truck to Rick’s cabin and occasionally find Grizzly Bears on the road. We followed this bear down the road for five or six minutes until it reached its destination and turned into the forest. The roads are a main highway for the bears as travel is easier then forest trails and being that Rick’s truck is the only one using the road there is no traffic congestion.

 

 

Extra day in Camp

Trapper Rick's view

If you choose to spend the extra day at Grizzly Bear Lodge it is spent with Trapper Rick on the Kakweikan River. This is a remote river that that requires a guide, which means that access to the public is limited. The view from the front of Rick’s small A-frame cabin can be both relaxing and exciting. Relaxing as a place to have lunch and enjoy a conversation with Rick who is so passionate about his bears and exciting when you walk down to the river in the photo and see grizzly bears feeding.

 

Relaxing at Trapper Rick’s

Enjoying Trapper's falls

The extra day in camp is spend on a seldom visited (except by our guests) wild river with Trapper Rick. This involves an hour boat ride, traveling over old logging roads by truck, crossing the river by boat, hiking to Rick’s cabin, fishing in the river if interested, a picnic lunch, watching salmon in a fish ladder, enjoying amazing scenery, watching salmon leap the falls below the cabin, and on most days watching grizzlies catching salmon. Not to forget conversations with Rick who has lived with the grizzlies for more than twenty years on this river.

 

 

Extra day with Trapper Rick

Waiting for Grizzlies

 

Guests waiting for grizzlies to come to the river to fish. A day with Trapper Rick on the Kakweikan River includes several locations to look for bears, opportunities to fish for salmon, hikes through the rain forest, picnic lunch at Rick’s cabin and a insight into the life of a local legend and trapper. Guests that spend the extra day at Grizzly Bear Lodge visit Rick always ask what will it be like and I don’t have an answer after doing this for ten years. I ask them the same question when they return after having a great day and they are at a loss for word. Some say amazing scenery and wildlife, interesting and passionate character, but the best was “like stepping past in time to see another lifestyle”.

 

Wild River Day

Trapper Rick's river

 

If you book the extra day in camp we cross Knight Inlet and travel through Thompson Sound to the Kakweikan River and spend a day with Trapper Rick.  This river is located on the BC mainland and we travel by old logging roads to Rick’s cabin. Once we cross the river and start the short hike to Rick’s cabin the first stop is often an abandoned bridge, which provides an excellent view of the river and the spawning salmon in the river. The photo above is looking down river and the small flat area at the end of the portion of the river you can see is the  “front yard” of Rick’s cabin. The photo below shows a guest looking into the fish ladder that bypasses the falls in front of the cabin. This is also the area frequently used by grizzly bears to fish for salmon. If bears are not present then guests may fish for salmon below the falls but while you fish one of the guides is always watching for bears as we do move when they arrive.

Ricks Fish Ladder

 

 

 

 

Extra Lodge Day

Trapper's cabin

If as a guest you choose to stay an extra day with us at Grizzly Bear Lodge we take you to our wild river, the Kakweiken River. Viewing Black Bear, Seals, and perhaps a school of playing White-Sided Dolphins on the way. Once at the river you meet one of our river guides, Trapper Rick or his assistant, and ride the Trapper’s “Grizzly Truck” to the spawning area of the river. Here you may view grizzly and Black Bears and Bald Eagles while watching the schools of salmon preparing for spawning. If you wish, fish off the bank for the salmon or trout. On this day while guests were enjoying a picnic lunch at the trapper’s cabin, which overlooks the waterfalls, I took a few pictures. The one above of the cabin and guests and then I walked to the right side of the above photo to get a picture of the river and one of the fishing pools to find a black bear approaching the cabin. Needless to say lunch was interrupted for a few photos.

Black Bear